DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY

PhD Awarded

Congratulations to Dr Margaret Wiggins-Grandison of the Earthquake Unit on having received her PhD in November 2003 from the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bergen, Norway. Her thesis was entitled "Advances in Jamaican Seismology."

Fellowship Award

Dr Susan Mains has been awarded the McColl Family Fellowship for 2004 by the American Geographical Society. The award will cover her travel costs to Toronto in the summer of 2004 to explore the experiences of Jamaican migrants living there. Her research will involve archival research on migration to Toronto from the Caribbean, in-depth interviews with members of the Jamaican community and local community/government leaders, and the filming of interviews as part of an ongoing documentary project. An article based on this fieldwork will be published by the American Geographical Society.

Seminars/Workshops

Dr David Barker spoke on 'The yam stick problem in central Jamaica and the search for sustainable solutions' at a seminar organized by NEPA on February 27, 2004.

On March 15, 2004 (World Consumer Rights Day), the Consumer Affairs Commission organized a seminar on "Water is a Consumer Right." Professor Jasminko Karanjac made a presentation on "Water Resources Management in Jamaica: Current Issues and Future Prospects."

On March 17-19, 2004, Professor Jasminko Karanjac was invited to participate in the UNESCO-sponsored workshop in Kingston on "Global Change and Water in the Caribbean" and the meeting of the Caribbean IHP National Committees and Focal Points. The workshop marked the launch of the International Hydrologic Programme (IHP), Phase VI. Professor Karanjac made a presentation on "Water Resources of the Caribbean Countries." The CD with the same title, to which Professor Karanjac is the main contributor, was also featured at the workshop. The UWI was invited to become a member of the National (Jamaica) IHP Committee, which is currently chaired by Mr Basil Fernandez, Managing Director of the Water Resources Authority.

On March 22, 2004, the UWI School of Education presented a forum on the theme "Environmental Sustainability through Education." Professor Elizabeth Thomas-Hope was a member of the panel of speakers.

External Examiner Visits

Professor Janet Momsen, University of California, Davis, visited the Department in December 2003 to complete her External Examiner duties for the fourth cohort of students in the MSc (Natural Resources Management) programme.

Brown Bag Seminars

On March 18, 2004, Professor Charles DeMets (University of Wisconsin - Madison) gave a seminar on "Understanding Earthquake Hazards in Jamaica Using the Nationwide GPS and Seismic Networks."

On March 25, Jose Gerhartz spoke on "The National System of Protected Areas in Cuba: Evolution and Current Status."

Other seminars in this series were presented by postgraduate students Ennika James and Kevon Rhiney.

Gift of Journals

The Department has received a full set of the Journal of Biogeography which will be housed in the Science Library. The journals are a gift from the widow of the late Dr D. Watts of the Department of Geography and Geology, University of Hull, UK. Dr Watts was the founder and editor of the Journal, and died suddenly in November 2003.