12-01 2023 13:13
wrote:
I had the privilege of knowing Prof Girdler-Brown as a mentor, PhD supervisor, colleague, and friend. I first met Prof Girdler-Brown in 2008 when I joined the School of Health Systems and Public Health. I was coming from Mathematical Statistics with no experience on the application of Biostatistics. Prof Girdler-Brown held my hand and showed me the ropes until I reached a level where I could co-teach the Biostatistics modules with him. He taught me how to navigate Statistics consultation with difficult clients and how to overcome my inferiority complex when dealing with senior professors.
Professor Girdler-Brown and I were both early risers and arrived at the office before most people arrived. This gave us the opportunity to have in depth discussions about Biostatistics heavily littered with anecdotes of his life experiences in almost all Southern Africa, and mostly our home country of Zimbabwe. He managed to relate Biostatistics to almost every facet of life. I will forever be grateful for his counselling when we both went through a difficult patch in the Health Measurement Division. Prof Girdler-Brown and Prof Voyi helped me to maintain my sanity when I could have completely broken down.
The patience and dedication demonstrated by Prof Girdler-Brown during my PhD studies is beyond mention. He was full of encouragement and generous with nuggets of wisdom. He was very strict when it came to my writing, including the use of the English language. His contribution towards my studies went beyond the academics. He took over my teaching responsibilities affording me more time to work on my research. He also contributed financially to my studies in his personal capacity. He forfeited his remuneration from workshops which we ran through CE@UP and other consultations to build up the Biostatistics Fund which I used for my trips to Brazil to work with my other supervisor, Prof Marcel de Toledo Vieira. We used this same fund to pay for Prof Vieira’s trips to South Africa. I greatly appreciate his generosity.
Prof Girdler-Brown was a great mentor to me. He taught me the importance of giving back to the academic community through publication. He guided me through the publication process, and we published a few papers together. He continued to take an interest in my career even when I had to leave SHSPH and continued to include me in his projects. He was my sounding board for all things Statistics. I am pained that he did not get to know that our last paper together was accepted for publication. I mourn him deeply and will always miss him. Rest in Peace my mentor, supervisor and advisor.
Deepest condolences to his family, especially his beloved sister.
12-01 2023 13:13
wrote:
I had the privilege of knowing Prof Girdler-Brown as a mentor, PhD supervisor, colleague, and friend. I first met Prof Girdler-Brown in 2008 when I joined the School of Health Systems and Public Health. I was coming from Mathematical Statistics with no experience on the application of Biostatistics. Prof Girdler-Brown held my hand and showed me the ropes until I reached a level where I could co-teach the Biostatistics modules with him. He taught me how to navigate Statistics consultation with difficult clients and how to overcome my inferiority complex when dealing with senior professors.
Professor Girdler-Brown and I were both early risers and arrived at the office before most people arrived. This gave us the opportunity to have in depth discussions about Biostatistics heavily littered with anecdotes of his life experiences in almost all Southern Africa, and mostly our home country of Zimbabwe. He managed to relate Biostatistics to almost every facet of life. I will forever be grateful for his counselling when we both went through a difficult patch in the Health Measurement Division. Prof Girdler-Brown and Prof Voyi helped me to maintain my sanity when I could have completely broken down.
The patience and dedication demonstrated by Prof Girdler-Brown during my PhD studies is beyond mention. He was full of encouragement and generous with nuggets of wisdom. He was very strict when it came to my writing, including the use of the English language. His contribution towards my studies went beyond the academics. He took over my teaching responsibilities affording me more time to work on my research. He also contributed financially to my studies in his personal capacity. He forfeited his remuneration from workshops which we ran through CE@UP and other consultations to build up the Biostatistics Fund which I used for my trips to Brazil to work with my other supervisor, Prof Marcel de Toledo Vieira. We used this same fund to pay for Prof Vieira’s trips to South Africa. I greatly appreciate his generosity.
Prof Girdler-Brown was a great mentor to me. He taught me the importance of giving back to the academic community through publication. He guided me through the publication process, and we published a few papers together. He continued to take an interest in my career even when I had to leave SHSPH and continued to include me in his projects. He was my sounding board for all things Statistics. I am pained that he did not get to know that our last paper together was accepted for publication. I mourn him deeply and will always miss him. Rest in Peace my mentor, supervisor and advisor.
Deepest condolences to his family, especially his beloved sister.
