The UWI Regional Headquarters Jamaica. Monday, 15 June 2020. Academics in the fields of in tourism, economics, accounting, social psychology, management, political and social psychology, agriculture, marine biology, cultural studies, plant pathology and petroleum engineering are among the newest professors at The University of the West Indies (The UWI).

The academics were recently promoted from Senior Lecturers to Professor, the highest rank at the regional university. These promotions follow a review of their records of teaching, research, public service and other professional activities by internal and external assessors. The appointments were subsequently approved at recent meeting of the University Finance and General Purposes Committee (UFGPC). The new professors and the dates with which their appointments take effect are as follows:

February 2020

• Dr Philmore Alleyne, Cave Hill Campus, promoted to Professor of Accounting
• Dr Raffie Hosein, St Augustine Campus, promoted to Professor of Petroleum Engineering
• Dr Troy Lorde, Cave Hill Campus, promoted to Professor of the Economics of Tourism

May 2020

• Dr Christopher Charles, Mona Campus, promoted to Professor of Political Social Psychology

• Dr Dwayne Devonish, Cave Hill Campus, promoted to Professor of Management and Organisational Behaviour
• Dr Judith Gobin, St Augustine Campus who was promoted to Professor of Marine Biology
• Dr Aaron Kamugisha, Cave Hill Campus, who was promoted to Professor of Caribbean and Africana Thought
• Dr Duraisamy Saravanakumar, St Augustine Campus, promoted to Professor of Plant Pathology

More about the new Professors

Professor Philmore Alleyne

Professor Philmore Alleyne is a Chartered Accountant and lectures in Accounting at The UWI, Cave Hill. His research interests are notably wide and include, accounting and auditing; taxation; business; professional ethics and whistle-blowing among public accountants. His work provides welcomed additions to literature particularly in context of developing and emerging countries.

Professor Alleyne has published 47 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including the top-rated British Accounting Review and Journal of Business Ethics. One assessor noted that this robust publication record alone warrants his promotion to full professorship. He has presented at eight conferences, written 16 non-academic publications including technical reports and has over 20 works in progress. His book, Ethical and Whistleblowing Considerations in the Accounting Profession in the Caribbean, was accepted for publication in 2019.

In 2018, Professor Alleyne presented on ‘Corporate Governance and Corruption’ to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, in Barbados. He currently serves as a member of the editorial Boards for The Accounting Educator’s Journal, the Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting (Emerald Journal) and the Inter-American Journal of Psychology.

Professor Alleyne received the Cave Hill Campus Principal’s Award for Excellence for Research and Publications in 2013. In 2018, he also won the Emerald Literati Award from Emerald Publishing and the Cave Hill Campus Award for the Most Internationally Successful Research.

Professor Alleyne holds a BSc (Hons.) in Accounting (1986) from The UWI, Cave Hill. He was designated a Chartered Accountant by the UK’s Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in 1990 and became a Fellow (FCCA) of the Association in 1996. In 2003 he became a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Accountants (FCA). He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Oxford Brookes University (2004); a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip – Distinction) Research Methods (2007) and his PhD in Accounting (2010), both from the University of Bradford.

Professor Alleyne served as Head of the Department of Management Studies from 2012 – 2018. He developed two postgraduate courses and supervised five PhD candidates. He is currently Chair of the Barbados Minimum Wage Board and works pro bono as an auditor for the Barbados Red Cross Society.

Professor Raffie Hosein

Head of The UWI St. Augustine’s Department of Chemical Engineering, Coordinator of MSc Reservoir Engineering programme funded by BPTT and Chartered Petroleum Engineer, Professor Raffie Hosein, is a recognised professional and educator in his field.

A proud alumnus, Professor Hosein is the only holder of the combination of the BSc (1984), MPhil (1990) and PhD (2004) with high commendation in Petroleum Engineering from The UWI. He also holds a postgraduate certificate (PGCert) in Teaching and Learning with Distinction from The UWI.

A large percentage of Professor Hosein’s research work focuses on oil and gas extraction in Trinidad and Tobago. More recently, his research has diversified to novel methods for improving heavy oil recovery and new research on radio frequency heating of oil sands combined with solvent injections. The latter, according to one assessor is an area with “…potential for developing innovative and new technology.”

Professor Hosein has published over 27 articles in peer-reviewed journals and prepared seven technical reports, specifically for the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, Trinidad and Tobago. He has also delivered 24 conference and seminar presentations and is a reviewer for several journals including the Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering and the West Indian Journal of Engineering.

In 2018, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) awarded Professor Hosein the Regional Distinguished Achievement Award for distinction in classroom teaching and research contributions to the petroleum engineering profession. Over his academic career, he has supervised over 120 postgraduate research projects and currently supervises four MPhil and four PhD candidates.

Professor Hosein’s work outside the region includes academic and technical roles at the Sultan Qaboos University, Oman and Texas A&M University, Qatar. His work as an international industry Teaching Consultant has connected him with large industry players like Schlumberger and PetroKnowledge in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Professor Hosein served as member of the Energy Task Force established by the Trinidad and Tobago Government to advise its Standing Committee on Energy. He is currently a Fellow with the UK Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), member of the UK Energy Institute (EI), Vice-Chairman of the Caribbean Branch and member of the SPE.

Professor Troy Lorde

Professor Troy Lorde started his career at The UWI, Cave Hill as a teaching assistant in 1998. He joined the Campus in 2004 and worked his way up to Head of the Department of Economics, a position he has held since 2018. Professor Lorde holds a PhD in Tourism Economics from the University of Surrey (2014), an MA in Economics from York University (1999) and a BSc in Economics and Accounting from The UWI, Cave Hill (1998).

Professor Lorde’s primary research interests include Tourism Economics Trade and Growth and Development. His research is both ground-breaking and practical. One assessor noted that he leads the research in tourism demand modelling and forecasting. Another praised the practical applicability of Professor Lorde’s work which addresses current topics such as climate change, Airbnb supply and electrical energy for economic growth.

For his outstanding research in Economics, Professor Lorde has received numerous UWI awards. They include a Campus Research Award in 2007, 2009 and 2018 and the Campus Principal’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2017. His work in teaching and learning was recognised with a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)/Guild of Students Certificate for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2019. Professor Lorde also received the CIBC First Caribbean International Bank (CIBC) Research Grant(s) in Banking and Finance in 2016.

A well published researcher, he has 43 peer-reviewed publications in top tier journals including Tourism Management, Energy Economics and the Journal of Travel Research and Tourism Economics. He has also authored 10 book chapters and monographs with several in progress. Professor Lorde has supervised and examined 33 postgraduate researchers including nine at the PhD and MPhil levels and has presented at 47 conferences.

Professor Lorde’s work is valuable to policymakers and the public alike. He has served as the Assistant Chief Examiner in Economics, Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE); is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee of the Agricultural Development Fund, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Barbados and has appeared as a guest columnist in the Sunday Sun Newspaper and the Barbados Business Authority.

Professor Christopher Charles

Professor of Political and Social Psychology, Christopher Charles tackles complex topics related to post-colonial political and social identity. As a researcher, he is deeply concerned with colourism, electoral politics, violence and extreme partisanship—realities he proposes are legacies of slavery and colonialism. Regarding his work in social identity, one assessor calls him the ‘preeminent scholar of skin bleaching’ a topic that has implications for African diaspora and sub Saharan societies. Professor Charles’ research refutes the theory that skin-bleaching is a result of low self-esteem and self-hate. He instead argues that bleaching is related to colourism and the associated miseducation as skin-bleachers scarcely display low self-esteem or a sense of body disturbance.

Professor Charles holds a BA in Geography with Social Science (1990) and an MSc in Government (1994) both from The UWI, Mona. His qualifications in Psychology include an MA (2006), MPhil (2008) and a PhD (2010); all from the City University of New York.

Professor Charles’ body of published work includes 38 peer-reviewed articles comprising book chapters and journal articles. These have been published broadly in Caribbean journals as well as international publications such as The Journal of Black Studies and the British Journal of Psychology. Professor Charles has presented at 33 conferences, is an ad hoc peer reviewer for several international journals and is the Editor of the book, Perspectives on Caribbean Football (2015).

At The UWI, Mona, Professor Charles is Programme Coordinator for the BSc programme ‘Political Leadership, Strategy and Management’ and has designed several undergraduate courses. He has supervised seven postgraduate researchers and served as examiner for nine others.

Throughout his career, Professor Charles has served the public as an educator, youth worker, counsellor, newspaper columnist and a sport psychology consultant. He is currently a member of the Board of Visitors for the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre.

Professor Dwayne Devonish

Professor Dwayne Devonish impressed assessors with the breadth and depth of his scholarship. It was noted that “his research appears in quality outlets and much of it is of direct value to the internal and external communities he serves.”

This alumnus of The UWI, Cave Hill Campus holds both a Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education along with a BSc in Psychology (First Class Honours) from the University as well as an MSc in Work and Organisational Psychology (with Distinction) and a PhD in Work and Organisational Psychology from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

He began his academic career in 2005 as a Research Assistant in the Department of Management Studies, and transitioned to Assistant Lecturer, Temporary Lecturer, Lecturer and Senior Lecturer.

Professor Devonish’s scholarly output has totalled 31 journal articles, with seven of those articles being single-authorships in international scholarly journals. He served as first author contributor to an additional four of these articles. Within the last four years he published nine scholarly articles and one refereed book.

The impact of his focused research work in organisational psychology and behaviour has led to heightened local, regional and international recognition and allowed the building of an attractive profile for securing funds for various research projects and activities over the last few years. He is credited with attracting over US$1,305,000 in research grant funding.

At the same time, he has maintained a full course load in the Department of Management Studies, covering key undergraduate and postgraduate courses and he has supervised at least 16 graduate students including MSc, MPhil and PhD candidates.

Over the past ten years at The UWI Cave Hill Campus, he also served as an active committee member on over 15 faculty-level and/or University-level committees.

He is currently the Chief Coordinator of the MSc. International Management programme within the Department of Management Studies which he recently restructured into an MSc. International Business programme. He is also credited with the development of a comprehensive guide for assessing faculty members’ academic performance in the areas of teaching, research, public service and university service.

He has contributed his expertise to public service in the areas of human resource management and organisation behaviour for the last ten years as a trainer, presenter and committee member for many public sector and private sector organisations locally and regionally.

Professor Judith Gobin

Professor Judith Gobin is an internationally recognised marine biology expert. Currently Head of the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology at The UWI, St Augustine, her marine research career spans more than 38 years. Professor Gobin has made significant contributions to the knowledge of marine biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.

She earned a PhD in Marine Ecology from the University of Exeter, UK (1994) and holds an MPhil in Pollution Ecology (1988) and a BSc in Zoology/Botany (1982), both from The UWI, St Augustine. Professor Gobin began her academic career as a Lecturer (in 2002) and then a Senior Lecturer (in 2016). As a Caribbean Marine Scientist, Professor Gobin has achieved a number of firsts. She was appointed to the REV Ocean Science and Innovation Committee (SIC) in 2019 and serves on the Global Advisory Board of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) since 2018. She contributed to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) as Lead Author (2019) and also to the World Ocean Assessment (2015) and the Census of Marine Life Initiative (2010).

Her works on almost 300 new marine scientific species and records for the Caribbean have been published. In 2018, she launched with NIHERST a book and five-part DVD series, Deep Sea Wonders featuring footage from an expedition by the E/V Nautilus. She was on-board the ship that showcased the first clear pictorial look at the Caribbean’s deep sea communities.

Beyond academic achievements, Professor Gobin has been making marine scientific interventions and contributing to the negotiations for an international legally binding instrument, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). She has also given a number of international talks as a Small Island Developing States (SIDs) marine science expert.

One external assessor commented that Professor Gobin’s “scientific excellence and her international connections make her have a huge global reach and influence. As such, she is an incredible Ambassador for The UWI and for Trinidad and Tobago.”

Professor Aaron Kamugisha

Professor Kamugisha’s research focus is on the social, cultural and political thought of the Caribbean and African diaspora, and is one of the leading specialists on Caribbean and Africana thought at the University of the West Indies. A UWI alumnus, he completed his BSc. in Accounting (1997) and MPhil in Political Science with high commendation (2002) at the Cave Hill Campus. He earned his PhD in Social and Political Thought at York University in Toronto (2006), and was the 2007/2008 Postdoctoral fellow in the Department of African-American Studies at Northwestern University.

His career at The UWI commenced as a temporary lecturer in Political Science in 2006/2007, following which, he served in the Cultural Studies Programme in as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and now Professor. In total, he has served 13 years at The UWI, taught 17 different courses in the areas of Cultural Studies and Political Science, and supervised a number of students towards the award of their MA, MPhil and PhD degrees in a variety of disciplines.

Among his service highlights at The UWI, Cave Hill are Programme Coordinator, Cultural Studies from 2015 to the present, Chair of the Campus Lecturer Series Committee (2012-2015); Principal Investigator at The UWI of the “Other Universals: Theorizing from Postcolonial Locations on Politics and Aesthetics” International Consortium 2017-present; contributing to The UWI Assessment and Promotions Guidelines (2019); Programme Coordinator for Cultural Studies and Lead Coordinator of the Cultural Studies Quality Review Assessment.

Professor Kamugisha’s scholarly publications include one single authored book, six edited collections, four special issues of academic journals, 15 journal articles and 13 book chapters. He has spoken by invitation at over 27 different universities around the world, including in Africa, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, the Caribbean, Europe and North America. Outside The UWI, Professor Kamugisha has an extensive record of public service which includes coordinating, speaking and moderating or chairing several lectures and seminars. He was the recipient of a Cave Hill Campus Principal’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2013 and was awarded a US$1.1 million grant for the Other Universals Consortium project in association with the University of the Western Cape, the University of Cape Town, and the American University of Beirut.

One of his external assessors reported, “He has carved out a distinctive position as a cross–disciplinary and creative thinker, whose writings are relevant in both the humanities and social sciences, including cultural studies, philosophy, literature and political theory.”

Professor Duraisamy Saravanakumar

Assessors say “the noteworthy features of Professor Saravanakumar are his work on the molecular plant pathogen interaction seeking for biological agents able to enhance the host plant resistance. The high level of his contribution in many scientific events must be appreciated and recognised by the senior academic community.”

Professor Saravanakumar holds a BSc in Agriculture, an MSc in Plant Pathology and a PhD in Plant Pathology from the Agricultural College and Research Institute in TNAU, India, and a Postgraduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning from The UWI, St Augustine Campus.

He has served at St Augustine as Senior Lecturer in Plant Pathology in the Department of Food Production since January 2014. Prior to this, he held a range of academic positions at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in India, and University of Turin in Italy. He is credited with establishing a progressive research programme in agriculture and plant pathology that is appropriate for the needs of West Indian agriculture and has also maintained an impressive record of leadership at various levels. He has 15 years of experience in developing microbial based novel formulations for the management of plant health, including postharvest diseases.

He is currently engaged in research on the development of molecular diagnostics of tropical plant pathogens and bio formulations for the sustainable management of plant diseases. He served as an international consultant for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to develop the certification protocol for the production of disease free planting materials in ginger in Jamaica. From 2014 to 2019, he supervised 11 students, with another 12 currently reading for the MSc, MPhil and PhD levels.

Professor Saravanakumar has published over 54 impactful research papers in refereed journals and authored nine book chapters. His publications have over 2500 citations within Google Scholar, with papers published as first author, earning over 1300 citations – particularly in the fields of plant pathology, entomology, biological control, stress mitigation, microbiology, environmental science, and molecular biology.

He has received externally funded research grants to the value of TT$3,100,000 as Principal Investigator and Key Expert from funding agencies such as GEF-FAO, European Union, UWI-TT RDI Fund, Campus Research and Publication Fund and UNU-BIOLAC – United Nations University.

Professor Saravanakumar holds professional membership in a range of bodies including the American Phytopathological Society and India’s National Environmental Science Academy. He has served as an ad-hoc reviewer for various plant science journals of Elsevier, Springer and Wiley. Professor Saravanakumar is also a topic editor for the journal, Frontiers on the Topic of Plant Growth Promotional Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture in 2020.

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