Dr Barry Fields dedicated nearly 40 years to the University of Southern Queensland, sharing his passion for special education with generations of future teachers.
As a PhD supervisor, he inspired not only doctoral candidates, but also his own two sons to follow in his academic footsteps.
Mark Cottman-Fields went into human-computer interaction, and his brother Tim works in physiotherapy. While they chose different fields, both credit their father’s strong support as instrumental in achieving their own research goals.
When Barry sadly passed away in 2017, he left a considerable legacy. Mark and Tim wanted to honour their father and give back as he had.
The brothers wondered about starting a bursary to help students but were unsure if their contribution would be enough. When they contacted UniSQ to ask they were surprised by the answer.
Not only were they able to establish the Barry Fields Memorial Bursary relatively quickly in 2020, they were also able to set the criteria of the bursary to reflect Barry’s belief that everyone deserves access to education.
Mark’s message to anyone wanting to honour a loved one in this way is to work with what you have, and to imagine the legacy you want to leave.
Honouring an inspiring educator
Learn how two brothers created a legacy for their father by supporting students in need.
