News Releases

Professor Gary Wayne Garcia conferred with “Emeritus” title

For Release Upon Receipt - February 3, 2023

St. Augustine


Professor Emeritus Gary Wayne Garcia, Professor of Livestock Science, Faculty of Food and Agriculture at The UWI St Augustine Campus.

The UWI St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago. Friday 3rd February, 2023– The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is pleased to announce the conferral of the title of Professor Emeritus of Livestock Science on Professor Gary Wayne Garcia of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture at the St Augustine campus. The title ‘Emeritus’ is an honorary title conferred on retired distinguished Professors who stay in active scholarship, following retirement.

Professor Gary Wayne Garcia retired as Professor of Livestock Science from The UWI in September 2019 after 29 years of sterling contribution. His many qualifications include a B.Sc. General Agriculture and Ph.D. Livestock Science, both from The UWI, St Augustine. His career as a Lecturer in Animal Production began in 1990 in the then Department of Livestock Science, Faculty of Agriculture, and since that time he also served as Coordinator of Animal Production Teaching at the School of Veterinary Medicine. Later, he also had the responsibilities as Livestock Operations Manager at the University Field Station (1991 to 1993) and, after several promotions he rose to the rank of Professor of Livestock Science in 2011.

As coordinator of Animal Production Teaching at the School of Veterinary Medicine from 1990 to 2019, Professor Garcia developed and taught the Animal Production and Utilization undergraduate courses therein. He was instrumental in developing several initiatives at the Faculty of Agriculture/Science and Agriculture/Food and Agriculture, including five postgraduate courses in Tropical Animal Production and developed the discipline and the concept of Neo-tropical Animal Science and Production.  Professor Garcia was influential in initiating Online Teaching Methodologies using Google Groups (since 2007) and Facebook Groups (since about 2014).

Professor Garcia introduced the “Future Vision Game Simulation Teaching Methodology” into the Livestock Courses within the Faculty of Food and Agriculture. He also developed the Open School of Tropical Animal Science and Production, and a website which has been running for the last 16 years and has been the main channel used by Professor Garcia to deliver his courses online.    

Profession Garcia has produced five books including one on Sugarcane Derived Feeds. His most recent publication was a paper in 2022 on "100 years of Teaching and Research in Agriculture at the ICTA-UCWI-UWI at St Augustine 1921 to 2021". He has pioneered publications on the Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) and developed the Intensive Production System for this species of animal. Further, he developed an ongoing Intensive Production Colony of the Agouti at the University Field Station since 1996 and it is the largest Scientific Unit “living laboratory” of its kind in the world comprising of 150 animals.

Professor Garcia has developed for The UWI 3 Distance Courses, conceptualized and developed the M.Sc. in Tropical Animal Science and Production since 1995. He also supervised 35 M.Sc. research projects, four M.Phil. and seven Ph.D. theses. He has five ongoing Ph.D. research projects and has authored and coauthored more than 70 peer reviewed publications.

Professor Garcia’s service to The UWI was not limited to the academic. He is the founder of the Open Tropical Forage-Animal Production Laboratory [OTF-APL]and Co-founder of the Open School of Tropical Animal Science and Production [OSTASP]. In addition, he formed two non-governmental organizations including The Agricultural Multifunctionality Organization of the Caribbean [AMO Caribbean] and The XICIMFAUNA 2014 Conference. Professor Garcia is currently in the process of establishing another NGO (along with Dr Lancelot Cowie) called the Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean (CENLAC) 2022 which would deepen our linkages with Latin American Scientific Institutions.

The UWI St. Augustine Campus extends heartiest congratulations to Professor Emeritus Gary Wayne Garcia.

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About The University of the West Indies

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 for the past 75 years. 

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 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). 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 in the World University Rankings, it is also in the top 25 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. 

2023 marks The UWI’s 75th anniversary. The Diamond jubilee milestone themed “UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising.” features initiatives purposely designed and aligned to reflect on the past, confront the present, and articulate plans for the future of the regional University. 

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