Robert Riley to chair UWI St Augustine Campus Council

THE UWI St Augustine campus has announced four new appointments to its executive management.

The new appointees are Robert Riley, chair of the St Augustine Campus Council; Prof Derek Chadee, deputy principal; Kevin Kalloo, campus bursar and Prof Canute Thompson, pro vice-chancellor for the board of undergraduate studies.

In a news release on October 4, UWI said it was pleased to announce the appointments of "key executive management personnel."

UWI said pursuant to Statute 7 (1) of the Statutes and Ordinances, chancellor Dodridge D Miller has appointed Robert Riley as chair of the St Augustine Campus Council for a term of five years, from September 4, 2024, to July 31, 2029.

"In his role as chair, Riley will preside over meetings of the St Augustine Campus Council and perform duties as conferred or imposed by any UWI statute, ordinance, order, or regulation," it added.

He succeeds Sharon Christopher, who served as chair from November 16, 2018.

UWI said, "The Campus extends sincere thanks to Ms Christopher for her contributions and commitment to the University."

Riley, an alumnus of UWI, is a retired chairman and chief executive officer of BP TT and is also an attorney-at-law.

He has held various executive management and senior legal positions, including head of safety and operations risk at BP PLC in London, vice president of legal and government affairs at Amoco and BP/Amoco, and general counsel and corporate secretary at BWIA. Additionally, he has served on the Boards of Amoco Trinidad and Tobago LLC and other Amoco entities, Titan Methanol, BP TT, Atlantic LNG, The Bank of Nova Scotia TT Ltd, UTT, Caribbean Airlines Ltd, and the Board of Management of JD Sellier & Co, attorneys at law. He was elected chairman of the board of Massy Holdings Ltd effective May 12, 2023.

Riley holds a first degree in agriculture. He has been awarded a Chaconia Medal (Gold) for his contribution to National Development. In 2009, he received a doctorate of laws from UWI.

UWI said, "The Campus extends congratulations to Mr Robert Riley on his appointment as Chair of the St Augustine Campus Council and looks forward to his tenure."

Chadee, the release said, has been a valued member of The UWI community since 1995, serving both at the St Augustine Campus and at regional headquarters. As the co-ordinator of the psychology programme, he played a pivotal role in developing the psychology programmes within the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Most recently, he served as Pro Vice-Chancellor, Board for Undergraduate Studies, at the University Centre.

Kalloo, a third-generation Kalloo at UWI, joined the St Augustine Campus in 2007. He became a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in 2005 and was made a Fellow in 2011. Kalloo has been a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago since 2013 and holds an MSc in Strategic Leadership and Management (Distinction) and a BSc in Accounting (Honours) from UWI.

Kalloo has served as acting campus bursar since August 2023.

He succeeds Andrea Taylor-Hanna, to whom the campus expresses its sincere appreciation for her contributions.

Prof Canute Thompson was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Board of Undergraduate Studies, effective October 1, 2024.

In this role, Thompson will lead the Office of the Board for Undergraduate Studies (OBUS), overseeing policy development and implementation for quality assurance across all undergraduate and sub-degree programmes at The UWI and its affiliates.

A professor of educational policy, planning, and leadership, Thompson has served as the director of the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP) and was the project director for the UWI Governance Recommendation and Implementation Committee from 2022 to 2024.

He holds a doctorate in educational administration and leadership and has a strong publication record, including several books and numerous journal articles.