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Meet The UWI St. Augustine’s 2026 Honorary Graduands & Valedictorians

For Release Upon Receipt - October 7, 2026

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago – October 7, 2026 – The University of the West Indies (The UWI) will celebrate three (3) honorary graduands and six (6) valedictorians at the St. Augustine Campus’s Graduation Ceremonies, to be held from October 22 to 24, 2026, at The UWI SPEC, St. Augustine. Together, they bring this year’s graduation theme, “Built to Adapt, Ready to Lead,” to life through distinguished service, achievement and leadership.

The two groups represent different but complementary expressions of that theme. The honorary graduands are being recognised for distinguished careers and contributions to Caribbean life and development, while the valedictorians have been selected from among the Class of 2026 to represent their fellow graduands and reflect on the experiences, growth and aspirations that have shaped their UWI journeys.

This year, The UWI will confer honorary degrees on three distinguished Caribbean leaders whose contributions span diplomacy, surgical sciences and health care, and agricultural development. The six valedictorians, meanwhile, have distinguished themselves through academic achievement, perseverance, service, leadership and involvement beyond the classroom, and will deliver addresses on behalf of their fellow graduands during the ceremonies.

The honorary graduands for The UWI St. Augustine Campus are as follows:

 

1.  WINSTON R. RUDDER -

(Trinidad and Tobago)

Honorary Degree: Doctor of Science (DSc) – for his contribution to agricultural development, public service, food and sustainable development

Thursday 22nd October 2026 │ 10:00 a.m.

 

2.  AMBASSADOR COLIN GRANDERSON

(Trinidad and Tobago)

Honorary Degree: Doctor of Laws (LLD) – for his work in diplomacy

Thursday 22nd October 2026 │ 4:00 p.m.

 

3.  PROFESSOR SHANEETA JOHNSON

(The Bahamas)

Honorary Degree: Doctor of Science (DSc) – for her contribution to the development of surgical sciences and health care

Saturday 24th October 2026 │ 4:00 p.m.

 

The valedictorians for the Class of 2026 are as follows:

 

1.  KERLYSSA C. DE VERTEUIL

(Representing the Faculties of Science and Technology & Food and Agriculture)

Graduating: Thursday 22nd October 2026 │ 10:00 a.m.

 

2.  KARISSA S. LACAILLE

(Representing the Faculties of Law and Engineering)

Graduating: Thursday 22nd October 2026 │ 4:00 p.m.

 

3.  NARESH JAGNANAN

(Representing the Faculty of Social Sciences)

Graduating: Friday 23rd October 2026 │ 10:00 a.m.

 

4.  NATHAN G. NANCOO

(Representing the Faculty of Social Sciences)

Graduating: Friday 23rd October 2026 │ 4:00 p.m.

 

5.  AZARA C. HOSEIN

(Representing the Faculties of Humanities & Education and Sport)

Graduating: Saturday 24th October 2026 │ 10:00 a.m.

 

6.  SHREYA K. DEONARINE

(Representing the Faculty of Medical Sciences)

Graduating: Saturday 24th October 2026 │ 4:00 p.m.

 

As The UWI prepares to celebrate the Class of 2026, this year’s honorary graduands and valedictorians reflect the breadth of achievement, service and leadership being recognised across the ceremonies. Their stories speak to the enduring value of a UWI education and to the many ways its graduates and honourees continue to contribute to the Caribbean and beyond.

For more information and details about The UWI St. Augustine Graduation Ceremonies, please visit https://sta.uwi.edu/graduation/ 

 

END

Notes to the Editor

The three (3) honorary graduands for The UWI St. Augustine Campus follow:

 

·         Ambassador Colin Granderson

o   Doctor of Laws (LLD) – for his work in diplomacy

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Ambassador Colin Granderson has spent nearly five decades at the centre of the Caribbean’s engagement with the wider world. A graduate of universities in France, Ghana and The UWI St. Augustine Campus, he began his working life teaching in Ivory Coast before joining Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of External Affairs in 1977. He rose through the foreign service, serving as First Secretary in London and as Counsellor at the United Nations during the country’s 1985 to 1986 term on the Security Council, and was named Ambassador-at-Large in 1993. Click here to learn more about Ambassador Granderson.

 

·         Professor Shaneeta Johnson

o   Doctor of Science (DSc) – for her contribution to the development of surgical sciences and health care

A native of The Bahamas, Professor Shaneeta Johnson is a surgeon, educator and global health leader who serves as Associate Dean of Global Health Partnerships and Engagement at Meharry Medical College. When she became chair of surgery there, she was the fourth Black woman to lead a department of surgery in the United States and the first in the Southeast. Click here to learn more about Professor Johnson.

 

·         Winston R. Rudder

o   Doctor of Science (DSc) – for his contribution to agricultural development, public service, food and sustainable development

Winston R. Rudder is an agricultural economist and development consultant from Trinidad and Tobago whose career in development policy and planning spans more than five decades. A graduate of The UWI St. Augustine Campus, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1965, he went on to complete a Master’s in Agricultural Economics at the University of Manitoba, and rose through the Ministry of Agriculture to serve as Permanent Secretary across three government ministries from 1988 to 1998. Click here to learn more about Mr. Rudder.

 

The biographies of the six (6) valedictorians follow:

·         Kerlyssa De Verteuil - The Faculties of Science and Technology & Food and Agriculture

"To define is to limit," is one of Kerlyssa De Verteuil's favourite quotes from Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.  Those words seem fitting for Kerlyssa, whose UWI experience was shaped by a determination to challenge expectations and push beyond self-doubt. Click here to learn more about Kerlyssa.

 

·         Karissa Lacaille - The Faculties of Law and Engineering

Karissa Lacaille is graduating with First Class Honours in Law. When asked how UWI changed her, her answer was thoughtful and might seem unexpected to some:

“UWI taught me to be comfortable with not knowing everything, to ask questions, to accept failure without allowing it to define me and to trust myself even when I am uncertain.” Click here to learn more about Karissa.

 

·         Naresh Jagnanan - The Faculty of Social Sciences

Wakenaam (pronounced Wake-en-am) is a small island in Guyana's Essequibo River, home to roughly 4,000 people and served by a single secondary school. Its Dutch name translates as "waiting for a name." Naresh Jagnanan calls it home and it is where his love of learning first took root, where he watched his father tend the family farm while his mother ensured that he and his three sisters had everything they needed, particularly for their education. Click here to learn more about Naresh.

 

·         Nathan Nancoo - The Faculty of Social Sciences

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts two opposite or contradictory words together to create a unique meaning. Think “jumbo shrimp” or “original copy.” Nathan Nancoo describes himself as something of an oxymoron. "I don't like politics, but my degree is about international politics. I love being alone but also enjoy being around people." Even his academic interests reflect that blend, combining a major in International Relations with a minor in Film Studies. Click here to learn more about Nathan.

 

·         Azara Hosein - The Faculties of Humanities & Education and Sport

Azara Hosein has been dancing since she was five years old. Seventeen years later, she is a budding choreographer with the Metamorphosis Dance Company, and over the past three years she has been carefully choreographing another demanding performance: balancing a Double Major in Spanish and French, leadership roles, rehearsals, performances, and an active university life. Click here to learn more about Azara.

 

·         Shreya Deonarine – The Faculty of Medical Sciences

When Shreya Deonarine entered the Faculty of Medical Sciences, she thought her goal was straightforward: earn a degree in Pharmacy and graduate with First Class Honours. She achieved both. Along the way, however, she discovered that university would teach her much more than academics. Click here to learn more about Shreya

 

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 spring boarded 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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