PolyU was deeply saddened by the passing of Dr William Henry Peter Lewis, founding Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (FHSS), formerly Institute of Medical and Health Care (IMHC).

Dr Lewis served as the first leader of IMHC and later FHSS for almost two decades since its establishment in 1977. Under his visionary leadership, he introduced the part-time day release programme and evening classes to IMHC, offering a more flexible mode of learning and meeting the community's needs at that time. After IMHC took over the training of social work and healthcare professionals from the government, Dr Lewis diligently upgraded the programmes at certificate, diploma, and professional diploma levels.

In 1987, IMHC was transformed into the Division of Health and Social Studies, where Dr Lewis oversaw four departments as the divisional chairman and took up the headship of the Department of Health Sciences under the Division. Concurrently, Dr Lewis was appointed as Chairman of the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board from 1 May 1981 to 30 September 1992 by the government. In 1993, the division was upgraded to be the Faculty of Health and Social Studies, where Dr Lewis remained its Dean until his retirement from PolyU in 1995.

Dr Lewis, as the founding Dean of the Faculty, made exceptional contributions that have firmly established the University’s endeavours in addressing the health and social needs of the community. He will be dearly missed by the PolyU community and beyond.

Development of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences