A “VERY special teacher” has been awarded a posthumous Professorship in Nursing by Bournemouth University.

Born in Swansea on June 13, 1958, Dr Francis (Fran) Biley trained as a mental health nurse.

Fran went on to study for a nursing degree, obtaining two teaching qualifications and a Master’s in nursing before completing a PhD at the University of Wales, College of Medicine.

His last qualification was a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Humanities in 2008.

Fran moved from nursing practice into academia in 1991, working at the University of Wales (now Cardiff University) for 16 years before accepting a post in the Centre for Qualitative Research at Bournemouth University in 2007.

Passionate about good nursing practice and care, Fran was a gifted and thoughtful academic whose work as an educator was respected worldwide. As associate professor, he inspired many graduates who have since taken up senior posts across the globe.

President of the Society of Rogerian Scholars from 2005 until 2008, he was also active in the international nursing scholarship society Sigma Theta Tau and appointed Adjunct Professor of Nursing at Seton Hall University, New Jersey, in 2007.

Professor Jonathan Parker, Deputy Dean for Research at BU, said: “Fran encouraged people to explore, challenge and develop. “He never expected his students to follow him but to construct their own pathways to learning and practice. “This made him a very special teacher and researcher, and one who will be sorely missed.” On January 31 Fran was awarded a posthumous Professorship in Nursing, which was received by his widow Anna.

The much-loved father-of-two died peacefully at home on November 3, surrounded by his family, after a short illness.