Joyce Lishman

Joyce Lishman (May 1947 – 20 January 2021) the first woman Professor at Robert Gordon University, was a leader in social work education and research.

Education and career Lishman was the first pupil from her girls' high school in Normanton to be admitted to the University of Oxford. She studied philosophy, politics and economics, graduating in 1968. She then went on to study social studies and social work at the University of Edinburgh graduating in 1970. She practiced as a social worker in child and family psychology. she was the first female professor bringing together specialists from RGU, Strathclyde University and other bodies and for writing 'many iconic textbooks' known to thousands of students.

She retired from RGU in 2011. and in 1994, another Communication in Social Work was one of the standard texts

She edited a research series Research Highlights in Social Work British Journal of Social Work noted the author's expertise and they recommended their book for graduate research students.'

Other roles Lishman also served on the board of charitable bodies: Lloyds TSB Foundation (now Corra ), Aberlour Child Care Trust and VSA. She became the chair of the Partnership Drugs Initiative and a founding member of the philanthropic charity Inspiring Scotland in 2008. and brought together standards for excellence in education in this field including the first interactive digital learning resources for social work in the world,

For many years Lishman served on the Social Services Scotland Council, having been appointed in 2012 by the Scottish Minister for Education and Young People, for her experience in education and the third sector.

Recognition In 2018, Lishman was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh,

Personal life Joyce Major was born in Castleford, Yorkshire to Kathleen Major (née Leicester), a French teacher and Stanley Major, a salesman. She met and married Roly Lishman who was a computing science PhD student at the time, whilst she was working in social work in Edinburgh. They moved to Aberdeen in 1977 and whilst working on her own PhD, they had two children Tamsin and Ben. When she died in 2021, she was also a grandmother to three grandchildren.