In memoriam: Yousuf Ebrahim

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