Dr Karla Georges and Emeritus Professor Abiodun Adesiyun, academics from The UWI St Augustine’s School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), have won two of three awards from CARICOM’s Committee of Chief Veterinary Officers (CCCVO) at the committee’s silver jubilee.
Dr Karla Georges, Director of the School of Veterinary Medicine, addresses the audience at the CARICOM Committee of Chief Veterinary Officers (CCCVO) award gala held on March 25, 2025.
The scholars, who are the current (Dr Georges) and former (Prof Adesiyun) directors of SVM, won the National Veterinary Stalwart award for Trinidad and Tobago and the Research and Veterinary Education award respectively. Dr Mark Trotman, Chief Veterinary Officer of Barbados, won the CCCVO stalwart award.
At the March 25 gala, Dr Georges thanked colleagues and committee members for their recognition and spoke on the impact of chief veterinary officers. She said that graduates of The UWI SVM hold high-level positions in veterinary services throughout the region and internationally, and they “must never take this responsibility lightly”.
Prof Adesiyun spoke on his experience as a researcher and former Director of the UWI SVM. He stressed the importance of using feedback from the CCCVO to improve the development of the veterinary curriculum.
These prestigious awards—CARICOM CVO Stalwart, National Veterinary Stalwart, and Veterinary Research and Education—celebrated three individuals whose work has significantly advanced veterinary medicine and public health while fostering innovation and excellence within the profession. Nominations were rigorously assessed, and a selection was made by a regional committee composed of representatives of CARICOM, CCCVO, the Caribbean Veterinary Medical Association (CbVMA), the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), and academia.
For more information on studying Veterinary Medicine at UWI St Augustine, visit: https://sta.uwi.edu/fms/vet/.
