Dr. Thomas Stemann was a geologist specialising in paleontology, the study of life before the Holocene Epoch (over 11,000 years ago) i.e. the study of fossils. In addition to lecturing and conducting research, he served for years as the Head of the Geology section of the Department of Geography and Geology. Dr. Steman was originally from the UK but on arriving in Jamaica to work at The UWI in 1989 he never looked back, making Jamaica his home until his death in 2024.