UWI congratulates its award recipients

THE University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine Campus has congratulated its national award recipients.

In a release, the UWI lauded the contributions of former Central Bank Governor Ewart Williams, haematologist Dr. Waveney Charles, psychiatrist Dr Ian Anthony Hypolite and former lecturer and permanent secretary in the ministry of Culture and the Arts, Sport and Youth Affairs and Legal Affairs, Dr Lester Efebo Wilkinson.

Pro vice-chancellor and campus principal of The UWI St. Augustine, Professor Brian Copeland, extended heartfelt congratulations to the national award recipients, thanking them for their contributions both to The UWI and wider community.

As a former national award recipient himself, he was a joint recipient of the Chaconia Medal Gold in 2007 and in 2008, he was the first recipient of the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in 2008.

Williams was a member of the first graduating class in the Master of Science in Economics programme and is currently chairman of the St. Augustine Campus Council.

Dr Charles, a former faculty member at the Faculty of Medical Sciences is the first registered haematologist in TT. She pioneered the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders in this country. In her role as Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service, she transformed and internationalised this country’s blood banking service and established a paediatric haematology programme that resulted in a decreased mortality rate among children with Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Anemia and Haemophilia.

Dr Hypolite is also a former faculty member and is also known for his coaching of world champion of the 400 metre hurdler and UWI alum Jehue Gordon. He was also the former Hospital Medical Director of St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital.

Dr Wilkinson was a former lecturer in Theatre Arts at the Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA) and spearheaded, alongside other government ministers, several ground-breaking initiatives such as the Open School for the Arts in collaboration with The UWI, thereby enabling expanded access for all to quality education in the Arts, the release said.