Dr Joan Latchman, Seismologist at The UWI Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC), has received a regional award for her contribution to disaster management in the Caribbean.
At a special ceremony on December 6, during the 11th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management in Maho, Sint Maarten, Dr Latchman received the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Council Award 2019 for her contribution to “knowledge management and learning for comprehensive disaster management.”
The Council bestowed the honour on Dr Latchman after 47 years of service to geoscience knowledge and awareness in the region. She was the first of only two women to lead The UWI-SRC in its 66 years of operation.
Upon receiving her award from CDEMA, Dr. Latchman remarked “the opportunity and privilege have been mine to be involved in the monitoring, research and educational outreach of the SRC and to be one of its faces.... The SRC will continue to partner with regional and local preparedness agencies and land use planning authorities to promote safety, sustainability and resilience.”
Dr Latchman’s work on Tobago earthquakes and timely insights after regional earthquake events has made her “the earthquake lady” in Trinidad and Tobago and the face of earthquake research and knowledge Caribbean-wide. Beyond the region she spent two years at the International Seismological Centre, United Kingdom as a visiting seismologist and has articulated the Caribbean position at countless scientific conferences and meetings around the world.
Throughout her career Dr Latchman has been engaged in outreach, a critical aspect of comprehensive disaster management. This was evident during her tours of duty at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory in the early years of the Soufrière Hills Volcano eruption. Dr Latchman is an advocate for improving public understanding of the natural world and strengthening our ability to live safely in a hazard-prone region. A repository on Caribbean seismology, she is a mentor and supporter of many young researchers and has nurtured the next generation through her involvement in the Seismology in Schools programme.
For more information on earthquakes, volcanoes and the UWI-SRC, please visit www.uwiseismic.com, call 1-868-662-4659 or e-mail: uwiseismic@uwiseismic.com.
