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Dr Geoffrey Sperber shares a lifetime of learning
It’s been 60 years since Dr Geoffrey Sperber lectured in the Department of Anatomy at Wits. But over the decades, dentistry and anatomy students worldwide have benefited from his expertise through his publications and visiting lectureships.
Now a Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, Canada, he has been honoured for his distinguished contribution to his discipline. That university has established a GH Sperber Annual Lectureship to be delivered on the theme of “Craniofacial Development”, and has named its campus dental museum after him as part of its centenary celebrations.
“The school is pleased to acknowledge individuals like Dr Sperber. His passion for the museum and our centennial were the drivers for what you see here today,” said Paul Major, chair of the School of Dentistry. “Over the years, Dr Sperber and his wife, Robyn, have donated graciously to our school to support our research and innovation activities.”
The third edition of Dr Sperber’s textbook Craniofacial Embryogenetics and Development is currently in the press.
One of his recent publications was “Teeth as Pearls of Wisdom”, in the British Dental Journal, a fascinating look at the kinds of information that teeth can reveal about people’s life histories and about evolution. Fittingly, the museum he has done so much to nurture is a similar treasure.
Dr Sperber graduated from Wits in 1954 with a BSc, followed by the degrees BDS 1956, BSc Hons 1958 and PhD 1963.