UWI astronomer receives Ansa McAl science award

On Friday evening, astronomer and lecturer, Dr Shirin Haque, was presented with the 2020 Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence prize in science and technology.

A lecturer at the UWI, St Augustine, Haque is the only professional astronomer in the Caribbean.

A press release by Ansa McAl said Haque, who was born in India and migrated to TT in her childhood, “has done more than any person to advance the science, and science generally, to the public and in the academe through teaching, public education, documentary films, and television programmes.”

The award was presented by President Paula-Mae Weekes at the Tatil Building in Port of Spain. Weekes said the Office of the President had been following Haque’s work for some time and hoped to feature her in an upcoming initiative to highlight the work of women in science.

In her acceptance remarks, Haque extolled the virtues of science and the benefits of encouraging women and girls to pursue science as a career.

Andrew Sabga, chairman of the Ansa McAl Foundation, agreed, noting that four women were awarded Nobel prizes this year, with three in science.

“We are very excited that Dr Haque is part of this wave of women in science. We at Ansa McAl will do everything in our power to encourage the increased participation of women and girls in science.”

The release said the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence was the first regional prize to be awarded annually in science, art, civic activism, and entrepreneurship. It originated in TT in 2005 and has been awarded to more than 40 Caribbean people over the last fifteen years.

As such, the ceremony on Friday was one of four held in the region over the last month. In Jamaica, Dr Olivene Burke, a social scientist and activist in was presented with the public and civic contributions prize; in St Lucia, sculptor Jallim Eudovic was presented with the arts and letters prize; and in Guyana, entrepreneur Andrew Mendes was presented with the entrepreneurship prize. All presentations were made by heads of state and government of the various territories.