It is with sorrow that we share news of the passing of Dr Paula Herberg, who served the Aga Khan University from 1988 to 1998 as Professor, Associate Dean and Director of the School of Nursing and Midwifery (SONAM), Pakistan. We offer our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and colleagues, here at AKU and around the world.
Professor Herberg played a crucial role in SONAM’s early development. During her tenure, the School launched its Post-RN Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1988 and four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1997, both of which were the first programmes of their kind in Pakistan. In 1996, AKU inaugurated the Rufayda Al-Aslamiya Building, a milestone in SONAM’s history.
Significant development of the School’s faculty and curricula occurred as well with the support of McMaster University. Prof. Herberg also initiated the process that ultimately culminated in the creation of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa. She was a valued mentor to many at AKU, including future SONAM Deans, Yasmin Amarsi and Rozina Karmaliani.
In recognition of her contributions, AKU awarded Professor Herberg the title Professor Emeritus in 2005, an honour that only three other individuals had then received: Habib Patel, Jack Bryant and Cheves Smythe. In 1998, Prof. Herberg received an Award of Merit from the Pakistan Nursing Council for her contributions to nursing in Pakistan.
Professor Herberg held master’s degrees from the University of Utah and the University of Maryland and a doctorate in nursing from the University of Utah. Prior to joining AKU, Prof. Herberg taught at Idaho State University and the University of Utah and worked for CARE in Afghanistan, Nepal and a Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand. Following her tenure at AKU, Prof. Herberg served as Chair of Nursing at California State University, Fullerton, where she helped to develop the University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing programme. In 2003, at AKU’s invitation, she returned to Afghanistan to survey the country’s nursing sector and help create a strategy for its development. Several editions of the textbook Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care, now in its 9th edition, feature a chapter by Prof. Herberg on international nursing.
For the last four years, Professor Herberg was part of a working group of the Ismaili Nurses Alliance of Canada. The group's purpose was to support alumni of the School of Nursing and Midwifery when they sought registration and employment in Canada. She was committed to the cause and recommended significant strategic actions that helped the group to navigate system-level barriers. Her knowledge of the curriculum and SONAM programmes, her work ethic and her prodigious writing skills were instrumental in the development, support and progress of SONAM graduates.
AKU will forever be grateful for Professor Herberg’s invaluable contribution to the foundation of the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the development of its earliest students.
