The journey is the destination : A study of the professional career development of Dr. Dorothy June Skeel, 1932-1997. An exemplary teacher educator.

This study investigated through qualitative design Dr. Dorothy Skeel\u27s professional career and scholarly development within the sociocultural context and life history that helped shape her ideas and actions to identify patterns in her life which reflected the social structure in which it was imbedded. The research questions guiding this study were: (1) How were significant aspects of Dr. Dorothy Skeel\u27s life history and professional knowledge represented in her practice? (2) What patterns and changes occurred in Dr Dorothy Skeel\u27s career development? (3) What meanings and possible interpretations can be understood from the patterns and themes in Dr. Dorothy Skeel\u27s personal and professional life? (4) How might Dr. Dorothy Skeel\u27s life and work be used in teacher development? The research design employed grounded theory, an inductive method of comparative analysis. After data had been gathered it was coded and stored using Ethnograph (1998), a qualitative software package. Findings related to Dr. Dorothy Skeel\u27s professional career and scholarship emerged through (1) interview transcripts of family, friends and colleagues and (2) analysis of primary and secondary sources related to her writings and professional activities in social studies education and teacher preparation. The findings of the study revealed that Dr. Dorothy Skeel\u27s career path reflected the challenges women born in the 1930s had to face during the post-WWII period until the early 1970s. Additionally, her scholarship was shaped by important 20 th century historical, social, and institutional tensions that impacted curriculum changes in teacher preparation and social studies education. Themes identified in Dr. Dorothy Skeet\u27s professional development were: Out of the Kitchen: A House Without a Wife—A Degree without the “M.R.S.†Mother-Lust Satisfaction, Walking The Fine Line In Academe: Balancing Acts, The Transcendence of Care: Beyond Time and Space, Children Are Our Future . Other themes explored were barriers she faced related to philosophical differences and the value placed on research vs. the scholar of the practice. The benefits and limitations of using biography were discussed along with recommendations for future study

The Ophthalmologist: Life and Sight Preservation from the Cradle to the Grave

It is a singular honour to be requested to deliver the Fifth Annual Faculty Lecture of the Nigeria National Postgraduate Medical College in Ophthalmology. As a foundation fellow of the College (1970) and past Faculty chairman, it gives me pleasure to observe the growth of the Faculty. We pay tribute here to the many who laboured to ensure that we have a Faculty in the College and whose interest in its development has remained unshaken. But some are no more. May their souls rest in perfect peace. As a professor in a university, often sooner rather than later, you will be called upon to deliver an ‘inaugural lecture' in which you will concentrate on the highlights of your contribution up to that point in the time or developments in your discipline. I presented my inaugural lecture nineteen years ago in 1983, and it was primarily beamed at the university community. TODAY the purpose of this lecture for the Postgraduate Medical College is different. It is partly to explain to ‘Town and Gown' what Ophthalmology entails but primarily to raise funds to ensure the steady growth of the Faculty. It behoves us therefore to provide a menu which will accommodate different tastes – hosts and guests alike. To ensure we have an even playing field (cricketers use this term, politicians too), my subject is centred round what the public wants to know. Not infrequently during or after a social gathering or sometimes outside a supermarket, an acquaintance will walk up and remark. “I don't see clearly. Suffer from headaches a lot. Could these be from my eyes? Do I need to wear or change my glasses?“ Needless to say I cannot answer such enquiries on the spot. Both suggestions from my acquaintance may be right. They could equally be wrong. Unfortunately, in my experience, before I can make an input a third question is sometimes asked. “What is the difference between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist”? I hope at least one enquirer is here today, while I try to answer these questions. [Nig. J. Ophthalmology Vol.11(1) 2003: 3-11