University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补 Anatomy Professor Emerita Marita Lee Nelson, who served as the longtime director of the at the (JABSOM), died on August 8, 2021. Family, friends and colleagues held a virtual celebration of life in her honor on December 4.
After an illustrious academic career on the U.S. mainland, Nelson joined the JABSOM faculty in 1974 as professor of clinical anatomy in the Department of Anatomy and Reproductive Biology. She taught until her retirement in 2002.
During the early 1990s, she was instrumental in the transition of the traditional curriculum to the problem based learning system JABSOM uses to teach its medical students.
“She worked tirelessly as an advocate for education both within JABSOM and throughout the 糖心Vlog官方 System and greatly expanded enrollments in undergraduate anatomy and physiology at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补,” said Scott Lozanoff, professor and former chair of the . “Marita was committed to faculty governance and she served on many JABSOM and 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补 committees, most notably 糖心Vlog官方 Faculty Senate.”
According to her brother, Robert William Nelson of Maui, Nelson received awards for all of her teaching positions prior to joining JABSOM, and kept the momentum going by receiving the Excellence in Teaching award from 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补 in 1985. She also remained an emeritus professor and an active member of the 糖心Vlog官方 Professional Assembly throughout her retirement.
Robert Nelson added that his sister sang in the Honolulu Symphony Chorus and also the Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre for which she sang and performed in 17 different operas. As a member of the Waiokeola Congregational Church and also at the Church of the Crossroads, she sang in both choirs and served as a moderator at both churches. Lozanoff also shared that Marita Nelson was a world traveler who enjoyed exploring new places and meeting new people.