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UWI Appoints Sport Sociology Pioneer as New Dean of Sport

For Release Upon Receipt - September 22, 2025

UWI


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica, W.I. Friday, September 19, 2025—The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Roy McCree as the new Dean of its Faculty of Sport. A prominent Caribbean scholar in the sociology of sport, Dr. McCree began his three-year term on August 1, 2025.

 

 Dr. Roy McCree, a pioneer in Caribbean sport sociology, began his three-year term as Dean of the Faculty of Sport at The UWI on August 1, 2025.

Dr. McCree succeeds Dr. Akshai Mansingh, who served as the Faculty's first Dean since its establishment in 2017. His appointment comes at a significant moment as the Faculty of Sport approaches the conclusion of its first decade of teaching, learning, and promoting the field of sport studies throughout the region.

A pioneer in sport sociology, Dr. McCree introduced the region's first courses in the Sociology of Sport (as part of the BSc in Sport Management) and in Sport and Public Policy (as part of the MSc in Sport Management), shaping the way the discipline is taught and studied in the Caribbean. Over the course of three decades at The UWI, he has combined teaching, research, and public engagement to enhance the recognition of sport as an academic and professional field.

Formerly a Senior Research Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), where he served from 1991 to 2025, Dr. McCree is also an outstanding UWI alumnus. He earned his BA (French, Spanish and Sociology) and MSc in Sociology from The UWI, St Augustine. He completed his PhD in Sociology of Sport at the University of Leicester, UK. His research has explored sport development, sport for development, youth and community engagement, and monitoring and evaluation. He has published widely in international journals on sport and authored two recent books: Sport Development and Sport for Development in the Caribbean: A Sociology of Emerging Trends (Emerald, 2025) and Soccer and Identity in the Caribbean: Race, Class and Nation, 1908–1973 (Routledge, 2024).

Beyond his scholarship, Dr. McCree serves on the Advisory Board of Manchester University Press' Globalising Sport Studies Series and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Global South Sport Studies. He was also a founding member of the Caribbean Sociological Association (CASA), where he served as President for two terms from 2021 to 2023.

The Faculty of Sport represents a significant milestone in the history of The UWI. Approved by the University Council in 2017, it was the first new faculty established in over 40 years. Currently, it is the only university-wide faculty within The UWI, and includes Academies of Sport at four of its five campuses.

The Faculty is the only one in the region dedicated exclusively to sport studies, research, and development. It offers programmes ranging from certificates to postgraduate degrees in Sports Business, Sports Management, Sports Science, and the Art and Science of Coaching. Through its academic initiatives, outreach efforts, and co-curricular activities, The UWI Faculty of Sport has become a hub for promoting sporting excellence and enhancing the role of sport in regional development.

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About The University of the West Indies

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has played a crucial role in Caribbean development for over 75 years, consistently contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people across the region.

Established in 1948 as a university college of London in Jamaica, with just 33 medical students, UWI has grown into an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students. Today, it boasts five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda, and its Global Campus, along with international centres in partnership with universities across North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The UWI offers over 1000 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 leading university in the Caribbean, it is home to the largest pool of intellect and expertise in the region, dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing both the Caribbean and the wider world.

Validated by its inclusion in the Times Higher Education (THE) annual rankings since 2018, The UWI has affirmed its position as one of the top universities globally. It stands out as the only English-speaking institution in the Caribbean featured in four of THE's prestigious ranking lists. The World University Rankings evaluate over 2,000 research-focused universities worldwide, while the Golden Age University Rankings highlight institutions established between 50 and 80 years ago. The Latin America Rankings focus specifically on universities within Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the Impact Rankings assess universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This recognition has also springboarded the establishment of The UWI’s International School for Development Justice (ISD), a global online graduate business school aimed at preparing future leaders for sustainable development.

The UWI is an SDG-engaged university consistently recognised among the best in the world. Discover more at www.uwi.edu.

 

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