October 2012


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Niherst Awards for 17

A total of 17 awards were presented on a glittering night in a ballroom on September 29, at the ceremony for the NIHERST Awards for Excellence in Science and Technology. The awards are co-hosted with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS) and are part of NIHERST's wider mission to foster a national culture of science, technology and innovation.

The awards were presented in various categories, and five people, including St. Augustine Campus Principal, Prof Clement Sankat received gold, with silver for 12 other outstanding scientists.

The Rudranath Capildeo Award for Applied Science and Technology went to Prof Neela Badri: microbiology (specialising in food science and technology) and

Prof Anil Kokaram: electrical and computer engineering (specialising in signal processing).

The Julian Kenny Award for Natural Sciences was given to Prof John Agard: environmental management and sustainability. The Emmanual Ciprian Amoroso Award for Medical Sciences was given to Prof Vijay Naraynisngh: medicine (specialising in surgery), and the Fenrick De Four Award for Engineering was given to Prof Clement Sankat: mechanical engineering (specialising in agricultural engineering)

Also honoured for outstanding contributions:

  • Prof Stephon Alexander – theoretical physics
  • Dr Stephen Blizzard – aviation medicine
  • Prof Brian Copeland – electrical engineering/innovation
  • Dr Wayne Frederick – medicine (oncology)
  • Dr Indra Haraksingh – physics and renewable energy
  • Dr Patrick Hosein – electrical engineering and computer science
  • Prof Aftab Khan – geophysics
  • Dr David Prevatt – civil engineering
  • Prof Indar Ramnarine – applied ichthyology/aquaculture
  • Prof Samuel Ramsewak – medicine (obstetrics and gynaecology)
  • Dr Sanjeev Seereeram – computer and systems engineering
  • Ms Jo-Anne Sewlal – zoology (The Frank Rampersad Award for Junior Scientist)

The awards are presented in seven categories. The Fenrick De Four Award for Engineering is named after Fenrick De Four, the lead author of almost every national engineering code and standard in Trinidad and Tobago. He was a founding member, President and Fellow of the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago, and first Chairman of the Board of Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Emmanuel Ciprian Amoroso Award for Medical Science is named for Professor Emmanuel Ciprian Amoroso, a distinguished professor in the field of medical science research and education. He was famous for his studies on the placenta and was a pioneer in the development of the fields of endocrinology and reproductive biology. He was fluent in six languages.

The Rudranath Capildeo Award for Applied Science & Technology is named for Dr Rudranath Capildeo, renowned for his intellectual contribution to the fields of applied mathematics and physics. He was a gifted educator of mathematics and physics and taught at University College London among other institutions.

The Julian Kenny Award for Natural Sciences is named for Professor Julian Stanley Kenny, zoologist, author and columnist. He taught for over 25 years at UWI, St. Augustine and was highly regarded internationally for his extensive knowledge and seminal research on the ecology of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Anthony Williams Award for Technological Innovation in Arts & Culture is named for Anthony Williams, an early steelpan innovator. He designed the pattern of the placement of the notes on the instrument; added wheels to the bass drums; improved the way pans were made; and initiated the first scientific study on the instrument by testing his ideas at CARIRI.

The Frank Rampersad Award for Junior Scientist is named after NIHERST’s first president, Frank Rampersad, a brilliant economist who supported indigenous research and development, and human capacity-building in fields of science and engineering that were critical to economic development.

The Ranjit Kumar Award for Junior Engineer is named after Ranjit Kumar, a well-known legislator and civil engineer. He planned, designed and constructed the first dual carriageway in Trinidad and Tobago, known as Wrightson Road.