Vincent Cooper


Lecturer

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

St. Augustine

Trinidad and Tobago

Telephone: 868-662-2002 Ext: 83435

Email: vincent.cooper@sta.uwi.edu


Vincent Cooper lectures in water resources and environmental engineering at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of the West Indies. His main research interests are on the application of hydrologic and hydraulic models for prediction of floods, with special focus on the identification of suitable hydrologic models for the steep catchments of the Northern Range.

Dr. Cooper has been an engineer for 35 years, having obtained his B.Sc. in civil engineering at the University of the West Indies.  He subsequently did postgraduate studies in applied hydrology at the Technical University of Nova Scotia and McGill University, where he completed his doctoral studies on the calibration of hydrologic models.  He also completed a Master in Engineering, with major in environmental engineering, from McGill University.

Dr. Cooper is a registered engineer with the BOETT.  He started his career as a civil engineer at the Drainage Division, Ministry of Works as a planning engineer.  Thereafter, he spent two years at the Water Resources Agency (WASA) as a water resources engineer, with specific responsibility for the hydrometric network and the groundwater well drilling and maintenance programme.   He has provided expertise in flood mapping to many countries across the Caribbean.

Qualification

  • PhD (Applied Hydrology) - McGill University (2002)
  • M. Eng. ( with Environmental Engineering) - McGill University (1994)
  • M.A.Sc. (Applied Hydrology) - Technical University of Nova Scotia (1987)
  • B.Sc. (Civil Engineering) - U.W.I. (1983)

Research Interests

  • Quantification of the hydrologic response of catchments in the Caribbean and the development of hydrologic tools for practising engineers
  • Estimation of pollutant loadings from non-point sources.

Professional Experience

  • Lecturer, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (2002-Present)
  • Assistant Lecturer, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering ( 2000-2002)
  • Research Assistant, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (1999-2002)
  • Project Engineer, Drainage Project Implementation Unit, Ministry of Works (1998-1999)
  • Operations Engineer, Water Resources Agency (1990-1992)
  • Drainage Engineer, Drainage Division, Ministry of Works (1983-1990)

UWI Service

  • Acting Head of Department (August, 2017)
  • Programme Coordinators for : M.Sc. Environmental Engineering, M.Sc. Water and Wastewater Services Management

Public Service

  • Hydrologic specialist. Impact of climate change on the hydrologic response of Nariva Catchment System. Report for the Water-aCCSIS research project conducted by CERMES on improvement of water management and climate change adaptation of Caribbean states.
  • Hydrologic specialist on the UWI team performing the hazard assessment of sites proposed by the Dominican Government for the resettlement of displaced communities in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Erika.
  • UWI Representative on the Steering Committee on the South Oropouche River Basin study being performed by Royal Haskoning.
  • Hydrologic expert for UWI to investigate the collapse of the Pond Casse Road, Dominica (2013)
  • Local coordinator for the development of six 1-week short courses for local and regional professionals on water supply, wastewater treatment plant modelling and flooding and its mitigation, held at the Faculty of Engineering, between June and October 2012
  • Reviewer of manuscripts for ICE Journal of Water Management (2009—).
  • Reviewer on Drainage Division Steering Committee for the consultancy for the Ortoire River Basin Study.
  • Co-Leader of the UWI technical team contracted by the EMA for the development of a water resources management plan for the restoration of the Nariva Swamp. (January, 2008 to February 2009).
  • Development of an alternative drainage infrastructure design for the St. Augustine Campus. Report submitted in March, 2007.
  • Design of erosion protection works on the Roseau River Bank to protect the UWI Centre, Dominica, Draft report submitted in April 2006.

Professional Memberships

  • Registered Engineer, Board of Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Member, International Association of Water Quality.

Courses Taught

  • 1st Examiner for :
  • CVNG2011—Engineering Hydrology
  • CVNG3007—Environmental Engineering
  • CIEN6000—Advanced Environmental Engineering
  • CVNG3016—Environmental Engineering Systems Design
  • ENGR6004—Solid Waste Management
  • Examiner for:
  • CVNG3020—Design Project (Environmental)
  • CVNG3021—Special Investigative Project (Environmental)
  • CVNG3008—Environmental Engineering II

Research Projects

  • Research collaboration has been established with the Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, McGill University and since 2005 four (4) graduate students have been attached to the Department for their fieldwork.
  • Hydrologic Response of Catchments and Development of Hydrologic Tools
  • Estimation of Pollutant Loadings from non-point sources

Graduate Students

  • Paul Hinds - Hydrologic response of steep tropical catchments with unplanned developments.(Ph.D. Supervision)
  • Rajiv Mootiram - Characterization of runoff from a composite sub-catchment across varying seasons in Macoya, Trinidad. (M.Sc. Supervision)
  • Travis Sooknanan - Contribution of urbanization to heavy metals loadings in stormwater.(M.Sc. Supervision)
  • Vishwanath Maraj - Investigation of the optimal design frequency for flood mitigation works along the St. Joseph River. (M.Sc. Supervision)
  • John Monrose - The application of a HEC-HMS SMA continuous hydrologic model towards assessing the effectiveness of an early flood warning system for the St. Joseph River Catchment. (M.Sc. Supervision)
  • Shanta Ramnarine - Determination of the economic feasibility of collecting plastics in the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation. (M.Sc. Supervision)
  • Arianna Kissoon - Development of a methodology for creation of a recycling depot network for the City of San Fernando. (M.Sc. Supervision)
  • Denece Dawkins - Determination of the transport and fate of pollutants of the Guanapo River Catchment.(M.Sc. Supervision)
  • Adrien Edoo - The effectiveness of coagulation in the treatment of leachate from the Guanapo Landfill. (M.Sc. Supervision)
  • Erland Alleyne - Development of a flood hazard map for the St. Joseph River Catchment. (M.Sc. Supervision)

Publications and Presentations

Vincent Cooper Publication.pdf

Curriculum Vitae

V.Cooper CV .pdf


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