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Ebenezer Laing

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Ebenezer Laing
FGA, FAAS, OV
Born(1931-06-28)28 June 1931
Cape Coast, Gold Coast
Died19 April 2015(2015-04-19) (aged 83)
Accra, Ghana
Nationality
Education
Alma mater
Known for
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsUniversity of Ghana, Legon
Doctoral advisorRonald Fisher

Ebenezer Laing, FGA, FAAS, OV (28 June 1931 – 19 April 2015) was a Ghanaian botanist and geneticist who served as the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon.[1][2][3] He was a professor at the University of Ghana, Legon, and later an emeritus professor.[1][4] Laing, together with his university and faculty colleague, George C. Clerk (1931–2019), was one of the first Ghanaian academics to specialise in botany as a scientific discipline and contributed significantly to the growth of the field in Ghana.[2][3][5][6][7][8] He was also a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, inducted in 1965.[9][10] In 1985, he was elected an inaugural Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences.[11]

Early life and education

Ebenezer Laing was born in Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana on 28 June 1931.[1] He was educated at the all-boys’ Anglican boarding school, Adisadel College and continued at Achimota School for sixth form.[1] Between 1951 and 1954, he attended the University College of the Gold Coast, then an external affiliate of the University of London and obtained a bachelor's degree in botany with first-class honours.[1] He was the recipient of the Basindale Prize for ranking second in his class.[1] He proceeded to Corpus Christi College, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge where from 1954 to 1958, he earned a doctoral degree in Genetics[12] as a student of Sir Ronald Fisher.[13]

Career

Ebenezer Laing was appointed a lecturer at the University of Ghana’s botany department and rose through the ranks to become a full professor.[1][3] He later became the chairman of the botany department.[1] His research was in plant genetics.[10] He also served as the Hall Master of Legon Hall, of which he was an alumnus.[1][14] Other senior administrative positions he held include the Dean of the Faculty of Science and the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university.[1] He was also an external examiner at other universities on the African continent.[1] During his long teaching career, he had courtesy appointments at various departments at the University of Ghana including the Institute of African Studies, the Regional Institute for Population Studies, Department of Geography, Psychology Department, Department of Community Health at UGMS, Korle-Bu, School of Public Health as well as the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD).[1]

He was also a board member, advisor or consultant to several institutions: the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences where he was elected a Fellow in 1965,[9][10] the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Cocoa Research Institute, the Volta Basin Research Project and the Population Dynamics Program at the University of Ghana, Legon. He was also a Founding Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, elected in 1985.[1][11] He also provided advisory services to the development of new higher education initiatives in both the public and private sector in Ghana.[1] These include the University for Development Studies, the Presbyterian University College and the Anglican University College of Technology.[1]

He was engaged in international work, among other designations as a member of the joint WHO/FAO/UNEP Panel of Experts on Environmental Management for Vector Control (PEEM) between 1981 and 1995. He co-chaired the ninth PEEM meeting at the World Health Organization in 1989, and was the national counterpart for the organization of the 1992 three-week Health Impact Assessment training course "Health Opportunities in Water Resources Development", held in Akosombo, Ghana.

Personal life

He was married to Mildred Laing and had three children.[1] He was an amateur photographer and a trained concert pianist with special interest in classical music from the Baroque and Romantic periods.[1][15] An aficionado of Ghanaian music, he also played the classical guitar and the Oboe.[1] Laing was also an accomplished organist for the Christ Anglican Church, Legon.[1] Laing played tennis and was a technology-savvy biologist, taking up computer programming in his old age as a hobby.[1]

Death and legacy

He died in Accra on 19 April 2015 from natural causes.[1][16] He was buried at the Osu Cemetery (previously known as Christiansborg Civil Cemetery) in Accra.[1][16] The road behind the university’s department of botany was named in his honour.[17][18][19]

Awards and honours

Books

  • An introduction to modern genetics (1971)
  • Genetic Demonstrations: Instructor's Manual (1980); co-authored with Marian Ewurama Addy and Carol Markwei [20]
  • A Geneticist's Apology: Thoughts on Genetics Teaching and Research (1985) [20]
  • The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research retrospect and prospects (1988) [21]
  • The New Biology: New Hope, New Threat Or New Dilemmas (1989) [22]
  • Science and society in Ghana (1990) [20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "Memorial to Ebenezer Laing, 1931 - 2015". Memorial to Ebenezer Laing, 1931 - 2015. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b Relations, National Research Council (U S. ) Commission on International (1978). Programs of the Board on Science and Technology for International Development: Summary of Activities, 1970-78. National Academies. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Contact Us | Department of Botany". 29 March 2017. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ "More funding needed for public tertiary education in Ghana - Prof Laing". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  5. ^ "12 Amazing Ghanaian Achievements In The Field Of Science And The People Behind Them". OMGVoice.com. 12 September 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  6. ^ Burial and Thanksgiving Service for the late Professor Emeritus George Carver Clerk, FGA (1931–2019) (PDF). Accra: Akuafo Hall Chapel, University of Ghana, Legon. June 2019. pp. 6–41. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "In memoriam: George Carver Clerk, 87". Nature Research Ecology & Evolution Community. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Obituary of George Carver Clerk, 1931–2019" (PDF). ISPP Newsletter. 49 (7). International Society for Plant Pathology: 5. July 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Membership". gaas-gh.org. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  10. ^ a b c "Fellowship". gaas-gh.org. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Laing Ebenezer | The AAS". www.aasciences.africa. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Ebenezer Laing: Independent Research Professional". linkedin.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  13. ^ Newport, Melanie (2013). "African Society of Human Genetics 8th Scientific Meeting held in conjunction with the H3Africa Consortium, May 19th-21st 2013, Accra, Ghana" (PDF). The Galton Institute Newsletter (80): 7–8.
  14. ^ "Prof. Atta -Peters congratulating former Legon Hall Master, Prof. Emeritus Ebenezer Laing, for attending the function". vibeghana.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  15. ^ Relations, National Research Council (U S. ) Commission on International (1978). Programs of the Board on Science and Technology for International Development: Summary of Activities, 1970-78. National Academies. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017.
  16. ^ a b "Emeritus Prof. Ebenezer Laing - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Legon Losses Three Sons Of Timber And Calibre". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  18. ^ "How to get to Ebenezer Laing Road in Accra by Bus". moovitapp.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Driving directions to Ebenezer Laing Road, Ebenezer Laing Rd, Accra". Waze. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  20. ^ a b c Laing, E. (1990). Science and society in Ghana. Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. ISBN 9789964969004. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017.
  21. ^ Laing, E. (1988). The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research retrospect and prospects. The Council. ISBN 9789964645366. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017.
  22. ^ Laing, E. (1989). The New Biology: New Hope, New Threat Or New Dilemmas. Ghana Universities Press. ISBN 9789964301705. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017.
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