Women in Development Graduate Bursary in memory of Dr. Alan Hedley
Donate to the Women in Development Graduate Bursary
Alan was a distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of Victoria for 35 years. He enjoyed teaching, was popular with students and colleagues, and regretted having to leave ("they fired me!") in the last year of mandatory retirement at UVic. His subsequent week-long Vancouver and Gulf Island walkabouts at the beginning of each fall term lasted for nearly ten years.
Alan received his BA and MA in Sociology from UBC and earned his PhD at the University of Oregon. During his career, he wrote two books, made numerous academic contributions to textbooks and journals, and delivered papers at Conferences all over the world. One of Alan's proudest professional accomplishments was the creation of a graduate tuition bursary for women in less-developed countries, based on the premise that educating women benefits all society. In 1995, he convinced then-President David Strong to incorporate this award into UVic's donations programme, where it continues as the "Women in Development Graduate Bursary."
Generous and compassionate, Alan supported over 30 causes, including local and international anti-poverty charities and environmental organizations. He could not pass a homeless person without helping, and in the words of one charity director, was "a great humanitarian with a giant heart and an infectious enthusiasm for life." Alan was the grandson of Robert Rist Hedley, after whom the town of Hedley, BC was named, and took a specific personal interest in supporting the Hedley Museum there.