Dr. Roland Miller (2017)

In his seventeen years at Luther College at the University of Regina, Rev. Dr. Roland Miller helped to strengthen the College academically, establish a robust affiliation with the University of Regina and build a foundation for Luther’s relationship with the Muslim community of Saskatchewan.

On September 1, 1976, Roland became a member of the small handful of staff at the University campus as “Professor of Islam and World Religions,” at a time when Islam was a special topics class. In 1977, he became Academic Dean where he strove to be strong but sensitive; mindful of faculty and student needs; and available to students as a counsellor, a duty he took very seriously.

Luther grew as a centre for academic creativity and leadership on campus as a result of Roland’s vision and initiative. He developed the Religious Studies program for the University of Regina (U of R) and its federated colleges, established a summer centre for international languages, and was instrumental in the founding of the Luther Lecture.

Roland strove to build bridges between the UofR and its federated College, laboured to increase the size of Luther’s faculty and student body, worked to create global awareness amongst students and faculty in the College and the University through his experience in different countries and cultural world, and formed respectful relationships with the Muslim community in Regina through his research in Islamic Studies.

Thanks to the efforts of Roland, Luther found its place as an important and well-respected federated College at the University of Regina and friend of the Muslim community, two relationships that remain strong today.