News Releases

Five Chaconia Gold and more for UWI - St. Augustine Campus celebrates 2020 & 2021 National Awardees

For Release Upon Receipt - March 17, 2022

St. Augustine


Ms Sharon Christopher, Chair of the St. Augustine Campus Council at The UWI St. Augustine Campus 2020 virtual graduation ceremony

 

ST AUGUSTINE, Trinidad &Tobago, Thursday 17 March 2022 - The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St. Augustine Campus joins with the national community in congratulating the recipients of the 2020 and 2021 National Awards which were recently hosted by the Office of the President after a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the National Award recipients is the Chair of The UWI St. Augustine Campus Council, alumni of The UWI and current and former members of staff.  Notably, this includes:

2021 Awardees

Ms Sharon Christopher – Appointed Chair of the St. Augustine Campus Council for the five-year period, November 16, 2018 to July 31, 2023. Sharon Christopher, an alumna of The UWI, is an Attorney at Law, Leadership Development Coach and Motivational Speaker. She is the founder and CEO of Sharon Christopher and Associates, which provides services throughout the Caribbean and North America.

A former Senior Banking Executive, she has some 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, with proven success as a catalyst for change and driver of results. She is a known advocate for women’s empowerment, rights, equality and social justice and was the founding Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at The UWI. Ms. Christopher was awarded the Chaconia Medal (GOLD) for her contribution to business, banking and finance.

Professor Emeritus Winston Mellowes - Professor Emeritus Winston Mellowes led the Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine during a career that spanned over 30 years. As a Professor of electrical engineering, he is acknowledged as an expert on fluid dynamics and the technology of sugar cane processing. For his contribution in the sphere of education, Professor Emeritus Mellowes was awarded the Chaconia Medal (GOLD).

Ms. Gillian Macintyre – Member of the Elections and Boundaries Commission, former Permanent Secretary and Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministries of Education, Sport, Office of the Prime Minister, Public Administration, Attorney General and Information. Ms. Macintyre is the holder of a Master of Arts Degree in Public Policy and Administration from the Institute of Social Studies, den Haag, the Netherlands, a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of the West Indies and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies Degree from the University of Waterloo, Canada. She was awarded  the Public Service Medal of Merit Gold 

2020 Awardees

Professor Emeritus Stephan Gift - Retired Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the St. Augustine Campus from 2015 to 2018 and Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC), Graduate Studies & Research, from 2018 to 2021. The youngest Ph. D, graduate in the history of the Faculty of Engineering and a Member of the Caribbean Academy of Science, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and a Fellow of the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago. Professor Stephan Gift was awarded the Chaconia Medal (GOLD) for his contribution to Engineering and Engineering Science.

Dr. Lester Goetz - Senior Lecturer, Urology, Faculty of Medical Sciences. Previous Programme Director of Urology at The UWI St. Augustine Campus who introduced the Urology Programme to the university. As a consultant urologist, he is a founding member and the first president of the Caribbean Urological Association as well as the Trinidad and Tobago Urological Association. Dr. Lester Goetz is the recipient of the Hummingbird Medal (GOLD) for his influence in medicine.

Professor (Dr.) Indrawatee Haraksingh - Professor of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI, St Augustine Campus. A former recipient of the International Pioneer Award for Solar Energy, Professor Haraksingh has distinguished herself as one of the premier women in the Field of Renewable Energy in the Caribbean. She also serves as a member of the Renewable Energy Committee of The University of the West Indies, promoting research and development at the highest academic levels. For her contribution in the field of education, Professor Haraksingh was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (silver).

Professor Kari Levitt - Visiting Professor at the Institute of International Relations from 1974-1975, the retired Professor was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (Gold) for loyal and devoted service to Trinidad & Tobago in the sphere of economics and education

Mr Ainsley Mark - Lecturer in Accounting from 1971-1982, Head of Department of Management from 1975-1976, Vice Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences from 1977-1979 and Senior Lecturer in Accounting from 1987-1992 Hummingbird Medal (GOLD) A Former Vice-President of the Senate, Mr Mark was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (GOLD) for his dedication to community service.

Dr Verleen Bobb-Lewis - Employed by The UWI since 2014 in the School of Education. She has served as Part-time facilitator in the Master in Education Programme, Coordinator for the delivery of the Bachelor in Education, Early Childhood Care and Development, Masters in Education and Diploma in Education Programmes, Part-time Tutor and Part-time Lecturer all based in Tobago. A Technical Advisor, Division of Education, Innovation and Energy Dr. Bobb-Lewis was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (bronze)

Judge Rolston Nelson (Former)- Appointed visitor of The UWI in 2019, a position previously held by the Queen of England. Associate Tutor of the Hugh Wooding Law School since 1978 and editor of The Lawyer, the journal of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, since 1987. Judge Rolston Nelson received the Chaconia Medal (GOLD) for his contributions to law and business.

Dr. Lakshmi Seeterram-Persaud- 2013 Honorary Graduand of The UWI, an award-winning novelist (five novels), writer and teacher. Dr. Lakshmi Seeterram-Persaud is the recipient of the Chaconia Medal (GOLD) for her work in education and culture.

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine, Professor Brian Copeland, extended heartfelt congratulations to the 2020 and 2021 National Award recipients, thanking them for their contributions both to The UWI and the wider community. As a former national award recipient himself, he was a joint recipient of the Chaconia Medal Gold in 2007 and in 2008 and he was the first recipient of the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in 2008.

End

About The UWI 

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region. 

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. 

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world. 

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%. 

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

For more, visit www.uwi.edu. 

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

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