Ebenezer Laing

Ebenezer Laing
Born (1931-06-28)June 28, 1931
Cape Coast, Gold Coast
Died 19 April 2015(2015-04-19) (aged 83)
Accra, Ghana
Nationality
Education
Known for
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions University of Ghana, Legon

Ebenezer Laing (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] Laing, together with his university classmate and faculty colleague, George C. Clerk, was one of the first Ghanaian academics to specialize in botany as a scientific discipline and contributed significantly to the growth of the field in Ghana.[2][3][4] He was also a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, inducted in 1965.[5][6]

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] 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 he earned a doctoral degree in botany.

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.[6] He also served as the Hall Master of Legon Hall, of which he was an alumnus.[1][7] 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,[5][6] 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.[1] 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][8] 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

He died in Accra on 19 April 2015 from natural causes.[1][9] He was buried at the Osu Cemetery (previously known as Christiansborg Civil Cemetery) in Accra.[1][9]

Awards and honours

Books

  • Genetic Demonstrations: Instructor's Manual (1980); co-authored with Marian Ewurama Addy and Carol Markwei [10]
  • A Geneticist's Apology: Thoughts on Genetics Teaching and Research (1985) [10]
  • The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Retrospect and Prospects (1988) [11]
  • The New Biology: New Hope, New Threat Or New Dilemmas (1989) [12]
  • Science and society in Ghana (1990) [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 "Memorial to Ebenezer Laing, 1931 - 2015". Memorial to Ebenezer Laing, 1931 - 2015. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  2. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 "Contact Us | Department of Botany". 2017-03-29. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  4. "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.
  5. 1 2 "Membership". gaas-gh.org. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  6. 1 2 3 "Fellowship". gaas-gh.org. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  7. "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.
  8. 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.
  9. 1 2 "Emeritus Prof. Ebenezer Laing - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 Laing, E. (1990). Science and society in Ghana. Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017.
  11. 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.
  12. 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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