The UWI’s Expanding Global Footprint
Caribbean Rhythms - BFUWI’s Stellar Event The UWI Class of 1967 Marks Golden Anniversary
FEBRUARY - APRIL 2017
STUDENT ALUMNI PROGRAMMING
UWI STAT Mona “Pays Forward” to a Deserving Student
Officials of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), alumni ambassadors, students and the Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) joined The UWI Students Today Alumni Tomorrow (UWI STAT) on Friday, March 24, 2017 at an alumni cocktail reception which raised funds for a UWI STAT bursary as part of their Footprints for Development annual fundraising drive.
The $100,000 bursary will be awarded to an outstanding student who has displayed exceptional academic prowess while facing financial hardships for the 2017-2018 academic year. UWI STAT wishes to leave its mark through the Footprints programme, and through this and similar activities, UWI STAT will interact with other students outside of the Corps, be role models, and importantly, foster development. The inaugural Alumni Cocktail was held under the theme “Learning from the past to create a brighter future”. UWI STAT is a regional programme which falls under the Director of Alumni Relations - The UWI, in the Institutional Advancement Division of the University. The Corporate Champion for the Mona Corps is Mr. Courtney Campbell, President, VMBS, and the company graciously co-hosted the event.
CONTENTS
Saluting our Champ - 4
Sports - 12
Pelican Soaring - 16 2
Appointments - 7 Inspirational Leadership - 9 Caribbean Focus - 10 Global Impact - 11 Howzat? ...It’s all Good! - 12 Sports - 13 V.I.P. - Very Important Pelican - 14 Literary Corner - 15 The UWI Museum - 17 Foundation News - 18 Regional Impact - 20 UWI Grads on the Move - 21 UWIAA News - 21 Alumni Focus - 23 Happenings Across the Campuses - 24 UWI Business Schools - 28 In Celebration of Their Lives - 30
UWI CONNECT
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
The education that The UWI provides is indispensable to the economic future of the Caribbean. In the current globalised world economy it is innovation and international competitiveness which determine who gains and who falls behind.
It is The UWI’s task to produce multi-talented and multi-skilled graduates who can really adapt and continue to adapt to this ever rapidly changing world and the resultant diverse working environments. Our graduates will need to be aware of the changing needs of the world now more than ever, as research shows they are likely to change their jobs 10-14 times before their 38th birthday. The IT technician who speaks Mandarin or the engineer who speaks Spanish or Arabic will add value to our region. Our graduates should educate our Caribbean peoples and governments to strive for, and take pride in self-sufficiency and to aim for overall economic, political and social sustainability. Our very distinguished Pelican, Sir George Alleyne is featured in this issue in light of his retirement, and I am personally delighted to acknowledge his sterling contribution to the institution he loves, as well as to Alumni Relations. It is through his unwavering support that great strides have been made in the acknowledgement of the strategic importance of Alumni Relations, as well as in alumni communications and engagement. We wish him and his wonderful wife, Lady Sylvan, our special UWI couple, the very best in the years to come.
Celia Davidson Francis Director of Alumni Relations, The UWI Editor-in-Chief
UWIAA President of The Bahamas Chapter, Ambassador Missouri Sherman-Peter (left) with Professor Verene A. Shepherd, The UWI Mona Campus, following the latter’s excellent presentation and discourse as a panelist in the United Nations Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organisations Briefing (DPI/NGO) on The Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Socio-Economic Contributions of People of African Descent. The Briefing took place at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, on Thursday, March 30, 2017. EDITORIAL TEAM Celia Davidson Francis (Editor-in-Chief), Dr. Suzanne Francis-Brown, Allison Fung, Marcia Erskine, Yvonne Graham, Nicole Nation and Camile Wilson.
SOURCES IAD - The UWI Regional Headquarters, Campus and University Marketing and Communications Offices, Faculties, Departments, UWIAA, UWIMAA, Office of Administration, UWI STAT Corps, alumni and others.
PHOTOGRAPHY Campus photographers
PUBLISHING Stratcom Marketing Services Ltd.
UWI Connect is The University of the West Indies magazine, published quarterly for Alumni, Parents and Friends of The UWI by the Institutional Advancement Division, The UWI Regional Headquarters. Reproduction, republication or redistribution of content is strictly prohibited without prior written permission of the Editor.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The University of the West Indies.
3
SALUTING OUR “CHAMP”
THE UWI SAYS FAREWELL TO SIR GEORGE ALLEYNE
“An extraordinary physician and scholar, research scientist, orator and progressive public health leader, whose life in service to humanity and impact on the University, the Caribbean and the Americas has been profound.” This quote comes from a citation to
as a whole and absolutely committed to upholding and enhancing its reputation. I have been privileged to witness the remarkable growth of the University and the addition of the Open Campus”. Having served as Chancellor from 2003 to 2010 and then 2010 to 2017, Sir George’s years of distinguished service in the office have left an indelible mark in the history of The UWI. In addition to his service as Chancellor, he has spent a total of 23 years working at the regional University. He was then given the honorary title of Professor Emeritus after leaving The UWI in 1981 to assume the position of Chief of the Unit of Research, Promotion and Coordination in the Division of Human Resources and Research at PAHO/WHO and ascended to the position of Director of PAHO in 1995. Sir George is a proud alumnus. He graduated in 1957 as the Gold Medallist with the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB,BS), from the then University College of the West Indies.
honour Barbadian Sir George Alleyne, read when regional colleagues, family and friends gathered to celebrate his career as Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, at a farewell dinner held in his honour, at the Cave Hill campus on April 26, 2017. Sir George has served two consecutive seven-year terms as Chancellor. Tributes of highlights and insights into his tenure at The UWI, as well as fond personal memories abounded.
Sir George credited The UWI with shaping his sense of being West Indian. He said it enabled him to fulfil “the cannons of proper socialisation” and he described the institution as “an inextricable part of my identity which I carry throughout my life”. He noted, “For the past thirteen and a half years I have been Chancellor and ever conscious of the responsibility that came with following in the footsteps of persons of eminence and distinction. There was a princess of the royal blood followed by three eminent West Indian lawyers, different in style perhaps, but all displaying the deep and fierce concern for the well-being of the institution
Throughout his accomplished career, Sir George has received numerous awards including prestigious decorations and national honours from many countries of the Americas. In 1990, he was made Knight Bachelor by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his services to medicine and in 2001, he was awarded the Order of the Caribbean Community, the highest honour that can be conferred on a Caribbean national.
Outgoing Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Emeritus Sir George Alleyne with his family at the farewell dinner in his honour at The UWI Cave Hill campus.
4
SALUTING OUR “CHAMP”
“To Sir With Love”
The UWI Alumni Association (UWIAA) gave a special tribute to the outgoing Chancellor on April 26, 2017 at the Special Dinner held in his honour. It follows here and was read on behalf of the UWIAA by Ms. Cecile Clayton, the UWIAA Alumnus Representative 2015 - 2017.
my term as Alumnus Representative and President of the Jamaica Chapter. Sir George can always be relied on for advice, sometimes impatient prodding and even tangible financial support when needed. He takes very seriously his statutory role as Head of the Alumni Association, attending meetings of the Central Executive and unhesitatingly giving his candid opinion on the direction he feels we should take.
“Sir George, Prof. Alleyne, Director Emeritus, Chancellor, Champ Alleyne – is simply, the quintessential UWI alumnus. It would not be an exaggeration to say that since he landed in Jamaica to enter the Medical Sciences Faculty on the Mona campus in 1951, he has been a UWI man through and through. He lived up to his reputation as a Champ and graduated in 1957 as a Gold Medallist with the MB,BS degree. He returned to The UWI Mona in 1962 following postgraduate studies at the University of London to work under John Waterlow at The UWI Tropical Metabolism Research Unit (now TMRI). He was appointed Professor of Medicine in 1972, and until he left Mona in 1981 to take up an appointment as Chief of the Research Unit at PAHO in Washington, DC he was a major contributor to the phenomenal development of the TMRU. During this period, he nurtured and mentored many young medical researchers.
The Director of Alumni Relations for The UWI, Mrs. Celia Davidson Francis, asserts that Sir George’s encouragement and support have without doubt helped to reposition Alumni Relations as a pivotal strategic goal of The UWI.
We still have a long way to go, but all my colleague Presidents and Contacts of the various UWIAA Chapters throughout the region, from The Bahamas down to Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the International Chapters, and all the Campus Alumni Officers take this opportunity to thank you, Sir George, for your leadership, your example of unswerving commitment to our Alma Mater, and your genuine friendship. You are indeed one of a kind and we fully expect that you will continue to be a loyal alumnus.
It was during his 22-year stint at PAHO that our paths first crossed. I was then, a diplomat serving in Jamaica’s Mission to the OAS in Washington, and when I decided to start a Chapter of the Alumni Association in DC, my most committed and loyal foundation member was Champ Alleyne. I cannot say enough about his unfailing support and encouragement both then and now, during
We also thank Lady Sylvan for sharing you with us. We know that she is equally committed to alumni relations and The UWI and we wish for you both continued good health and fulfilment in retirement. Cheers! We love you!”
Cecile Clayton, 2015 - 2017 UWIAA Alumnus Representative delivering the UWIAA tribute at the Special Dinner at the Cave Hill campus.
5
CELEBRATING OUR “CHAMP”
GEORGE ALLEYNE PRIzE FOR STUDENTS OF MEDICINE UWI medical students now have a new high goal to which to aspire with the introduction of the George Alleyne Prize for the Most Outstanding Student in Medicine, which celebrates the character and calibre of Sir George, both as a scholar and international public servant.
Award, and the 18 regional and international awards which these two bracket, Sir George demonstrates for those who are yet to come, what is indeed possible,” she noted.
The prize is to be awarded annually to an outstanding student on each campus. “This new annual award echoes the 60-year-old University Gold Medal for the best clinical student in medicine which Sir George earned in 1957,” said The UWI Cave Hill Principal, Eudine Barriteau. “More importantly the new award honours the legacy of one of our finest physicians and establishes continuity with future generations of doctors. From his first award in 1957 of the University Gold Medal, to the 2008 InterAmerican Heart Foundation Science of Peace
The UWI Cave Hill Principal Eudine Barriteau with outgoing Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne at the dinner held in his honour.
Medical Research Centre Renamed in Honour of Retiring Chancellor
L-R: Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, The UWI Cave Hill, Professor V. Eudine Barriteau, Director of The Chronic Disease Research Centre (CDRC), Dr. T. Alafia Samuels, wife of Sir George, Lady Sylvan I. Chen, Professor Emeritus Sir George Alleyne and Barbados Minister of Heath, Mr. John Boyce.
The Barbados-based Chronic Disease Research Centre, one of the lead agencies in the fight against chronic diseases, has been renamed in honour of prominent health official and academic Professor Emeritus Sir George Alleyne, the outgoing Chancellor of The University of the West Indies. Sir George demits office in July. It was noted that Sir George is deserving of our highest accolades and recognition. The Chancellor’s name is now linked in perpetuity to The UWI’s foremost, internationally acclaimed medical research unit. It is now the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre. The renaming recognises Sir George’s legacy in aligning his name with that of research, scholarship and dedication to medicine and public health. 6
APPOINTMENTS
THE UWI CHANCELLOR
On April 27, 2017, at the University Council’s annual meeting, prominent businessman Trinidadian Robert Bermudez was confirmed as Sir George Alleyne’s successor. He will assume duties as the 6th Chancellor of the University in July 2017. According to the University’s Statutes and Ordinances: “The Chancellor shall preside at meetings of the Council [the highest governing body of the regional university] and any Convocation and shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be conferred upon the holder of the office of Chancellor by The UWI Charter or any Statute, Ordinance or Regulation”. Previous Chancellors include Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1948-1971); Sir Hugh Wooding (1971-1974); Sir Allen Montgomery Lewis (1975-1989); Sir Shridath Ramphal (1989-2003); and Sir George Alleyne (2003-2017). Mr. Bermudez has 40 years of business acumen under his belt. It was under his leadership that his familyowned firm grew to a regional business, throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. He has also served as either Chairman or Board Director for several corporate bodies in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. His vision for the University incorporates its mission, as well as the relevance and interdependence of academia and the economy. The UWI’s senior executive management team, faculty and staff, students, alumni and council members warmly welcome Mr. Bermudez to the academy. The UWI Alumni Association (UWIAA) in particular, extends a special welcome, as according to The UWI Charter, the Chancellor heads this body and will work closely with the Director of Alumni Relations and the UWIAA Presidents and Contacts.
The UWIAA welcomes Chancellor Designate Bermudez. 7
APPOINTMENTS OPEN CAMPUS
Professor Joel Warrican, Academic Programming and Delivery The UWI Open Campus announces the promotion of Dr. Joel Warrican. a St. Vincent and the Grenadines national, to the rank of Professor. He is a trained teacher and holds a PhD in Education and an MPhil in Educational Research from the University of Cambridge, as well as a BEd in Language Arts Education from The UWI. He has over 30 years of direct teaching experience at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels across the Caribbean region since 1984. He now holds the title of Professor of Education (Language, Literacy and Cross-Linguistic Studies). Professor Warrican has been a member of The UWI family since 2004. He moved to the Open Campus in 2013 and was appointed as a Planning and Development Officer in the Office of the Principal. In 2014, he was promoted to the position of Director, Academic Programming and Delivery. Among his most noted publications in the region are the books, Strategies for the Teaching of Reading and Writing: A Practical Guide for Teachers of Caribbean Children, published by the Joint Board of Teacher Education Foundation; Research Methods for Inexperienced Researchers: Guidelines for Investigating the Social World, published by Ian Randle and revised in 2015; and The Complete Caribbean Teacher: Literacy, published by Pearson International.
He has engaged in scholarly research as a consultant and has produced technical reports commissioned by regional governments and organisations such as the OAS, UNESCO, CIDA and USAID. His service to the University and to the region is also extensive and includes serving on several committees within the institution, as well as the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). He serves as the COL Chair (Open & Distance Learning) for The UWI. The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus is one of the four campuses that make up the pillars of The UWI. It serves the people of the Caribbean region by offering higher, distance and continuing educational products, as well as research, innovation and outreach services from its locations across the 17 UWI countries. It complements the traditional campuses and enhances the student experience in innovative continuing and professional education, undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education study programmes and courses through distance, blended, online and face-to-face learning modes. It is truly OPEN, and offers high-quality university education, available to all people who wish to reach their full potential inside and outside of the Caribbean region. 8
INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP
ORLANDO PATTERSON NOW HAS A PORTRAIT AT HARVARD
A portrait of Orlando Patterson, the John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard, now forms part of Harvard’s portrait collection. To date, 17 portraits (including Patterson’s) have been commissioned and hung as part of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations’ Portraiture Project, which ensures recognition of the diversity of individuals who serve the university with distinction. Patterson has not only served Harvard as a professor, but has also been the Allston Burr Senior Tutor in Leverett House. Professor Patterson is one of few tenured faculty from the Caribbean and is thus an inspiration to students at Harvard from the Caribbean a true leader in his field.
The Tradition of Female Leadership at The UWI Open Campus Continues community. It is a symbol of a call to action”. It is one that will inspire her as she leads the Open Campus on its ever evolving and impact-filled journey.
On March 16, 2017, Dr. Luz Longsworth was inducted as the third Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Open Campus. The induction ceremony took place in Belize, where Dr. Longsworth is a naturalised citizen, having served in the country through various capacities in academia and business. Dr. Longsworth is the Campus’ third female leader.
Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles presented Dr. Longsworth to Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne with the ceremonial robing for the induction. Dr. Longsworth’s induction speech focused on three ‘C’s - Community, Commitment and Conchs. She acknowledged the community of family and friends that contributed to her foundation, values and core principles and The UWI community for her academic, intellectual and activist commitment and formation. The final ‘C’ represented the Queen Conch shell. She noted, “This symbol of the conch shell is a symbol that is recognised throughout our region from Belize to Barbados and from Trinidad and Tobago to the Turks and Caicos Islands. This is a symbol of resilience, a symbol of struggle, of 9
CARIBBEAN FOCUS
SUNY Launches Year of the Caribbean with Lecture by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles
The UWI Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles was the featured speaker at the 2017 Boyer Family Lecture during SUNY Empire State College’s annual All College Conference on March 22, 2017 in New York. The event kicked off the Year of the Caribbean at the SUNY Empire which is the first theme of a new initiative designed to explore a topic intensively through a variety of activities at the college. Vice-Chancellor Beckles’ address explored Reparatory Justice and Economic Development: Critical Support for the Social Growth Paradigm in the Caribbean. He stated, “Reparations lead to democracy and democracy is founded on the notion of inclusion. The greater the inclusion of more people into the centre of decision-making - black, brown, women, etcetera - the stronger the democracy.” He noted that, “The 21st century democratic movement will integrate many marginalised people and that the role of education will be to make the community part of the democracy via the “education pipeline” that will help people become part of the economy and make positive contributions”.
MEDIA MAKING ITS MARK
school’s online news page at wjcinsider.wordpress.com. CARIMAC, which has two locations, one at Mona and one at the Western Jamaica campus in Montego Bay, is the leading academic institution devoted to media and communication research, teaching and training in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Trinidadian media magnate Kenneth Gordon delivered a riveting and insightful lecture at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) at The UWI, Western Jamaica Campus’ (WJC) annual public lecture, under the theme “Get It Together: The Role of Media In Caribbean Integration”. Gordon stressed the need for media personnel to do their job professionally, noting that the media offer tremendous opportunities to people to prepare for almost any other job. Gordon said that persons intending to work in the media, have to be informed and the only way to be informed is by reading and researching. He further noted that there should be no compromise when issues of integrity arise. UWI alumna and President of the Western Jamaica Media Association, Janet Silvera, chaired the lecture which was also the event at which the book, A Guide to One Caribbean, was launched. The book contains information on 16 English-speaking Caribbean countries and includes national symbols, language and geographic location. Mr. Patrick Prendergast, Head of the WJC noted that a download of the entire book compiled by the final year Communication Analysis and Planning (CAP) class at The UWI is available on the
10
From left: Director of The University of the West Indies Western Jamaica Campus Patrick Prendergast, Trinidadian media magnate Kenneth ‘Ken’ Gordon and Director of the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), The UWI, Mona, Professor Hopeton Dunn, discuss media-related issues at The UWI Western Jamaica Campus’ annual public lecture. (Photo: Philp Lemonte)
GLOBAL IMPACT
THE UWI’S EXPANDING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT
The UWI Vice Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles and the Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg Ihron Rensburg have signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a joint Institute for Global African Studies. The institute will operate at both universities and facilitate the exchange of professors and students. It will examine a number of issues pertinent to both regions, including economic development, entrepreneurship, post-colonial governance, climate change, and youth and their identity. This is the first such agreement between The UWI and an African university and the focus will be on research and policy development, collaboration on multiple fronts, and teaching and learning to support the new generations to come. Caribbean students will benefit from African knowledge systems that can guide regional development and vice versa.
From left: Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg, Professor Ihron Rensburg, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI, Cave Hill campus, Professor V. Eudine Barriteau, and Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles.
Education for the Region’s Future Envisioning Future Education: Cross-disciplinary, Synergy, Imperatives and Perspectives, was the theme of the School of Education’s four-day conference in order to support the development of the region. It was officially launched on April 12, 2017 at The UWI’s Regional Headquarters. The Caribbean region is at a key point in the design and delivery of its education system. Education in the region should be repositioned in order to meet the demands of the job market and achieve growth targets of the region’s Governments. Professionals who do well in a competitive global environment are those who are multitalented. The importance of critical thinking is also key and needs to be the focus in the future. Some of the region’s most prominent thinkers and practitioners in education attended and The UWI was pleased to provide a platform for information sharing and discussion that adds to the region’s knowledge regarding education and learning at the tertiary level. Imperatives were explored which should guide future education in order to facilitate diversity, inclusivity, sustainability and responsiveness. The need for divergent perspectives and approaches to education as well as the continued improvement in learner outcomes and qualities such as accountability, transparency, governance and efficiency were also examined.
11
HOWzAT? ... IT’S ALL GOOD!
Six UWI Stars Selected for T20 International: West Indies v Pakistan
Six players from The UWI’s cricket programmes were selected to play in the T20 International: West Indies versus Pakistan series from March 26 – April 2, 2017. The West Indies T20 Squad includes all-rounder and captain, Carlos Brathwaite; bowler, Kesrick Williams; batsman, Rovman Powell; bowling all-rounder, Jason Holder; wicketkeeper and batsman, Chadwick Walton who play for the University’s Combined Campuses and Colleges programme (CCC), while all-rounder Jonathan Carter plays for The UWI’s Cave Hill campus. Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles stated, “The UWI through the CCC has become a core within the West Indies cricket team. Six players on the WICB squad is an excellent example of our students and the University rising to regional representation on the eve of the proposed Faculty of Sport”.
Since his installation, Vice-Chancellor Beckles has renewed the University’s focus on sport as a driver of development in the region. In April 2016, the University hosted its inaugural Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year Awards for current students and there are plans to establish a Faculty of Sport in the near future. All four campuses of The UWI offer sporting programmes including training from certificate to masters programmes in the pedagogy of sport and this year the CCC celebrates 10 years of involvement in regional cricket as the programme seeks to take cricket to another level. The CCC programme is successful as in recent years The UWI has been producing more cricketers who have graduated to national and franchise teams, West Indies A teams, and senior teams, than any other cricket development programme within the Caribbean region.
Carlos Brathwaite, graduate of the CCC programme. Photo courtesy of the WICB.
The UWI’s Stars pictured in the group photo – left to right: Carlos Brathwaite, Kesrick Williams, Rovman Powell, Jonathan Carter, Ryan Wiggins, Head Coaches at the Academy of Sport, Cave Hill campus, Floyd Reifer and Roland Butcher, Chadwick Walton and Jason Holder. Photo courtesy of the WICB.
12
SPORTS
THE UWI VICE-CHANCELLOR INDUCTED INTO US CRICKET HALL OF FAME the London-based Commonwealth Sports Ministers Advisory Committee.
In a special ceremony on March 7, 2017 in Hartford, Connecticut, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, The UWI Vice-Chancellor was inducted into the US Cricket Hall of Fame – the oldest such organisation in the world – in recognition of his many contributions to the advancement of West Indies and world cricket.
Books written and edited by Sir Hilary, include his biography of Sir Everton Weekes: Mastering the Craft, and his two volume work: The Development of West Indies Cricket. Vol. 1: The Age of Nationalism, Vol. 2: The Age of Globalization.
Sir Hilary began his cricket career playing at youth level for Warwickshire County in England, where he was mentored by West Indies legends Rohan Kanhai and Lance Gibbs. While a student at Hull University, he played semi-professional as an all-rounder, seamer and middle order batsman for Hull City and later in Barnsley town in the prestigious Yorkshire league. On returning to the Caribbean he played for The UWI Mona campus team in Jamaica, which he captained, and then for the Cave Hill campus team in Barbados where he established a Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) record. He was the only player in the history of the BCA to top the runs and wickets tally in the same season.
Sir Hilary noted that he felt somewhat like an imposter to be in the company of great Hall of Famers such as Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Vivian Richards, Michael Holding, Sir Wesley Hall, and Courtney Walsh and Jeffrey Dujon who are his dear friends and living heroes. He added that as a boy he had but one ambition which was to play cricket for the West Indies, and that his choice of a life in academia has left an ‘unhealing’ wound within his soul.
In his citation, Michael Chambers, the Director of the Hall of Fame noted his contribution to cricket was as an administrator, scholar and strategic innovator. Sir Hilary’s innovations include setting up and chairing the CLR James Cricket Research Centre, the Sagicor West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) High Performance Centre, the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) team, the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial lecture series, and the creation of the picturesque 3Ws Oval at The UWI. He also served as a Director of the WICB, Chairman of the Barbados National Sports Council, and Vice President of
Michael Chambers, Director, US Cricket Hall of Fame (right) makes a presentation to Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The UWI on his induction.
A NEW CONNECTION
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and The University of the West Indies through the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communications (CARIMAC), has signed a three-year, US$150,000 Memorandum of Understanding for five bursaries to begin September 2017. Five Caribbean media stalwarts - the late Roy Lawrence and Tony Cozier; Tony Becca, Headley Samuels and Joseph Perreira, will have bursaries named after them. Students with a specific interest in cricket will be able to further their education in Media/Communications programmes via undergraduate studies in Integrated Marketing Communications, Journalism (Radio, Television, Print and Online) and Digital Media Production. CARIMAC offers Cricket Commentary and Analytics and Sport Culture and Caribbean Media. The students who are selected for the bursaries will have access to work experience in WICB’s international and regional series and with other partners where applicable. 13
V.I.P. - VERY IMPORTANT PELICAN
Gail Abrahams
The Chief Executive Officer of the American Chamber of Commerce, Mrs. Gail Abrahams, has been appointed the new Chairman of the Jamaica Information Service Advisory Board.
A UWI alumna, she has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The University of the West Indies. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Banking and Finance from the Manchester Business School and a Diploma in Public Relations and Certificates in Voice Training and Radio News and Current Affairs Production for Caribbean Broadcasters from The UWI and the United States Information Service, respectively. She is an accomplished communications executive with almost two decades of experience in corporate Jamaica, spanning the media, tourism, insurance, banking and telecommunications industry.
"University life for many persons is the awakening and discovery of new experiences and in many cases, a new life. The UWI, Mona proved to be just that for me, as the love I have for the English language was nurtured and honed in the Faculty of Arts with great lecturers and mentors. At no time did I feel that I would never accomplish my dreams. In fact, The UWI gave me that confidence to enter the working world with my Bachelor of Arts in English, knowing that I would eventually enjoy a fulfilling career. My strong network of friends and colleagues was created at The UWI, and at Taylor Hall, the ‘Hall of Halls’. Thank you, UWI for giving me such a great start.” Her previous positions include: Director, Corporate Communications, Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited (FLOW) from 2013 to 2015, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communication, GraceKennedy Financial Group from 2011-2103, Senior Marketing Corporate Communications Manager, First Global Bank, from 2008 to 2011, Group Public Relations Manager at the UGI Group of Companies and Corporate Communications Manager at the former RBTT Bank.
She began her career in media by working at Television Jamaica, the Jamaica Herald Newspaper and the former Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation. She is also President of the Manchester Business School Alumni Association for the Caribbean and a Board Director of the JPS Foundation.
14
LITERARY CORNER
The Caribbean and the Wider World: Commentaries on My Life and Career
Grenadian, Sir Alister McIntyre held several high-profile positions in the international community. An academic, he also became an international statesman occupying senior roles within the UN, as well as at the highest levels of Caribbean regional government. In 1974, he temporarily left behind his academic career as a developmental economist at The UWI to take up an appointment as Secretary-General of CARICOM (the Caribbean Community and Common Market). He subsequently held positions as the Director of the Commodities Division of UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) and then Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD in both Geneva and New York.
In 1988 McIntyre returned to the Caribbean as The UWI Vice-Chancellor and, on his retirement in 1998, he assumed the post of Chief Technical Advisor at the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery. He has received many honours and awards, among them: several honorary degrees; the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC); has been twice honoured by the Government of Jamaica, including receipt of the order of Merit (OM) and has also received the National Honours of the Government of Guyana (the Cacique Crown of Honour); the Chancellor’s 50th Anniversary Medal for Excellence, and in 1992, he was knighted by her Majesty the Queen. This book outlines McIntyre's extraordinary life and wide-ranging international career in diplomacy, politics and academia. Sir Alister is considered one of the great social thinkers of his time. Sir Hilary Beckles recommends the book as "an excellent resource for students, educators and policymakers, as well as persons holding a general interest in the Caribbean and its development". Former Jamaica Prime Minister P. J. Patterson calls it "a literary masterpiece" and notes that, "This could only have been written by one who was much more than a witness; one who was indeed an active participant and at the very centre of helping us to chart the way forward for integration in what has become increasingly turbulent waters, particularly during the last four decades of the 20th century".
The 'Dragon in the Caribbean: China’s Global Re-Dimensioning, Challenges and Opportunities for the Caribbean', was written by Ambassador Dr. Richard L. Bernal, a former diplomat and now the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Affairs, at The UWI. Published by Ian Randle Publishers, the book gives insight into China's involvement in the Caribbean, which has increased significantly during the last decade. It seeks to answer the questions: What motivates the People's Republic of China to give so much attention to the small states of the Caribbean? What is the future direction of China-Caribbean relations? How can the Caribbean countries benefit more from the relationship in exports, direct foreign investment, and tourism? The book received accolades from Professor Franklin Knight of Johns Hopkins University, who describes it as "essential reading". 15
PELICAN SOARING
Dr. Linda McArtha Monica Sandy-Lewis UWI Honorary Graduate, Dr. Linda McArtha Monica Sandy-Lewis, born in Tobago and better known as Calypso Rose, won the Album of the Year Award at the prestigious Victoire de la Musique Awards in Paris, France on February 10, 2017. The award is the French equivalent of a Grammy Award.
began her singing career at the age of 15. Her most famous hits include Fire Fire, Tempo, I Thank Thee, Her Majesty and Gimme More Tempo. Interestingly in 1977, she won the National Calypso King Competition - which prompted a name change. It is now called the National Calypso Monarch Competition. She has written over 800 songs. She is the most decorated Calypsonian in Trinidad and Tobago's history and was awarded the Trinidad and Tobago Gold Humming Bird Medal for "loyal and devoted service beneficial to the state in any field, or acts of gallantry".
Calypso Rose is the first woman to win the Road March and Calypso Monarch titles. She performed her latest smash hit, “Leave Me Alone�, only minutes before receiving the award for Album of the Year in the World Music category at the auspicious awards ceremony. Her platinum selling album, entitled FAR FROM HOME, was released on the Because Music label in June 2016.
This 2014 UWI Honorary Graduate has headlined at major venues and festivals throughout Europe, Australia and the USA throughout her career. We celebrate and salute this Pelican's latest accomplishment.
Calypso Rose, now 76 and still performing world-wide,
UWI Pelicans, if you are not hearing from us, that means we do not have your information. First and Last Name
Last Name (at graduation)
Student Number (optional)
Major/Minor
Degree
Street Address 1
Street Address 2 City
Country
Graduation Year Hall
Telephone(s) E-mail
Please e-mail this information to: iad@alumni.uwi.edu or if viewing online click here. 16
THE UWI MUSEUM
REPORT FROM THE MUSEUM CURATOR This is a continuation from Part 1 in the November - January issue
Part Two
included the UCWI standard, though there were interesting orders pertaining to the Jamaican police and the Black Star Line.
The next stop was The (UK) National Archives at Kew outside London. This massive repository is a vital stop for researchers from across the former British Empire, seeking information on their pre-independence histories. Searches on its online catalogue had already pointed the way to the Charter Rolls, which record all Letters Patents granted by British Kings and Queens over centuries, including the charter of incorporation of the University College of the West Indies on January 5, 1949. In the meantime, I was able to view the official record of the grant, including a painting of the coat of arms and the text of the grant, which is recorded in one of the detailed Grant Books maintained by the College. Files relevant to this historic grant, as well as the resolution of the loss of the Charter document in an airline disappearance later that month, en route to Jamaica, were also seen. These included files of the Privy Council Office, the Lord Chancellor’s Office of the House of Lords and the Colonial Office which sponsored the proposal for the grant of the Charter. Brief reviews of this trove of documents are among the outputs of the study trip.
That disappointment was offset by the rich archive of the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, which includes diaries and scrapbooks kept by former Birmingham Vice-Chancellor Sir Raymond Priestley between the mid-1940s and 1950s. Priestley, a representative of the UK Inter-University Council for Higher Education Overseas, on the UCWI Council, visited Jamaica and Trinidad on several occasions and left detailed diary entries that included university-related events and personalities. Copies of these records from half century ago will make for rich review. What next? Getting those reviews done, sharing with The UWI Archives and relevant officials, and interweaving new details into both the provenance of existing artifacts at the museum and the storylines interpreting these artifacts. By Suzanne Francis-Brown PhD, Curator, The UWI Museum
Another interesting visit was to The Royal College of Physicians, London, founded in 1518 and whose work largely relates to the accreditation of physicians. Archivist Pamela Forde was helpful in discussing early charter documents before my National Archives trip. But a visit to the College showed ancient documents, and another Great Fire exhibition as well as artifacts related to the College, displayed in multi-use spaces throughout the building. Outside of London, a trip to the Maritime Archives in Liverpool, facilitated by Roli Degazon-Johnson of the Ramphal Institute, aimed at looking through two volumes of mid-20th century orders for flags and pennants made to a company called Porter Bros, which research had indicated to be the original maker of the UCWI/UWI flag. The company went out of business and its business was taken over by the current purveyor which has no knowledge to share. Unfortunately, neither of the available volumes 17
FOUNDATION NEWS
Caribbean Rhythms - BFUWI's Stellar Event!
The prestigious Inner Temple was the exquisite setting for the marvellous spring evening event of the British Foundation for The University of the West Indies (BFUWI). Patrick Maddams of the Inner Temple was the ultimate host and the music by the Gary Crosby Quintet and Kyron Akal was delightful and enhanced the ambience. The menu was appreciated by the guests and the dishes selected captured the true flavours of the Caribbean. The goody bags filled with Caribbean treats were a welcome surprise. The Barbados High Commission provided the "essentials" for the rum punch, for transportation and for the beautiful framed photos of Caribbean scenes on the easels, which created a beautiful space for the BFUWI to host the event.
increased business with the Caribbean. He also spoke about the importance of alumni being engaged with and supporting the BFUWI and its mission. The BFUWI Trustees were pleased to note that many guests were impressed by the University's achievements to date and now wish to support the BFUWI in its mandate to develop relationships and raise capital for the benefit of The UWI and future generations of young people of the wider "Community of the Caribbean". Guests enjoyed the opportunity to mix and mingle in between the speeches and entertainment. The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple and Patrick Maddams; Sir Trevor Carmichael of Chancery Chambers in Barbados; H.E. Guy Hewitt, High Commissioner of Barbados; Professor Andrew Ramroop OBE, CMTT (Gold); Jamaica National Bank, Chambers 7 Bedford Row, Garden Court Chambers, Port Royal Patties, Carib Direct Multimedia, The Voice, Grace Foods, all volunteers, the Institutional Advancement Division, sponsors, donors and friends, contributed to the success of the evening.
The UWI Pro Vice-Chancellor Ambassador Richard Bernal spoke and raised the guests’ awareness about the achievements and developments of The UWI, and its direction and leadership in strategic development beyond its natural geography. He also noted the contribution of Caribbean nationals who came to the UK and assisted in its development. He emphasised that there is room for expansion of collaboration and
18
FOUNDATION NEWS THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE UWI
Celebrity-filled AFUWI Gala Assists UWI Students congresswoman representing New York State in the U.S. House of Representatives. Paul Salmon, the Founder and CEO of the Rockhouse Foundation received the AFUWI Humanitarian Award. The Champions of Community Engagement Awards went to Dennis Shipping, Earl Philips of the Transport Workers Union, Sesame Flyers International, the Kimberly Hotel, The Door Restaurant Corp. and Finn Partners. Guests attending this fabulous event included U.S. Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, former Congressman Charles Rangel, Gail Moaney, Winston Wellington, Monty Alexander, Dr. Gerald White-Davis, Dr. Hazel Carter, Ambassador Missouri Sherman-Peter and Dr. Carmen Nicholas.
The glittering black-tie event on February 23, 2017 at The Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, New York saw the leadership of The UWI, alumni and supporters enjoying a star-studded event. The American Foundation for The UWI (AFUWI) Gala was a resounding success, generating funds to provide scholarships for students across The UWI’s four campuses. AFUWI Chairman, Dr. Lowell Hawthorne and Mr. Paxton Baker, Gala Chair noted that the evening was superbly hosted by Maurice Dubois, Anchor CBS 2 News, Syndicated Radio Host Angela Lee and TV Journalist Janell Snowden. Exceptional individuals from the USA and the Caribbean were honoured for their achievements and contributions. Barbadian-born Doug E Fresh received the ‘Robert “Bob” Nesta Marley Award’, which embodies the essence of the music and lyrics of Bob Marley and he was joined by his famous guest, Dionne Warwick on stage, to celebrate the moment. Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, record producer and actress, Estelle, who is of Grenadian and Senegalese heritage received the Caribbean Luminary Award. The inaugural Shirley Chisholm Award was presented to Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. Born in Brooklyn, to a Guyanese father and a Barbadian mother, Ms. Chisholm is best known for becoming the first black
The AFUWI surprised The UWI Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne who retires in July, with an award to recognise his years of service to his beloved Alma Mater. Ann Marie Grant, the AFUWI Executive Director, is very appreciative of the commitment of the diverse range of American and Caribbean entities, who support the Gala annually, as well as distinguished and influential persons who have graciously served on the Honorary Committee. She is now looking forward to hosting other events and activities to continue the work of the Foundation and to planning for the 2018 Gala. Donations may still be made at www.afuwi.org.
19
REGIONAL IMPACT
The UWI Toronto Gala 2017
The Luminary Award is given to people with a Caribbean heritage who have achieved outstanding feats internationally, or people who have brought prominence to the Caribbean or to issues that affect the region. In 2017 the prestigious award was given to Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, Desmond Mpilo Tutu at The UWI Toronto Gala.
Purboo, cardiologist and community activist Dr. Vivian Rambihar, Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch and GraceKennedy Limited, one of the Caribbean’s largest food and finance companies.
Canadian Senator Murray Sinclair received the G. Raymond Chang Award. The G. Raymond Chang Award was established to honour individuals who exemplify the leadership and ideals of G. Raymond Chang (19482015) who was an outstanding business leader and philanthropist who embodied great humility and commitment to his fellow persons.
Tutu’s daughter, Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu van Furth, received the award on April 1, 2017 on behalf of her father. She noted that her father has particular fondness for Canada since during the height of the apartheid regime, Canada’s support was incredible.
Mpho Tutu van Furth, daughter of Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu (centre), with Senator Murray Sinclair (left), and Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen at The University of the West Indies’ annual benefit gala in Toronto on April 1, 2017. Van Furth accepted the Luminary Award on her father’s behalf. Photo: Nicholas Keung
The University first recognised Tutu for his accomplishments in 1986 when he received an honorary degree in recognition of his support and activism for social justice. Tutu was South Africa’s first black archbishop of the Anglican Church and served as the Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Other 2017 Gala honourees included neurosurgeon Dr. Renn Holness, business-woman and retired diplomat Kay McConney, entrepreneur and philanthropist Wayne
PELICAN PERKS: Added Value for UWIAA Members
Some Samples of Perks 10%
12% Barbados Lumber Company Barbados
Haute Consultants Barbados
Bartley's All In Wood Jamaica
Bresheh Jamaica
40%
10% Tejasvi Medical Services Ltd. Trinidad and Tobago 20
5%
10% Breezes Bahamas The Bahamas
UWI GRADS ON THE MOVE Jacqueline Cummings is now President of the Jamaican Bar Association. She is a Partner at Archer Cummings and Company, Attorneys-at-Law and has over 20 years experience in the practice of civil and criminal litigation, personal injury cases, estate and tax matters, immigration and family law. She is a member of the Council of the Jamaican Bar Association and their Continuing Legal Education Committee, as well as a member of the Advocates Association of Jamaica. Jacqueline has been involved in several sports, both as a player and an administrator. She is a past member of the Jamaica Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee and the Jamaica Table Tennis Association’s Disciplinary Committee. Jacqueline has been admitted to practice law in Jamaica and Guyana.
Congratulations to UWI Pelican Melvin Edwards on being inducted into the Hall of Fame for the AfricanAmerican Credit Union Coalition for his outstanding contribution, as well as for the valuable work he does for the Caribbean Credit Union Development Education programme.
UWI alumna Dr. Carol Jones is a phenomenal educator at Pasadena Lakes Elementary School in Pembroke Pines, Florida and is making a difference in the lives of the children. She was singled out to be honoured in their 2017 Teachers Appreciation Week for her contribution to the school and the exemplary and positive influence she has had on her students.
The new President of the People’s National Party in Jamaica is Dr. Peter Phillips. He is a UWI alumnus with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Master of Science in Government. He also completed doctoral studies in International Political Economy at the State University of New York at Binghamton. His wife, Attorney-at-Law, Sandra Minott Phillips is also a UWI alumna and his father-in-law Owen Minott, was a member of the first UWI Class of students in 1948.
Venessa Hall, Attorney-at-Law, BSc. Hons (Mona), LL.B. Hons (Cave Hill) and graduate of Norman Manley Law School is now Director of Legal Services for Crowe, Horwath Jamaica, part of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world. She has experience in civil litigation, commercial, corporate and labour laws.
NEWS
UWIAA JAMAICA CHAPTER
Assembly Hall for the start of the flag-raising ceremony. Professor Don Robotham, their fellow 67er from the Faculty of Social Sciences, delivered the 2017 Homecoming Lecture.
The UWI Mona campus invited the Class of 1967 to be special participants in its annual Homecoming Week celebration from February 12-18 as they celebrate 50 years since graduation in 2017. They attended the Commemoration Service at the Chapel and were recognised during the service. They also took part in the Homecoming Parade which began at the Students’ Union and wended its way around the Ring Road ending with a flag-raising ceremony in the Assembly Hall. Members of the class, many of whom are also members of the UWIAA Jamaica Chapter, took part in the 'Walk of Pride' up to the flagpole area, then back to the
The Jamaica Chapter and the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, Mona campus presented the University of Arkansas Inspirational Chorale in a benefit performance at the University Chapel to assist their major outreach programme. The critically acclaimed ‘Inspirational Chorale’ from the University of Arkansas, USA, gave the benefit performance during its one-week tour of Jamaica on Sunday, March 19. The forty-member Chorale teamed with the talented University Chorale and offered great entertainment.
21
UWIAA NEWS
UWIAA FLORIDA CHAPTER
UWIAA BELIzE CHAPTER
The UWIAA Florida Chapter attended a special Town Hall Meeting on April 3, 2017. The Mayor of the City of Miramar, Wayne M. Messam and Kingston Councillor Delroy Williams discussed establishing a "Sister City" relationship and explored opportunities for cultural and economic collaboration. The UWIAA Florida was represented by Dr. Carmen Nicholas (President); Margaret Barrett (Secretary) and Lesley-Ann Guy (Public Relations Officer).
Welcome to the new UWIAA Belize Executive, who aim to build a vibrant and engaged alumni community.
In photo: Robert Hill - Chief Executive Officer (Town Clerk), City of Kingston (Jamaica) is flanked by Dr. Carmen Nicholas (left) and LesleyAnn Guy.
UWIAA ANTIGUA & BARBUDA CHAPTER
ALUMNI VISIT THE UWI MUSEUM
Antigua and Barbuda alumni listen with rapt attention during the Chancellor’s visit on February 18, 2017. This was followed by an interactive session billed, “An hour with the Chancellor”.
The former UWIAA President of the Washington DC Chapter, Sha-Shana Crichton (at left in first photo) visited The UWI RHQ and was pleased to tour The UWI Museum with the Director of Alumni Relations. Nadia Riviere, a UWIAA Dominica Chapter stalwart also toured The UWI Museum with the Director of Alumni Relations and was delighted to learn about the University’s history from the Curator, Dr. Suzanne Francis-Brown.
UWIAA Antigua and Barbuda Chapter’s Wine and Cheese Night with UWI alumnus Governor-General H.E. Sir Rodney Williams, on April 20, 2017. 22
ALUMNI FOCUS
UWI CLASS OF 1967 MARKS GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
Members of The UWI “Class of 1967” graduates are planning a grand Golden Anniversary Celebration during the month of September this year, to mark 50 years since their graduation from The UWI. Chair and Coordinator of the Committee responsible for planning the event is Dr. Judith Robinson, Chartered Accountant and Management Consultant who in 1970 became the first UWI graduate to complete the professional accounting examinations of the ACCA.
Other events planned include an old hits fete at the Waterfalls Club in Liguanea on Thursday night. The following day, Friday, September 22, will begin with a guided ‘Campus Tour’, highlighting the new developments on the Mona campus, followed by a ‘Lunch and Lyme’ at the small park across from the Alumni House at 28 West Road. The Anniversary celebrations will climax on Saturday, September 23, with a ‘Gala Evening and Roll Call of Graduates’, an event which will include performances by the University Singers and the CAJE Jazz Ensemble at the Sir Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts.
The Planning team includes Dr. Vincent Lawrence, a graduate in Engineering from the St. Augustine campus, and Mona graduates, Professor Neville Ying, Mr. Winston Wright, Mr. George Campbell, Dr. Lilieth Nelson, Mrs. Dawn Ottey, Mrs. Shirley Carby and Ms. Cecile Clayton, ex officio; each with specific responsibilities for managing the events planned to mark the anniversary celebrations which kicks off on Thursday, September 21, with a forum on ‘Improving and Maintaining the Connection between the Alumni and The UWI’. “We chose this theme,” said the Committee Chair, “in the hope that the discussion will stimulate action toward a more vibrant UWI Alumni Association, motivated to give back to their Alma Mater”.
No celebration would be complete without a thanksgiving service so this will be held at the University Chapel at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, September 24 to be followed by a ‘Last Lap Brunch’ at the Rex Nettleford Hall – an appropriate end to the celebrations. “We want to make this gathering of graduates memorable in every way”, states Committee Chair, Dr. Robinson, “so plans also include publishing a special commemorative issue of the Pelican magazine, in which we will take a retrospective look at our ‘67ers, pictorially as well as through an update as to where they are now. It is urgent that contact be made now with all members of the Class of 1967 so that they may join in our celebrations and contribute photos and articles to the magazine. We are especially grateful to Mr. Arnold ‘Scree’ Bertram, who although not a ‘67 graduate, was a well known personality on the Mona campus in our final year. He has agreed to pen the main story for the magazine in which he will capture the vibrant political, social, economic and cultural environment of the ‘60s as we experienced it on the three campuses. But we want to include as many of the graduates as possible so we can all remember and smile fondly at the year 1967. Graduates of the Class of 1967 are urged to contact the Committee by email at uwiclassof67@mail.com”. All 67ers please plan to attend. A significant feature of the Celebrations will be the presentation of a special Class Gift by the 67ers to the University to mark its Golden Anniversary.
L-R (standing): George Campbell, Winston Wright and Vin Lawrence. L-R (seated): Elaine Commissiong, Judith Robinson and Dawn Ottey.
Support The UWI Global Giving Programme. www.uwi.edu/giving 23
HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE CAMPUSES
Cave Hill
THE MANDELA FREEDOM PARK
The Elliott and Loretta Belgrave Scholarship Trust has been launched in Barbados and registered as a local charity.
A park honouring the late South African and antiapartheid leader Nelson Mandela was opened at The UWI Cave Hill campus. The Mandela Freedom Park was unveiled during an inspiring ceremony with Mandela’s eldest grandchild, Ndileka Mandela, the founder and chair of the Thembekile Mandela Foundation, in attendance.
Governor-General Sir Elliott Belgrave, noted that the objective of this Trust is to assist financially disadvantaged students to pursue studies in disciplines such as accountancy, marine engineering, architecture, law of the sea and legislative drafting at the various campuses at The UWI. Sir Paul Altman, one of the trustees, noted that the charity “has set as it goals: the raising of funds to assist needy Barbadian students pursing degree courses at The UWI, Cave Hill campus; the advancement of education including the provision in universities and like institutions of scholarships, bursaries, prizes and other awards, and promotion, publication and research with the view to increasing the common stock of knowledge”.
RBC RACE FOR KIDS
The trustees have set an initial target of five scholarships in year one, to be presented in September 2017. The other trustees of the charity are the daughter of the Governor-General and Attorney-at-Law, Susan Belgrave Matheson, Senior Assistant Registrar at The UWI, Cave Hill campus, Jennifer Hinkson, Senator Carol Lady Haynes, former banker, Ian Estwick, Chairman of the Child Care Board, Kenneth Knight and Senator Dr. Sir Trevor Carmichael. The committee members are Managing Director of Al-Hart Public Relations, Al Gilkes, stalwart in the culinary industry, Monty Cumberbatch and Attorney-at-Law, Glenda Medford. Fundraising efforts for the Trust will commence with a Gala Banquet and Ball on June 17 at Government House.
The inaugural RBC Race for Kids in Barbados was held and it will become an annual fundraiser for Cave Hill's Scholarship Programme like the CB Group UWI 5K for Mona, Jamaica.
24
Governor-General, His Excellency Sir Elliott Belgrave (seated at centre) with Elliott and Loretta Belgrave Scholarship Trust’s trustees and committee members following the launch.
HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE CAMPUSES
Mona
DR. MAOLYNNE MILLER HONOURED On April 29, 2017 the Paediatric Association of Jamaica honoured the Founder and Chairperson, Dr. Maolynne Miller, at its 41st Anniversary Awards Banquet. Dr. Miller was Jamaica’s very first paediatric kidney specialist and has been dedicated to her patients and the specialty service ever since her return from training in 1984. Her many patients and “grand-patients” can attest to this!
MOSqUITO CONTROL AND RESEARCH UNIT
The Ministry of Health and The UWI Mona have partnered to establish a Mosquito Control and Research Unit. The unit will be responsible for coordinating best practices in integrated vector management and research into mosquito control and eradication to arrest the spread of diseases like Chikungunya, Dengue Fever and Zika. The unit was formally launched by UWI Alumnus and Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, and UWI Mona Principal, Professor Archibald McDonald, during a ceremony at the institution on March 31, 2017.
We want to connect with you!
Be sure we have your current e-mail address.
Visit: www.uwi.edu/alumnionline 25
HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE CAMPUSES
Open Campus
Director of Alumni Relations for The UWI, Mrs. Celia Davidson-Francis, also thanked and congratulated Mr. Lloyd Stanford for his continued dedication and support of The UWI as the official UWI Alumni Association contact in Ottawa, Canada. She revealed that, “This bursary is only a part of what Lloyd has personally donated this year – he has given over US$9,000 – and we are most appreciative. Lloyd is a true UWI and Taylor Hall stalwart and we recognise and celebrate his generosity.”
ARMON FLORIzEL STANFORD BURSARY
On March 27, 2017 at The UWI Museum, a bursary in the amount of US$2,000 was presented to the Open Campus of The UWI. It was awarded by UWI alumnus, Mr. C. Lloyd Stanford and family. Mr. Stanford who was born in Jamaica, is a former Canadian Federal Civil Servant, the Head of Le Stanford Groupe Inc. Management Consultancy and The UWI Alumni Association Contact for Ottawa, Canada. The Armon Florizel Stanford Bursary, named in memory of Mr. Stanford’s father, will support the cost of tuition for full time study of an undergraduate degree at The UWI for Ms. Deborah Wilson, who is a registered student at The UWI Open Campus site at Camp Road in Jamaica. This donation will enable Ms. Wilson to complete her Bachelor of Science degree in Youth Development Work. Although Mr. Stanford, was not able to attend the ceremony, several close friends represented the Stanford family in Jamaica, namely Ambassador Anthony Hill, Dr. Lawson Douglas, the Honourable Mr. Justice Paul Harrison and his sister, Miss Ouida Harrison, Miss Fay Rhone and Mrs. Carol Hibbert.
Mrs. Karen Ford-Warner, Campus Registrar of The UWI Open Campus (left) is delighted to receive the symbolic cheque for the Armon Florizel Stanford Bursary of US$2,000 for an Open Campus student. Others from left are: Professor Julie Meeks-Gardner, Deputy Principal of the Open Campus, Mrs. Celia Davidson Francis, Director of Alumni Relations for The UWI in the Institutional Advancement Division, and Ambassador Anthony Hill, who presented the cheque on behalf of Mr. C. Lloyd Stanford.
In his remarks, Ambassador Hill noted that Mr. Stanford had set up the bursary as part of an endowment that he plans to build up to support work at two of The UWI campuses, i.e. Mona and the Open Campus. Mrs. Karen Ford-Warner, Campus Registrar of the Open Campus, also expressed her deep appreciation to the Stanford family for continuing to support the students of the institution.
“WORLD LEADERSHIP DAY”
The UWI Open Campus Bahamas hosted the annual Global Leadership Conference Simulcast (LEAD 2017) in celebration of “World Leadership Day” on February 8, 2017. The event featured fourteen renowned global leaders, including Immaculée Ilibagiza, a renowned Rwandan genocide survivor, author and speaker.
St. Augustine
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Professor Frank C. Worrell, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley and Professor Jean B. Crockett, University of Florida.
The three Schools of Education of The UWI in collaboration with the State University of New York at Potsdam presented the Inclusive Education Conference under the theme, Achieving Education for All: Resolving the Challenges of Learning Difference, Learner Diversity and At-Risk Youth. The conference took place from February 15 to 18 at the Teaching and Learning Complex. Keynote speakers included Professor Jerome DeLisle, The UWI St. Augustine Faculty of Humanities and School of Education;
YOUTH FORUM
The Department of Political Science hosted their second Youth Forum on the topic, The Politics of the Economy. The forum was also part of The UWI St. Augustine’s Faculty of Social Sciences’ 55th anniversary celebrations. 26
THE BUSINESS SCHOOLS AT THE UWI
HOW THE UWI DOES BUSINESS!
The Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business
In 1989, the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business was established, as a collaboration between The University of the West Indies and the private sector and is now located in a state of the art facility in Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago. It provides excellent leadership and management education and offers internationally recognised MBA programmes, which are accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) in the UK. In 2012, it was recognised for its MBA in Sustainable Energy Management which is one of the four most innovative programmes in the world. The Board of Directors ensures that programmes and research initiatives help to position graduates as leaders in the global context. The Management team makes certain that with some of the best faculty drawn locally and internationally, world class facilities, a diverse student population, an impressive list of alumni, great networking opportunities and accreditation, the Lok Jack GSB serves the business community, as it prepares graduates to solve problems, create jobs and fill jobs that still do not exist. They stand by their motto: "Innovating the Art of Leadership".
Dr. Kamla Mungal
Adi Mabel Montas
Dr. Ron Sookram
Nirmala Maharaj
Sasha Dhoray
Jo-Anne Boodoosingh
Fayola Nicholas
The Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management
The UWI strives to be proactive in serving the needs of the Caribbean as it prepares the next generation of leaders. The Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management was first established as The Centre for Management Development in 1991. It offers Academic Programmes, Executive Development Programmes and Consultancies and Research. All of the Academic Programmes are accredited by The UWI, however it operates autonomously, with all activities being conducted under the policy direction of an independent Board of Directors. It delivers high-quality, cost-effective and competitive training and organisational development opportunities, primarily to companies in Barbados and the OECS. The Executive Team ensures the delivery of top class programmes for those seeking to enter or those wishing to re-tool in Caribbean and global business.
Dr. Jeannine Comma
Marjorie Wharton
28
Dr. Ann Wallace
Linda Griffith
THE BUSINESS SCHOOLS AT THE UWI
The Mona School of Business and Management
The Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) was established on August 1, 2012, through the merger of the former Mona School of Business (MSB) that had a robust 25-year history, and the Department of Management Studies (DOMS) which had a rich 42-year history. Its mandate is to facilitate effective business education and practices in the private and public sectors in order to advance the economic development agenda of the region and the world. All programmes are offered in an excellent learning environment, using a pool of talented and highly qualified local and international faculty. MSBM complements its unique academic programmes with cutting edge consultancy services and public policy research, the principal business objective being to provide decision makers with expert advice for handling their most critical strategic issues. The Board of Directors gives strategic direction and oversight and the Executive Management Team ensures its graduates are positioned as leaders, able to operate in the global context.
Mr. Michael Williams
Dr. Lawrence Nicholson
Janice Henlin
Dr. Lila Rao-Graham
Patricia Newball
Dr. Noel Cowell
Dr. William Lawrence
Dr. Maurice McNaughton
Dr. Trevor Smith
Donations of Books to The UWI: Some Recommendations We are pleased to thank the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI) for donating a 600 CD catalogue of original Reggae recordings to the Reggae Studies Unit, which were then digitised. The AFUWI also donated a container of books to The UWI St. Augustine, which were obtained from the Reed Foundation. Books and manuscripts of speeches/research papers and publications of some famous alumni were donated to The UWI Mona, and medical books were also sent to the Dean of Medical Sciences. From this exercise, Ann Marie Grant, Executive Director of the AFUWI thought it useful to share some recommendations if you plan to donate books to The UWI. First obtain a list of books being donated noting title, author, edition, etc. and send to the relevant Faculty Head of Department (HOD) for review and to determine interest. If approved, pack and send books to The UWI and advise the Faculty HOD that the shipment/delivery is on the way. Ms. Grant reminds that one should request confirmation of receipt of items and send a thank you letter to the donor and/or acknowledge the donation in other ways. It goes without saying that the donated items should be in good/excellent condition and that the donor is legally authorised to make this donation. Of course, if one can get the book or books digitised it makes the whole process much easier and quicker; so this is the most recommended route. 29
IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR LIVES SIR DEREK WALCOTT
Prize was no doubt the highest of the many honours and awards that he accumulated over the span of his career, including the Order of the British Empire, Honorary Membership of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a MacArthur “Genius” Award, and the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. Nor has the prophet been without honour in his own country, his own region; for example: Trinidad’s Gold Hummingbird Medal, and a Gold Musgrave Medal of the Institute of Jamaica. And there have been Caribbean firsts. In 1973 he became the first graduate of The University of the West Indies to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the institution.
Born in 1930, Sir Derek Walcott won a scholarship to the University College of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica in 1950. Afterwards, he taught for a few years and also wrote for a Jamaican newspaper “Public Opinion”. In 1959 he moved to Trinidad and Tobago where he lived for many years, and where he founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop. Walcott was conferred with an honorary doctorate by The UWI in 1973. It was for Omeros that Walcott won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992.
Excerpts from Eulogy for Sir Derek Walcott by Professor Emeritus Edward Baugh “We celebrate now the maker, who spoke, as a Caribbean person, in words and in paint, who spoke for the Caribbean, to and with itself and the world. He helped us articulate our engagement with history, with the colonial legacy of the Caribbean. He does this memorably, etching emotions and ideas through his eye-opening representation of our landscape, through images, metaphors and rhythms that fix themselves in our memory, through his always unobtrusively inventive respect for form, through the subtlety of his rhyming. As he said of himself and his friend St. Omer, “We were blest with a virginal, unpainted world / with Adam’s task of giving things their names […]” Caribbean history and the colonial legacy are also engaged, in varying ways by some of Derek’s plays, such as the always-appealing Dream on Monkey Mountain, Ti-Jean and His Brothers, Remembrance, Pantomime, and A Branch of the Blue Nile.
In 1991, the year before the Nobel, he was one of the first three recipients of the CARICOM Medal. Then, crowningly, in Nobel Laureate Week 2016, he was made one of the first Knights Commander of the St. Lucia that had made him. We mourn and we celebrate a genius who was a prodigy, a maker, a Caribbean man who has made us and the world see more clearly Caribbean landscape, Caribbean light. But we also mourn and celebrate a person, someone with the virtues and the shortcomings that defined him as the person whom those who knew him valued. I remember him as unassuming, never one to blow his own trumpet, not one given to “talking shop”, but famous, if not notorious for his “corny” jokes. When I read his poem “The Muse of History at Rampanalgas”, I asked him if he knew the origin of the name Rampanalgas, a remote place on the north-eastern coast of Trinidad. He said that he didn’t, but then quipped that perhaps a guy named Rampanal once had a gas station there. He was a generous man, considerate of others, always willing to acknowledge and promote talent where he detected it. He was a kind, loving, responsible father and, in his daughter Anna’s words, “a doting, absolutely besotted grandfather”. We celebrate the life of someone who was a model of commitment to the craft of verse and the making of theatre as a career, a model all the more admirable in West Indian society, where, traditionally, even the few who might have had the urge to do likewise were brought up to think that writing poetry could at best be only an avocation. …On behalf of the West Indies and the World, we say to the boy from Chaussée Road: Derek, Sir Derek Alton Walcott, may this evanescent but transcendent light shine on you, and may you rest in the radiant moment that is the season of phantasmal peace.
In respect of his work in theatre, as playwright, producer and director, he is one of the chief begetters of West Indian drama. He laid historical ground in his role as co-founder of the St. Lucia Arts Guild, and, more comprehensively change-making, as founder of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, a few of whose legendary members are with us today. In plays like Dream, Ti-Jean and The Sea at Dauphin, he gave voice to the people and drew on the creative power of the folkways. Who can forget the sea-faring Afa of Dauphin, Makak of Monkey Mountain, and the spiritedly commonsensical Ti-Jean, all of whom challenged history and the circumstances that had worked against their affirming, in Ti-Jean’s phrase, “what it is to be a man”? The Nobel
30
IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR LIVES Dr. Gail S. H. Baccus-Taylor was first employed at The UWI St. Augustine as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Chemical Engineering from 1983 to 1985. She was promoted to Assistant Lecturer in 1986, Lecturer in 1987 and Senior Lecturer in 2002. She was appointment Head of Department from 2010 to 2016 and was the first female Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering. Dr. Baccus-Taylor was a LASPAUFulbright scholar and was well known for her expertise and experience in food safety, food quality assurance and food product development, and was a recognised local and international Food Technology Consultant. Her research interests included food fermentation, antibacterial activity of local herbs and spices, food pathogens (specifically Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes), and the preservation and processing of products made from local fruits, vegetables and starch-based foods. Dr. Baccus-Taylor wished to “leave behind a food science and technology department renowned for its research in the use of local raw materials in product development”. Her valuable contribution will long be remembered.
Dr. Giselle Rampaul was a Lecturer in Literatures in English at The UWI St. Augustine Campus. She obtained a BA in Literatures in English, did exceptionally well and was awarded a UWI postgraduate scholarship and earned an MPhil in Literature. She was also the founder and producer of The Spaces between Words: Conversations with Writers podcast series. In her capacity as a Shakespeare expert, Rampaul worked with the British Council on an intra-Caribbean production with colleagues in Trinidad and partners in Jamaica, Cuba and Barbados. She started lecturing at The UWI in 2003, At the time, she was just a few years older than some of her first students at the University, but she quickly gained respect because of her wide and in-depth knowledge. She attained tenure in 2015. Her contribution to Caribbean and other literatures was invaluable as she initiated, produced and edited the podcast series, The Spaces between Words: Conversations with Writers, which has released interviews to date with 97 writers and poets. The series is affiliated with the NGC Bocas Literary Fest: The Trinidad and Tobago Literary Festival, where Dr. Rampaul was a panel speaker on multiple occasions, and The Caribbean Review of Books. She was instrumental in the founding of the Red Feather Journal: an International Journal of Children in Popular Culture in 2010. As a leading expert in the region on Caribbean re-readings of Shakespeare, she partnered with the British Council, and Shakespeare scholars from Barbados, Cuba and Jamaica on related projects; and in 2016 was invited by the Shakespeare’s Globe to present a paper at its international symposium commemorating the 400th death anniversary of William Shakespeare. She was loved by her students who have been impacted positively through her courses on Shakespeare, British fiction, and children’s literature. Her father, Kelvin Rampaul, is the former Supervisor of the Multi Media Production Centre, The UWI, St. Augustine.
Dr. Ronald Phoma was a beloved member of The UWI Mona Faculty of Medicine Class of 2010. Ronald was from Botswana and was a resident of the Rex Nettleford Hall. He died on March 2, 2017 in Botswana after a long illness. The medical class of 2010 hosted a memorial service in his honour as he made such an impact on his classmates, displaying humour, selflessness and immense consideration and care for his patients despite his illness. He will be truly missed.
Dr. Vere Wingrove Knight joined the faculty of The UWI St. Augustine, College of Arts and Sciences, on January 1, 1970, as a Lecturer in French. He then took charge of the French section and proved himself an active member of the Division of Humanities. He served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts and General Studies from 1973-1974 and Head of the Department of French and Spanish from October 1974 to 1976. In 1977 he was promoted to Senior Lecturer. From 1979-1981 he was again Vice Dean of the Faculty and served as Deputy Dean from 1992-1993. Dr. Knight pioneered the teaching of French African and Caribbean literary studies in the Faculty and will be remembered for this and many other valuable contributions.
Ms. Helen Harris was employed on The UWI St. Augustine campus in various capacities throughout her tenure to retirement; including Secretary at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension. She held posts at the Registry and the then Academic Support and Disabilities Liaison Unit, now the Student Life and Development Department. Her invaluable contribution to the various areas of the University are recognised and appreciated.
31