News Releases

UWI Mourns the Passing of Professor Michelle Mycoo

For Release Upon Receipt - August 12, 2026

St. Augustine


St. Augustine – August 12, 2026 — The University of the West Indies (The UWI) joins the Caribbean and international academic community in mourning the passing of Professor Michelle Mycoo, who died on August 12, 2026, at the age of 64. Professor Mycoo was one of The UWI’s most distinguished scholar whose work on climate change, urban development and sustainable planning helped to bring the realities of Caribbean communities to the forefront of global conversations.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine Campus, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, reflected on the loss, noting that Professor Mycoo’s passing represents a profound loss to the University and to the wider Caribbean. “Professor Mycoo made an extraordinary contribution to The UWI through her globally recognized scholarship, her commitment to our students and her unwavering belief in the importance of research that responds to the needs of our region. Her work on climate change, urban development and sustainable planning brought Caribbean realities into important global conversations and demonstrated the power of knowledge to shape meaningful solutions for our communities. We are devastated.” she said.

Professor Mycoo received the Best Researcher Award at the Principal’s Research Awards and Festival in 2025. That recognition was a fitting testament to the quality, relevance and impact of her scholarship, as well as to the esteem in which she was held within the academic community.

Over the course of her career, Professor Mycoo produced 147 publications, supervised more than 60 graduate research projects and secured nine internationally funded grants supporting multidisciplinary research, doctoral studies and scientific innovation. Her scholarship attracted more than 6,000 citations and earned her international recognition as a leading voice in climate change and sustainable development.

Her work extended internationally, notably with the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Selected from more than 1,000 international nominees, Professor Mycoo served as a Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. In that role, she helped lead a global team of scientists and contributed to shaping the evidence and messages used by decision-makers around the world.

She was also among the top 8% of global scientists selected as  Lead Author contributing to the IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change and was among 17% of elite scientists serving as a Review Editor for the Seventh Assessment Report on climate impacts and adaptation, due in 2029. Through this work, Professor Mycoo ensured that the experiences and vulnerabilities of cities and communities in small island and developing states were part of the global scientific conversation.

She also served as Vice-President of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations programme and held appointments with the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Science Council and Future Earth Coasts.

Yet her work was never simply about research for research's sake. Her demand-driven scholarship informed policy and practice across CARICOM and with international agencies including the European Union and the Inter-American Development Bank. Her research contributed to conversations around urban planning, disaster risk reduction, water security and coastal resilience, issues that are increasingly important to the future of the Caribbean.

Her exceptional contributions were recognised with several prestigious honours, including the Gulbenkian Prize for Human Development in 2022; and the Commonwealth Association of Planners Women in Planning Award. These distinctions reflected not only the quality of her scholarship, but the significance of her work in advancing more inclusive, resilient and sustainable approaches to development.

For The UWI, however, Professor Mycoo's legacy extends beyond publications, international appointments and awards. She was a teacher, mentor and colleague who invested in the development of other researchers and in the capacity of the Caribbean to produce knowledge about its own challenges and possibilities.

Her vision was for Caribbean research to build bridges among academia, governments, communities and the private sector, and for science to move beyond the page to drive transformative action. It was a vision that reflected her belief in the ability of knowledge to make the region safer, more prosperous and more sustainable.

The University extends its deepest condolences to Professor Mycoo's family, friends, colleagues, students and all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with her.

Her work will continue to inform the region's response to some of its most pressing challenges, and her vision for a stronger, more resilient Caribbean will remain part of the legacy she leaves behind.

 

May her soul rest in peace.

END

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 (ISDJ), 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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