Faculty Report 19/20
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ABOUT THE COVER As funding challenges deepen for higher education A Publication of The Marketing & Communications Office institutions across the world, we look at the impact of the St. Augustine The University of the West Indies, Campus and the value it creates for the communities it serves. St. Augustine Campus Website: http://sta.uwi.edu UWI Today: http://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday For information on how your business or organisation can tap into our wealth of research and expertise, visit https://sta.uwi.edu/stacie/ Faculty Report 2019/2020 2 Faculty of Engineering 8 Faculty of Food & Agriculture 14 Faculty of Humanities & Education 26 Faculty of Law 32 Faculty of Medical Sciences 42 Faculty of Science & Technology 52 Faculty of Social Sciences 56 Faculty of Sport 58 Centres & Units 58 ANSA McAl Psychological Research Centre 61 Centre for Health Economics (HEU) 64 Institute for Gender & Development Studies (IGDS) 70 Institute of International Relations (IIR) 75 Seismic Research Centre (SRC) 80 Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social & Economic Studies (SALISES) 82 Publications & Conferences (Online only) 1 Dean’s Summary n the second semester, because of COVID-19, all courses and modules Iin the Faculty of Engineering were uploaded unto myeLearning and taught remotely using the online platforms - Blackboard Collaborate (BBC)/ZOOM. Virtual labs, virtual field trips and virtual tours, remote access to data rooms, and software were provided to students to complete any outstanding labs, field trips, and project reports and ensure that all required Professor Edwin Ekwue Dean learning outcomes were achieved. Faculty of The Faculty hosted the International Conference on Emerging Trends Engineering had a in Engineering and Technology total enrolment of (IConETech-2020), which featured 1,909 during the international participants and staff reporting period. from all five departments of the Faculty. The Conference was conducted This number virtually using the Zoom platform included 1,118 over five days, from June 1 to 5, 2020. undergraduate and The IConETech-2020 Conference 791 postgraduate website was hosted on The UWI St. students. At the end Augustine conference webpage: http://conferences.sta.uwi.edu/ of the 2019/2020 iconetech2020/index.php. A total of 150 academic year, 115 papers were accepted and presented. postgraduate and The Conference was successfully 269 undergraduate completed and the proceedings published on the conference website. students graduated The Faculty extends thanks to Professor from the Faculty. Boppana Chowdary and his team for their tremendous efforts in organising this conference. Plans were advanced to transfer the Pre- Engineering Programme from the Open Campus to the Faculty of Engineering at St. Augustine. The programme’s courses were revised and received approval from the Board of Undergraduate 2 Faculty Report 2019/2020 Studies, Accreditation Council of Trinidad The Department of Geomatics converter, and Performance evaluation & Tobago, and GATE. The transfer aims at Engineering and Land Management of a purification system in a methanol better promotion and monitoring of the continued to distinguish itself plant, amongst other areas. Dr David programme. locally, regionally, and in the wider Janes’ research included Wastewater international community, receiving pH adjustment with carbon dioxide Following an MoU signed between The honours and recognition from UWI and injection studies, and sustainable UWI and National Energy of Guyana, the other tertiary academic institutions. development of hydrocarbon Department of Chemical Engineering Two staff members continued serving processes. Dr Jeffrey Smith focused conducted its self-financing MSc as Coordinating Lead Authors, expert on PET recycling and Waste materials Petroleum Engineering programme at reviewers, and review editors for re-use; Dr Dhurjati Chakrabarti the University of Guyana for the first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate focused on areas such as, the Effect of time. The Department acquired a sum Change (IPCC) publications. solvent addition on bitumen-air bubble of TT$3 million for its world-class Rock attachment and Regime indicator for Mechanics facilities for teaching, research, The Department of Mechanical multiphase reactor. Dr Carmen Riverol commercial services, and to become fully and Manufacturing Engineering research focused on Desalination operational. coordinated a seminar on “3D Printing using liquid membrane, and Numerical in the Caribbean Industry.” The Industrial simulation; while Mrs Thérése Lee The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering Team hosted the 12th Chan focused on Process control Engineering built on its initiatives, which public seminar on “Project Management and optimisation. Dr Keenan Ward resulted in the successful re-accreditation Practices in the Caribbean.” research included Sargassum (seaweed) of its undergraduate and post-graduate for the production of bioplastics and programmes. The Department was Enrolment & Graduation Environmental sustainability assessment successful in continuing to provide Based on figures supplied by the with Proman Limited (Trinidad & quality teaching and alternative Campus Office for Planning & Tobago). assessments for students. A number Institutional Research (COPIR), the of public statements, symposia, and Faculty of Engineering had a total Food Science and Technology Unit outreach activities highlighted that The enrolment of 1,909 during the reporting Dr Saheeda Mujaffar’s research focus UWI is the repository of engineering period. This number included 1,118 included, but was not limited to, Gelatin knowledge and is relevant to the current undergraduate and 791 postgraduate from alternate sources, and Drying needs of the society. students. At the end of the 2019/2020 studies involving cocoa, tomatoes, academic year, 115 postgraduate and watermelon, avocado pulp, banana The Department of Electrical and 269 undergraduate students graduated slices, saijan leaves and fruit carambola Computer Engineering maintained from the Faculty. puree. Professor Winston Mellows collaborative arrangements with focused on research involving Tamarind several regional and international Research ice cream and Bread using okra seed institutions including the Caribbean Department of Chemical Engineering flour. Telecommunications Union, the Some major areas of focus within International Telecommunications Union, the Department were identified and Petroleum Studies Unit the Latin American and Caribbean researched. Professor Raffie Hosein focused on Collaborative Research Initiative, IBM, Heavy oil recovery and oil recovery from Nvidia Corporation, Huawei, T&TEC, the Chemical Engineering Unit Trinidad Tar Sands by radio-frequency Institute of Electrical and Electronics Dr Sharad Maharaj’s area of focus heating, and Carbon dioxide capture Engineers, the University of Calgary included, but was not limited transmission for EOR and sequestration (Canada), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), to, Mathematical modelling and onshore and offshore Trinidad; Dr and SUNY Oswego (US). optimisation of an ammonia synthesis Lorraine Sobers’ areas of research 3 included Carbon dioxide enhances oil the West Indies, Highway Engineering Grenadines. Funded by Food and recovery, and Carbon dioxide emission Laboratory provides laboratory Agricultural Organisation (FAO) by Dr reduction in Trinidad. Additional testing services to Danny’s Enterprises Charise Griffith-Charles; SUNRISE: work within the Unit came from Mr Co. Ltd. The tests carried out are (a) Situated Understanding of Resilience Hamid Hassanali who researched Aggregate materials, (b) Asphalt Mix in Island Societies and Environments the Determination of individual layer Design and, (c) Asphalt mix testing by Professor Michelle Mycoo; permeability and skin in multilayer (Dr Trevor Townsend and Dr Lee Developing a Management Information reservoirs; Professor of Practice, Leon); Evaluation of the Cliff Failure at System for the Environment Division, Mr Andrew Jupiter focused on Gas Bamboo Village, Cedros for the Coastal Ministry of Planning and Development, hydrates; Dr Ryan Ramsook researched Protection Unit (CPU), Ministry of Government of Trinidad & Tobago, Field development of shallow reservoirs Works and Transport (Dr Charmaine Funded by the Food and Agriculture - (East Coast Trinidad). Dr Oshaine O’Brien-Delpesh and Dr K Park); Organisation, Trinidad & Tobago by Dr Blake’s research focused on Thermal and Ministry of Energy and Energy Bheshem Ramlal, and Autonomous effects during CO2 injection, and Affairs, Trinidad & Tobago European Transmission Infrastructure Monitoring. Elastic and seismic transport properties Regional Development Fund- INTERREG The UWI-Trinidad & Tobago Research of shale from the Northern Basin of Caraïbes, and the CARIB-COAST project and Development Impact Fund. Trinidad. Dr Anastasia Baboolal’s – Caribbean network for coastal risks The potential impact of this project research included the areas of prevention related with climate change is the innovative monitoring and Mineralogy, and Organic Geochemistry (Dr Deborah Villarroel-Lamb). maintenance of transmission lines using and Petrology. drones that affects safety and continuity Department of Electrical and of power supplies by Dr Michael Department of Civil and Computer Engineering Sutherland. Environmental Engineering During the 2019/2020 academic year, The Department’s areas of research research was conducted in image Department of Mechanical and included, Dr Richard Clarke’s study