Scientist Search | FiwiScience

Dr. Karl Aiken

Life Science

Retired Senior Lecturer - The UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Karl Aiken is a marine ecologist specializing in fisheries management. He is a retired Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI where for 35 years he taught under-graduate students and supervised graduate students. His research has helped Jamaica understand its fishing industry and establish appropriate policies and legislation including fish sanctuaries. He served in the Jamaica Defence Force Coastguard (Reserves) as a Commissioned Officer for 11 years. Dr. Aiken’s knowledge and experience has seen him sitting on a number of boards, panels and committees including the Fisheries Authority. He is a founding member of the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust.

Dr. Claudine Allen

Computer Science

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Claudine Allen is a Lecturer in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology. Dr. Allen's career in the field includes work in the insurance industry as a systems administrator and IT manager and lecturer at the University of Technology for over 12 years. Her Ph.D. in Computer Science is from The UWI as are her B.Sc. and M. Phil. Dr. Allen's resaerch interests are software architectural debt; software quality characteristics, teaching strategies in software design; applying software engineering principles to development of e-learning content

Mr. Rickardo Anderson

Physics

Senior Scientific Officer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Rickardo Anderson is a Senior Scientific Officer in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. His areas of specialisation are medical physics and electronics. Mr. Anderson who is pursuing a Master of Science (MSc) in Clinical Medical Physics was just awarded the prestigious Dr. Barry Wint Scholarship by the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Rickardo, , was one of only two individuals selected in the Medical Physics category, highlighting his academic excellence and commitment to advancing the field.

Dr. Ricardo Anderson

Computer Science

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Ricardo Anderson is a Lecturer in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. His research interests include business intelligence (BI), decision support systems (DSS), expert systems and knowledge discovery in databases and data mining (KDDM). His Ph.D. in Computer Science is from The UWI and prior to that achievement he obtained his M.Sc. in Management Information Systems and his B.Sc. in Computer Science from The UWI also. He has a Certificate in Data Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Project Management Professional Certification from the Project Management Institute.

Dr. Maydienne Andrade

Life Science

Lecturer - University of Toronto

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Maydianne Andrade is a Jamaican-born ecologist and lecturer at the University of Toronto, Scarborough who has specialised in the study of the mating habits of spiders. She was born in Kingston but migrated with her family to Canada at an early age. She did her B.Sc. at the Simon Fraser University, her M.Sc. in zoology at the University of Toronto, Mississauga and earned her Ph.D. from Cornell University investigating "Sexual selection and male mating behavior in a cannibalistic spider". Her research at the University of Toronto focuses on understanding how the reproductive behaviors of males and females evolve through the interaction of sexual and natural selection in different ecological contexts, and how this shapes individual phenotypes and population-level characteristics. She was named one of the Brilliant 10 by Popular Science Magazine in 2005 and was the 2021 Carleton University's Discovery Lecturer. Andrade is the co-founder and president of the Canadian Black Scientists Network, and recently led the group to host a virtual conference, called BE‑STEMM 2022, to highlight Black Canadians in STEM.

Mr. Ajani Ausaru

Mathematics

Asst. Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Ajani Ausaru is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. He is also the Coordinator of several departmental programmes including the Annual Jamaican Mathematics Olympiad. Mr. Ausaru's research interest focus on mathematical modelling of the dispersion of substances dissolved in physiological fluids e.g. blood.

Dr. Simone Badal-McCreath

Biotechnology

Senior Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Badal-McCreath is a bio-chemist and lecturer in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI where she specialises in cancer research. She studied chemistry and bio-chemistry for her first degree which led to post-graduate research studying natural products towards identifying those with likely efficacy in preventing and treating cancers. However, when she realised that the cell-lines on which these natural products were being tested were all Caucasian she led a team in creating the first cancer cell line from the Caribbean in 2022. The intent was to create more cancer cell lines for black people in the fight against prostate and breast cancer. In 2014 she was bestowed the Elsevier Foundation Award as a leading female chemist among five women from the developing world where she represented the Caribbean and Latin American regions. The UWI has also paid tribute to her as one of 70 outstanding women through its history across the three campuses who have rendered world-class service. In March, 2024, the Springer Nature and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) announced Badal-McCreath as one of 25 global Rising Scholars: Breast Cancer programme.

Professor Wilma Bailey

Geography and Geology

Professor

Jamaica

BIO

Wilma Bailey was a Professor of Medical Geography in the Department of Geography and Geology, Faculty of Science & Technology, UWI. Her research interest was in reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and exploring differences in the way males and females interact with both the health and education sectors. While seconded to The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social & Economic Studies (SALISES), Professor Bailey was Chief Investigator in a Ford Foundation-funded project on reproductive health. This project resulted in at least 13 published monographs and papers including such titles as “Gender and the Family in the Caribbean”, “Gender, Contest and Conflict in the Caribbean” and the “Decay of Community”. The research team received the Principal's Award for distinguished research for 2002. She served in the Department of Geography and Geology from 1968 and after retirement continued to serve UWI through the Institute of Gender and Development Studies up to 2010, and as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Geography up to 2013. Professor Bailey passed away in December 2018.

Dr. Carl Beckford

Computer Science

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Carl Beckford is a Lecturer in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology. He oversaw the development (working with final year students) and implementation of Ricoché - a scheduling system now used by the Faculty of Science and Technology to ensure minimal/no student class and room clashes. His doctoral and post-doctoral studies are in Software Engineering and Online Learning and his professional qualifications are in the fields of accounting, financial management and life insurance. Dr. Beckford has over thirty (30) years of experience in business systems analysis and management information systems, reengineering, project management and computer programming in the financial sector.

Dr. Diptiranjan Behera

Mathematics

Senior Lecturer - UWI, Mona

India

BIO

Dr. Diptiranjan Behera is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI and currently, the Mathematics Graduate Programme Coordinator. Originally from India, he joined the Department in 2018. His research interests include Interval and fuzzy mathematics, Structural analysis, Differential equations, Fractional differential equations, Non-linear differential equations, Optimization problem and Computational methods.

Mr. Percival A. Benjamin

Biotechnology

Entrepreneur

Jamaica

BIO

The founder of PA Benjamin, a household name in Jamaica for pharmaceuticals such as bay rum and condiments such as vanilla, Percival Austin (PA) Benjamin was born in St. Mary in 1862. A young entrepreneur, he started "Benjamins' Jamaica Healing Oil Factory" in 1879 with a large array of his own bottled preparations and teas, concocted through the young apothecary's knowledge of medicine. Unfortunately, he had funding problems and had to close the factory due bankruptcy. Determined as ever he took a job as Manager of a drug & grocery store in Port Maria, eventually buying out the pharmaceutical side of the business and starting again this time as Benjamin's Jamaica Medicines. He moved the factory and business to Kingston in 1901 and continued to expand. The savvy young businessman soon recognised the marketing potential of making his products available to Jamaicans abroad and, in a stroke of marketing genius set out to acquire customers, among them Jamaicans at work on the construction of the Panama Canal. Benjamins’ aggressive salesmanship led to the infiltration of markets throughout the Caribbean, markets which the company has managed to retain and systematically expand upon. Tragedy struck again with the 1907 earthquake and fire, but he built back better and continued to expand and improve. In 1926, his flagship brand, Jamaica Healing Oil became the first Jamaican product to obtain a US patent. Although Mr. PA Benjamin died in 1928 - the company, PA Benjamin is now the oldest drug manufacturing company in Jamaica, making Mr. Percival A Benjamin one of Jamaica's Science Icons.

Professor Nouredinne Benkeblia

Life Science

Professor, Crop Sciences, UWI

Algeria

BIO

Professor Benkeblia is Professor of Crop Science and Head of the Laboratory of Crop Science in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI Mona. He is also the Coordinator of the Agricultural Programmes at UWI-Mona. Prof. Benkeblia holds a B.Sc., M.Sc. and a Ph.D. in Food Sciences (Algeria), and a Ph.D. in Crop Sciences (Japan). His main research areas are (i) environmental stresses and physiology and biochemistry of crops, (ii) pre- and postharvest metabolism of fresh crops, and (iii) postharvest metabolism of fresh crops. has been working on food sciences and technologies from 1991. He started his work on crops physiology and biochemistry, preservation technologies such as irradiation, chemicals, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), rare gases and other natural biological compounds (essential oils). From 2000, he focused his research on the postharvest metabolism of carbohydrates, mainly fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and fructans, and their impact on crops qualities. He also introduced new tools of "Metabolomics" in his research to investigate the biochemistry and the biological system of the biosynthesis and metabolism of FOS in fructan-containing plants (using asparagus and onion as models). He works closely with the Caribbean Centre for Research in Biosciences (CCRIB)

Dr. Phillippa Bennett

Computer Science

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Phillipa Bennett is a Lecturer in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. A graduate of the Computing Department, she went on to earn her Ph.D. in computer science from the Colorado State University in 2017. She lectures in software engineering and her research is on software modelling. She was formerly the Department's Outreach Coordinator and as such often participated in events like FLOW Jamaica's inaugural Girls in ICT Conference and Exposition where she spoke with the female students to encourage them to study computing/information technology. She is currently one of two Undergraduate Studies Coordinators. Dr. Bennett's industry experience spans approximately 20 years, including at the Electorial Office of Jamaica where she served on the electorial advisory committee in IT matters.

Dr. Donovan Blissett

Geography and Geology

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Blissett is a geology lecturer who specialising in the study of fossils in Jamaica. His particular area of interest currently is the study of fish fossils in the Manchioneal Formation, Portland, Jamaica.

Dr. Frederick Boyd

Life Science

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Boyd is a botany lecturer and researcher in the Life Sciences Department, FST, UWI. His academic interests centre on plant biology, autotrophic eukaryotic microorganisms and their anthropogenic applications. For example, his earned his M.Phil. for his work on incorporating Cyanobacteria as biofertilizers for local rice cultivation, which focused on the successful reduction of artificial fertilizer usage and his PhD in Botany in 2018 increased knowledge of the reproductive ecology of Jamaican Allspice (Pimenta dioica) and important export species.

Dr. Ainka Brown

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Ainka Brown is an organic chemist who specialises in green chemistry which aims to reduce pollution at source by finding ways to produce chemicals that are less hazardous e.g. result in less waste, use less energy in their production etc.

Professor Paul Brown

Life Science

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Paul Brown is a microbiologist who specializes in molecular microbiology, in particular, leptospirosis and antimicrobial resistance. He lectures microbiology to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Faculties of Science and Technology and Medical Sciences at The UWI, Mona Campus. He was twice the recipient of The UWI Mona Campus Principal’s Research Award for Best Research Publication (Article) in the Faculty of Medical Sciences for 2012 and 2015. Professor Brown has held a number of leadership positions in the scientific community including serving as Country Ambassador to Jamaica for the American Society for Microbiology and Vice-Chair of the Council on Microbial Sciences. He has just been recognized by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) for his outstanding contributions to the field of microbiology, with the ASM Moselio Schaechter Award in Recognition of a Developing-Country Microbiologist. The award and honorarium will be presented at the Annual ASM Microbe Conference in June, 2025 One of the objectives of this award is to inspire future generations of microbiologists, demonstrating the importance of pursuing excellence in the field. The award and honorarium will be presented to Dr. Brown at the Annual ASM Microbe Meeting in June, 2025.

Professor John Buddle Blyth

Chemistry

Deceased

Jamaica

BIO

John Buddle Blyth was born in Jamaica in 1814 to John Blythe and Mary Buddle, a "free woman of colour". He was baptised on 11 April 1816 by Edmund Pope, rector of Westmoreland, and described as a "free child of colour". He eventually became the first professor of chemistry at Queens College, Cork, Ireland. His father being Scottish and his mother of Scottish descent, he was sent to Dumfries, Scotland for his education at a young age. Of note, whilst the Journal of the Chemical Society -1872, Volume 25 - Page 342 states that John Blyth, M.D., was born of Scotch parents in Jamaica, in 1814, the Centre for the Studies of the Legacies of British Slavery (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2146634372) provides more details about John Blyth's parents. Later, John Buddle Blyth attended the University of Glasgow where he studied the arts for 3 years before switching to medicine in 1833 and moving to the University of Edinburgh where he completed his medical degree in 1839. After practicing medicine for a short time, he decided to focus on chemistry as he wrote that " physiology and sound practical medicine must hereafter look (to chemistry) for their further progress". He then studied & worked in chemistry for a few years in both France and Germany returning to England in 1845 to work with the Royal College of Chemistry. He moved to the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, England as professor in chemistry where he remained for two year before being appointed the first professor of chemistry at Queen's College Cork in Ireland in 1849. In addition to teaching chemistry and examining chemistry for the Queen's University he also taught and did work for the government in medical jurisprudence. He died in Cork, Ireland in 1871 of apoplexy, what we now know as a stroke.

Dr. Dayne Buddo

Life Science

Consultant

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Dayne Buddo is a marine ecologist with expertise in marine invasive species, fisheries management, and marine protected areas. He is currently the Regional Project Coordinator of the GEF/CAF/FAO/CRFM Project entitled, “Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus Region" (BE-CLME + Project). This is a project of the Caribbean of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism based in Belize. Dr. Buddo says that he had an early fascination with the sea but like many Jamaicans was initially scared of the ocean and what it may hold. However, he overcame this fear and came to love the ocean and was determined to help protect it, particularly as he studied for his B.Sc. in Zoology and Botany at The UWI. He is the first Jamaican to have done significant work on marine invasive species, through his graduate research on the green mussel Perna viridis in Jamaica for which he earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree from The UWI. Dr. Buddo served the UWI as Lecturer and Academic Coordinator for several years and has been stationed at the UWI Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory and Field Station for many of those years. Not surprisingly, he is certified as a PADI Instructor, an Emergency First Response® (First Aid/CPR/AED) Instructor, as well as a Hyperbaric (Recompression) Chamber Operator and Safety Director. Dr. Buddo has been a consultant for marine projects with CARICOM, the Government of Japan, the World Bank, International Maritime Organization, and the Nature Conservancy, among others. Additionally, he has worked in over 30 countries, closely with agencies such as the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Dr. Basil Burke

Chemistry

Consultant, USA

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Basil Burke is a natural products chemist with a focus initially on improving agricultural products but now additionally on improving medical treatment for people. He was born in St. Andrew in 1943 and attended St. Aloysius Boys' and Greenwich Town Primary Schools. Later at St. George's College, he excelled at cricket and chemistry being at one time both the Vice President of the Science Society and Captain of the cricket team. At the University of the West Indies his studied chemistry receiving his Ph.D. in 1970 after which he went to Canada and taught and researched at the University of British Colombia. He returned to The UWI in 1972 as a lecturer and researcher in natural products particularly from agricultural plants such as pepper and citrus. He became a Senior Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University and in 1982 joined the Plant Cell Research Institute in California, where he directed and pioneered new research technologies and chemical discoveries with potential uses in medicine and agriculture including for pest control. Since 1991 he has worked in the private sector developing pharmaceutical and agrochemical products and more recently tools to assist patients in evaluating their ailments at home and then transmitting the information to doctors electronically for diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Burke was awarded the Jamaica Centennial Medal and the Gold Musgrave Medal . He is an active member of the Caribbean Diaspora in the USA And maintains strong ties with The UWI through its consulting arm.

Dr. Curtis Busby-Earle

Computer Science

Senior Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Curtis Busby-Earle is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. He joined the Department as a member of the academic staff in 2006, having spent over a decade in the private and public sectors Information Technology industry in roles that encompassed programming and software analysis to director of management information systems units. His research interests are in cybersecurity, software engineering and quantum computing.

Dr. Norbert Campbell

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Campbell is the Coordinator for the Chemistry Department's Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health Programme. His research interests include occupational injury surveillance in Jamaica with emphasis on fatal injuries towards reducing such incidences. He is also interested in indoor air quality which can impact occupational health.

Dr. Jayaka Campbell

Physics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Jayaka Campbell is a Physics Lecturer in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology at The University of the West Indies. A former student of Camperdown High, Dr. Campbell's Ph.D. is in computational physics, his M.Sc. in Physics and his B.Sc. in electronics. His area of specialisation is in climate change and he uses super-computer systems to analyse huge amounts of climate data to develop models to inform us of the likely impacts of the changes in temperature and rainfall on ecosystems and people. He also researches ways to mitigate against climate change e.g. renewable energy and he is the Undergraduate Coordinator and Graduate Coordinator for the M.Sc. in Renewable Energy. He is a member of the Climate Studies Group Mona which is responsible for much of the climate change modelling and data analysis for Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Professor Donovan Campbell

Geography and Geology

Director of The UWI, Mona Western Jamaica Campus

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Donovan Campbell is a Geography Professor and the Director of The UWI, Mona Western Jamaica Campus, a position he only took up on 1st August, 2024. He stated that he plans to align the institution with the needs of Montego Bay and western Jamaica and will leverage his background in geography and sustainability to address local development challenges. His research focuses on the intersection of climate action and social equity in particular on climate change adaptation and food systems in the Caribbean. He works with communities and governments across the Caribbean to accelerate the adoption of innovative climate-resilient strategies, to secure a sustainable future. He has served as an author on multiple intergovernmental scientific assessments, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the United Nations' World Ocean Assessment (WOA), and the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-7).

Dr. Barbara Carby

Geography and Geology

Consultant

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Barbara Carby is a retired disaster management expert with decades experience leading organisations such as the Director of The UWI's Disaster Risk Reduction Centre, Director of Hazard Management - Cayman Islands and Director General - Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Jamaica. She was awarded her Ph.D. in Geology from The UWI, Mona.

Ms Candice Charlton

Physics

Asst. Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Ms. Candice Charlton is an Assistant Lecturer and Student Experience Liaison in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. She is also a graduate student working towards the award of her Ph.D. in physics. Her research interests are climate studies and forest or bush fires. With the increasing intensity and length of droughts we can expect more bush or forest fires and so Ms. Charlton is using remote-sensing and other techniques to better understand the bush-fires that have occurred and the potential and risk of bush-fires based on location so that we can be better prepared and able to address these challenges e.g. through monitoring and early-warning systems.

Professor Anthony A Chen

Physics

Retired

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Emeritus Anthony Chen is an Atmospheric Physicist who was a member of the Team awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for efforts made to increase and disseminate greater knowledge of man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change. In 2008 he was awarded an Order of Merit from the Jamaican government for his contribution to the field of climatology. Professor Anthony Chen's career started at Boston College where he achieved a BSc in Physics and Mathematics. He went on to further his education at Harvard where he earned a MA in teaching and gained teaching experience in high school teaching in the USA. His passion for Physics brought him to the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park. His thesis as a graduate research student was surrounding the uppermost layers of the atmosphere focusing on the ionospheric plasma using data from the Goddard Space Flight Center. His work earned him an MSc on An End Effect Associated with Cylindrical Langmuir Probes on Explorer XVIII. Subsequent to this, he began his career at the University of the West Indies, Mona in the Department of Physics where he was assigned a position as a lecturer in 1968. He was instrumental in making the University internationally known by being the first to do research on the upper layer of the atmosphere within the Caribbean and, therefore, attracting US government funding. In 1972, he obtained his PhD entitled: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Ionospheric Irregularities Responsible for the Scintillation of Satellite Signals. Professor Chen has an extensive list of publications ranging from, book chapters, technical reports, and journal articles to conference proceedings. He has received multiple awards and accolades for his contribution to science, as well as, national building. He helped establish the Climate Science Group in the Department of Physics and continued to assist with its work including tutoring students and mentoring researchers well after his retirement.

Dr. D.S. Vijaya Chitra

Life Science

Lecturer, UWI

Afghanistan

BIO

Dr. D. S. Vijaya Chitra joined the Department of Life Sciences in 2023 as a Lecturer in botany, with emphasis on the molecular aspects of the subject.

Dr. Leonardo Clarke

Physics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Leonardo Clarke is a Physics Lecturer in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI. His area of specialisation is in climate variability and real-time environmental monitoring. Dr. Clarke aims to measure environmental changes and use these to model potential impacts towards identifying action to reduce climate change impact. Dr. Clarke is also the Graduate Coordinator for research students.

Dr. Lloyd Coke

Life Science

Lecturer, The UWI - deceased

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Lloyd B. Coke (1939 - 1990) was a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department - Botany at The UWI. He taught plant physiology for 15 years at The UWI, Mona. The Seminar Room in the Botany Department is named in his honour.

Dr. Michael Coley

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Coley's research focuses on optimizing industrial processes including alumina production and on applications involving the production and use of renewable energy sources. His research group is also actively engaged in biofuel research. They produce biodiesel, a diesel fuel alternative, from used cooking oil, animal fat and plant-based sources.

Dr. Dexter-Dean Colquhoun

Life Science

Consultant

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Colquhoun is a marine biologist with expertise in marine and coastal ecology, water quality, MPA management, fisheries, plankton and ecological modelling. His interest in biology began in high school at The Wolmer’s Boys’ High School, where he was introduced to the subject in Grade 9, and immediately became intrigued by the seemingly endless knowledge entailed within the various sub-disciplines of the subject (e.g., botany, zoology, immunology, medicine, etc.), as well as the underlying inter-relation amongst the oftentimes very different sub-disciplines. Marine Biology stood out conspicuously to Dexter, not just because of his love for swimming and ocean life in general, but also because so much was (and even today still is) unexplored, undiscovered, and largely unknown as it relates to the ocean, especially in less-developed tropical countries (like Jamaica), and likewise at deeper depths. Immediately after high school (2008) Dexter explored other passions as a studio and live performance musician, where he worked as a pianist/keyboardist for several recording artistes and local bands. He eventually decided to return to his love for biology and the sea and after earning his B.Sc. in marine zoology he went on to conduct research for his Ph.D. Dexter’s Ph.D. research contributed to the definition and designation of the first Special Fishery Conservation Areas (now a Fish Sanctuary) in eastern Jamaica and will provide useful tools to assess future changes in the now protected areas. He has worked on various projects including water quality assessment and analyses for various Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs); tropical coral reef and benthic assessments (north and south- coast Jamaica); mangrove forest and other coastal wetlands assessments; (Jamaican) Blue Economy baseline research; as well as climate change resilience research (utilizing traditional agricultural crops).

Professor Daniel Coore

Computer Science

Professor, The UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Daniel Coore is a Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI, Mona and one of our Science Icons. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, he attended Campion College before completing one year at The UWI after which he transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he obtained in 1994, both the S.B. in Computer Science and Engineering and the S.M. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. In 1999 he earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science, also from MIT. He is a co-inventor of the UWI Cardiac Surgery Simulator: a high-fidelity simulator that has had significant impact across the US in the training of cardiac surgeons. His primary research interests are in amorphous computing, robotics and automation and computer science education. He teaches courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, spanning a broad range of areas including algorithms, theory of computation, computer architecture and cryptography.

Dr. Andre Coy

Physics

Senior Lecturer & Associate Dean, The UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Andre Coy is a Senior Lecturer in Physics and the Associate Dean for External Engagement in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. He is a computer scientist and a physicist having a B.Sc. in electronics and mathematics and a M.Sc. in Climate Physics - both from The UWI. His Ph.D. in Computer Science is from the University of Sheffield where he helped develop a portable device employing speech recognition and text-to-speech technology to aid communication in individuals with speech impairment. His area of specialisation is in Speech and Language Technology and Signal Processing and he seeks to better understand human speech to develop and improve automatic speech recognition in computers and assist in language learning education and education of person with hearing and speech disabilities.

Ms Marcia Creary

Life Science

Data Manager, Centre for Marine Sciences, UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Mrs. Marcia Creary is the Environmental Data Manager of the Caribbean Coastal Data Centre of the Centre for Marine Sciences, UWI, where data from regional and local monitoring programmes are archived and managed. She is involved in coral reef monitoring particularly as it relates to climate change and her Ph.D. research will contribute signficantly to this body of knowledge.

Mr. Samuel Daniel

Physics

Adjunct Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Daniel is a physicist who lectures part-time at The UWI and who has a special interest in electromagnetism.

Mr. Joel Dean

Computer Science

Software Engineer

Jamaica

BIO

Joel Dean is a software architect and tech entrepreneur who specializes in software engineering, programming, and app development. He has over 13 years of experience in building applications for iPhones, Android phones, computers and televisions, and is committed to taking every opportunity to contribute. He obtained his B.Sc. in Computer Science from the Northern Caribbean University (NCU). An example of his contributions being the addition of several pieces of software on his GitHub, available for use. He also launched a “Code for Cause” initiative where he speaks at schools within Central Jamaica, addressing technology can transform possibilities and potential for Jamaica when used to its full potential. Joel has built several tech startups and led Android development efforts. At Automattic, he has been involved in projects such as The Gutenburg Editor and the WordPress iOS and Android apps. The data collection platforms which he managed have been deployed in over 50 countries and have reached over 1.5 million users communicating in 40 languages.

Professor Thejani Rupika Delgoda

Biotechnology

Director, CCRIB, UWI

Sri Lanka

BIO

Professor Delgoda is the Director of the Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience (CCRIB) and former Director of the Natural Products Institute (NPI) at The UWI, Mona. She has been recognized by the Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence for her contruibutuon to Science & Technology: "Under her leadership and strategic direction the NPI grew from a concept to a full fledged dedicated research institution with graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and full-time researchers. Her vision and assiduous work played an instrumental role in the establishment and expansion of NPI’s laboratory facilities and she has steered it to become a highly successful collaborative research entity dedicated to the development of natural products"

Dr. Conrad Douglas

Chemistry

Consultant

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Conrad Douglas is a chemist with a notable, international career in the bauxite industry and one of the first scientists to establish an environmental consultancy. He is the Executive Chairman of Conrad Douglas and Associates Ltd. and Environmental Science and Technology Ltd. Dr. Douglas was born in Duncans, Trelawny but his family later relocated to Kingston, where he attended Vauxhall School and then Excelsior High School. He earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry and Applied Chemistry from The UWI in 1971 and then during an internship at Alpart Jamaica he made a number of very useful findings. This led to him receiving financial support from Alcan Jamaica to further his studies in the chemistry of bauxite and alumina production. He eventually earned a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of the West Indies, becoming the only individual worldwide at that time engaged in postgraduate research focused exclusively on the bauxite and aluminum industry. His groundbreaking research addressed the longstanding issue of unaccounted caustic soda losses, leading to significant advancements in industry processes. Dr. Douglas continued his industry leadership as a foundational figure in the Jamaica Bauxite Institute and served as an international consultant developing operational guidelines that have been adopted by bauxite industries worldwide. Between 1979 and 1983, he worked with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Paris, producing influential publications on environmental and industrial science. He contributed to science education as a lecturer at The UWI for over 20 years and served the nation through the Scientific Research Council as chair for over 10 years. He was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica in 2024. In the same year, The UWI awarded him with the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), honoris causa, in recognition of his unparalleled service and achievements in the field of science and technology. Dr. Douglas had a love for painting as a child and this has since become a hobby he enjoys.

Dr. Nadale Downer-Riley

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI & Associate Dean-Undergraduate Matters

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Downer-Riley is an organic chemist. Her research interest is in the synthesis of bioactive natural products from plants and marine microorganisms and in particular the synthesis of heterocyclic molecules which are those with some or all of the atoms joined in rings containing at least one atom of an element other than carbon (C). Many of these compounds form the biochemical materials of life e.g. nucleic acid (in DNA & RNA) and in many pigments, anti-biotics and vitamins. https://www.mona.uwi.edu/chemistry/staff/downer

Mr. Anthony Drummond

Computer Science

Instructor

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Anthony Drummond is an Instructor in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. His research interests include software agents for malware detection and prevention and the Internet of Things (IoT), phishing prevention and smart city development.

Dr. Taneisha Edwards

Geography and Geology

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Taneisha Edwards is a geologist who specializes in coastal zone geology, geological mapping and sedimentary geochemistry with the purpose of making recommendations and influence coastal zone management in the Caribbean and the Latin American region. Her work combines the methods of coastal stratigraphy, coastal sedimentology, microfossil analysis, geochemistry, and substrate analysis to evaluate the health of the coastal systems. Her aim is to decode the historical processes and predict the future processes under different scenarios either naturally occurring processes or implemented by human activities (storms, tsunamis, sedimentation, mass movement, tectonics and sea level rise).

Dr. Thera Edwards

Geography and Geology

Lecturer & Map Curator

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Thera Edwards is an interdisciplinary researcher who has a wide variety of interests including agriculture and climate justice, landscape change and history , geomorphology, climate change responses and modelling, vegetation ecology and archaeology. She specialises in using historical maps, aerial photographs, satellite imagery and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in her research and analyses. Since 2004, her work has focused on environmental management and sustainable development, with particular emphasis on biodiversity, forestry, watersheds, agriculture and protected areas management. Dr. Edwards' B.Sc is in environmental science from The UWI, Mona, her M.Sc. is in environmental management from the University of London and her Ph.D. is Landscape History. She has written and co-authored technical reports and papers for Jamaica and the Caribbean on behalf of several development agencies.

Dr. Machel Emanuel

Life Science

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Machel A. Emanuel is a lecturer, researcher and internationally certified (IFOAM) Organic Farm Inspector. His area of research is Crop Science with a focus on post-harvest of fresh tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables such as ackee. His other focus is in tropical horticulture for Cannabis sativa - its application, consistency, efficacy and quality control throughout the Cannabis value chain. He is the Vice-Chair of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica Cannabis Technical Committee for the development of standards for the Jamaica Cannabis Industry and Technical member of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Cannabis Industry Development Taskforce.

Dr. John Ewen

Chemistry

Retired/Consultant - USA

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. John Ewen is a retired industrial research chemist whose work with metallocene catalysts significantly improved the manufacturing of plastics making them more durable, heatproof, tear resistant and transparent. He was born in Kingston and attended Munro College like his father before him but eventually finished high school in Canada as he was apparently not a very good student and always getting into trouble. He returned to Jamaica and The University of the West Indies to pursue a degree in chemistry having taken a liking to the subject whilst at Munro and gained some discipline at school abroad. He completed his B.Sc. in 1972 and moved to the USA and having been influenced by Professor Gerald Lalor who instilled in him the importance of research, he completed a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at the University of Tulane. His first job was at Exxon Mobile Chemical Company where he conducted research on the synthesis of plastics and pioneered the study of metallocenes, a group of catalysts which are used to produce plastics with elements of metal in them. The process involves mimicking the way nature incorporates traces of metals in organic molecules, as with iron in the haemoglobin of red blood cells, and magnesium in the chlorophyll of green plants. He later worked at the Fina Oil and Chemical Company where the research he lead continued to enhance the production of polyethylene plastics whether the thin, transparent but strong plastics used in packaging or heavier plastics used for furniture and automobile parts. From 1991 to 2004 he was President of Catalyst Research Corporation, Houston, Texas, and since retirement has worked as a consultant including the development of an even more advanced group of catalysts, called heterocines. In 2002, Dr. Ewen was awarded the American National Medal of Technology, which is the highest possible award in that field, and comparable to a Nobel Prize in chemistry, for which he was actually nominated in 1993. In 2004, he was awarded the honorary Doctor of Science from The University of the West Indies. His advice to young people is that: “Research is an exciting and interesting way to make a living and one must focus on the needs of the society to make an impact.” He also adds,”Pushing back the frontiers of science is highly rewarding and one can have a very satisfying life if you enjoy what you do.”

Mr. Eyton Ferguson

Computer Science

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Eyton Ferguson is an Instructor in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. He joined the Department in August 2003 after more than 16 years in Industry. During his time in industry he worked with private sector companies such as XEROX and Life of Jamaica and as a consultant to the Planning Institute of Jamaica. In addition to acquiring hands on experience in applying technology to real life problems, he has gained a deep understanding of organizational structures and procedures that help him to effectively underscore the topics he teaches. His M.Sc. from The UWI is in Computer-based Management Systems and his B.Sc. in Computer Science is from the Sir Isaac Brock University in Canada. Eyton is an amateur musician. He plays around on the guitar, writes poetry, and records songs privately (at home).

Dr. Daniel Fokum

Computer Science

Senior Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Cameroon

BIO

Dr. Daniel Fokum is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies, Mona. He joined the Department in 2011 after obtaining his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of Kansas in 2010. Dr. Fokum has a B.A. and a M.S. degree in computer science from Park University and the University of Missouri - Kansas City, respectively, and six years IT industry experience. His research interests include computer networking, computer science education, sensor and wireless networks, and information security. In 2024, he was appointed as a co-opted member of the Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) Committee of the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA), Jamaica.

Dr. Sheena Francis

Biotechnology

Senior Research Fellow

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Sheena Francis is a senior research fellow at the Caribbean Centre for Research in Biosciences, in the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the West Indies Jamaica. Her research seeks to characterize insecticide resistance in mosquitoes and other insects and explores novel applications to reduce the mosquito populations, such as, the use of plant extracts as novel insecticides.

Ms Roxanne Francis

Mathematics

Asst. Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Ms. Roxanne Francis is an Assistant Lecturer and Outreach Co-coordinator in the Mathematics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology. She also serves as the Department's Student Experience Representative.

Dr. Bertram Fraser-Reid

Chemistry

Deceased

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Bertram Fraser-Reid (1934 - 2020) was a synthetic organic chemist whose research on sugars improved our understanding of how the immune system fights diseases . He was born in Coleyville, Manchester and enjoyed reading when not attending Bryce Elementary School where his father was principal. He attended Excelsior High School where his love for music and playing the piano and organ were developed. It was at Clarendon College where he also taught science for a few years, that his love for chemistry started when he read a book titled, "Teach Yourself Chemistry". Inspired by this book, he migrated to Canada to study at the Queen's University where he obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in chemisty. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta in 1964 following which he did post-doctoral studies at Imperial College London. Dr. Fraser-Reid was on the faculty of the University of Waterloo from 1966 to 1980 where his research focused on producing chiral materials from carbohydrates. His work in sugar chemistry has been used in the control of insects that are harmful to agriculture. His discovery that he could copy pheromones, which could be utilized by the forestry service to prevent wood-eating insects from ruining trees, has helped to safeguard forests in Canada and Latin America. He moved to the USA and worked briefly at the University of Maryland and then at Duke University from 1983 to 1996 when he retired. His work at Duke University focused on oligosaccharides (a commonly occuring sugar in certain plants, with a shorter chain than polysaccharides) and the role they play in the body’s immune system - he found that they help the body recognize and respond to threats, like bacteria and viruses. After leaving Duke he established the Natural Products and Glycotechnology Research Institute to study the carbohydrate chemistry of tropical parasitic diseases towards developing better treatments or vaccines for diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness. Dr. Fraser-Reid has received numerous awards from institutions all over the world including the Gold Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica. He was an accomplished jazz and classical pianist and organist and gave recitals around the world, of note at St. Geoge’s Anglican Church in Kingston, Jamaica in 1986.

Dr. Winklett Gallimore

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI & Associate Dean-Student Experience

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Gallimore is an organic chemist. Her area of interest is in isolation and characterization of novel bioactive natural products from the marine and terrestrial environments leading to the development of linkages in industry to facilitate the commercialization of promising leads such as those products with antioxidant, anti-cancer, insecticidal and anti-microbial activity e.g. anti-fungal activity.

Dr. Eric Garraway

Life Science

Senior Lecturer & Research Fellow

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Garraway is an entomologist and conservation biologist. His interests include Forensic Entomology, with emphasis on the biology and ecology of arthropods of forensic importance. He has worked extensively on the conservation of Jamaica’s Giant Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio homerus), as well as the Caribbean Manatee (Trichechus manatus). He has conducted studies on the taxonomy and biodiversity of some of Jamaica’s terrestrial invertebrates including the carabid beetles, aphids, noctuid and arctiid moths, millipedes and land snails. Pest ecology projects include the control of the yam weevil, banana scarring moth, vectors of citrus greening disease, and the impact of birds on insect pests of coffee. In 2022, he was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica.

Dr. Paul Gaynor

Computer Science

Senior Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Paul Gaynor is a Lecturer in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. He is a software engineer with a passion for building resilient database systems, and has a research interest of deriving computer vision functionality from machines with limited capability. His soft skill base emanating from his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, is bolstered by hard skills that are signalled by his Microsoft Solutions Associate certification in SQL Server, the Tensorflow and Data Engineer certifications offered by Google, as well as certificate courses in machine learning from the Massachusettes Institute of Technology and the University of Toronto. Dr. Gaynor earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2016 from the University of the West Indies. His M.Sc. in Digital Technology (Telecommunications) and BSc Computer Science and Electronics are also from The UWI, earned in 2001 and 1995 respectively. He joined the Department of Computing in 2006 with several years in the IT industry. This included leading a team that developed financial and logistics systems as the Chief Operations Officer of PeopleCorp Technologies between 2001 and 2007. He has also lectured at the community college and vocational training levels between 1996 and 2001. Dr. Gaynor currently serves as an undergraduate coordinator for the Department of Computing, and chairs the ICT committee for the Faculty of Science and technology. Previous appointments include being an examinations coordinator for the department, as well as an outreach coordinator. Outside of the campus, Dr Gaynor serves as the 1st Vice Chair of the Kingston YMCA, and the chair of it's Community Management Committee. He is also a part of the Stella Maris Street feeding ministry. Past civic service includes three years as a Chief Examiner for CAPE Computer science (and 1 year as Assistant Chief). He has also served for approximately six months as an Emergency Medical Technician assisting the University Hospital of the West Indies, and three years as a member of the Third Jamaica Regiment (National Reserve).

Dr. Andrea Goldson-Barnaby

Chemistry

Senior Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Goldson-Barnaby is an educator and researcher of food chemistry with interest in investigation of the dual substrate activity of the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia lyase.

Professor Ivan Goodbody

Life Science

Professor Emeritus - deceased

Ireland

BIO

Professor Emeritus Ivan Goodbody, CD (1926 – 2014) played a lead role in the development of the Department of Life Sciences at The UWI and in particular, the establishment of the Port Royal Marine Laboratory and later the Centre for Marine Sciences in 1990. Born in Ireland, he was awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland where he lectured for five years before coming to Jamaica in 1955 to lecture zoology at the then University College of the West Indies. He was made a Professor and also Head of the Department of Zoology in 1964. He is best known for his research on sea-squirts (ascidians), identifying numerous species new to science and assisting with research leading to the extraction of chemicals with promise for treating breast cancer. He led the important, multi-disciplinary research team responsible for the preparation of the Caribbean Coastal and Marine Study of the Kingston Harbour and its influence on the Hellshire Coast in the 1970s. For his pioneering work in marine sciences, Professor Goodbody was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal in 974 and was a recipient of the national honour of the Order of Distinction, Commander Class in 1979. He lived in Jamaica for half his life and 90% of his working life during which time he trained and influenced many of Jamaica’s leading marine scientists e.g. Dr. Barry Wade and Professors Mona & Dale Webber.

Mr. Che-Andre Gordon

Computer Science

Entreprenuer

Jamaica

BIO

Che-Andre is a computer scientist and entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience in designing, implementing, and leading software solutions across web, mobile, and desktop environments. He began his entrepreneurial ventures at UTech, with the formation of a startup - Vizioneerz. Mr. Gordon is a graduate of Naggo Head Primary and Wolmer's Boys' School and obtained his B.Sc. in Computer Science from UTech in 2017. Visioneeerz was eventually dissolved and the launch of his company, Pionic Works Ltd., followed. His objective was to provide information and communication technology systems. However, Che-Andre eventually sold his shares in Pionic Works Ltd. Along with his Utech partners, he also developed the iTech Hotel app, an Android-based application using near-field communication (NFC) to allow hotel guests to interact with and control aspects of their hotel experience. A search for independence led him to the development of his second and current company, Brainboxx Solutions Ltd. The focus of this company is to develop software solutions through web development and cloud infrastructure configuration.

Dr. Debbie-Ann Gordon-Smith

Chemistry

Senior Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Gordon-Smith is an applied chemist who specializes in geochemistry, environmental & analytical chemistry, submarine groundwater discharge, groundwater hydrology and water resources management. Her research interests include: Investigation of groundwater-surface water interactions and submarine groundwater discharge on Jamaica, Integrated Water Resources Management on Jamaica, and Integrating conservation efforts in the East Portland Fish Sanctuary and the Drivers River Watershed.

Dr. Tyrone Grandison

Computer Science

Chief Technology Officer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Tyrone Grandison is a computer scientist, entrepreneur and philanthropist employed by Microsoft, for the past 3 years, as a Chief Technology Officer. He attended Duhaney Park Primary School and Jamaica College and obtained his B.Sc. in Computer Sciences & Economics in 1997 and his M.Sc. in Software Engineering in 1998 from UWI, Mona. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, University of London in 2003. Dr. Grandison has over 25 years experience in software engineering, security and privacy and has been internationally recognized for his achievements. Dr. Grandison is the founder and Board Chair of The Data-Drive Institute, a public health non-profit that helps policymakers and executive decision makers create and implement effective programs, policies, and products to solve their most critical problems, using the knowledge of the community, data and technology. He has created and led product initiatives in data management and protection, text analytics and healthcare management systems and continues to provide technical advice to several of the organisations e.g. MStreetX (a place-based inclusive Fintech Platform designed to foster small business growth and inclusive entrepreneurship) and Hodos Health (a digital health company that helps medical practices improve clinical staff utilization and patient outcomes). Dr. Grandison has co-invented over 47 patents and written numerous books and papers. He is an adjunct professor at UTECH and set up a scholarship for computer science at the UWI, Mona.

Dr. Tannice Hall

Life Science

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Tannice Hall is lecturer and researcher in the area of entomology. Her research has centered around species diversity, taxonomic relationships, and host-plant relationships of plant bugs. These bugs are potential pest so she aims to determine species interactions that could impact agricultural production.

Mr. Trevor Hall

Physics

Senior Scientific Officer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Mr Trevor Hall is a Senior Scientific Officer in the Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI, Mona. He has an M.Phil. in Physics and specialises in Climate Studies

Dr. A.G. Hamilton-Taylor

Computer Science

Lecturer & Researcher, UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. A.G. Hamilton Taylor is a Lecturer and the Curriculum Coordinator in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI, Mona and one of our Science Icons. He is the founder of the Web, Animation, Visualisation and E-learning (WAVE) Laboratory/research group which facilitates research on the frontiers of cultural computing, encouraging the positive use of indigenous culture in the design of interactive 3D computing software and multimedia/animation, e-learning, new media and games for cultural-social upliftment. Dr. Hamilton-Taylor has a B.Sc. in Computer Science from The UWI and a M.S. degree in Computer Science with a minor in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was a LASPAU-Fulbright scholar. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Georgia, where he developed the Support Kit for Animation (SKA) algorithm animation system which is a software visualization system designed to support the needs of learners and instructors. Dr. Hamilton-Taylor served on the Jamaica Computer Society project that designed and established computer laboratories in over 150 Jamaican high schools in the 1990s to facilitate the introduction of the Caribbean Secondary School Examination (CXC/CSEC) Information Technology programme. He has significant consultancy experience in the IT industry locally and in the USA.

Dr. Louis-Ray Harris

Physics

Senior Lecturer & Researcher, UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Louis-Ray Harris is a Physics Lecturer in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science & Technology, UWI. His areas of research interest include Electronics, Electromagnetics, Wireless Communications and RF Propagation. RF Propagation studies how radio waves (a form of electromagnetic wave) behave when they travel through the atmosphere under different conditions - this will help improve communications such as the reliability of mobile phones, radio and TV broadcasting and radio navigation systems. He is also investigating the effects of wireless device use on human health in realistic environments such as in vehicles. This will help improve the safety of devices using electromagnetic waves.

Dr. William Irvine

Biotechnology

Senior Research Fellow

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. William Irvine is is a senior research fellow at the Caribbean Centre for Research in Biosciences (CCRIB), in the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the West Indies Jamaica. After completing his CXCs at Ardenne High School he migrated to the UK where he completed his BSc in Medical Biochemistry at Leeds University. He later moved to New Zealand where he completed both an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Computational Biochemistry. Both degrees involved the use of molecular modelling to better understand how cells receive signals through protein–membrane interactions and how malfunctions in these interactions can lead to disease including cancer. He returned to Jamaica in 2020 to join the CCRIB.

Professor Yvette Jackson

Chemistry

Retired Professor

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Yvette Jackson was conferred with the title Emerita in 2021 after over 35 years of service to The UWI. She is a past student of Hampton School for Girls and holds the B.Sc (Upper Second Class Honours) in Chemistry and the Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from The UWI, Mona Campus. She joined the staff of the UWI in 1983 as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and was promoted first to Lecturer in 1984 and then Senior Lecturer in 1998. She also served as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, USA and maintained a fruitful collaborative research programme with them. Her recent research interests include work on the synthesis and chemistry of rotenoids, important commercial insecticides of plant origin but she has also worked in the rum and sorghum industries to better understand and improve processes. Professor Emerita Jackson served the wider UWI, Mona as Campus Coordinator for Graduate Studies & Research (Mona) (2007-2012), and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies & Research (2012-2015).

Professor Helen Jacobs

Chemistry

Retired Professor

Jamaica

BIO

Helen Jacobs, Professor of Organic Chemistry, The UWI was conferred with the title Emerita in 2020 after she had retired in 2019 following 32 years of service. She is a graduate of St. Hugh's High School where she developed an interest in chemistry and went on to earn her B.Sc. (First Class Honours) in Chemistry at The UWI. After successful completion of her Ph.D. in organic chemistry at The UWI she held post-doctoral positions at both the State University of New York at Binghamton and the University of British Colombia, Canada. At The UWI since 1987, she taught organic chemistry at all levels of the undergraduate and graduate programmes in the Department of Chemistry at Mona, contributing significantly to both curriculum development and reform. She served as organic chemistry section head, departmental coordinator for graduate studies and for examinations and Head of Department (2010-2014). Professor Jacob's research specialisation was in the isolation of useful natural products from Jamaica's endemic plant species. Her accomplishments were recognized by The UWI with the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence (Research Accomplishments, 2006), and nationally with the Gleaner Honour Award for Science and Technology (2007) and the Silver Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica (2009).

Dr. Sherene James-Williamson

Geography and Geology

Head of Department / Senior Lecturer & Museum Curator

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Sherene James-Williamson is a geologist whose research focus is in geoheritage, geoarchaeology and geoscience education. She has a B.Sc. in Earth Sciences and a Ph.D. in Geology from The UWI, Mona. She was the recipient of a UNESCO International Geoscience Programme Grant (IGCP 718) for her project "Bringing Geoheritage to Life". This project worked jointly with IGCP 692 "Geoheritage for Resilience". She is one of the Principal Investigators for the UNESCO Geoparks in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Survey. She previously served as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Matters and Associate Dean for Outreach in the Faculty of Science and Technology also at The UWI, Mona; a Past President of the Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC), Past President of the Geological Society of Jamaica and is Editor of "Caribbean Museums" and the "Caribbean Journal of Earth Science".

Dr. Victor Job

Mathematics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Victor Job is a Lecturer in the Mathematics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. He also serves as an Undergraduate Coordinator and the Books & Library Coordinator. Dr. Job's B.Sc. is in Mathematics with Chemistry from UWI, St. Augustine but he focused on mathematics for his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees also at St. Augustine, coming to Jamaica as a lecturer in 2021. Prior to that he worked in the UWI, St. Augustine Mathematics Dept. in various positions from Lab Demonstrator through to Instructor.

Mr. Horace Johnson

Mathematics

Asst. Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Horace Johnson is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona and a Consulting Actuary. He coordinates several programmes within the Department of Mathematics: Career Fair, Internships, , Enterprise Risk Management M.Sc. Programme and he is the Actuarial Club Advisor.

Mr. Ralphston Johnson

Physics

Scientific Officer

Jamaica

BIO

Mr Ralphston Johnson is a Scientific Officer in the Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI, Mona. He specialises in electronics.

Mrs Eleanor Jones

Geography and Geology

Consultant

Jamaica

BIO

Mrs. Eleanor Jones is a geographer who specialises in environmental and disaster risk management. She is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the consulting firm, Environmental Solutions Ltd. and the sole survivor of the three pioneers who together established the company as one of Jamaica's first environmental consultancies. Mrs Jones started out as an educator after completing her M.A. in Geography at the University of Wisconsin and later at The UWI, Mona. She has over 50 years' experience in applied research and consulting in environmental and results-based management throughout the Caribbean and the world. In 2017, she was awarded the Bronze Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica for distinction in the field of Science. In 2018, she was awarded the Order of Distinction (OD) by the Government of Jamaica for her contribution to the Development of Environmental Management and to Civic Development.

Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa

Chemistry

Retired Professor

Tanzania

BIO

Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa was conferred with the title of Emeritus after his retirement from The UWI in 2018 after 31 years of service. Hailing from Tanzania, he joined the Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies, Mona in 1987 as a lecturer. Among his many achievements, he collaborated with his PhD and MPhil students to prepare and determine the precise identities of a series of new molecules using laser beams, and they discovered and published the first such molecule in 1989. He served as Professor of Supramolecular Chemistry since 2000, Head of the Department of Chemistry (2002-2008), and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology (formerly Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences) for the period 2008-2013. As Dean, he initiated curriculum reform and modernization efforts and led initial efforts to establish Engineering programmes at Mona.As Deputy Principal at the Mona Campus (2013-2018), Professor Kahwa led the development and establishment of a new suite of B.Sc, M.Sc, M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes in Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health (OESH). The programmes, hosted by the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science and Technology, began in September 2006 under his leadership and were introduced at the UWI St Augustine Campus in 2009. Prof. Kahwa continues to be active in public policy areas and was a part of the seven-member UWI Mona Strategic transformation Team given the responsibility of repositioning the UWI to face the challenges of the 21st century. Professor Kahwa has received numerous distinguished awards for excellence in research and public service, including the Gleaner Honour Ward for Science and Technology in 2003 and the Vice Chancellor's award for excellence in research and public service in 2004.

Dr. Tanya Kerr

Physics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Tanya Kerr is a Physics Lecturer in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI. Her research interests are Fire and Materials Science as well as Spectroscopic techniques for characterization and identification of materials. Dr. Kerr is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators and her work is important in helping to figure out what starts fires in each case - this requires the identification of the ignitable liquids from fire debris. She is also investigating the stability of concrete and the persistence of toxic chemicals after a fire which is important in determining the safety of continuing to use a building after a fire.

Dr. Robert Kinlocke

Geography and Geology

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Robert Kinlocke is an inter-disciplinary researcher who is highly proficient in the application of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. His areas of special interest are in urban planning, climate change adaptation and resilience and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Professor Gerald Lalor

Chemistry

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Pioneering geochemist who founded the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS) in (1997). Lalor led a research team in the identification and preparation of a geochemical map of the elements in Jamaican soils. The map identifies some of the major and microelements in Jamaican soils and uncovered elements previously not known to be present. It assists with the identification of contaminated land and provides important information for government planning agencies.

Professor Robert Lancashire

Chemistry

Retired Professor

Australia

BIO

Professor Emeritus Robert Lancashire arrived in Jamaica from the UK on the Jamaica Producer (a "Banana Boat") in September 1979 after completing a 3 year Post Doctoral Fellowship at University College, Cardiff, The University of Wales. His Ph.D. had been completed at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He worked as a lecturer in inorganic chemistry in the Chemistry Department at The UWI, Mona and continued up the academic ranks becoming known for his interest and skill in "computational chemistry". In 1994 he established the first web site in the English speaking Caribbean at the Chemistry Department at Mona - (now the legacy site [http://wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm]). He ran the Open Source Java project JSpecView for the display of spectroscopic data, which in 2006 was merged with the Java/Javascript JSMol project under the lead of Prof Bob Hanson. Professor Lancashire is still closely affiliated with the Chemistry Department and wrote "The History of the Chemistry Department at UWI, Mona, Jamaica" published in 2010 with the late Professor Emeritus Kenneth E Magnus. In 2019 he and Dr Conrad Douglas authored "From Logwood to Slowpoke, a Biography of Professor Gerald Lalor" who was the first Jamaican to be appointed as Head of Chemistry at Mona and who went on to become Principal and Director General of ICENS. His interest in history extends to Jamaican scientists and he has researched and written about Edward Turner of Clarendon - first Prof of Chemistry at the University of London (1827-1837), his brother Wilton Turner who was an industrial chemist and John Buddle Blyth the first Prof of Chemistry at Queen's College, Cork, Ireland (1849-1871).

Dr. Mark Lawrence

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Lawrence is a physical chemist. His research interest includes electrochemical studies of transition metal complexes, electro-catalysis, activation of small molecules (such as CO2), and the production of hydrogen by electrochemical methods. These and other studies are important in helping to identify alternative fuel sources and find approaches to directly sequester CO2 from the atmosphere.

Dr. Thomas Lecky

Life Science

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Thomas Phillip Lecky, OM, OBE (1904 – 1994) affectionately known as “TP” is one of Jamaica’s earliest science icons and considered the Father of the Jamaican Dairy Industry. He was also one of Jamaica’s earliest environmentalists and a strong advocate for conservation of hillsides. No wonder this interest in hillside agriculture as he was born in Portland and attended Swift River Primary. He later attended the Government Farm School (Jamaica School of Agriculture) before going abroad to study in Canada. He eventually received his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. On his return to Jamaica he worked for the Ministry of Agriculture and eventually became the Director of Animal Husbandry at the Ministry. Dr. TP Lecky was responsible for the development of three breeds of cattle suited to our tropical climate: the Jamaica Hope, Jamaica Red and Jamaica Black. The Jamaica Hope was the first breed of cattle indigenous to Jamaica and is a dairy breed whilst the other two breeds are more for beef production.

Dr. Shaneica Lester

Geography and Geology

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Shaneica Lester is a geographer whose research interest lies in urban vulnerability, sustainable planning and integrated water resources management. She specializes in exploring new ways of improving water security and water governance in the context of global climate change and urbanization. Dr. Lester believes deeply in the responsibility of society to provide safe, sufficient, and affordable water supply for all, and the importance of building capacity to support the sustainable use of such resources. She aims to assist all stakeholders (government, local communities, water-intensive businesses and farmers) in adopting approaches and practices towards improved water security and water governance in developing countries. From her work, a Water Accessibility Index was created as an effective tool to measure differences in access amidst high piped water coverage. The research also contributes to an understanding of the vulnerabilities which exist within the Kingston Water Supply System and the decision-making pathways of institutional actors within the water sector. Dr. Lester serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Water Resources Authority and the Land Development and Utilization Commission in Jamaica.

Dr. Savanna Lloyd

Physics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Savanna Lloyd is a Physics Lecturer in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI. Her areas of interest for research are materials science and renewable energy. Dr. Lloyd received the 2024 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Caribbean Young Talent Award in recognition of her research and dedication to advancing science in the region - the award included a grant endowment of USD10,000 to further her research efforts. Dr. Lloyd is part of an international research team, studying the use of organic materials that emit light towards developing thin, low cost and highly effective electrical lighting.

Dr. Shannen Lorraine

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Ms. Lorraine is an inorganic chemistry lecturer. Her research interest is in organometallic synthetic chemistry and catalysis for the production of useful compounds.

Dr. Henry Lowe

Biotechnology

Researcher/Entrepreneur

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. the Honourable, Henry Lowe is a bio-chemist specialising in the development of medicines from Jamaican plants for the treatment of cancers and other diseases. He was born in 1939 and attended Calabar and Excelsior High Schools. He obtained his B.Sc. degree in chemistry at the University College of the West Indies and did his post-graduate studies in Australia, the UK and the USA. On returning to Jamaica, he lectured at the then College of Arts, Science and Technology (now the University of Technology) for 16 years before joining the Ministry of Energy and he later established the first Ministry of Science and the Environment in the CARICOM region, the current Ministry is Science, Energy and Technology). He worked in the private sector as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Blue Cross of Jamaica. As an entrepreneur and philanthropist he founded the EHF Group of Companies, which includes a private, not for profit organization, Environmental Health Foundation (EHF), established in 1992, to enhance the quality of people’s lives in Jamaica. Related companies include Eden Gardens Wellness & Lifestyle Limited (a premier wellness & lifestyle centre), Bio-Tech R&D Institute (a company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of health and wellness products from Jamaican plant-based materials) and Medicanja (a company that undertake cutting edge research on the medicinal uses of Ganja). He has has discovered several bioactive molecules from Jamaican plants (particularly Jamaican Ball Moss and Guinea Hen Weed) and has had success in patenting and registering drugs with the US-based Federal Drug Administration for the treatment of myeloid leukemia. Amongst his many awards, he was conferred with the Commander of the Order of Distinction in 1982 and the Order of Jamaica in 2012.

Dr. Denneko Luke

Life Science

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Denneko Luke is a lecturer and research scientist with a speciality in Forest Ecology. His present research aims to determine climate change effects on Jamaica’s forested areas and species that maybe used in restoration efforts. His work includes the assessment of the cumulative effects of past hurricane disturbances at landscape level and the effect of topography on forest composition and plant distribution at the stand level. His research was instrumental in helping the Blue and John Crow Mountains (BJCM) to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site, and has led to local and international collaboration with researchers modelling hurricane effects. He has an interest in urban forestry and is interested in determining native species that can be used to mitigate climate change effects in the urban landscape.

Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee Jr.

Geography and Geology

Consultant

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee is a geographer-geologist specialising in the use of geographic information systems (GIS) for analysis, problem-solving and strategic planning. A graduate of St. Georges College where he was President of the Environmental Club, he earned his B.Sc. (1st Class Honours) in Earth Sciences with an emphasis on geology in 2001. He was awarded his Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Oxford in 2004 and had a UK Commonwealth Scholarship to assist in his studies in the UK. He took the opportunity whilst at Oxford to complete a certificate in Science Enterprise at the Saiid Business School there. He returned to Jamaica as the Executive Director of the Mona GeoInformatics Institute, UWI, Mona where he remained for 17 years growing the Institute into the premier advanced GIS service provider. Currently he is the Chief Strategy Officer with The Leap Co. which he started with a forward-thinking team to develop, strengthen and support business and community models that deliver solutions to social, environmental and economic challenges. He is also the Vice President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) a position he was elected to in December, 2021. He has served and continues to serve on several private sector and national boards, including as Chairman e.g. Grace Kennedy Co. Ltd., Scientific Research Council, Bureau of Standards.

Professor Kenneth Magnus

Chemistry

Deceased

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Emeritus Kenneth "Ken" Magnus was an applied chemist who made significant contributions to the study of chemistry and STEM subjects and to the development of The University of the West Indies and Jamaica. Graduating with a B.Sc. first class honours in 1952, he was one of the first graduates of the then University College of the West Indies. His research was varied from sugar-cane to bauxite processing to the isolation of an antibiotic - Monamycin (together with the first head of the Chemistry Dept. Professor Cedric Hasall, from New Zealand) which was patented in Canada, Germany and the UK. Major work on Monamycin led to the development of the drug cilazapril which is still widely used in the treatment of hypertension. During his tenure as Head of the Chemistry Department (1977 to 1986) recognising the importance of Information Technology, he fostered its development in the Department. Later as Dean of the then, Faculty of Natural Sciences (1985 – 1993) he lead the computerisation of the Faculty office and student record management. His approach to technology led to the evolution of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, now Faculty of Science and Technology. Not surprisingly, the Chemistry Department’s website (http://wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm) became in 1994, the first website in the Caribbean. Between 1969 and 1970, he helped develop the science curriculum for Jamaica's primary and secondary schools contributing to the early development of STEM education in Jamaica. For this and the national impact of his service at The UWI, he was awarded Jamaica's Order of Distinction, Commander Class in addition to other awards such as the Silver Musgrave Medal.

Dr. Arpita Mandal

Geography and Geology

Senior Lecturer & Researcher, UWI

India

BIO

Dr. Arpita Mandal is a geologist whose research interests are in water resources (hydrology), earthquakes (seismology) and disaster planning and management. Her Ph.D. in Geology is from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India awarded in 2005 and she joined The UWI in 2007 where she continues to serve with excellence.

Professor Gunjan Mansingh

Computer Science

Professor - UWI, Mona

India

BIO

"Gunjan Mansingh is a Professor of Data Science at the Department of Computing, The University of the West Indies (U.W.I), Mona, Jamaica. She holds a PhD in Information Systems and she teaches various courses at the undergraduate and the graduate level in Computer Science, Information Systems and Data Science including Business Intelligence, Programming, Artificial Intelligence, Data Visualization, and Knowledge Discovery and Analytics. She is Chairperson of eGov Jamaica Ltd and a member of the Digital Transformation Advisory Council setup by Office of the Prime Minister to guide the digital transformation of Jamaica. She is also a member of the Steering Committee for CARICOM Girls in ICT. She is a co-author of the book “Business Intelligence for SMEs: An Agile Roadmap for Sustainability.” She is a co-editor of an edited book titled “Knowledge Management for Development: Domains, Strategies and Technologies for Developing Countries”, Springer Integrated Series in Information Systems. Her research interests are in the following areas; Business Intelligence, Data Mining, Machine Learning, Decision Support Systems, Expert Systems. Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems, and Technology Adoption. In her research she has worked in different domains in Jamaica such as healthcare, agriculture, e-commerce and financial services. Her research focus has been on harnessing data, information and knowledge in the various sources to assist in the decision-making process. She has 60 publications in international journals, proceedings of several international conferences and as book chapters."

Dr. Joyann Marks

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Marks is an applied chemist whose research interests are particularly in the synthesis and testing of polymeric (large molecules made up of repeating sub-units e.g. DNA) biomaterials (materials engineered for introduction into living tissues usually in the medical field e.g. artificial joints) including hydrogels for use in drug delivery or other biological uses.

Dr. Samuel McDaniel

Mathematics

Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Samuel McDaniel is a Lecturer in the Mathematics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona and the Undergraduate Programme Coordinator. His specialisation is in statistics and so he has conducted the statistical analyses for research in several fields. Dr. McDaniel is a maths educator and has written several text books to help students better understand mathematics e.g. Calculus for First Year Natural Scientists and Your Statistics and textbook for Social Sciences.

Dr. Raymond McEachin

Mathematics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Raymond McEachin is a a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. Since 2008 he has been the Coordinator for the Department's Mathematics Olympiad which sees hundreds of students from primary and secondary students from over 40 schools participating in solving mathematics problems through a series of competition levels.

Mrs Daisy McFarlane Coke

Mathematics

Retired Actuary

Jamaica

BIO

A Science Icon, Daisy McFarlane Coke is the Caribbean’s first female actuary and the first Caribbean member of the Royal Institute of Actuaries. She was born in Clarendon to a farmer and home-maker and attended Spalding Primary and later Happy Grove High School in Portland. Doing well at high school, particularly in mathematics, she was moved to Kingston to attend St. Hugh’s High School for Sixth Form. Ms. McFarlane returned to Happy Grove High as a teacher and applied for a scholarship to study at The UWI. She earned her B.Sc. in pure and applied mathematics (and Latin) and taught in the Department of Mathematics before moving on to the University of Toronto where she earned her M.Sc. in applied mathematics. On returning from Canada, Ms. McFarlane worked at the Ministry of Finance where she gained a government scholarship to study for a post-graduate certificate in statistics at Oxford University. Whilst there, she was inducted into the Institute of Actuaries, becoming the first Caribbean person to become a member. She started her actuarial career on secondment to the UK Government’s Actuary’s Department in London and later returned to Jamaica to work as an actuary for the Government of Jamaica before starting her own consultancy. She has served on several national, public and private and international boards and became the founding president of the Caribbean Association of Actuaries. Mrs. McFarlane Coke had the Order of Jamaica conferred on her in 2002 and in 2018, the Max Lander Award - a lifetime achievement award, given by the International Association of Consulting Actuaries.

Professor Wayne McLaughlin

Biotechnology

Senior Lecturer & Researcher, UWI

Jamaica

BIO

A Jamaican Science Icon, Professor Wayne McLaughlin is an accomplished molecular biologist who has developed a diverse and productive research programme focused on molecular plant pathology issues e.g. whitefly transmitted geminivirus causing the yellow leaf curl disease in tomatoes and lethal yellowing in coconuts. He is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Biochemistry Section in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of the West Indies. Dr. McLaughlin holds the Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Biology from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biochemistry from The University of the West Indies, Mona. He also has post-graduate training and experience in Forensic DNA analysis and the Interpretation of DNA mixtures and statistical analysis. His interest in forensic genetics led him in 2005, to establish Caribbean Genetics (CARIGEN), the first independent forensic DNA laboratory in the Caribbean to provide expert witness and DNA analysis to the legal profession in both civil and criminal cases. He has received several awards, including two Fulbright Awards, the Scientific Council Award for Best Scientific Performance in 1982 and 1987 and the Silver Musgrave Medal in 2001 for outstanding merit in the field of Science from the Institute of Jamaica.

Dr. Sean Miller

Computer Science

Asst. Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Sean Miller is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies, Mona. His research interest is in machine learning. After attaining his B.Sc. he ventured into entrepreneurial activities where he and some other colleagues launched a start-up that focused on automating greenhouse systems using technology. He obtained his Ph.D. from The UWI, Mona.

Dr. Donna Minott-Kates

Chemistry

Head of Chemistry Dept. & Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Minott-Kates is a food chemist and currently the Head of the Department of Chemistry. Her research group is involved in the characterisation of food and food-stuffs of uniquely Jamaican identity (in origin, method of preparation, etc.), via examination of nutrients and anti-nutrients (toxicants, carcinogens etc.), and flavour profile (essential oils). Although the national fruit, ackee (Blighia sapida) is the main research target, the group’s research interests also comprise Blue Mountain coffee (Coffea arabica), jerked meats, papaya (Carica papaya), pimento (Pimenta officinalis), scotch bonnet pepper, and sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa). This work is critical to maintain Jamaica's food security and safety and also export potential.

Dr. Sylvia Mitchell

Biotechnology

Senior Lecturer & Researcher, UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Mitchell is the Head of the Medicinal Plant Biotechnology Research, a group she initiated in 1999. The Group is based out of the Caribbean Centre for Research in BioSciences (CCRIB). Her research focuses on tissue culture, development of biofarming protocol, bioactivity testing of medicinal plants and field studies to maximse yield and bioactives. She supervises research students in biotechnologies related to plant propagation, medicine and nutraceuticals.

Professor Simon Mitchell

Geography and Geology

Retired Professor

United Kingdom

BIO

Professor Simon Mitchell is a sedimentary geologist and palaeontolgist at The UWI, Mona. Originally from the UK, Professor Mitchell, he earned his B.Sc. in Geology, First Class Honours at the University of Hull in 1989 and his Ph.D. in Geology, University of Liverpool in 1993. He came to Jamaica soon after to work in the Department of Geography and Geology and never looked back, adopting Jamaica as his home. He is often interviewed in the media on the topic of earthquake hazards and aims to share his knowledge to help people make less risky decisions regarding development.

Professor Errol Morrison

Medicine

Retired

Jamaica

BIO

Professor the Honourable, Errol Morrison is a retired medical doctor and endocrinologist who specialised in the treatment and prevention of diabetes. He was born in 1945 and grew up in Vineyard Town later attending Excelsior High School where he excelled in both academics and athletics. His first degree in chemistry at the then University College of the West Indies led to an interest in biochemistry and he eventually won a scholarship to study medicine at the Royal University of Malta. On his return to Jamaica he focused on medical research in biochemistry and endocrinology which is the study of hormone-related conditions and their treatment, eventually obtaining his doctorate and professorships from The UWI in both fields. He is perhaps best known for his work on treating diabetes (a chronic disease related to the body's production and use of insulin - a hormone that regulates blood sugar). Diabetes is one of the world's most prevalent non-communicable diseases resulting in damage to the cardio-vascular system which can lead to blindness, strokes and heart-attacks. He co-founded the Diabetes Association of Jamaica (DAJ) in 1976 – it is a private, voluntary, non-profit, non-governmental organization which provides education on diabetes prevention and care as well as treatment of people with diabetes including kidney dialysis, foot care and pharmaceutical services, all under one roof. He spearheaded the formation of the Diabetes Association of the Caribbean in 1982 and it now has 26 member countries. He has sourced significant funding for diabetes treatment through these associations and the University of the West Indies Diabetes Outreach Programme which he launched in 1991. Professor Morrison also worked with the Pan-American Health Organisation in responding to the emerging pandemic of type 2 diabetes in 1996. In academia he has served as the Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean, School for Graduate Studies & Research at the University of the West Indies and as President of the University of Technology. In the private sector, he has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross of Jamaica, Ltd. He has also served as the Executive Director of the National Council on Science and Technology. He was awarded a Gold Musgrave Medal in 1998 and conferred with the Order of Jamaica in 2001. He published his autobiography, "Growing Tall, Pursuing Excellence" in 2019.

Mr. Christopher Muir

Computer Science

Senior Information Technology Officer

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Christopher Muir is a Senior Information Technology Officer at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Mona Information Technology Services and the Faculty of Science and Technology. In this position he has overall responsibility for ICT resources within the Faculty as well as Research Computing infrastructure for the campus which includes SPARKS - the only High Performance Computing Cluster (HPCC) in the English Speaking Caribbean. He currently lectures undergraduate students in the Computer Systems Administration course. He is a graduate of Campion College and was awarded his B.Sc. in Computer Science and Chemistry from The University of the West Indies in 1993, and his M.Sc. in Computer-Based Management Information Systems from The University of the West Indies in 2004. Mr. Muir was awarded the Principal's Award for "The most successfully commercialized research project" in 2003 in recognition of his work done in the field of Computational Chemistry and their contribution to building software tools for the display and dissemination of chemical spectra and received an International Visitor Leadership Program fellowship under the US State Department programme to examine "Contemporary Challenges in Higher Education" in 2007.

Mr. Christopher Muir

Computer Science

Senior Information Technology Officer

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Christopher Muir is a Senior Information Technology Officer at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Mona Information Technology Services and the Faculty of Science and Technology. In this position he has overall responsibility for ICT resources within the Faculty as well as Research Computing infrastructure for the campus which includes SPARKS - the only High Performance Computing Cluster (HPCC) in the English Speaking Caribbean. He currently lectures undergraduate students in the Computer Systems Administration course. He is a graduate of Campion College and was awarded his B.Sc. in Computer Science and Chemistry from The University of the West Indies in 1993, and his M.Sc. in Computer-Based Management Information Systems from The University of the West Indies in 2004. Mr. Muir was awarded the Principal's Award for "The most successfully commercialized research project" in 2003 in recognition of his work done in the field of Computational Chemistry and their contribution to building software tools for the display and dissemination of chemical spectra and received an International Visitor Leadership Program fellowship under the US State Department programme to examine "Contemporary Challenges in Higher Education" in 2007.

Mr. Christopher Muir

Computer Science

Senior Information Technology Officer

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Christopher Muir is a Senior Information Technology Officer at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Mona Information Technology Services and the Faculty of Science and Technology. In this position he has overall responsibility for ICT resources within the Faculty as well as Research Computing infrastructure for the campus which includes SPARKS - the only High Performance Computing Cluster (HPCC) in the English Speaking Caribbean. He currently lectures undergraduate students in the Computer Systems Administration course. He is a graduate of Campion College and was awarded his B.Sc. in Computer Science and Chemistry from The University of the West Indies in 1993, and his M.Sc. in Computer-Based Management Information Systems from The University of the West Indies in 2004. Mr. Muir was awarded the Principal's Award for "The most successfully commercialized research project" in 2003 in recognition of his work done in the field of Computational Chemistry and their contribution to building software tools for the display and dissemination of chemical spectra and received an International Visitor Leadership Program fellowship under the US State Department programme to examine "Contemporary Challenges in Higher Education" in 2007.

Dr. Willem Mulder

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Mulder is a physical chemist with wide-ranging research interests. His research group is conducting research for a deeper understanding of the electrochemical behaviour of modified electrodes which are used in biomimetics and could ultimately lead to the design of improved electrochemical sensors. Electrochemistry has useful application in energy storage and power generation (fuel cells, photovoltaics); colloid chemistry can be applied in industry (nano-science, oil winning, cosmetics, foodstuffs, paper-making, inks, soaps and detergents), chemical catalysis, geology (soil science) and the life sciences. In the latter field, he has an interest in the mathematical ecology of insect populations using phylogenetic trees to describe the historical relationships among living organisms, based on similarities in traits and genetic makeup of extant species.

Dr. Mahesha Narayana

Mathematics

Senior Lecturer - UWI, Mona

India

BIO

Dr. Mahesha Narayana is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI and currently, the Head of Department. Originally from India, Dr. Naraya joined the Department in 2019. His research interests are computational mathematics and heat transfer.

Dr. Peter Nelson

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Peter Nelson is a physical chemistry lecturer and researcher in the Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. His research studies the electrochemistry, kinetics and thermodynamics of a variety of chemicals including those used a pesticides and others that may have an impact on human health. These studies also aim to improve the identification of certain elements and chemicals using a variety of electrodes and sensors. At only 34 years old, Nelson, who hails from St. Thomas, earned the SRC Young Scientist/Technologist Award 2022 for his work in developing sensors for metal ions in the human body.

Dr. Karen Nelson

Life Science

Chief Scientific Officer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Karen Nelson is a Jamaican-born American microbiologist who specializes in human microbiome research - that is, the study of the genetic material in the micro-organisms found in different parts of the human body e.g. skin and intestines with a focus on how these microbes impact human health. She was born in Kingston and went to St. Hugh's High School after which she completed her B.Sc. in zoology at the UWI. Dr. Nelson planned to become a veterinarian, but once she took human and animal nutrition classes in college, she became fascinated by microbiology. Her interests brought her to study ruminant microbiology at Cornell and she learned that an animal’s native microbial populations could be critical to its health and well-being. This led her to complete her Ph.D. in Microbiology at Cornell University and she is now an expert in microbial ecology, physiology and genomics. Her early work focused on a variety of microbes with economic significance - of particular note was her publication of the genome of the bacterium, Thermatoga maritima a bacterium believed to have potential for energy production through its ability to produce hydrogen. Her current research focuses on interactions between human microbiome and various diseases. Dr. Nelson and her team were responsible for the publication of the first human metagenomics study, that is a study of the structure and function of entire nucleotide sequences isolated and analyzed from all the organisms in a bulk sample from a human. She is currently the Chief Scientific Officer at Thermo Fisher Scientific and has been listed as one of the Top 25 Women Leaders in Biotechnology for 2022 by the Healthcare Technology Report.

Dr. Susan Otuokon

Life Science

Strategic Development Officer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Susan Otuokon is an environmental and protected areas management expert, best known for her work in managing the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park from 2002 to 2022. In particular, she played a lead role in the 2015 UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscription of this special site for both its cultural and natural heritage. In recognition of this effort, she was awarded a Bronze Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica in 2015. Dr. Otuokon is a graduate of the St. Hugh’s High School and obtained her B.Sc. in Life Sciences in 1987 from The UWI, her M.Sc. in Aquatic Resources Management from the University of London in 1989 and her Ph.D. in Environmental Management from The UWI in 2010. In addition to her work planning, establishing and managing protected areas around Jamaica and in Belize and Trinidad & Tobago, she has been an adjunct lecturer in The UWI M.Sc.in Integrated Urban and Rural Environmental Management since 2002. Dr. Otuokon is the Strategic Development Officer in the Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI, Mona. In this position, since 2024, she is responsible for coordinating several faculty-wide initiatives including FiWi Science.

Ms Chauntelle Parkins

Life Science

Chief Scientific Officer, PRML - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Ms. Chauntell Parkins is a marine scientist and the Chief Scientific Officer at the Port Royal Marine Laboratory of the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona.

Ms Patrice Peart

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Ms. Peart is a food chemist and lecturer in the Department of Chemistry.

Dr. Venkateswara Penugonda

Physics

Head of Department; Senior Lecturer

India

BIO

Dr. Venkateswara Penugonda is the current Head of the Physics Department and an Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer of Physics in the University of the West Indies Mona Campus Jamaica. He has more than 24 years’ experience in Glass materials Research & Teaching various undergraduate & graduate Physics courses in India, Ethiopia & Jamaica. His current research is examining Zinc-infused bioactive glass-ceramic nanoparticles (BGC-NPs) as promising materials for medical applications, particularly in tissue healing and regeneration, due to their biodegradability and bioactivity.

Dr. David Picking

Biotechnology

Research Fellow, CCRIB, UWI, Mona

United Kingdom

BIO

Dr. Picking is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience, UWI, Mona. He earned his Ph.D. in Biotechnology from UWI, Mona through a Commonwealth Scholarship. His life in Jamaica in 2008 having completed 5 years training as medical herbalist & naturopath at the School of Integrated Health, University of Westminster, in central London. His research to date has focused on the contemporary use of medicinal plants by Jamaicans with completion of a TRAMIL (Traditional Medicines in the Islands) survey and a recent survey in collaboration with Dr. Ina Vandebroek formerly of The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). The TRAMIL network studies, validates and expands medicinal plant use in primary healthcare across the Caribbean. Through the work undertaken, UWI was able to fulfil Jamaica’s commitment, contributing to the TRAMIL database and online pharmacopeia, and adding to the body of knowledge from over 50 surveys, completed across the Caribbean region to date. Our collaboration with NYBG, to date, has led to the documentation and distribution of a community book detailing both the traditional knowledge and scientific data for 25 commonly used medicinal plants.

Dr. Nagarani Ponakala

Mathematics

Senior Lecturer - UWI, Mona

India

BIO

Dr. Nagarani Ponakala is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science & Technology, UWI. She joined the Department in 2007 as a Lecturer and served as the Head of Department from 2017 to 2022. Her research interests are the study of the flow of matter, particularly physiological fluids like blood, using mathematical models to ascertain how bodily fluids will flow under different circumstances.

Professor Roy Porter

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Porter is an organic chemist and his research group studies species of plants said (in folklore) to possess medicinal properties. These plants are examined for their essential oils and phytochemicals e.g. anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties. The objective of the research is to find new compounds that have biological activity and to validate the folklore medicinal uses of the plants.

Dr. Chinthapalli Bhaskar Rao

Life Science

Senior Lecturer & Researcher, UWI

India

BIO

Dr. Chinthapalli Bhaskar Rao is a Molecular Plant Physiologist and Plant Biochemist working on Enzyme purification and regulation. He joined as a staff in the Department of Life Sciences in February, 2021 and continued to work in the field of Molecular Plant Physiology, Biochemistry and Plant Biotechnology.

Dr. Vaughn Rattray

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Rattray’s research interests include the study of the levels of elements, mainly metals, in the environment (soil, agricultural crops, animals and humans), with specific focus on essential and potentially harmful elements. The ultimate goal is to understand the composition of components of the environment to provide data for appropriate decision-making strategies towards national development. His research has contributed to the identification of areas in Jamaica with anomalously high levels of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in the soil.

Mr. Karlus Redway

Physics

Asst. Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Karlus Redway is an Assistant Lecturer and the Books & Publications Coordinator in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. He is also a graduate student working towards his Ph.D. in physics. His area of specialisation is in theoretical and astro-physics such as the study of black holes in spacetime. He has helped with the exhibits for World Space Week and the Physics Olympiad which provides secondary level physics enthusiasts an opportunity to challenge themselves.

Professor Paul Reese

Chemistry

Retired Professor

Jamaica

BIO

Paul Reese, Professor of Chemistry was conferred with the title of Emeritus following 37 years of service to The UWI. Professor Emeritus Reese has been leading research groups to isolate and characterise major natural products from Jamaicana plants and fungi (marine & terrestrial) towards the Identification of metabolites with biological activity and even to modify the natural products to enhance their bioactivity. He has served in various leadership roles including Head of the Chemistry Department, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, and Dean of the Faculty of Science & Technology.

Ms Natalie Robinson

Geography and Geology

Assistant Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Ms. Natalie Robinson is a geologist whose research interests are in carbonate Sedimentology, micropaleontology and benthic foraminifera

Dr. Dwight Robinson

Life Science

Senior Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Robinson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences and served as Head of the Department from August 2016 to July 2023. His research interests are in the field of Pest and Pesticide Management and he has conducted studies on pesticide contamination in the Jamaican environment, with emphasis on pesticide residue transport and levels in ground and surface water systems. In addition, he has investigated the integrated management of pests affecting coffee, cotton and citrus in Jamaica. Of note is his work developing an integrated pest management system for the coffee berry borer which if properly implemented could save the coffee industry millions of dollars. He has also done work on organic production systems.

Professor Edward "Ted" Robinson

Geography and Geology

Retired Professor Emeritus

India

BIO

Professor Emeritus Edward "Ted" Robinson was born in India in 1934 and raised in England but lived the vast majority of his life in Jamaica and though retired is still working and publishing papers with the Department of Geography and Geology. He came to Jamaica to work at the Mines and Geology Department and was responsible for the first draft of a modern geology map of Jamaica. Later he joined The UWI as a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Geology. He earned, from the University of Birmingham UK, a BSc in Geology (1956) and from the Univwersity of London, a PhD in Geology (1969). His work in geology and micropaleontology has resulted in over 170 publications, including authorship and co-authorship of over 40 concerned with the systematics and biostratigraphy of larger benthic foraminifers (LBF), as well as a number on the geological and environmental aspects of coastal processes, the possible use of tropical peat as a fuel resource, and contributions to official maps of the island of Jamaica. and numerous presentations, lectures and courses to doctoral levels, over more than 60 years, in all aspects of geology., He has been a past member of the Geologists’ Association of Great Britain, a member of the Geological Society of Jamaica, a Fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences and member of the Association of Geoscientists for International Development. Awards include the Order of Merit in the Jamaica National Honours List, 2008, for contributions to the geosciences and a Silver Medal from the Institute of Jamaica. His research interests include the biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography of larger benthic foraminifers of the Western Hemisphere and coastal processes and environmental effects associated with giant wave events and rising sea level.

Dr. Hilary Ann Robotham Westmeier

Chemistry

Consultant, Germany

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Hilary Ann Robotham Westmeier is a chemist specialising in the use of nuclear analytical methods to assess environmental and other pollutants. She was born in Montego Bay in 1955 but grew up in Kingston and loved mathematics and literature as a child and student at St. Andrew High School. She also loves dancing and was a founding member of the L'Acadco Dance Company in 1982. She studied chemistry at The University of the West Indies obtaining a Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry before going to work in the newly established Centre for Nuclear Sciences where she was the Lead Scientist and Coordinator from 1983 until she left in 1993. As an analytical chemist specialising in applications of nuclear analytical techniques, her main research work involved the mapping of the geochemistry of soils and radiation levels throughout Jamaica. She was instrumental in setting up a pilot facility for monitoring the exposure levels of workers who handled radioactive materials or worked with radiation, and she helped to develop methods and programmes for monitoring chemical pollutants in the environment. She conducted training in these areas in several countries around the world and was a Senior Lecturer in the Chemistry Dept. at The UWI. She eventually moved to Germany and is a consultant in a Consulting and Software Firm with expertise in nuclear spectrometry systems and software development where she is involved in projects such as nuclear transumutation whereby highly reactive long-lived nuclear waste is transformed to safer states. She continues her interest in the creative arts as well as science.

Dr. Alexandra Rodinka

Mathematics

Professor Emerita - UWI, Mona

Russia

BIO

Professor Emerita, Dr. Alexandra Rodinka is a retired Professor and former Head of the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. Originally from Russia, Professor Rodinka joined the Department in 1998 as a Lecturer rising through the ranks to become a Professor at UWI in 2004. Her research focus is on the application of a variety of mathematical equations to mechanics, engineering, finance and risk theory. She was awarded the Professor Emerita status in 2017 on her retirement from teaching but she continues to assist the Department of Mathematics.

Dr. Tamika Royal -Brown

Mathematics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Tamika Royal-Brown is a Lecturer in the Mathematics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. She also serves as the Coordinator for the Statistics Programme and Examinations. One of the objectives of her research is to utilize innovative statistical approaches to analyze longitudinal data over time e.g. to identify early-life predictors of cardio-vascular disease.

Professor Marcia Roye

Biotechnology

Senior Lecturer & Researcher, UWI

Jamaica

BIO

A Jamaican Science Icon, Professor Marcia Roye is a biotechnologist with a focus on plant virology towards growing healthier, disease-free plants. She remembers growing up in south St. Elizabeth surrounded by “bush” which she and her friends explored e.g. tasting and crushing berries on paper and seeing different colours appear. Later on, at the University of the West Indies she studied biotechnology and this led her to become a plant virologist, identifying the many viruses that impact the crops her family and neighbours grew. The first step in figuring out how to treat plant disease is to identify the cause and isolate the specific virus or other pathogens. Dr. Roye’s work has resulted in the identification of more than 24 viruses associated with a wide variety of plant crops such as red peas and scotch-bonnet peppers and has been instrumental in facilitating the control of viruses by cultivation of resistant varieties of tomato and cabbage. In recent years, her research has expanded to humans, as she is studying the detection of anti-retroviral (ARV) drug resistance of HIV in Jamaican patients. This research serves to improve ARV treatment and outcome for HIV-affected individuals as well as the quality of life of HIV patients. Professor Roye is a Senior Lecturer based in the Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience where in addition to lecturing she supervises graduate students research. has served the Faculty of Science & Technology as the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. She has worked all over the globe helping scientists and farmers fight plant disease and she serves on local, regional and international committees in the pursuit in improving agricultural practices to reduce world hunger and has won numerous awards for her research including the presitgious Fulbright and UNESCO-L'Oreal fellowships. n 2024 Professor Marcia Roye was awarded the Gold Musgrave Medal for Eminence in Science and she also received the RJR Gleaner Honour for Science and Technology.

Dr. Novelette Sadler-McKnight

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

There are two main areas of research in Dr. Sadler McKnight's group: (i) the synthesis and mechanisms of inorganic reactions towards making complexes with metals for use as catalysts and model enzymes for biological systems and (ii) chemical education including design, and validation of instruments to measure different dimensions of student learning and to implement innovative strategies that that will allow for a better understanding of how to improve instruction in chemistry, especially against the background of the changing demographics and learning styles of university students. As a minor research interest, the group is involved in a joint project with the School of Education to examine socio-cultural factors which affect student learning of science.

Dr. Alfred Sangster

Chemistry

Deceased

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Alfred Sangster, OJ a Jamaican Science Icon (1929 - 2025) was a chemist by education but is best known for his lead role in transforming the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST) into the University of Technology (UTech) during his 26 years as Principal and later President. He was born in St. Elizabeth and went to school at Munro College where he excelled in athletics, cricket and tennis and left in 1946 with his High School Certificate in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. He earned his B.Sc. (First Class Honours) in chemistry from the Queens' College, Belfast, Ireland and returned to Jamaica as a chemistry lecturer at The UWI in 1952. In Dr. Sangster obtained his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1958, under the guidance of Professor Cedric Hassall (first Head of Chemistry Department). He was an Assistant Lecturer then Lecturer in Chemistry, and supervised several research projects up to 1970, before leaving to take up the position of Principal of the then CAST. During his lifetime, he was heavily involved in giving service to society, via chairmanships, directorships, memberships, and consultancies to a vareity of institutions and societies. He is the founding father and Chairman of Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections, (CAFFE) and for this initiative he received the Gleaner’s Special Award in 1999. He was a recipient Musgrave Gold Medal from the Institute of Jamaica and in 1982 received the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) and in 1995, the Order of Jamaica (OJ).

Mrs Mary Seacole

Medicine

Deceased - Nurse & Hotel owner

Jamaica

BIO

The Hon. Mary Seacole, OM (1805 - 1881) was born in Kingston to a Scottish Lieutenant in the British Army (James Grant) and his Jamaican wife who ran a boarding house, Blundell Hall on East Street. Her mother, Mrs Grant, nicknamed "The Doctress", was a healer who used traditional herbal medicines and good hygiene to treat military and naval staff as well as enslaved Africans. Due to a patroness, she had the opportunity to further her education and live in England for a time before returning home to practice nursing with her mother and help run their hostel at Blundell Hall. Mary used what she learned from her mother and also by watching military doctors. Her marriage to Edwin Seacole in 1836 allowed her to travel to the Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti where she augmented her knowledge of traditional medicines. Unfortunately fire destroyed Blundell Hall in 1843, Mr. Seacole died in 1844 and her mother soon after. However, Mrs. Seacole rebuilt Blundell Hall and continued the practice her mother had started including successfully treating many for cholera in 1850 and later on treating yellow fever particularly amongst English officers. In 1851, she joined her step-brother in Panama where he had established a small hotel and with the outbreak of cholera, she made a name for herself for nursing many back to health. She was a successful entrepreneur in the hospitality business and did well for herself whilst also attending to the sick and injured – rich and poor. She eventually moved to London and on hearing of the poor circumstances of injured and sick soldiers in the Crimean War tried to join Florence Nightingale’s nurses but was not accepted. She therefore organized and went herself in 1855, setting up a restaurant and also offering care to the sick and wounded. She made a name for herself amongst the many English soldiers and officers she cared for and despite returning to England bankrupt in 1856, was able to make a comeback both in Jamaica and England, including the writing of her autobiography, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands (the first book written in England by a black women) which was a best-seller. Mrs. Mary Seacole eventually died in London in 1881 and was initially forgotten. In 1957, the first Hall of Residence for women at The University of the West Indies was built and named for her amongst other recognitions. In 1990 she was awarded the Order of Merit by the Jamaican Government. She was only recognized much later in England with a statue of her placed at St. Thomas’s Hospital, London in 2016.

Dr. Julian Serna

Mathematics

Lecturer-UWI

Colombia

BIO

Dr. Julian Serna is a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI. His research areas are algebraic coding and cryptography as well as combinatorial representation theory.

Dr. Marvadeen Singh-Wilmot

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Marvadeen Singh-Wilmot is a lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry and Crystallography. Her research group is currently focused on the study of how to make new molecules from a group of metals called rare earths (or lanthanides) which give off visible light when exposed to radiation. These substances are in use for the displays on electronic devices, sensors and MRI contrast enhancement agents. She is responsible for the establishment of the Caribbean Regional X-ray Science Toward Advancement Laboratory (crXstal), in the Department of Chemistry at The UWI in 2024. CrXstal is a research hub supported by cooperation among national, regional, and international institutions to serve the Caribbean as a research, education, and service centre for materials characterisation through X-ray techniques.

Mr. Hugh Small

Life Science

Assistant Lecture, UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Hugh Small is a marine scientist and Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI, Mona. Prior to this he was the Chief Scientific Officer at the Port Royal Marine Laboratory, UWI.

Dr. Rose Smith

Geography and Geology

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Rose-Ann Smith is an environmental researcher with special focus on climate justice, disaster risk management, political ecology and sustainable livelihoods, exploring the socio-political dimensions of environmental challenges. With a robust background in project management and consulting, Dr. Smith has contributed to numerous high-impact projects, including climate adaptation strategies and disaster risk assessments. She has participated in specialized training programs on ecosystem-based adaptation and disaster risk financing and has a strong publication record in environmental studies and social sciences. Dr. Smith is committed to advancing knowledge in her field and is passionate about mentoring research students in topics related to climate change, vulnerability assessments, and sustainable development.

Dr. David Smith

Life Science

Director of the Centre for Environmental Management, UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. David Smith is the Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and the Coordinator of the Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) at The UWI. A terrestrial ecologist and entomologist with respect to his Ph.D. education at The UWI, he has worked with a major not-for-profit or non-government organisation and with the United Nations Development Programme in the environmental management field.

Mrs Joy Spence

Chemistry

Master Blender & Brand Ambassador, Appleton Estate

Jamaica

BIO

Joy Spence is a chemist who specialises in the blending of the perfect Jamaican rums at Appleton Estate, where she is the Master Blender and serves as the Brand Ambassador and Manager of Technical and Quality Services. She was born in Manchester and raised in Kingston where at age 13, she discovered her passion for chemistry. She completed her B.Sc. in Chemistry at The University of the West Indies and earned her M.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Loughborough in the United Kingdom. On her return to Jamaica, she worked as a research and development chemist at Tia Maria and was then hired by J. Wray and Nephew Ltd. In 1981, the rum distillery Appleton Estate, which was owned by Wray and Nephew, hired Spence as its chief chemist. There she worked with the Master Blender, who had identified her ability to identify and differentiate between smells, for 17 years until he retired and she became the Master Blender. Her first creation as the master blender was a special rum to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Appleton Estate, which received high praise in the industry. In 2005, Mrs. Spence was awarded the Order of Distinction, Officer Class by the Government of Jamaica for her service to the rum industry. Spence was instrumental in achieving geographical indication for Jamaican rum, which was awarded in 2016, which is a tool to help protect Jamaica's intellectual property in rum-making. Mrs. Joy Spence has won several international awards for her skill in the spirits industry including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the US Distilled Spirits Council in 2022. In 2018, she was awarded the National Medal for Science and Technology and in 2022, the Musgrave Gold Medal by the Institute of Jamaica. Tours of the Appleton Estate distillery are named The Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience in honour of her amazing chemistry skills and expertise in rum blending.

Mr. William Elmo St. Elmo Whyte

Mathematics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

"Mr. William St. Elmo Whyte was an outstanding figure in the field of Actuarial Science where he was renowned for his expertise in Pension Funds. He was also an entrepreneur who co-founded several businesses dependent on mathematics - providing financial investment, actuarial, insurance brokerage and other services. A graduate of the Department of Mathematics in 1973, with a BSc in Mathematics Special, Mr. Whyte went on to pursue a career in Actuarial Science. In 2004, after a successful professional career in various industries, St. E joined the Mathematics Department as a Senior Lecturer where he served as the Director of the BSc Actuarial Science programme for more than a decade. During that time he conducted various administrative functions such as serving in the capacity of Deputy Head of Department, Department’s Seminar Coordinator, Student Councilor/Mentor, Staff Advisor to UWI Actuarial Society (student) while instigating, designing and implementing the development of our current MSc Enterprise Risk Management programme offered jointly with the Mona School of Business and Management. He led the department’s initiative to develop an Industry Advisory Board, building links between the Department and Industries while helping to develop local employment opportunities for our students/graduates. He was also a key member of the Jamaica Mathematical Olympiad Competitions administered by the Department. He officially retired in 2015 but continued to teach and contribute extensively to the Department’ activities, in addition to other administrative functions of the University. "

Dr. Thomas Stemann

Geography and Geology

former Lecturer, UWI

United Kingdom

BIO

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.

Dr. Nikeisha Stephenson

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Stephenson's research interest is in the study of radiofluorination and preparation of radioactive drugs or tracers for use in positron emission tomography (PET) scans which are imaging tests that can help reveal the metabolic or biochemical function of tissues and organs. This requires an understanding of the chemicals' reaction with different metabolites in the tissues.

Professor Tannecia Stephenson

Physics

Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology and Senior Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Tannecia Stephenson is a Physics Professor and Senior Lecturer who currently holds the post of Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Science and Technology, Mona. She was the first female Head of the Physics Department. Professor Stephenson's B.Sc. was in physics and she was awarded her Ph.D. in physics from The UWI in 2005 for her thesis which examined the Caribbean Dry Season: its modes, circulation features and statistical models. Professor Stephenson is the Co-Director of the UWI Climate Studies Group Mona (CSGM) which has produced a series of key studies and reports being used to guide climate change mitigation and resilience in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Professor Stephenson served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which produced several assessment reports which are foundational in understanding the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts, risks, and strategies for adaptation and mitigation and have shaped global climate policies and actions. Her most recent international role was as a member of the team of current and former scientists from the IPCC who met with judges from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to share critical insights from the IPCC's assessment reports to assist the ICJ in its preparation of an advisory opinion on state obligations regarding climate change. This advisory opinion was requested by the United Nations General Assembly and underscores the importance of clarifying the legal responsibilities of states in addressing the global climate crisis.

Dr. Stacy Stephenson-Clarke

Life Science

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Stacy Stephenson-Clarke is a microbiologist and lecturer in the Dept of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences. In 2017 she was selected as an American Society for Microbiology, Young Ambassador of Science to Jamaica. Her Ph.D. research thesis was selected as one of two most outstanding theses for the year 2015/2016. The thesis examined quinolone resistance and gene regulation in uropathogenic Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria, which are the primary cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among females, and result in high morbidity and high economic costs. Because many of these bacteria have become resistant to standard antibiotic therapy, the need for alternative treatment strategies arises. Consequently, the development and application of non-antibiotic therapeutics through molecular research provides hope for alleviating the burden of UTIs and optimizing patient outcome.

Dr. Lanceford Sterling

Physics

Asst. Lecturer - UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Lanceford Sterling is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI. He is a former student of Kingston College and completed his B.Sc. at The UWI in medical physics and computer science, supported by a Ministry of National Security scholarship. Throughout his postgraduate studies, he received the Departmental Award and the UWI Postgraduate Scholarship, which supported his progression in advanced research in the MPhil/PhD programme. His area of specialisation in medical physics is the study of such issues as radiation and its impact on human health e.g. male fertility.

Professor Michael Taylor

Physics

Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology and Senior Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Michael Taylor is an internationally renowned climate physicist who has served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He has pioneered the use of regional climate models, built Caribbean Climate databases and developed tools to help us better understand and address climate change and its likely impacts into the future. This knowledge is critical for the region being comprised of tropical island states at risk from sea-level rise and tropical cyclones in particular. He earned both his B.Sc. (1st Class Hons.) and M.Sc. in Physics from The University of the West Indies and was awarded his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in environmental physics. He joined The UWI as a Lecturer in the Department of Physics in 1999 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2008 and Head of Department in 2009. In 2013 he was elevated to the rank of Professor and in 2014 he was appointed Deputy Dean and in 2018, Dean for the Faculty of Science and Technology. He became the Director of the Climate Studies Group Mona in 2007 and is currently the Co-Director with Professor Tannecia Stephenson. He is a climate resilience advocate and has served on Jamaica's Climate Change Advisory Board. The Fi Wi Science Initiative is his brainchild - aimed at ensuring that youth can find local scientists to inspire their careers. He has received many notable awards, national and international in recognition for his work including Jamaica’s Silver Musgrave Medal for Science in 2013, the Young Scientist Awards from the Scientific Research Council in 2005 and the Caribbean Academy of Sciences in 2008. He was made a Fellow of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences in 2018 and awarded the Anthony A. Sabga Award of Caribbean Excellence in 2019. In 2024, he was made a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences.

Ms Kamilah Taylor

Computer Science

Software Engineer

Jamaica

BIO

"Kamilah Taylor is a software engineer who currently resides in California working with Gusto, an online Payroll & HR Solutions company, where she leads financial product engineering teams. Although she migrated with her family, from Jamaica as a Grade 5 student, she returned for a year of Sixth Form at Campion College and went on to study computing at UWI, Mona. She was awarded her B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics by UWI, Mona and earned her M.Sc. in Computer Science and her Ph.D. in Robotics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has experience in mobile and robotics, and has worked with multiple tech giants, as well as startups. Taylor is an advocate for underrepresented minorities to choose STEM as a career field. She is also a public speaker and founding advisory board member of Tech Beach Retreat, a new tech conference held in Jamaica, and has spoken at several industry meetups and conferences such as IEEE’s International Conference for Robotics and Automation, the Grace Hopper Conference, and the Swift Language User Group (SLUG) meetup"

Professor Paula Tennant

Biotechnology

Senior Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Paula Tennant is a biotechnologist with a focus on the viral diseases of fruit and vegetable crops. After earning first-class honours in botany from the University of the West Indies (UWI), her brilliance caught the attention of Cornell University, where she joined groundbreaking research to combat the Papaya Ring-Spot Virus (PRSV). Professor Tennant is credited with the creation of the Solo Sunrise, a genetically modified strain of papaya which is resistant to the Ring Spot disease - she accomplished this during her Ph.D. research studies at Cornell University, which she completed in 1996. Her discovery helped save the local papaya industry which was under threat from the invasive disease. Dr. Tennant was the first person from the Caribbean to ever develop a bio-engineered product. She lectures several undergraduate courses and supervises post-graduate students in biotechnology, working with both the Department of Life Sciences and the Caribbean Centre for Research in BioScience. Her awards include the Young Scientist of the Year Award from the Scientific Research Council in 1996, the Principal’s Research Day award in the category of Best Researcher: Management of Plant Diseases in 2010, the Faculty’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Course Assessments of Lecturers in 2012 .

Professor Elizabeth Thomas Hope

Geography and Geology

Geography Professor retired

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Emerita Elizabeth Thomas-Hope is a Jamaican geographer and environmental manager. She did her post-graduate studies in the UK and the USA and worked ... before returning to Jamaica in 1993 on her appointment as the first James Seivright Moss-Solomon (Snr.) Chair of Environmental Studies at The UWI, Mona. She served The UWI as Head of the Geography and Geology Department and conducted and supervised research on a wide range of environmental management issues including solid waste and tourism.

Dr. Ian Thompson

Chemistry

Lecturer - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Thompson is a food chemist whose main research interest is in food science with the ultimate goal to improve food security, that is, the ability of the country to meet its nutritional needs for example through the substitution of cassava for wheat flour. Another area of research is flavour-delivery and in addition to using instrument testing he ensures the use of sensory evaluation (taste-testing). His research group is also involved in the identification and screening of local agro-crops as candidates for bio-diesel production. Dr. Thompson also takes an interest in developing entrepreneurial skills in chemistry students.

Professor Sean Thorpe

Computer Science

Professor & Dean, UTech

Jamaica

BIO

"Prof Sean Thorpe is a Professor and Dean in the Faculty of Engineering and Computing at the University of Technology, Jamaica. He was the recipient of the first PhD degree awarded by the University of Technology, with a thesis on “The Theory of a Cloud Computing Digital Investigation”. Though he was accepted by Colorado State University on a scholarship to pursue his PhD, he opted out and decided to stay in Jamaica and complete the PhD program at UTech to start, and be a part of a history-making process. He helped pave the way for other PhD candidates by creating a model that could be structured for future candidates. Prof Thorpe has a MSc. Information Security fromThe University of Westminster. He also received a Fulbright Visiting Scholarship award at Harvard University after birthing a computer security programme at Utech. At Harvard, he conducted research in cyber security. Prof Thorpe also developed a mentorship program at UTech with the aim of bridging the gap between academia and industry professionals. "

Dr. Camilo Trench

Life Science

Lecturer

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Trench is a Marine Biologist and ecologist who lectures in the Dept. of Life Sciences, FST, UWI and is currently the Academic Coordinator at the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory. His research focus is on the conservation and rehabilitation of mangroves and he has had significant success in restoring mangrove forest around Jamaica.

Dr. Ina Vandebroek

Life Science

Senior Lecturer & Researcher, UWI

Belgium

BIO

Dr. Ina Vandebroek joined the staff in the Department of Life Sciences as Senior Lecturer in 2021. Her research is grounded in Caribbean ethnobotany and developed in collaboration with local communities. Her projects revolve around the interconnectedness of Caribbean biological and cultural diversity. Ina has more than 22 years of experience in research and international cooperation projects in Bolivia, the Caribbean, and in New York City with the Caribbean diaspora. She also works closely with the Caribbean Centre for Research in Biosciences.

Dr. Arnoldo Ventura

Life Science

Retired Science Policy Maker

Jamaica

BIO

A Jamaican Science Icon, Dr Arnoldo Ventura is a retired virologist and renowned Jamaican scientist who guided numerous national and regional science and technology policies and plans. He continues to share his knowledge and experience through consultancies and writing e.g. ‘Memories and Musings: Reflections of a Scientist’ a book of poems published in 2021. Dr. Ventura studied at the University of the West Indies, Mona for both his undergraduate and M.Sc. degrees. During his early career, Dr. Ventura (who studied the spread of viral diseases in humans, through a variety of pests e.g. mosquitoes) came across situations of poverty which touched him deeply. This sparked a desire to use science as a tool to solve social and economic problems. His Ph.D. was awarded by Cornell University, New York and he worked abroad for several years before returning to Jamaica. He was the Science and Technology Adviser to four Jamaican Prime Ministers from 1989 to 2009, a founder of the National Commission on Science and Technology and the instigator and drafter of many of Jamaica’s science policies and strategic plans. His work as a virologist and science and technology specialist has gained him national accolades including, the Commander of the Order of Distinction (Jamaica) and the Silver Musgrave Medal for science from the Institute of Jamaica.

Dr. Barry Wade

Life Science

Belize

BIO

Dr. Barry Wade (1940 - 2015) was a marine ecologist especially remembered for his seminal 1976 report on pollution in the Kingston Harbour. He worked for several years at The UWI and then at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica before helping establish one of the Caribbean's best known environmental consultancies: Environmental Solutions Ltd. where he worked for 21 years before retiring. For his service to the field of science and marine ecology in particular he was awarded the Officer of the Order of Distinction (OD) and the Silver Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica.

Professor Mona Webber

Life Science

Head of Life Sciences Dept, FST, UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Mona Webber, CD is a marine ecologist whose primary research is on zooplankton, mangroves, sargassum and the reduction of marine pollution. She is the Head of the Life Sciences Department in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI and holds the James Moss-Solomon Chair in Environmental Management funded by the Grace Kennedy Foundation since 1992. Prof. Webber is a lecturer and lead researcher whose teams have played an important role in mangrove restoration and marine conservation. Her research has increased the understanding of tropical marine zooplankton production, community structure and distribution and heir use as indicators of water quality. Her work on mangrove restoration goes beyond planting and growing mangroves but also efforts to reduce their pollution and destruction. Her recent work has a focus on addressing the issue of overgrowth of sargassum and subsequent washing up of large quantities on beaches, by finding ways to use this seaweed productively. In 2021 she was awarded the Gold Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica and in 2022, the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (National Award).

Professor Dale Webber

Life Science

Director of the Centre for Marine Sciences, UWI, Mona

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Dale Webber is the Director of the Centre for Marine Sciences, UWI, Mona. In January, 2025 he was appointed Jamaica’s first special envoy for climate change, the environment and matters of the ocean and the blue economy. He has had an extensive career as a lecturer, researcher and consultant in coastal ecology, in particular studying coastal wetlands including mangroves to design plans for improved coastal zone management, particularly bearing in mind, the reality of climate change. His research has also focused on the study of Jamaica's phytoplankton - the microscopic plant life in coastal and marine waters. Between 2018 and 2023 he served The UWI as Principal and between 2015 and 2018 as Pro-Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies. Professor Webber was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica in 2000. He is also the Chairman of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.

Professor Manley West

Biotechnology

UWI Professor - deceased

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Manley West, OM (1929 - 2012) a Science Icon, was a pharmacologist who developed several useful medicines from ganja (Cannabis). Born in Portland, Professor West was a graduate of the Titchfield High School after which he travelled to England to further his secondary level and later tertiary studies. At the University of London, he studied pharmacology eventually earning his Ph.D in this field before continuing his studies and work at a variety of institutions globally. In 1964 he returned to Jamaica as an Assistant Lecturer in Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. He rose through the ranks and served as Head of the Pharmacology Dept. amongst other senior positions. In 1981, West was appointed as Professor of Pharmacology - the first Jamaican and West Indian to be so appointed. He is best known for the development of medical drugs from marijuana for the treatment of glaucoma and asthma. Dr. West did the initial research after getting special permission to grow and use marijuana plants after observing that people who used homemade eyewash consisting of ganja and fishermen who drank ganja tea, tended to have improved night vision. He then met Dr. Albert Lockhart, an ophthalmologist who had learnt through a scientific presentation that persons who used marijuana had lower intraocular pressure than non-users and this led them to spend ten years developing the drug Canasol® in 1987 and later Cantimol® in eye-drops for the treatment of glaucoma. In the 1990s, Professor West also developed Asmasol®- which treats bronchial asthma, coughs and colds and Canavert®- a drug that stabilizes the part of the brain that controls motion sickness. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1987 and the Gold Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica in 1994.

Mr. Damion Whyte

Life Science

Consultant

Jamaica

BIO

Damion Whyte is a terrestrial biologist and conservation ecologist with over 17 years of experience. He works as an environmental officer with the Urban Development Corporation and a freelance consultant. Mr. Whyte grew up in Clarendon with holidays with his grandparents in St. Mary and he spent most of his time exploring nature. After graduating from Glenmuir High School he pursued his B.Sc. in Environmental Biology and an M.Phil. in Zoology at The UWI. He has a Post-graduate Diploma in Environmental Management from the Dresden University of Technology and is working to complete his Ph.D. degree. His work has included conservation of the Jamaican Iguana, endemic frogs and other wildlife. Damion is perhaps best known as "Rooster" through his social media presence @roostersworldja where he helps increase the understanding of the average Jamaican on wildlife especially Jamaica's endemic and endangered species. He was the youngest appointed member of the Scientific Authority of Jamaica.

Dr. Adrienne Williams

Physics

Lecturer-UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Adrienne Williams is a Physics lecturer who specialises in medical physics which she studied for her B.Sc. awarded by The UWI. Her Ph.D. is in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia and her M.S. is in Bioengineering from the North Carolina A&T State University.

Mr. Dudley Williams

Physics

Senior Laboratory Technician - UWI

Jamaica

BIO

Mr. Dudley Williams is a Senior Laboratory Technician in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI. He is also a graduate student working towards earning his Ph.D. in physics. He specialises in Renewable Energy and is studying how to reduce the problem of over-heating caused by electrical devices and climate change e.g. the impact of heat on chicken farms can result in death of chickens and loss of investment to the farmer. He is also looking at improving the efficiency of light pipes which are devices used to transmit or direct light from the light source to the required area or to make the light more uniform - this type of research will improve energy conservation.

Dr. Cicely Delphine Williams

Medicine

Paediatrician & Researcher

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Cicely Delphine Williams, OM (1893 – 1992) was born at Kew Park, Bethel Town, Westmoreland. She was a paediatrician and is best known for her research and treatment of children with kwashiorkor in Ghana, advocating against the substitution of condensed milk for breast milk in Malaysia and later Jamaican Vomiting Sickness (ackee poisoning). Dr. Williams studied in England, obtaining her medical degree from Oxford in 1923, one of the first women to do so. Later, she specialising in paediatrics and tropical nutrition and hygiene and went to work for the Colonial Medical Service. This took her to Ghana in 1929 where she identified protein deficiency as the cause of the disease kwashiorkor, when other doctors thought it was a vitamin deficiency. Later, working in Malaya finding many babies dying, she advocated against the use of sweetened condensed milk and other artificial baby milks as substitutes for human breast milk. Whilst in Malaya during World War 2, the Japanese invaded and she was placed in a Prison Camp in 1942. At the end of the war in 1945 she was found near dead and nursed back to health. In 1948 she was made the first head of the World Health Organisation’s Maternal and Child Health organisation in Geneva. Her work in Jamaica on Vomiting Sickness between 1951 and 1953 led to identification of ackee poisoning as the cause. Dr. Williams continued to work as a lecturer, advisor and speaker until she was in her 90s. In 1968, Dr Williams was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) by Queen Elizabeth I and the Order of Merit by the Jamaican Government in 1972. She was awarded honorary doctorates of science from The University of the West Indies in 1969 and from The University of Ghana in and in 1986.

Professor Lawrence Williams

Biotechnology

Professor, UTech

Jamaica

BIO

Dr. Lawrence Williams is an Adjunct Professor in the College of Health Sciences, University of Technology, Jamaica and his research has focused on the production of anti-cancer treatments from natural products in particular Jamaican Guinea-hen weed (Petivera alliacea). Dr. Williams was born in 1963 in St. Elizabeth and went to Calabar High School where his interest in biology started. He graduated from The University of the West Indies with a B.Sc. degree in zoology and chemistry in 1987 and started to work at the Scientific Research Council on natural product pesticides. He completed his Ph.D. dissertation in 1991 at the University of the West Indies on ‘Biological Activity in Leaf Extracts from the Artocarpus altilis [the Breadfruit]’ and was later employed in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. In 2003, he was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humbolt Scholarship to do postdoctoral studies on the guinea hen weed (Petivera allliacea) at the Hohenheim University in Germany. The investigations yielded the compound dibenzyl trisulphide, which has been shown to cure cancer cells inside a laboratory. The compound has been found to cure cells that affect the brain, bladder, breast, skin and lungs. In 2010, Dr. Williams and colleague, Dr. H.G. Levy, a Jamaican-born medical doctor based in the USA, were awarded an international patent on a protein complex of dibenzyl trisulphide, isolated from the guinea hen weed. In 2011, for his contribution to science, Dr. Williams was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica. In 2017, Dr. Williams and co-researcher Dr. George Levy obtained a further patent with the US for the discovery of anti-cancer activity in the plant.

Professor Ronald Young

Life Science

Retired Professor

Jamaica

BIO

Professor Emeritus Ronald Young, CD (Former Pro-Vice Chancellor and also Dean Faculty of Science and Technology) is a physiologist specialising in neurophysiology. His B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees were in chemistry and biology from The University of the West Indies and he was awarded his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland in 1973. He became a lecturer in the Department of Physiology and later was head of the department. In 1996, when the Department of Basic Medical Sciences was formed by the merger of the Departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Physiology, he became the first head of this new department in the Faculty of Pure & Applied Sciences, at the time. Professor Young was appointed Professor of Physiology in 1991 and later served as Dean of the Faculty of Pure & Applied Sciences. He was appointed Professor of Human & Comparative Physiology in 2000 and Professor Emeritus in 2013. Professor Young served as Pro Vice Chancellor (Graduate Studies) until he retired. Professor Young has served on numerous national boards including as Chairman for example with the Scientific Research Council and the Natural History Museum of Jamiaca. In 2022 he was awarded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander for his work in the field of physiology and neurophysiology in particular. He continues to serve on a variety of committees and board and is known for his passion for science education.

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