The University of the West Indies’, Office of Administration has announced five new professors. The experts are among the world’s best in the fields of electrochemistry; climate change; renewable energy; mental health (Psychiatry) and agriculture research.

Their excellence in teaching and research and their notable contributions to UWI activism – tackling the big problems facing the Caribbean have warranted their promotion to the institution’s highest academic rank.

The new Professors are:

• Dr Avril Williams promoted to Professor of Supramolecular Chemistry and Nanotechnology, Cave Hill Campus
• Dr Donovan Campbell promoted to Professor of Environmental Geography, Mona Campus
• Dr Sanjay Bahadoorsingh, promoted to Professor of Power Systems and Sustainable Energy, St. Augustine Campus
• Dr Sandra Reid promoted to Professor of Public Health Psychiatry, St. Augustine Campus
• Dr Mark Wuddivira promoted to Professor of Agri-Environmental Soil Physics, St. Augustine Campus

The appointments, effective from February 01, 2023 were made on the recommendations of internal and independent external assessors. Their assessments included a detailed review the quantity and quality of candidates’ research, publications and other professional activities.

Professor Avril Williams 

Professor Avril Williams of The University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill Campus is among a small sect of experts who has mastered the highly specialized multidisciplinary fields of supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology. Her research is tailored to the design and development of sensors for real-time field monitoring using self-recognizing molecules that can be controlled at the atomic level. This work has offered invaluable knowledge advancements in the creation of new, smart electrode materials for sensors; novel electrochemical sensing; signalling techniques; wireless or bipolar electrochemiluminescence signal transduction methods; and biosensors for disease biomarkers all having significant relevance to poorer countries where testing and analysis resources are minimal or non-existent and oftentimes expensive and time-consuming. 2016 Chemistry Nobel laureate, Sir J Fraser Stoddart, dubbed Professor Williams the tailoress of the newest class of molecular interlocked molecules (MIMs) – Suitanes – declaring that “these exotic molecular structures may be looked upon as the tiniest of prototypes for the design and synthesis of artificial assemblies reminiscent of living cells”. One assessor who reviewed her work for the promotion noted that her research activities and findings show ‘significant originality.’

Professor Williams’ publication and academic records are significant and details 58 works including refereed publications in high-impact journals, book chapters, conference proceedings and presentations, technical reports, special presentations and invited lectures, amongst many other contributions. In 2009 and 2017, she was a visiting scientist at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. As an academic, Professor Williams has contributed significantly to quality and curriculum development within the Chemistry programme at The UWI Cave Hill Campus and was awarded for her outstanding contribution to student learning (2019) and programme/product innovation (2020). Her professional activities have included consultancies with the Barbados ministries of Health, Education and Housing, Lands and Environment and with the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office of Latin American and the Caribbean (UNEP ROLAC). She is also a board member of the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business & Management.

Over her career, Professor Williams was influential in raising approximately US $1.1 million in grant funding, including the value of specialist equipment: a Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GCMS), Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (LCMS) and two Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometers.

The UWI alumna, who holds both a BSc Chemistry (1996) and a PhD Chemistry (2001) from The UWI, St. Augustine, is also the first female Head of the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences and the first female Professor of Chemistry at the Cave Hill Campus’ Faculty of Science and Technology. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Centre for Commercial Analytical Services (CCAS), the first for-profit centre at the Cave Hill campus, recently launched in March 2023.

Professor Donovan Campbell

Since his 2015 appointment as a Lecturer in the Department of Geography & Geology, Professor Donovan Campbell rose steadily through the ranks to become one of the most internationally recognized climate change experts in the Caribbean. In reviewing his portfolio for promotion to Professor, one assessor summarized, “Dr Campbell is a productive scholar… active in applied research and policy work. His record shows that he has already brought considerable academic recognition to The University of the West Indies and promoted global knowledge of climate change in the wider Caribbean.”
Trained as an Environmental Geographer, Professor Campbell's publication record of distinguished, original work is outstanding and has garnered over 3000 citations. He has produced one book and 42 peer-reviewed academic papers and book chapters on the human dimensions of environmental change, marine and terrestrial food systems, and biodiversity conservation. He has authored 94 technical and policy reports and has delivered 56 conference and seminar presentations. Over the past 10 years, Professor Campbell has raised approximately US$14 million (JMD 2.1 billion) in funding.

Professor Campbell's science-policy work involves multiple appointments to intergovernmental scientific processes. These include his role as a Coordinating Lead Author for the recently launched Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) of the United Nations, Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES), Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and one of 25 global experts currently leading the third cycle of the United Nations' World Oceans Assessment (WOA).

Professor Campbell provides regular environmental policy advice to governments across the Caribbean. He is an Expert on Mission for the United Nations and is a member of several Boards and scientific committees of national and regional significance. Professor Campbell serves as an Associate Editor for three reputable climate change journals: Climate Risk Management, Climate and Development, and the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management.

Professor Campbell holds a PhD in Geography from The University of the West Indies. He recently completed his tenure as Head of the Department of Geography & Geology and diligently continues his academic duties.

Professor Sanjay Bahadoorsingh

Professor Sanjay Bahadoorsingh’s work has made a ‘powerful connection’ to bridge the gap between the present and the future, with his work having immediate real-world value and long-term relevance. His research areas include power system operation and planning, electric vehicle integration and adoption, renewable energy integration, asset management and dielectric ageing focusing on electrical treeing within polymeric cable insulation. One assessor of his work reported – “He is active in modern day topics of interest such as electric vehicles and renewable energy and has also published in traditional power areas such as transformers and insulation. His research work will continue to be of interest to current and future generations of students and professionals.”

Professor Bahadoorsingh is an accomplished Registered Engineer and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Since joining The UWI family in 2010, he has played a pivotal role propelling the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the St. Augustine Campus forward, where he currently serves as Head. He has an impressive portfolio of over 60 referred publications, numerous technical presentations and many industry-oriented technical reports and serves as an IEEE technical reviewer. Professor Bahadoorsingh is The UWI’s technical committee representative to the Caribbean Centre of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) and the St Augustine Campus Emobility Hub.

Professor Bahadoorsingh holds several key positions related to standards and policy-making in Trinidad and Tobago. He is the Chairman of the National Technical Committee for Electrical Codes at the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS), responsible for overseeing the development of all electrical standards. He currently serves as the Co-Chairman of the Specification Committee for Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles and the Chairman of the High Voltage Code Committee at the TTBS. He is also the President of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) National Electrotechnical Committee Affiliate Country Programme for Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, he is a director and former Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG), formulating policies for the registration of domain names within the Trinidad and Tobago ccTLD. Since 2016, he serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees of The College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT).

As the former Chair of IEEE Trinidad and Tobago Section, he was instrumental in hosting the first IEEE international event in Trinidad and Tobago in 2016. He has served as The UWI’s representative to the Technical Assistance Programme for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean (TAPSEC) as well as the Assistant Chief Examiner for CXC’s CAPE Electrical and Electronic Technology. In 2019, during his tenure as Deputy Dean - Enterprise Development & Outreach for the Faculty of Engineering, he was instrumental to the launch of the first level II electric vehicle supply equipment (situated at the Faculty of Engineering) to undergo successful electrical inspection in the country.

Professor Sanjay Bahadoorsingh holds a BSc degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The UWI, an MSc degree in Power Systems Engineering and Economics from The University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (UMIST) and a PhD degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from The University of Manchester (UoM).

Professor Sandra Reid

Professor Sandra Reid’s expertise and research interests span a considerable spectrum of socially significant and inter-related areas. They include public mental health; addiction; HIV/AIDS; gender and sexuality; evidence-based prevention; treatment and public policy related to alcohol and drug use; harm reduction and child sexual abuse – an area she has become well known for relentlessly tackling. As Co-principal investigator, her name has become synonymous with the well-known ‘Breaking the Silence’ project an innovative, multidisciplinary, intervention model to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in Trinidad and Tobago. Producing educational tools, creative content promoting awareness, legislative amendments and nationally implemented protocols for dealing with child sexual abuse cases, ‘Breaking The Silence’ is a rich example of the value of Professor Reid’s applied research. The Break the Silence model has been scaled up across the Caribbean region.

Having reviewed her portfolio for the promotion to Professor, one assessor reported, “Professor Sandra Reid is an outstanding Psychiatrist who has worked tirelessly with a multi-sectorial approach to address sexual abuse in Trinidad and Tobago. She has been a significant force and advocate promoting national protocols and policies for the safety and optimal mental health of families and children.” 

Professor Reid has published significantly including 28 refereed journal articles, several published abstracts, two book chapters and 14 technical reports. She also presented at over 40 conferences and co-edited the book ‘Sex, Power and Taboo: Gender and HIV in the Caribbean and Beyond’ (2009).

In recognition of her significant contributions to research and teaching Professor Reid has been awarded the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2014); the UWI-NGC Research Award – Most Impacting Research Project (2014); and the UWI/Guardian Life Premium Teaching Award (2012). 

Recognized as the Caribbean’s current foremost leader in substance abuse education, in 1994 Professor Reid pioneered the Caribbean Regional Certificate programme in Addiction Studies delivered by The UWI Open Campus. Since 2003 she has also directed the Caribbean Institute on Addictive Disorders, a teaching Institute which has provided basic and advanced certification for leaders in substance abuse management and advocacy throughout the region.

Professor Reid holds an MBBS and a Doctor of Medicine (Psychiatry) from The University of the West Indies and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She is currently Deputy Dean (Clinical) and Professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI, St. Augustine and a Research Associate with the Institute of Gender and Development Studies. At the University of Toronto, she is an Adjunct Lecturer in Psychiatry. As Deputy Dean she initiated a new student-centered holistic approach to academic advising, influenced its expansion to other faculties at the St. Augustine campus, and enhanced faculty-wide development of the approach across campuses within the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

Professor Mark Wuddivira

Dean of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture at The UWI, St. Augustine’s Faculty of Food and Agriculture, Professor Mark Wuddivira is an outstanding agricultural researcher and internationally sought-after expert. He has delivered expert presentations across the globe including in Israel, Germany, Mexico, the UK and several regional territories. Affirming his expert contributions one assessor commented “Dr Wuddivira’s hallmark has been his outstanding contribution to a most comprehensive, excellent research program in a truly interdisciplinary area which combines aspects of plant and soil, providing a strong basis for advancement in agriculture research, innovation, and diffusion both nationally and internationally.”

Highly qualified, the UWI alumnus holds a PhD in Soil Science and a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning (UWI). His BSc Agriculture and MSc Soil Science were awarded by Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria and an International Graduate Certification in Crop Production by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Additionally, he is certified in Theology by the Logos International School of Ministry, South Africa.

An active researcher in the areas of agricultural and environmental soil and water management, Professor Wuddivira has published 40 refereed articles, five book chapters, two technical reports and over 50 conference proceedings and abstracts. He has also raised over US $1.5 million in research funding. As an educator he actively instructs 14 courses, has served as a supervisor/advisor for 28 graduate research students and has also lectured at the Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. He is also a fellow of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Availing his expertise for public service, Professor Wuddivira served on a Cabinet-appointed Multi-Disciplinary Team for the Development of a Centre of Excellence in Agriculture and Bio-Technology in Trinidad and Tobago. He is also a steering committee member of the Caribbean WaterNet/CAPNET UNDP; the Caribbean arm of the CAPNET UNDP’s global network. Professor Wuddivira’s work also reaches the ‘farmer on the ground’ and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). Currently, his outreach work includes partnering with the Moruga Hill Rice Cooperative Society in Trinidad and the Trinidad and Tobago Intellectual Property Office to acquire Geographic Indicator (GI) designation to support the marketing of hill rice produced by the cooperative. He also lends his expertise to a Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) for Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a multi-country soil management initiative for integrated landscape restoration and sustainable food systems.