Caribbean People Urged to Claim Their Achievements

West Indian academics and innovators who have made huge strides for the Caribbean on the international stage, including current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles whom she recognised for “blazing trails and reclaiming our dignity and reparations,” and pioneer in solar energy, the late Professor Oliver Headley.

In his address to the 2020-2021 cohort, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles stated, “All fine universities are

Caribbean distinguished for their excellence and ethical performance.” He congratulated the awardees saying, “Today we celebrate People Urged the conduct and the performance of our colleagues … You are the flag bearers of who we are. You are the standards we have set for ourselves. We thank you as we celebrate you for your excellence.” The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence, established in 1993 to Claim Their Achievements celebrates outstanding achievements by academic, and senior administrative and professional staff members in the areas of teaching, research, service to the university community, contribution to “We do not proclaim our achievements enough. Our public service, all-round excellence in a modesty and timidity are our worst enemies.” combination of two or more of these areas, excellence in multicampus research and This declaration, made by Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, excellence in international collaboration. came during the annual Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for There is also a departmental award, and Excellence hosted by The University of the West Indies on Professor Antoine announced that a new Thursday, 25 November. award for excellence in innovation

and entrepreneurship will soon be established.

In a live, virtual awards ceremony, The awardees are peer-nominated and broadcasted via UWItv, seven staff selected following a rigorous assessment members and one department from across process, first at the campus level, then by the UWI system were presented with a university-wide selection committee for the awards which represent the regional the final selection based on their work and university’s highest accolade. the university’s core values.

Speaking in her capacity as the new Professor Tannecia Stephenson, Chair of the Selection Committee for the Head of the Department of Physics, Awards and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Board for Graduate Studies and Research, the Mona Campus received this year’s Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine noted award for Research Accomplishments, that from childhood, Caribbean people are while the award for Teaching Excellence taught not to boast. was presented to Dr. Venkateswara Penugonda, Senior Lecturer in the

“Unlike other cultures,” she said, “we Department of Physics in the Faculty of do not repeatedly affirm what is ours and Science and Technology, also from the sometimes lack confidence in our worth and Mona Campus. in our work.” She added, “Our history of Three awards for Service to the subjugation and denigration exacerbate that University Community were given to tendency. It is difficult to believe that we are Ms. Allison Fung, Executive Assistant or can be the best globally; but we can, and to the Vice-Chancellor, based at the this award of excellence highlights that.” Regional Headquarters in Jamaica; Dr. Heather Ricketts, Deputy Dean in the

A former Vice-Chancellor’s Awardee Faculty of Social Sciences at Mona, herself, Professor Antoine spoke of several

Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Board for Graduate Studies and Research

Professor Tannecia Stephenson Dr. Venkateswara Penugonda

together with Mr. Compton Beecher, Chief Forensic DNA Analyst in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, also from Mona. Professor Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Professor in the Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work & Psychology in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Cave Hill was awarded for her contribution to Public Service, while Professor Marshall Tulloch-Reid, Director of the Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR) at Mona was honoured for AllRound Excellence in Research and Public Service; and the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Mona Campus received this year’s Departmental Award. During the ceremony, the department was represented by Professor Russell Pierre, Director, Health Professions Educations Unit; Mr. Craig Hall, Facilities Officer; Professor Minerva Thame, Dean of the Faculty; and Dr. Annette Crawford-Sykes, Deputy-Dean, Teaching & Learning.

Professor Tannecia Stephenson was selected to deliver the Awardees’ response. She acknowledged The UWI’s current rankings by Times Higher Education (THE) and its recognition among the top 1.5 percent of universities in the world.

Speaking on behalf of her fellow awardees she said, “We recognise that our success and that of our university are inextricably linked.” Professor Stephenson also thanked colleagues across the university, saying, “The awards this evening would not have been possible without the amazing teams we have worked with over the years.”

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the Campus Selection Committees received and considered 29 applications. Twenty-two nominations were reviewed by the University Selection Committee, which led to the eight awards. l

Ms. Allison Fung

Dr. Heather Ricketts

Mr. Compton Beecher

Professor Marshall Tulloch-Reid

Departmental Excellence Award - Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the Mona Campus represented by (left) Professor Russell Pierre, Director, Health Professions Educations Unit; and (right) Craig Hall, Facilities Officer

Professor Cynthia Barrow-Giles