HKU Bulletin October 2004 (Vol. 6 No. 1)

19 18 PEOPLE STUDENTS A Renaissance woman who combined a passion for science, the arts and the great outdoors, and left an indelible mark on the University as driving force in the development of the Department of Biochemistry, passed away peacefully at her home in Scotland earlier this year. Now, thanks to the efforts of Dr Peter Cunich, Associate Professor in the Department of History, the University has been fortunate enough to acquire the papers of Professor Doris Gray. Since Gray’s arrival at the University in 1953 the Department of Biochemistry has flourished. She began work as Lecturer with a minimal staff and later, alongside her col league Professor E. O’Farrel l Walsh, guided the Department through its formative years. Today it is renowned for its research in the field of biomedical science. Al though she began her career in indust ry the end of the war prov ided Professor Gray with the opportunity she had longed for – to pursue her cher ished ambition of an academic career in science. As a graduate in General Science from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, she was strongly attracted to the emergence of a new and exciting branch of science – biochemistry. And she completed an MSc and PhD in the discipline at her alma mater . In Hong Kong she was able to pursue her interest in the study of active compounds in our indigenous medicinal plants and went on to cont r ibute numerous papers to renowned internat ional journals on the subject. In 1955 she was made Senior Lecturer and a Reader eleven years later. Capitalising on her interest in statistics she also published a book on the principles of statistics for students of medicine and biology and a laboratory manual on biochemistry for medical students. In 1972 she was appointed Head of the Department and a Personal Professor the following year. At the University she is remembered as a very private woman who was meticulous in her work and teaching methods. But also as a Head of Department who cared greatly about her staff. Dr Renaissance Woman Lydia Cheng, Lecturer who worked alongside Professor Gray before her retirement in 1975 recalled: “She was very strict with students and staff but she also cared about them.” Dr Veronica Lam, Senior Lecturer who worked as a demonstrator under Professor Gray’s headship recalled: “She was very serious about teaching biochemistry especially to the medical students. Her style was more the classic type of student-teacher relationship and she took great strides to ensure that biochemistry was taught and taught properly.” Although a dedicated scientist she refused to immerse herself completely in her work to the detriment of other activities. A great lover of the arts she established a reputation as a music critic and she indulged her passion for the great outdoors through enthusiastic hill-walking , kayaking and climbing. She retired from a Personal Chair in Biochemistry in 1975 after 22 years of uninterrupted service. T he unveiling of the Sun Yat-sen statue last year was not only a nod to a distinguished alumnus, it was also the catalyst for a new voluntary service to make visitors and campus users more aware of the University’s heritage. The Green Gown Guides was launched in the summer at the instigation of a group of students, who noticed more local, Mainland and overseas visitors were coming to see the statue. Visitors can now attend free one-hour tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays, led by student volunteers who have been trained by The University of Hong Kong Foundation for Educational Development and Research and the government’s Antiquities and Monuments Office. So far more than 800 people have attended the tours and more than 40 students have been trained as guides, dressed in T- shirts in hot weather and green gowns in cool weather. Eva Yuen, a third-year BSc student, has taken people from several different countries on tours around the campus, including Korea, Japan, returnee emigrants from the United States and new migrants from the Mainland. “Some people come because they know HKU is a famous institution and they want to have a look. Others have been to Hong Kong many times and say Ocean Park is too boring, they want to see something different,” she said. Hong Kong’s Newest Tourist Attraction The visitors are not the only ones who get a different twist on things. The guides have to learn about the buildings and sites they pass every day. They now know such details as the fact that the Sun Yat-sen statue is 1.2 times larger than life, the Chong Yuet Ming Building is named after Li Ka Shing’s wife, the tiles in the Main Building cannot be replaced and the Lily Pond is really a lily and lotus pond. Training, books and the Internet provide the core of the guides’ information. But alumni returning for a trip down memory lane can also be a source. Third-year BBA student Jimmy Tang said: “There was one graduate who was more than 50 years old and he kept telling the other visitors about HKU when he was a student. It was like having an assistant – I was able to make the contrast with what it is like now. The tourists really enjoyed the experience. “Bringing tourists across the ‘time channel’ of the University has increased my understanding of the school and my sense of belonging here. This has been a meaningful experience for me,” he added. Tours are free and held Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in English, Cantonese and Putonghua. No booking necessary. Tours also available in nine other languages but need to b e booked two weeks in advance, e-mai l hkutour@hku.hk.