Black Immigrant Daily News

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) will welcome 16 outstanding global citizens to its graduation stage this year. In keeping with annual tradition across the five campuses, the University Council has approved conferral of the 16 at The UWI’s 2022 Graduation Ceremonies. The honorary graduands, recognised for their contributions to several areas including Sport, Culture, Law, Business, and Science will join the 2022 graduating class in-person this year, as a majority of campuses return to face-to-face ceremonies. However, The UWI Open Campus will retain the hosting of a virtual graduation ceremony.

The UWI’s 2022 Graduation Ceremonies take place between October 8 and November 5. This year’s honorary graduands join the ranks of a prestigious list of fewer than 500 persons who have been awarded since 1985. The schedule for the 2022 ceremonies and the list of honorary graduands follow.

Five Islands Campus – Saturday 8 October, 2022

Sir Richard Benjamin Richardson of Antigua and Barbuda for his contribution to Sport – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Alston BECKET Cyrus of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for his work as a Soca Artiste/Composer – Doctor of Letters (DLitt)

Open Campus – Saturday 15 October, 2022 (Virtual)

Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, PhD, LLM of Dominica for her work in International Labour and Maritime Law – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Sir Hugh Anthony Rawlins of St. Kitts and Nevis for contributions to the Judicial arena – Doctor of Laws (LLD)

Cave Hill Campus – Saturday 22 October, 2022

Joy St. John of Barbados for her work in Medicine and Public Health leadership – Doctor of Science (DSc)
His Excellency Ambassador Gabriel Abed of Barbados/UAE for Entrepreneurship and pioneering Digital Currency – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
E. Neville Isdell of Ireland for contributions to Business and Philanthropy – Doctor of Laws (LLD)

 

St. Augustine Campus – Thursday 27 October, Friday 28 October and Saturday 29 October, 2022.

Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted of Trinidad and Tobago for contributions to Agricultural Science and Nutrition – Doctor of Science (DSc)
Ingrid L-A Lashley of Trinidad and Tobago for her work in Corporate Banking/Finance – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Rosalind Gabriel of Trinidad and Tobago for her work as a Band Leader/Entertainer – Doctor of Letters (DLitt)
Wayne A. I. Frederick of Trinidad and Tobago for contributions to Surgical Science – Doctor of Science (DSc)
Lord Robert Nelson of Trinidad and Tobago for contributions to culture and Calypso – Doctor of Letters (DLitt)

Mona Campus – Thursday 3 November, Friday 4 November and Saturday 5 November, 2022

Professor The Honourable Orlando Patterson of Jamaica for his work as a Historical and Cultural Sociologist – Doctor of Letters (DLitt)
Senator The Honourable Dr. Rosemary Moodie of Jamaica/Canada for Paediatric Medicine and Philanthropy – Doctor of Science (DSc)
Adam Stewart of Jamaica for his work as an Entrepreneur/Philanthropist – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Diane Jaffee of The USA for her work in Finance – Doctor of Laws (LLD)

 

Sir Richard B. Richardson

From his boyhood days as captain of his school cricket team to his esteemed present-day role as Ambassador at Large of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Richard B. Richardson KCN, GCM has spent a lifetime committed to the sport of Cricket. In his own words, he desires to one day see cricket become a ‘fully globalised sport’.

Sir ‘Richie’ began his professional cricketing career in 1983 under the West Indies Cricket Board of Control captaining the West Indies Team from 1991 to 1996. In a career spanning over three decades, he went on to play and coach professional club cricket in the UK and South Africa and played in three ICC Cricket World Cup Tournaments. Sir ‘Richie’ has also served as Senior Team Operational Manager with the West Indies Cricket Board Inc.; CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Sport Tourism Authority and has been an International Elite Panel Match Referee with the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 2016.

His passion for the development of West Indies Cricket together with a heart for mentorship saw him set up the Richie Richardson Scholarship Foundation (1998) and facilitate two Antiguan youth cricket teams on tours to the UK (1987, 2002). He is also the founder of The Annual Antigua and Barbuda International Masters Cricket Festival and the Richie Richardson Cricket Academy.

The State of Antigua and Barbuda awarded Sir Richard Richardson the Grand Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Merit (GMC) and the Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (KCN) in 2003 and 2014 respectively.

 

 

Mr. Alston BECKET Cyrus

Alston BECKET Cyrus is an outstanding Caribbean soca/ragga-soca/calypso artiste and composer. He has fostered an illustrious 47-year career with 28 albums; numerous award-winning singles; one movie soundtrack—‘Disco Calypso’, in the motion picture The Deep; five compositions featured in four American TV programmes including “Full House” and “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”, and eight Road March titles, all to his credit.

He first came to the spotlight in 1975 when he was crowned St. Vincent’s Calypso Monarch with two songs ‘Carnival History’ and ‘Mass at Victoria’. In his long career, he has performed on stages across North America, Britain, Colombia, Spain and the Caribbean. He is also one of only a few Calypsonians to be signed by a major record label: Casablanca Records in 1977, alongside artistes such as Donna Summer and KISS.

BECKET’s international hits include ‘Coming High’ (1977) on which he worked with Dr. Frankie McIntosh, acclaimed Calypso/Reggae arranger and ‘Teaser’ (1990) which was released from BECKET’s own label Cocoa Records and subsequently recorded in over ten languages. In Germany, ‘Teaser’ was released by Polydor recording label, one of the world’s largest.  In 1994 ‘Ella me Vacilla/Esa Chica’, the Spanish version of ‘Teaser’ was named Salsa/Tropical Song of the Year by Billboard/Univision.

While he is well known for entertaining songs like ‘Small Pin’, ‘Gal Ah Rush Me’ and ‘Doh Eat And Lie Down’ his music has gone beyond party music. He made regional and international social commentary on a wide array of topics including politics, cricket, black pride and human rights with songs like ‘I am an African’; ‘Grenada Will Rise Again’; ‘Laramania’; ‘President Obama’ and his 1984 song ‘Love is the Answer’ which was remade in 2011 to commemorate 9/11. In commemoration of the Caribbean hosting the 2007 Cricket World Cup, BECKET released ‘Cricket Is We Ting’, an album containing ten original tracks all about cricket.

In 2000, Alston BECKET Cyrus became the first Caribbean artiste to perform at the US Open tennis tournament and was listed as one of the 17 Outstanding Caribbean Personalities of the 20th Century. In 2001 he was named a Goodwill Ambassador for St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in 2010 became the first soca/calypso artiste to perform at the Montreal International Reggae Festival, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry

Dominican-born, UWI alumna and Barrister at Law, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry (LLB, LLM, PhD) has made her mark as a woman expert in international law, trade and Maritime labour standards.

Her career began at The UWI, Cave Hill as a Law lecturer.  She then worked with the Iran-US Claims Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, followed by a 29-year-long career at the International Labour Office (ILO).

Dr. Doumbia-Henry considers her time at the ILO some of her best years as she witnessed the on-the-ground effect of international standards. From the 1990s she led the ILO’s participation in many International Maritime Organization (IMO)/ILO interagency collaborations including joint working groups on ‘Fair Treatment of Seafarers’ and ‘Liability and Compensations regarding Claims for Death, Personal Injury and Abandonment of Seafarers’. During this time, she also led legislative reform of the body of 72 maritime labour instruments adopted by the ILO since 1920. In 2006, 68 of these would be consolidated into a single convention—The ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), which is considered one of the most innovative and effective maritime labour instruments. The MLC seeks to establish a level playing field for ship owners and effective protection and rights at work for seafarers, which today remains applicable to the global Maritime industry.

In 2005, Dr. Doumbia-Henry became the first woman appointed Director of the International Labour Standards Department—one of the ILO’s largest portfolios.

Appointed by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2015, she left the ILO and became the seventh President of the World Maritime University (WMU), a university established within the framework of the IMO. She is the first woman President and the first President from a developing country. As the Chief Executive Officer of WMU, she oversees and directs the operations and administration of the University, positioning it as the global centre of excellence in maritime and ocean education, research and capacity building, taking on board the UNSDGs. Dr. Doumbia-Henry is also a Panel Member for the Rapid Response Labour Mechanism of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In 2021, Dr. Doumbia-Henry was selected for the Lloyd’s List – 100 most influential people in shipping. She was also recognised as a remarkable woman in the field of transport for the year 2021 by the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative.

 

 

Sir Hugh A. Rawlins

The UWI alumnus, The Honourable Sir Hugh Rawlins has long served the regional community as an educator, a senior civil servant, and a member of the Judiciary.

Sir Hugh began his long and notable legal career in 1985 when he was admitted to practise Law having received his Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from the Norman Manley Law School. He also holds a BA (Hons. 1974), an LLB (Hons., 1983) and an LLM (1993) from The UWI. Sir Hugh served as Crown Counsel, Registrar, Additional Magistrate and Solicitor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis before returning to the Cave Hill Campus as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Law from 1995-2000.

Sir Hugh joined the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in 2000 serving as a Master assisting with implementing New Civil Practice Rules.  In 2002, he was appointed High Court Judge and then in 2005 came the appointment to the Office of Justice of the Court of Appeal. Sir Hugh served as Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court from 2008 until his retirement in 2012.

He has published several legal articles in regional and international law journals and is the only person to date who has substantively assumed duties in the four levels of the Court. His judgments have been quoted with approval by the Privy Council; the Supreme Court of Kenya and by Commonwealth Caribbean Courts.

Today he is a Judge of the ILO International Administrative Tribunal in Geneva, Switzerland having been appointed in 2012 upon his retirement from the Office of Chief Justice.

In 2012, Sir Hugh was conferred the Award of the Order of the Knight Bachelor. He was also awarded the Pelican Award on the nomination of the St. Kitts and Nevis Alumni Chapter of the UWIAA.

Dr. Joy St. John

The UWI alumna and global public health leader, Dr. Joy St. John has established a firm legacy in leading the Caribbean region’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic from her position as Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).

Taking the reins in 2019, Dr. St. John has expertly steered CARPHA in responding to an intergovernmental mandate from the CARICOM Heads of Government, with guidance from the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD-Health) as well as a working group established to inform the regional response to COVID-19. She led CARPHA in its key coordinating role of the response of a range of regional health and non-health sectors through the support of the convening role of the CARICOM Secretariat and its Security Cluster.    The Regional Coordinating Mechanism for Health Security (RCM-HS) served as the platform for convening the Member States along with CARICOM Institutions and International Public Health Agencies towards achieving coherence in the overall public health policy. The effectiveness of CARPHA’s coordination and response under Dr. St. John’s leadership is evident in the recording of CARICOM death rates of one-fifth or less than those recorded in neighbouring regions of the USA and South America; measured and adjusted for population size.

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. St. John served the regional and international communities as an outstanding public health leader. She served as Chief Medical Officer, Barbados (2005-2017) implementing world-class standards for HIV diagnostics and care and leading effective national epidemic responses to Influenza AH1N1 (2009), Chikungunya (2013), and Zika (2016). In 2017, Dr. St. John was appointed Assistant Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) where she had responsibility for Climate and Other Determinants of Health. She returned to the Caribbean in 2019 to serve as the region’s top public health official – Executive Director, CARPHA and has provided expert leadership in public health for 26 Caribbean member states.

 

His Excellency Ambassador Gabriel Abed

Ambassador Gabriel Abed is widely-recognised as a pioneer and leading authority on regulated blockchain technology innovations, math-based protocols, central bank digital currency, digital assets, and technology diplomacy.

In 2010 he established the Caribbean’s first blockchain company BitEdge and in 2011, founded the largest cryptocurrency mining operation in the Caribbean. In 2014, he founded Bitt.com in Barbados, which serves the Central Banks of Nigeria, Ukraine, Barbados, and the Eastern Caribbean.

He currently serves as the Co-lead of the Regulatory Framework Body of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cryptocurrencies where he co-developed a report to assist financial regulators to understand how best to approach digital asset regulatory frameworks.

Gabriel Abed is a founding member of Caribbean 2030 and the Global Blockchain Business Council. For his achievements, he was awarded the Caribbean American Heritage (CARAH) Vanguard Award in 2016. In 2018, he was appointed Special Technology Advisor to the Honourable David Burt, Premier of Bermuda and in 2021 was named Barbados’ Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

As Barbados’ first Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ambassador Abed is focused on technology diplomacy—the future of diplomacy as he sees it—creating technological bridges between nations and in particular, forging a relationship with the UAE based on technology inventions and innovations. He believes that the UAE is a digital world leader and serves as an excellent partner in building digital greatness.

In 2020, he founded his family office—the Abed Group. One of its pillars, Abed Ventures, empowers Caribbean entrepreneurs to ideate, incubate and accelerate innovative regulatory technology solutions that address the development and governance challenges in the Caribbean and beyond. The focus is to bring together government, regulators, international organisations, investors and entrepreneurs to ensure that the solutions built solve real world challenges. The Group comprises 14 blockchain companies, a private equity fund and a charity working toward achieving its vision for a sustainable and integrated Caribbean. He also sits on the boards of the Barbados Stock Exchange and ANSA Bank, Trinidad and Tobago.

 

 

Mr. E. Neville Isdell

Businessman and philanthropist Edward Neville Isdell, was born in Northern Ireland but spent his childhood and 19 working years in Zambia. During that time, he attended the University of Cape Town where he graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science (BSocSc) and also qualified as a registered social worker. During his university days, he was politically active and was elected to the Students Council on an anti-apartheid ticket. He also edited the University newspaper.

Offered a position starting in Zambia he joined Coca-Cola the world’s largest beverage company. In his 43 years with the company, he lived and worked in eleven countries on five continents. He retired from the organisation in 2002, returning in 2004 to serve as Chairman and CEO until 2009. During this time, he is credited with turning around the company. Coca-Cola returned to Fortune’s list of the ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ in 2006 and moved to #12 in global rankings.

Mr. Isdell championed opportunities for Coca-Cola to partner with NGOs including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The partnership formed in 2007 focused on reducing the company’s environmental footprint and protecting global freshwater resources. It has helped to conserve critical freshwater ecosystems in over 50 countries. His outstanding leadership and service to humanity was recognised in 2008 when he received the Clinton Global Citizen Award. In that same year, he also received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor – International.

After retiring, Neville Isdell continued his strong commitment to social responsibility in what he termed ‘connected capitalism’ in his autobiography. In his retirement, he has served on the Board of the WWF US including six years as a Chair of Boards for three malaria eradication initiatives. He has also served on the Board of the Peace Parks Foundation and in the Isdell Family Foundation which focuses on people and planet with a distinct Southern African bias.  Mr. Isdell also owns and operates the award-winning Epic Ireland museum in Dublin—a fully digital permanent exhibition dedicated to telling the story of Ireland’s diaspora around the world.

In Mr. Isdell’s own words, the most impressive human being he has spent time with is Nelson Mandela. Today, he resides in Barbados where he has invested in the redevelopment of the Careenage in Bridgetown as a part of a major tourism development project.

Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted

In 1971, Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted graduated from The UWI’s Faculty of Agriculture with a BSc (Hons) in Tropical Agriculture. Today, she is a world acclaimed Agriculture, Food and Nutrition scientist and serves as Global Lead, Nutrition and Public Health at WorldFish, One CGIAR.

Throughout her research career, Dr. Haraksingh Thilsted was the first to examine the nutritional composition of native small fish species commonly consumed in Bangladesh and Cambodia. She found connections between the high levels of multiple essential micronutrients and fatty acids present and life-changing benefits for maternal health and children’s cognitive development in the first 1000 days of life. From this breakthrough, she went on to develop nutrition-sensitive approaches and innovations to food production from water and land that have improved the diets, nutrition, and health of millions across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.  She has also made her expertise available to the United Nations and several of its agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

In 2021, Dr. Haraksingh Thilsted was awarded the prestigious World Food Prize and the Arrell Global Food Innovation Award for her groundbreaking research.

Also in 2021, Dr. Haraksingh Thilsted was featured as the keynote speaker at The UWI’s Faculty of Food and Agriculture’s inaugural conference ‘Celebrating 100 Years of Agricultural Research and Innovation: Perspectives on Tropical Food and Agricultural Systems.’ She has a keen interest in collaborating with the Faculty on efforts to address the crucial food and nutrition security issues of the Caribbean region.

Dr. Haraksingh Thilsted is widely published; from 2015 to mid-2022, her publications focusing on food systems, aquaculture, capture fisheries and nutrition amount to fifty-one.

 

 

Ms. Ingrid L-A Lashley

Ms. Ingrid Lashley has blazed a corporate trail for others to follow. Her journey has been one steeped in commitment, service, sacrifice, professionalism, hard work and an unwavering sense of pride for national development.  A certified public accountant, certified management accountant and chartered accountant she has had a successful 18-year career at Scotiabank (Trinidad and Tobago) serving in several senior positions in financial control, private banking, trusteeship and Merchant Banking. She would go on to be appointed General Manager of Scotiatrust and Merchant Bank Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, becoming the first woman to be appointed to the executive team of a major international bank with operations in Trinidad and Tobago. She remained the only female executive until she resigned from the position in 2003.

 

Ms. Lashley was also the first female Managing Director and CEO of the Trinidad and Tobago Mortgage Finance Company Limited (TTMF).  She is credited with transforming the organisation, expanding its portfolio of products and services and achieving financial success for the TTMF while assisting thousands of first-time homeowners in property acquisition.

 

A much sought-after corporate director, Ms. Lashley sits on the board of several entities including as Chair of the West Indian Tobacco Company Limited (WITCO), Trinidad Nitrogen Company Limited (TRINGEN) and National Enterprises Limited (NEL), in which capacity she sits on the boards of the investee companies. In fact, she is the first female to be Chair of not one, but two publicly listed companies on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange.  She also holds directorship in private companies where she works to develop and enhance good corporate governance across a range of industries. At a professional level, she is Chair of the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Ms. Lashley’s service and commitment extend well beyond the doors of corporate life.  Her service to the public includes her charitable work as the first female and non-medical Chair of the Friends of the Blood Bank Association; a board member of her alma mater Bishop Anstey High School; a founding member of Rainbow Rescue, a Home of Hope for boys; and a leader in the local steel band movement.  Ms. Lashley was an active pannist for more than twenty years and still participates widely in the culture of Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Ms.  Rosalind Gabriel

A decades-long creative career as a designer and Band Leader has seen Rosalind Gabriel play an integral part in Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. Particularly, her efforts to incorporate children into ‘mas’ and her positive influences to shape the creative standards of costumes designed for children have been significant.

Ms. Gabriel is the only Bandleader in Children’s Carnival ever to produce a Trilogy, honouring the Calypsonians, (Tempo – 1998) the great Bandleaders (Carnival Time Again – 1999), and the Steelband Movement (Panorama – 2000), highlighting the three main elements of Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival. She was also the first bandleader to have children participate in the Carnival Monday ‘mas’ celebrations and also the first to launch a family band allowing children to participate with their parents.

Ms. Gabriel has produced bands nationally, regionally, and internationally and has often been called upon to showcase the children’s aspect of ‘Mas’ to visiting dignitaries. These dignitaries have included Nelson Mandela, HRH Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Minister of India.

Her commitment to national development has led to her involvement in a number of charity and fundraising projects.  As a carnival industry leader, she has served on the Executive of the National Carnival Bands Association, the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Bands Association and the Board of the National Carnival Commission from 2018 to 2022.

For her contributions to Carnival and culture over the years, Rosalind Gabriel received an Award for Innovation in Mas from the Carnival Institute of Trinidad and Tobago (2006) and the National Humming Bird Medal (Bronze) for Culture (2007).

 

 

Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick

Trinidad-born, acclaimed surgical oncologist Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick is known for his leadership in cancer research and treatment. In the early days of his career, Dr. Frederick specialised in surgical oncology at Howard University, training under the famous Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr.

As an academic, he served on faculty at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; The University of Texas, and the University of Connecticut before returning to his alma mater Howard University in 2006. From 2006 to present, he has held various appointments at Howard University including Clinical Director, Deputy Provost for Health Services, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, and the Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery. Dr. Frederick was appointed President of Howard University in 2014.

Dr. Wayne Frederick has published widely on cancer diagnosis and treatment and has written numerous book chapters and edited many multi-author textbooks. His leadership in cancer research and treatment led to his appointment as Director of Oncology and Associate Director of the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Centre in 2005, Director of the Howard University Cancer Center 2008 to 2011, and Tenured Professor of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery, Howard University 2011 to present.

Under the sustained influence of Dr. Wayne Frederick, Howard University has been a loyal partner and a provider of meaningful career advancement opportunities to graduates of The UWI MBBS programme including residency opportunities in Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Frederick himself has served as an external examiner for The UWI’s MBBS programme. For his life’s work, Dr. Frederick has received a combination of over fifty individual academic and non-academic awards and honours. These have included the national award, the Order of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT) in 2020.

 

 

Lord Robert Nelson

Soca music legend Robert Nelson, better known as ‘Lord Nelson’ and ‘Nello’ is said to be one of the most amiable and sought-after calypsonians and a pioneer of Soca. Born on the tranquil island of Tobago, he migrated to the USA in 1952 seeking a better life. He accidentally discovered his gift for performing and took his newfound talent to the clubs and dance halls of New York City singing the songs of popular calypsonians of the day like Kitchener, Sparrow and Lord Melody. Strategically positioning himself he networked with calypso singers from across the Caribbean like Duke of Iron, Attila the Hun and the Mighty Duke who encouraged him to write his own songs.

Nello was quick to give back, providing a space and the necessary business contacts for contemporaries.  His introductions were critical to the success of artistes like Sparrow, Melody and Duke. Even nine-year-old Soca artist Machel Montano found a slot to perform in his show in Paris, France.

Lord Nelson has performed across the USA, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. His music has always been categorised as revolutionary as he changed the boundaries of calypso by incorporating the roots and rhythms of African drums, R&B, American jazz, Latin, and various Caribbean styles. As one of the acknowledged architects of Soca music, Lord Nelson is responsible for the term ‘Soca’. It was developed from the term Soul Calypso.

Some of his hit songs ‘Disco Daddy’, ‘La La’ and ‘King Liar’ became international Caribbean hits. His classic Soca hit ‘Meh Lover’ dominated Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival for two years in 1982 and 1983 also delighting Caribbean and international markets.  A true cultural ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago, Lord Nelson overcame obstacles of acceptance in Trinidad and Tobago and received several notable accolades including the first Johnnie Walker Black Pioneer Award by the Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) in 2007, the Tobago Heritage Festival – Special Appreciation Award and the national Humming Bird Medal Gold in 2017.

 

 

Professor the Honourable Orlando Patterson

Professor the Honourable Orlando Patterson is a Jamaican historical and cultural sociologist whose work has shed light on contemporary racial and ethnic issues, explored the historical relations between slavery and freedom and examined the problems of development in Jamaica with special reference to the urban poor and educational reform.

Professor Patterson has held faculty appointments at his alma maters, The UWI, and The London School of Economics, and is currently the John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University. He has authored many academic papers, seven major academic books and three novels. His academic works include The Sociology of Slavery: Black Slave Society in Jamaica 1655-1838 (republished 2022) Slavery and Social Death (1982) which received the highest scholarly award of the American Sociological Association; Freedom in the Making of Western Culture which won the American National Book Award for Non-Fiction in 1991; The Cultural Matrix: Understanding Black Youth (2015), and The Confounding Island: Jamaica and the Postcolonial Predicament, 2019, A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice and PROSE award winner for Professional and Scholarly excellence from the Association of American Publishers. His works of fiction are The Children of Sisyphus (1964); An Absence of Ruins (1967) and Die the Long Day (1972). A biography, co-authored with Columbia University Professor David Scott, will appear in 2023.

In service to the public, Professor Patterson was appointed Special Advisor for Social Policy and Development to Prime Minister Michael Manley, serving from 1972-1979; he was appointed Chair of the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission in the Office of Prime Minister Andrew Holness from 2020 to 2021, and Chair of the Commission for the Transformation of Technical and Vocational Education in Jamaica from 2021 to the present.  He has been called twice to the US White House to advise American presidents—in 1975 by President Gerald Ford on the questions of race, ethnicity and identity formation in America, and in 2015 by President Barack Obama on the problem of police brutality and the victimisation of black American youth. He was a founding member of ‘Cultural Survival’ a leading advocacy group for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas, and a Board member of ‘Freedom House’, a major civic organisation promoting freedom and democracy globally. He was a Guggenheim fellow in 1978, is an Ernest W. Burgess Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, and has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1990.

For his work and contributions Professor Patterson has received seven honorary degrees from leading universities around the world, the Gold Musgrave Medal for Distinguished Eminence in Literature (2015) from the Institute of Jamaica, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Lifetime Achievement Award (2016) and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Historical Sociology from the American Sociological Association (2021). He was awarded the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) by the Government of Jamaica in 1999 and in 2020 was awarded one of the nation’s highest honours, the Order of Merit.

 

 

Senator The Honourable Dr. Rosemary Moodie

In 2018, Jamaican-born, UWI alumna, Dr. Rosemary Moodie became the first paediatrician to be appointed to the Senate of Canada—a recognition of her outstanding public service and professional contributions in the field of medicine. A Senior Neonatologist and Full Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto, Dr. Moodie’s professional work has focused on regional health services, health organisation standards and accreditation, and health human resource planning.

Senator Moodie has devoted her career to advocating for women and children in particular, her work has focussed on reducing health disparities. She has served on not-for-profit boards in health, education, and social development; including as the President and Board Chair of the YWCA Toronto when the Elm Centre was completed (The Elm Centre is Canada’s largest affordable housing project for single low-income women, women with mental health and addiction issues, and families of Indigenous ancestry) and on the inaugural Board of Directors of the largest faith-based health network in Canada. She is a Board Director of Scotiabank Foundation, Jamaica.

In her work as an Independent Senator from Ontario in the Parliament of Canada, Senator Moodie continues to advocate for the rights of women and children and has committed to effecting change and building the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into the culture of the Senate. She introduced legislation for a Federal Children’s Commissioner for Canada to promote and protect the rights of children (Bill S-217). In 2020, she sponsored the first emergency debate on racism in the Senate of Canada. She sits on the Standing Committees of Social Affairs, Science and Technology and the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, and chairs the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, along with the Parliamentary Black Caucus and the African Canadian Senators Group.

As a senator, Dr. Rosemary Moodie also maintains strong links with CARICOM countries, strengthening and building linkages between Caricom leaders and Canadian parliamentarians. She was featured in international policy fora including the CARICOM-CANADA Policy Forum and UNICEF Worlds of Influence.

Among Senator Moodie’s numerous awards are the Faculty of Medicine Dean’s Alumni Award – Lifetime Achievement Award, University of Toronto; City of Toronto – Access and Human Rights Constance E. Hamilton Award on the Status of Women; and Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto – Top 10 High Achieving Women.

In 2017, she was awarded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander Class for outstanding contributions in philanthropy, community development and medicine in the Jamaican Diaspora of Canada. She has also been awarded the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest civilian honour for steering social change and expanding health care access for society’s vulnerable.

 

 

Mr Adam Stewart

Adam Stewart is the Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), the parent company of the world’s most recognised brands of luxury all-inclusive resorts. Today the company is one of the region’s largest employers with over 15,000 team members and 24 resorts across four brands and eight islands.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Stewart spent more than a decade as Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SRI, leading the brand’s transition to its now Luxury Included® signature.

In 2015, Adam Stewart was named Hotelier of the Year both by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association. Also in 2015 he was named World Travel Awards’ Rising Star, Caribbean World’s Travel and Tourism Personality of the Year, and received the Distinguished Alumni Torch Award from his alma mater, Florida International University.

In addition to his role with SRI, Mr. Stewart continues his leadership role in the family’s extensive hospitality, media, automotive and appliance business holdings, including his position as Executive Chairman of the ATL Group. In 2017, Mr. Stewart oversaw the introduction of the Starbucks® brand to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Turks, and Caicos and Panama.

Despite being one of the most successful and admired entrepreneurs of our time, Adam Stewart remains a proud Jamaican and Caribbean citizen, dedicating much of his time to elevating the region. In 2009, he founded the Sandals Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation that harnesses the strength of the Sandals brand to tackle issues affecting the Caribbean. One hundred percent of the general public’s proceeds to the foundation goes directly to programmes benefitting the Caribbean. He is also founder and active Chairman of the local non-profit ‘We Care for Cornwall Regional Hospital’ which raises funds to improve hospital facilities.

 

In 2016, Adam Stewart received the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) for his outstanding contribution to tourism and the hotel industry. He was also named the 2016 Caribbean American Mover and Shaker – Humanitarian of the Year by the Caribbean Media Network.  In 2017, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) honoured Stewart with the Jerry Award for outstanding contributions to Caribbean development. Under his leadership in 2020, SRI responded to the Jamaican Government’s call for COVID-19 relief handing over Sandals Carlyle Resort free of charge for 18 months and donating JA$30M for the purchase of care packages.

Mr. Stewart sits on the Board of Directors of Wysinco Group Limited and the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). He also has a long relationship with The UWI serving as Ambassador of the Western Jamaica Campus. In 2021, he signed an MOU with The UWI sealing US$10M in support from the SRI toward the establishment of the Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart International School of Hospitality and Tourism in honour of his late father and Sandals founder Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart.

Ms. Diane Jaffee

Diane Jaffee is an outstanding Corporate Executive with more than three decades of investment experience in the financial asset management industry. An accredited Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a well sought-after industry expert, her intellect, dedication and commitment to ethics and service excellence place a spotlight on her in a fast-paced, highly dynamic, male-dominated industry. She believes her clients’ financial health is second only to their physical well-being.  TCW is among the largest privately held asset management companies in the industry with approximately US$220 billion under management. Ms Jaffee manages the TCW Relative Value US and Global equity strategies for clients worldwide using a time-tested value and dividend-oriented investment style and has earned a reputation for success.

In the course of her career, Ms. Jaffee has served as Portfolio Manager at Kidder, Peabody & Co. and as an Equity Analyst with Prudential Insurance. In 2007 she was named winner of the ‘Separately Managed Accounts Award – Large Cap Equity’ by Standards & Poor, Prima Capital and Investment Advisor magazine. 2012/2013 saw TCW’s Relative Value Large Cap; Dividend Appreciation and Mid Cap mutual funds each awarded, multiple times, as top performers by the Wall Street Journal including the titles of ‘Category Kings’ and top-performing funds in different quarters.

Although not a Caribbean native, Ms. Jaffee has embraced the need to invest in the education of the region’s talented youth contributing approximately US$400,000 and sponsoring full-tuition scholarships for many deserving students at The UWI. For her contributions, she received the Corporate Award from the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI) 2010.

 

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