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“I was born to an extra-ordinary mother and a family that is centred on love and wisdom and not on the accumulation of material wealth...I learnt over the passage of time that to become fearless is to truly find your faith in this life journey on earth. My first call is to be of service to the Caribbean region. A committed Caribbean person must seek to research our uniqueness; whether in terms of land use and ownership, the environment etc. I graduated with my first degree from The University of the West Indies and it helped to make me capable of performing on a global stage. In teaching this is what I try to transmit to my students: that they are capable of excellence and can compete on a world stage.”

Dr. Michelle Mycoo

LECTURER
DEPARTMENT OF SURVEYING AND LAND INFORMATION
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
ST. AUGUSTINE CAMPUS, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Tel: (868)-662-2002 ext 2519 • Email: michelle.mycoo@sta.uwi.edu

PROFILE

Prior to joining academia Dr. Michelle Mycoo worked as a Chartered Town Planner in the Town and Country Planning Division of Trinidad and Tobago, was author of the Chaguanas Land Use Plan and team member for the National Physical Development Plan review. After doctoral studies she was recruited by the World Bank as a consultant in the Urban Division of the Environmentally Sustainable Development Department, Washington D.C., USA, which provided highly valuable international experience. Dr. Mycoo joined UWI, St. Augustine in 1997 and is a tenured Lecturer and Coordinator of the MSc Planning and Development programme. Several students that worked under her supervision on their MSc Research projects have won regional and international scholarships and awards. Dr. Mycoo herself was awarded three international scholarships: United States Fulbright Researcher Fellowship; Canadian International Development Agency Fellowship; UK Commonwealth Scholarship. Other awards include a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Grant; the Zayed 2nd Prize as a contributing author to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment for Scientific and Technological achievements in the Environment. Her research has produced widely disseminated policy briefs that include the feasibility of alternative sustainable coastal resource-based enhanced livelihood strategies, land use strategies, land tenure, water management, land reclamation and coastal zone management.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr. Mycoo’s research focuses on the uniqueness of Caribbean small island developing states in relation to land area, fragile ecosystems combined with rich biodiversity, population dynamics, varying economic circumstances and the need to transform their resources in a manner that benefits all its peoples. As a Land Use Planner/Geographer she is called to investigate challenges such as adaptations to climate change and sea level rise, integrated water resources management, disaster risk management, coastal zone management, urban land management and poverty alleviation. Ultimately, her research purpose is the engagement of new knowledge frontiers that are solution-oriented and contribute to policy development, strategic planning and programme implementation.