In a ceremony attended by relatives of the late Professor Gwendolen Rees, Aberystwyth University renamed one of its flagship buildings in honor of a pioneering figure who left an indelible mark on the world of zoology and parasitology. The building, formerly known as the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) on the Penglais campus, has now been renamed in tribute to Professor Rees, who was the first Welsh woman to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Professor F. Gwendolen Rees (1906–1994) was not only a groundbreaking zoologist but also a trailblazer in the field of parasitology during her tenure at Aberystwyth University. Her remarkable contributions to science were underscored by her appearance in British Vogue magazine in 1975, as part of a celebration of influential women in society.
The official renaming ceremony, attended by two of Professor Rees’ nieces and senior staff from Aberystwyth University, was a poignant moment in the institution’s history. A plaque bearing the new name was unveiled, designating the building as the home of the Department of Life Sciences (DLS), which was established in 2022. The Department’s research and teaching span various academic areas, including those studied in the former Department of Zoology where Professor Rees dedicated herself to her craft from 1930 until her retirement in 1973.
Over the course of her illustrious career and even after her retirement, Professor Rees published an impressive total of 68 academic papers, with her final work published when she was 82 years old and holding the title of Professor Emerita of Zoology.
Professor Elizabeth Treasure, Vice-Chancellor of Aberystwyth University, expressed her delight at the honoring of Professor Rees, saying, “It has been a pleasure to unveil the plaque today with members of the late Professor Rees’ family. I am delighted that the University is honouring her in this way. She was a remarkable woman who made an international contribution to her field of research and whose lasting legacy means Aberystwyth remains a world-leading centre for the study of parasitology today.”
The decision to rename the building after Professor Rees followed a vote by staff in the Department of Life Sciences and received approval from the University’s Executive and Council. Professor Rees’ contributions continue to inspire students through teaching and innovative research, further cementing Aberystwyth’s reputation as a world-renowned center for the study of parasitology.
Some of the microscope slides produced by Professor Rees also feature in the University’s 150th anniversary book Ceiniogau’r Werin / The Pennies of the People (Prifysgol Aberystwyth University, 2022). The work of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is now located mainly on the University’s Gogerddan campus.
