Mr Patrick Prendergast has been appointed Acting Director of The UWI Mona, Western Jamaica Campus, for one year, with effect from May 1, 2015.  Mr Prendergast replaces Dr Luz Longsworth who has been appointed Acting Principal of the Open Campus for one year.

Mr Prendergast is Lecturer in Development Communication at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) at The UWI Mona and Programme Coordinator at the Western Jamaica Campus (WJC).  He comes to this new position with a wealth of experience as an Academic, Administrator, Communications Specialist and Educator and was among the first UWI Mona lecturers to teach at the WJC.

In addition to his post at The UWI, Mr. Pendergast is also currently an Academic Advisor, facilitator and researcher with the Vancouver-based inter-governmental institution, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) team that is responsible for introducing and delivering the multimodal Certificate in Community Learning Programme Design with NGOs and community radio stations across the Caribbean, India, the Pacific and Southern Africa.

Mr Prendergast is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, holds a B.A. in Social Marketing with first class honors from The University of the West Indies, a specialist Certificate in Theatre Arts (Directing and Community Drama), a Diploma, with Distinction, in Television Production, and a Master of Arts in Communication for Social and Behavior Change.   His academic publications cover grassroots communication, educational programming in media, the impact of media on public health policy, and issues of masculinity and gender equality in the Caribbean.

Mr Prendergast is currently the Governor-Elect of the voluntary service organization Optimist International Caribbean District and also serves on the National Task Forces on Gender and Culture with the National 2030 Development Plan.

The UWI Mona heartily welcomes Mr Prendergast in his new position, and trusts that he will receive your full support as he builds on the significant work done by Dr Longsworth in positioning The UWI Mona Western Jamaica Campus, as a centre of excellence in higher education in the West.