In Memory of Dr Gloria Lim

Dr. Gloria Lim passed away on Monday, 11 July 2022. She had achieved several firsts in her illustrious career.

She was the first woman to hold the position of Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Singapore in 1973. She served as Dean for four years, and again for a year from 1979 to 1980. Subsequently, she became the first woman to head the Department of Botany, National University of Singapore (NUS). As a trained mycologist, she promoted studies of fungi during her tenure as head of the Botany Department (1985-1990). She was also a long-serving fellow of Eusoff College, and Eusoff Hall between 1961 and 1991.

After she retired from NUS in 1991, she was appointed as the inaugural director of the National Institute of Education (NIE, 1991-1994).

Another noteworthy accomplishment of Dr. Lim was that in 1982 she became the first woman to serve on the Public Service Commission (PSC), Singapore. She served the country in that role until 1996. She was awarded the Public Service Star in 1993 for her contributions to the PSC.

In 2005, NUS honoured her with the Distinguished Science Alumni award. Also, in 2014 she was one of the inaugural class of inductees into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame. She was the elected Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science in 2018.

She will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by countless number of loved ones. May her soul rest in peace!