St Augustine Campus celebrates its 2020 and 2021 National Awardees
Educators, scientists, leaders within the university system, and dedicated community servants – several members of the UWI St Augustine Campus community were recognised for their contribution to Trinidad and Tobago on March 7 at the National Awards Ceremony.
The ceremony, held at the President’s House, and hosted by The Office of the President, was the first after a delay of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Awards were given for both 2020 and 2021.
Campus Principal of UWI St Augustine Professor Brian Copeland extended heartfelt congratulations to the National Award recipients, thanking them for their contributions both to the University and Trinidad and Tobago. Professor Copeland is himself an awardee. He was a joint recipient of the Chaconia Medal Gold in 2007, and he was the first recipient of the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in 2008.
There are five categories and 13 classes of National Awards in Trinidad and Tobago: the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (formerly The Trinity Cross Medal of the Order of the Trinity) – in Gold only – and the Chaconia Medal, the Hummingbird Medal, the Public Service Medal of Merit, and the Medal for the Development of Women – all in Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Members of the campus community received both Chaconia and Hummingbird Medals. The Chaconia is awarded to “any person (citizen as well as non-citizen) who has performed long and meritorious service to Trinidad and Tobago tending to promote the national welfare or strengthen the community spirit”, says an official statement from the Office of the President. The Hummingbird goes to “any person (citizen as well as non-citizen) who has rendered loyal and devoted service beneficial to Trinidad and Tobago in any field of human endeavour or for gallantry or other humane action”.
Ms Sharon Christopher – Appointed Chair of the St Augustine Campus Council for the five-year period, November 16, 2018 to July 31, 2023, Ms Christopher is an attorney-at-law, leadership development coach, motivational speaker, and UWI alumna. She is the founder and CEO of Sharon Christopher and Associates, which provides services throughout the Caribbean and North America.
A former senior banking executive, she has some 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, with proven success as a catalyst for change and driver of results. She is a known advocate for women’s empowerment, rights, equality, and social justice, and was the founding chairman of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at The UWI. Ms Christopher was awarded the Chaconia Medal (gold) for her contribution to business, banking and finance.
Ms Gillian Macintyre – Gillian Macintyre is a member of the Elections and Boundaries Commission, and a former Permanent Secretary and Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministries of Education, Sport, Public Administration, Attorney General, Information, and the Office of the Prime Minister. She is the holder of a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy and Administration from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands, a post graduate diploma in Human Resource Management from The UWI, and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree from the University of Waterloo in Canada. She was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold).
Professor Emeritus Winston Mellowes – Professor Emeritus Mellowes led the Department of Chemical Engineering at UWI St Augustine during a career that spanned over 30 years. As a professor of electrical engineering, he is acknowledged as an expert on fluid dynamics and the technology of sugar cane processing. For his contribution in the sphere of education, Professor Emeritus Mellowes was awarded the Chaconia Medal (gold).
Professor Emeritus Stephan Gift – Professor Emeritus Gift is a Retired Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the St Augustine Campus (2015-2018) and former Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) Graduate Studies and Research (from 2018-2021). He is also the youngest PhD graduate in the history of the Faculty of Engineering, a member of the Caribbean Academy of Science, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and a fellow of the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago. Professor Gift was awarded the Chaconia Medal (gold) for his contribution to engineering and engineering science.
Dr Lester Goetz – Dr Goetz is a Senior Lecturer of Urology at the Faculty of Medical Sciences. Dr Goetz introduced and served as Programme Director of Urology at UWI St Augustine. As a consultant urologist, he is a founding member and the first president of the Caribbean Urological Association, as well as the Trinidad and Tobago Urological Association. Dr Goetz is the recipient of the Hummingbird Medal (gold) for his influence in medicine.
Dr Indrawatee Haraksingh – Dr Haraksingh is a Professor of Physics at the Faculty of Science and Technology. A former recipient of the International Pioneer Award for Solar Energy, Dr Haraksingh has distinguished herself as one of the premier women in the field of renewable energy in the Caribbean. She also serves as a member of the Renewable Energy Committee of The UWI, promoting research and development at the highest academic levels. For her contribution in the field of education, Dr Haraksingh was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (silver).
Professor Kari Polanyi Levitt – Born in Austria, raised in England, and based in Canada, Professor Kari Polanyi Levitt nevertheless has made an important contribution to Caribbean economics and maintained a deep connection to The UWI and the region itself. An Emerita Professor in Economics at McGill University in Montreal, she has worked with colleagues in the Caribbean since the early 1960s, including Professor Lloyd Best, with whom she wrote the highly regarded, “Essays on the Theory of Plantation Economy”. In her long career, Professor Polanyi Levitt has assisted the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in the area of national economic development, and has for many years been a visiting professor at both UWI St Augustine and UWI Mona. In 2008, she was recognised for her decades of service to the university and the region with an honorary doctorate from The UWI.
Mr Ainsley Mark – Mr Mark was a lecturer in Accounting from 1971-1982, Head of the Department of Management from 1975-1976, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences from 1977-1979, and Senior Lecturer in Accounting from 1987-1992. A Former Vice-President of the Senate, Mr Mark was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (gold) for his dedication to community service.
Dr Verleen Bobb-Lewis – Employed by The UWI since 2014 in the School of Education, Dr Bobb-Lewis has served as part-time facilitator in the Master in Education programme. She has been the coordinator for the delivery of the Bachelor in Education, Early Childhood Care and Development, Masters in Education, and Diploma in Education programmes. Dr Bobb-Lewis was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (bronze).
Judge Rolston Nelson – Judge Nelson was appointed visitor of The UWI in 2019, a position previously held by the Queen of England. He is an Associate Tutor of the Hugh Wooding Law School since 1978, and editor of The Lawyer, the journal of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, since 1987. Judge Nelson received the Chaconia Medal (gold) for his contributions to law and business.
Dr Lakshmi Seeterram-Persaud – Dr Seeterram-Persaud is a 2013 Honorary Graduate of The UWI, an award-winning novelist, and teacher. She is the recipient of the Chaconia Medal (gold) for her work in education and culture.
