November 2014


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This was the statement by Professor Clement K. Sankat, Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of The UWI St. Augustine Campus. Speaking at the UWI-NGC (National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd.) Research Awards Ceremony, Professor Sankat celebrated the achievements of the university’s top researchers and called for encompassing and dedicated support for research-driven development.

Before an audience made up of participants in academics, industry and government on October 1, 2014 at the Learning Resource Centre Auditorium, the Campus Principal congratulated the awardees, vocalised The UWI’s commitment to supporting research, and voiced the need for greater local, regional and international participation in the university’s research efforts.

“I encourage you in the public and private sectors, and the international community to engage us more, to challenge us to develop new products, propose new processes and systems for your industries and companies and to work with you to gather and analyse data to formulate new policies,” he said. “With increased partnerships and resources, we can achieve so much more!”

Entitled “Celebrating Excellence in Research,” the 2014 Research Awards included remarks from Mr. Jamal Mohammed, advisor to Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, Senator Fazal Karim; Mr. Mulchan Lewis, Director of NGC; Professor Wayne Hunte, Pro Vice Chancellor – Research, The UWI; and Professor Sankat, who gave the closing remarks.

“To all our awardees, I extend heartfelt congratulations,” said Professor Sankat. “You are exemplars of excellence at The UWI.”

Speaking on behalf of NGC, Mr. Lewis described the company’s commitment to academic-industry partnerships and development through research and innovation:

“The enterprise of research plays a pivotal role in progress, and is especially vital to the modernisation of our industry,” he said. “It is therefore imperative that we, as an industry leader, encourage this enterprise and reward the achievements and breakthroughs of its intellectual vanguard.”

With the support of companies like NGC, governments, international agencies and a university determined to create an environment where research can flourish, the 2014 Research Awards Ceremony awardees have made their own contributions to The UWI’s 60-year legacy of regional intellectual inquiry.

UWI-NGC Research Awards Recipients

Faculty Awards

Most Outstanding Researcher

  • Dr. Michelle Mycoo - Department of Geomatics Engineering and Land Management, Faculty of Engineering
    Dr. Michelle Mycoo’s award-winning research focuses on natural hazard risk reduction, climate change adaptation and water resources management and governance.
  • Dr. Jerome DeLisle - School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Education
    For the last three years, Dr. De Lisle’s work included (among others) evaluating the Ministry of Education’s Continuous Assessment Programme and identifying high and low performing primary schools.
  • Professor Shivananda Nayak - Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences
    Professor Shivananda Nayak is an award-winning Professor of Biochemistry who has done extensive research in the area of type-II diabetes.
  • Professor Dave Chadee - Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Agriculture
    Professor Dave Chadee serves as Professor of Environmental Health. This second-time recipient of the Most Outstanding Researcher Award has done extensive research on Dengue and Chickungunya epidemiology and control.
  • Professor Patricia Mohammed - Institute for Gender and Development Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
    Professor Patricia Mohammed is a leading regional expert in gender and development studies. Over the last three years her most significant research has been in national gender policy making, implementation and intervention.

Most Productive Research Department

  • Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
    HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: Professor Edwin Ekwue
    The Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering is a second-time recipient of the Most Productive Research Department award. The Department specialises in a wide range of research areas including renewable energy, asset management and quality engineering.
  • Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Agriculture
    HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: Professor John Agard
    This Department’s research specialisations include ecophysiology, aquaculture, and plant taxonomy and physiology. This is the second consecutive time the Department has received the award.
  • Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences
    HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: Mr. Martin Franklin
    The Department of Economics covers a wide range of research specialisations including mathematical optimisation, microfinance and climate change.

Graduate Student and Research Mentor Awards

Most Outstanding Graduate Researchers 2012

  • Dr. David Anthony Adeyanju – PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
    Dr. Adeyanju focused his dissertation, entitled “Thermal Performance of a Simultaneous Charging and Discharging Packed Bed Energy Storage System,” on creating a system to provide an uninterrupted supply of energy during fluctuations in the availability of solar energy.
  • Dr. Meena Rambocas - PhD in Business Administration, Department of Management Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
    Dr. Rambocas investigated the role customers’ thoughts and feelings played in their preference in retail banks. Her dissertation is titled “Modeling Service Brand Equity through Cognition and Emotions: An Examination of Aspects Driving Customers’ Knowledge.”

Most Outstanding Graduate Researchers 2013

  • Dr. Richard Bachoo - PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
    Dr. Richard Bachoo’s doctoral research, entitled “The High Frequency Vibration of Fibre Reinforced Composites,” focused on predicting the high frequency vibration of anisotropic materials.
  • Dr. Henry Hugh Bailey - PhD in Economics, Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences
    Dr. Henry Bailey’s research, titled, “A Framework for the Prioritisation of Health Programmes for Trinidad and Tobago,” examined means of optimising resource allocation decisions among health treatments and programmes.

Awards for Outstanding Research Mentorship

  • Dr. Krishpersad Manohar - Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
    Dr. Krishpersad Manohar was mentor to Outstanding Graduate Researcher (Sciences) Dr. Anthony Adeyanju. Dr. Manohar believes that Dr. Adeyanju’s research has opened new opportunities for an application that was generally viewed as impossible.
  • Mr. Errol Simms – Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences
    Professor Emeritus VH Manek Kirpalani – Chairman, Centre for International Business Education and Research
    Mr. Errol Simms, together with Visiting Scholar, Professor Emeritus VH Manek Kirpalani, served as the supervisor for Dr. Meena Rambocas. Mr. Simms felt the study not only had theoretical importance, but also had practical significance to the financial community.
  • Dr. Jacqueline Bridge - Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
    Dr. Jacqueline Bridge served as supervisor for Dr. Richard Bachoo.
  • Dr. Althea LaFoucade - Health Economics Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences
    As the mentor of Dr. Henry Bailey, Dr. LaFoucade kept him reminded of the economic dimensions of his ideas.

Principal’s Special Award

  • “The Oral Health of Pre-school Children in Trinidad” Project
    TEAM LEADER: Dr. Rahul Naidu - School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medical Science    s

    The first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago, this research project examined the oral health of pre-schoolers in central Trinidad. The multidisciplinary team consisted of researchers from Trinidad and Tobago and Ireland.

Campus Awards

Most Impacting Research Project

  • “Breaking the Silence: A Multisectoral Approach to Preventing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse and Incest in T&T” Project

    TEAM LEADERS:
    Prof. Rhoda Reddock - Institute for Gender and Development Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
    Dr. Sandra Reid - Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences

    This year’s Most Impacting Research Project, titled “Breaking the Silence: A Multisectoral Approach to Preventing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse and Incest in Trinidad and Tobago,” aimed to deepen the understanding of child sexual assault and incest, and its implications for risky sexual behaviour and HIV.

Most Outstanding Regional Research Project

  • “The Caribbean Regional Non-Communicable Diseases Surveillance System Project” Project
    TEAM LEADER: Prof. Surujpal Teelucksingh - Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences

    This year’s Most Outstanding Regional Research Project sought to develop a Caribbean Regional Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Surveillance System that would improve the collection and analysis of data.

Most Outstanding International Research Project

  • “Strengthening the Caribbean Scientific Community in Natural Resources Management and Developing Integrated Watershed Management Plans” Project
    TEAM LEADER: Prof. Carlisle Pemberton - Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture

    The Most Outstanding International Research Project sought to bolster the regional scientific community in natural resource management and developing watershed management plans. It drew participants from Europe, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago.