Centre for Applied English Studies Obituary Lara Lam The Centre has lost a great teacher and

colleague, Ms Lara Lam, who passed away peacefully in the Hong Kong Sanatorium on 22 August 2013. Lara spent her early years in Hong Kong and Toronto. She studied at Precious Blood Secondary School in Hong Kong, at the University of Toronto, and for her postgraduate studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and the University of Reading in the UK. Joining the Centre in 1993, she brought with her a strong background in English language teaching with experience from Canada and Hong Kong, and expertise in phonology, cross-cultural linguistics and fine art. She made contributions to many areas of the Centres work, as coordinator and course devel oper in English for Engineering, as a researcher on language education projects, and as a teacher on postgraduate courses ranging from English phonology to academic writing. As a talented artist, Lara co -developed and taught the very successful broadening course From paintings to stories: the interplay between art and literature offered to students across the disciplines. She was generous with her knowledge of calligraphy, which will stay with us in her rendering of the

Centres Chinese name. She also sha red with colleagues her keen interest in the Chinese language and Cantonese phonology. One of Laras greatest achievements lay in boosting the Centres morale through her warmth and thoughtfulness and the collegial spirit she brought to the Centres Social Committee as an outstanding chairperson between 1999 and 2007. Beyond the Centre, Lara served the HKU community as a dedicated member of the Senior Common Room Executive Committee. Extending her community service beyond the University, Lara sat on a publi c examination panel of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority as a co opted member for many years. On the 27th of August, as we paid our last respects to Lara at her funeral service, we shared our memories of our kind, supportive, humorous, an d inspiring colleague, who always greeted us with her signature smile. We include here extracts from a collection of tributes to Lara which capture our admiration of and gratitude to our friend: With her students, Lara would teach them not only knowledge but also ethics - appropriate ways to conduct themselves, to be upright citizens, to have self respect and honour. (K. S. Ip) I have learnt so much from Lara, not only in terms of academic matters but more importantly what it means to have courage and op timism when dealing with rough patches in life. (Ken Lau) I am learning, with your simple but powerful words, to have trust in my students the way you had in me. (Ken Ho) You inspired us with your courage, you were generous in friendship. You made us l augh and you also made us think. (Anne Storey) Lara will live on in our memories as a source of inspiration and a guiding light to all of us. She will always be remembered.