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Members of the Department of Biology are very much saddened by the passing of our good friend and colleague Yousuf Ebrahim. For many years, Yousuf was a senior laboratory instructor in biology and in this capacity he touched the lives of thousands of undergraduates enrolled in various courses involving marine invertebrates. Yousuf’s effectiveness as an educator lay in his recognition of the importance of enthusiasm and humour in teaching, the importance of experiential learning and the educational value of the flora and fauna accessible within the intertidal zone of Vancouver Island.
Yousuf’s overflowing energy motivated him to offer many public outreach courses through the Division of Continuing Studies and to organize countless field trips for students of all ages to the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. For many, these field trips were a life-changing experience.
In recent years, Yousuf initiated an international educational opportunity for undergraduates by organizing the international field school for studying tropical biodiversity and field ecology in Malaysia. This enterprise, in cooperation with faculty from the Universiti Sains Malaysia, allows UVic students to experience tropical ecosystems and Malaysian culture. In recognition of his many fine contributions to the University of Victoria, Yousuf was awarded a President’s Distinguished Service Award in 2005.
Yousuf was a consummate educator and humanist, a gracious and highly personable gentleman. His exhaustive knowledge of marine invertebrates, combined with a wonderful sense of humour, imperturbable temperament and superb organizational skills, gave us an individual who will live long in the hearts of all who knew him.
Contributed by Drs. Louise Page and Will Hintz, Department of Biology
We are all saddened by the loss of Barbara Courtney Young who was one of the first graduates from the University of Victoria School of Nursing BSN program. Upon graduation from the Royal Jubilee Hospital School of Nursing she was determined to establish a nursing degree program at UVic. She spearheaded a successful coalition which resulted in the founding of the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria.
Barbara was employed as a program coordinator by the Division of Continuing Studies at UVic beginning in 1985. She worked on the delivery of distance education programs and professional development for health professionals.
After her marriage to Michael Young in 1993, she retired from the university and moved to White Rock.
Her father’s (George Wallace Courtney) family were early settlers in Victoria, and Courtney Street was named after the family. Like her father, Barbara was a very active Rotarian and, in 1989, was the first woman to become a Rotarian on Vancouver Island. She was also involved as a member of the National Parole Board of Canada.
Barbara died in White Rock on January 30, after a brief illness. She was a passionate advocate for the School of Nursing and a compassionate, caring human being with a wonderful sense of humour. Barbara left a strong legacy for the School of Nursing and we will miss her very much.
Submitted by Dr. Anita Molzahn, School of Nursing
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