Faculty Report 07/08
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07/08 reportfaculty The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus The University of The West Indies St. Augustine Campus facultyREPORT0708 04 engineering 18 humanities & education 28 medical sciences 46 science & agriculture 70 social sciences 85 centres & units 109 publications and conferences faculty of engineering 4 engineering faculty of ten students graduated with research degrees: five mphils and five phds. overall, 41 of our graduates achieved first class honours. the department of mechanical & manufacturing engineering graduated the highest number5 of students. dean, faculty of engineering Professor Brian Copeland The Faculty decided to address particular aspects of the general UWI strategic plan, such as Curriculum and Pedagogical Reform (CPR) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels; improving support systems within the Faculty; and creating effective Research and Innovation (R&I) processes. Success however, depends on our ability to overcome existing challenges such as staff retention, upgrade of both the physical and human resource, particularly technical staff. These are discussed more fully in our section on Strategy Appraisal. The Faculty has prepared a comprehensive proposal related to the Research and Innovation (R&I), pillar of the Strategic Plan. The proposal recognises that meaningful advances in R&I at UWI will not occur unless the region develops a functional innovation system that includes all major stakeholders and a regional strategy that coordinates the activities of all major actors. The region needs to re-adjust its priorities and develop systems and approaches that encourage innovation leading to wealth creation. 6 faculty of engineering Students Postgraduate At the postgraduate level, in 2007/2008, The Faculty attracted 256 new students into 130 students graduated from our taught Enrolment (On and Off Campus) its taught postgraduate Diploma/Masters postgraduate programmes, a 76% increase Total: 2377 programmes, 11% less than the previous over the year over which had a figure of Undergraduate Degrees: 1432 academic year which had an enrolment of 74 students. Ten students graduated with Higher Degrees & Diplomas: 918 284. research degrees: five MPhils and five PhDs. Undergraduate New postgraduate enrolment in MPhil and For the academic year 2007/2008 the PhD programmes of the Faculty, while still The following is the list of the PhD awardees undergraduate intake for all programmes low, increased by 128% to 16 students in and the titles of their respective theses: in the Faculty was 390 students, 11% less 2007/2008. Research student enrolment than the previous year. The BSc programme will remain low given the very good PhD Electrical & Computer Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in employment opportunities for lower level • Ronald Earle De Four - ‘Vector Biosystems experienced a 100% increase in degree graduates in Trinidad and Tobago Analysis, Control and Modelling of enrolment, while there was a 20% increase and the region for Engineers, Surveyors and Brushless DC Motors and Permanent in Electrical & Computer Engineering, a 61% Petroleum Geoscientists and the traditional Magnets Synchronous Motors increase in the Civil with Environmental lack of regional employment opportunities Operated in Brushless DC Mode’ Engineering programme and a 34% decrease that fully utilise the skills of PhD and MPhil in Civil Engineering. graduates. PhD Food Science and Technology • Rosalie Lystra Holder - ‘Processing Intake in this second year of new BSc Graduation Potential of Peppers of the Capsicum programme in Land Management Total: 494 Genus (Capsicum annuum L.)’ (Valuation) in the Department of Surveying Undergraduate Degrees: 373 and Land Information saw an increase of Higher Degrees & Diplomas: 121 PhD Food Science and Technology 71% over the last period. • Darin Ashram Sukha - ‘The Influence The Department of Mechanical & of Processing Location, Growing Manufacturing Engineering graduated the Environment and Pollen Donor on highest number of students totaling 103, the Flavour and Quality of Selected 5% less than the previous year. Overall, Cacoa (Theobroma cacao L.) 41 of our graduates achieved First Class Genotypes’ Honours. PhD Mechanical Engineering • Nadine Sangster - ‘Development of a Methodology for Complex Plant Control Using Fuzzy Logic’ 7 PhD Mechanical & Manufacturing Professor W.A. Mellowes received a Career Promotions Engineering of Excellence Award from the Association of The following members of staff were • Terrence Lalla - ‘Development Professional Engineers of Trinidad & Tobago appointed as Deputy Deans for the of a Behaviour Based Quality (APETT) at their 48th Annual Banquet & 2007/2008 academic year: Management System for SMEs in Awards Ceremony in April, 2008. Professor Trinidad’ Mellowes was also granted Joint US Patent Professor Chandrabhan Sharma - with Dr. Michelle Hamilton and Mr. Garth Undergraduate Student Affairs In the previous year, there were 2 MPhil and Dawkins for Xanthum Gum Production from 2 PhD graduates. sugar cane juices (March 2008). Professor Clément Imbert Physical Facilities & Administrative, Technical and Service Staff Honours & Awards Dr. Jacob Opadeyi was elected President, Commonwealth Association of Surveying The Faculty’s Annual Prizes and Awards Professor Edwin Ekwue Ceremony was held on October 16, 2007, and Land Economy. Distance Education & Outreach and Research where the outstanding graduates and & Postgraduate Student Affairs students of the Faculty were recognised. Dr. Michael Sutherland was appointed The feature address was given by Mrs. Chair-Elect, Commission 4, International Appointments Christine Kangaloo, Minister of Science, Federation of Surveyors. Dr. Richelle Adams Technology and Tertiary Education. At this Electrical & Computer Engineering ceremony 41 outstanding students were Dr. Gail Baccus-Taylor, Professor Brian placed on the Dean’s Honour Roll. Copeland, Professor Stephan Gift, Dr. Professor Bonnie Tyler Kim Mallalieu, Dr. Winston Lewis, and Dr. Chemical Engineering Michelle Mycoo were featured among the Staff University’s 60 leading academics in the Dr. Dexter Davis Honours & Awards special UWI 60th Anniversary publication - Surveying & Land Information Professor Brian Copeland was awarded the 60 under 60. Dr. William Wilson Chaconia Gold Medal of the Order of the Visiting Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering Trinity by the Government of Trinidad & P. Frederick, G.S.H. Baccus-Taylor and J.O. Akingbala (2008) Best Paper/Invaluable Tobago. Dr. Rupert Williams Contribution in the ‘Nutrition Session’ for Lecturer in Structural Engineering Dr. Winston Lewis received a Lifetime the paper entitled ‘Studies on Pomerac Achievement Award from the World (Syzygium malaccense) and its Dried Congress of Arts, Sciences and Candied Slices’ which Dr. Baccus-Taylor Communications. presented at the International Symposium ‘Underutilised Plants for food, Nutrition, Income and Sustainable Development’, held March 3-7, 2008 in Arusha, Tanzania. 8 faculty of engineering Retirements & Resignations International The Department’s MSc Programmes in Civil Dr. E.T.R. Dean Engineering and Civil with Environmental Civil & Environmental Engineering Accreditation and Engineering have been accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) for the Dr. Joanna Ibrahim Quality Assurance 2008-2010 student intake. Civil & Environmental Engineering Mechanical & Manufacturing Dr. Keith Miller Chemical Engineering Surveying & Land Information Programmes in the Department were Engineering reviewed by the Quality Assurance Unit in The following MSc Programmes in the Dr. Carmen Riverol October 2007. The Department was also Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Chemical Engineering subject to an accreditation visit by the Engineering have been accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Institution of Mechanical Engineers for the Mr. Keith Sirju of the UK in February 2008. All programmes 2007-2010 student intake: Civil & Environmental Engineering were accredited for a three-year period up • Manufacturing Engineering to, and inclusive of, student intake year • Production Engineering and 2010. Management Programmes • Engineering Management The Department of Mechanical & Civil & Environmental Engineering • Production Management Manufacturing Engineering joined the The UWI Quality Assurance Unit carried Department of Civil & Environmental out a review of the Department in March Engineering in actively participating in 2007 and made a number of significant and significantly contributing to the recommendations. As a result, the establishment of MSc programmes Department introduced two new courses, in Guyana, by introducing the MSc in CVNG 1007 Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering Management with an intake of Engineering and CVNG 1008 Building 20 students. Services Engineering, and restructured its Level 2 course in Soil Mechanics. The In 2007/2008 the Faculty graduated its two new courses replaced courses in first cohort of students, 11 in total, from its Construction Techniques and Engineering Guyana programmes, as follows: Thermodynamics respectively. • MSc Project Management, ten students (four with Distinction) • MSc Construction Management, one student (with Distinction) 9 • Energy and Water utilisation & • Environment considerations, Gas Research conservation practices at a local Condensate entrapment within The following lists the research and distillery porous media during production; development activities conducted