Photo caption: Professor Tannecia Stephenson, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI Mona proudly shows the Best E-Mobility Programme Award plaque received at the 7th Annual Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) Industry Awards.

The University of the West Indies, Mona (The UWI Mona) has been awarded the Best E-Mobility Programme Award at the 7th Annual Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) Industry Awards. The award was presented today (May 8, 2025) in Miami and recognizes The UWI’s leadership in regional capacity development through its programme “Supporting the Implementation of NDCs in the Caribbean: Capacity Development,” funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economics Affairs and Climate Action through its International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Photo caption: Best E-Mobility Programme Award plaque awarded to The UWI at the 7th Annual Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) Industry Awards.

Photo caption: Professor Tannecia Stephenson (right) share lens time with Dr. Niebert Blair (left), Energy and Transport Coordinator, GIZ after collecting the Best E-Mobility Award at CREF 2025.

This prestigious recognition comes just a day after Teachers’ Day, making it especially meaningful. The award not only reflects the university’s academic excellence but also celebrates the transformative teaching outcomes of the initiative. The programme has helped hundreds of Caribbean citizens gain the knowledge and skills needed to support the region’s transition to e-mobility, strengthening education at the secondary, vocational, and university levels.

At the heart of the project is a commitment to building practical and academic capacity for a greener future. Through partnerships with regional industry and training bodies, The UWI Mona led the development and delivery of two new university-level courses focused on electric mobility. The programme also conducted five regional training workshops and offered a self-paced online course twice, expanding access to learners across the Caribbean. Two new occupational standards were developed and approved by the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA), aligning training with industry needs. To support hands-on learning, an electric vehicle and charger were procured and integrated into the training programme.

To date, 247 individuals from eleven Caribbean countries including Grenada, Barbados, Belize, St. Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, Guyana, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos, and St. Lucia have been trained through the initiative, marking a major step toward a regionally skilled workforce for sustainable transport.

The project was spearheaded by Professor Tannecia Stephenson, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Dr. Louis-Ray Harris, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics, and Mrs. Elecia Myers, Resource Mobilization Coordinator in the Faculty. They were ably supported by a strong team that included Professor Michael Taylor, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology; Dr. Charmaine McKenzie from the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Ms. Julie Grant, Deputy Director of the Mona Office for Research and Innovation; and Professor Donovan Campbell, Principal of The UWI’s Western Jamaica Campus. This multidisciplinary team brought together academic leadership, research expertise, and a deep commitment to regional development, ensuring the programme’s success and regional impact.

The CREF award reinforces the Faculty of Science and Technology’s commitment to becoming the Caribbean’s leading hub for science education, research, training, and {climate} solutions. It sends a clear message to the region—and the world—that The UWI Mona is not only responding to the Caribbean’s growing need for sustainable energy expertise but is also deliberately aligning its academic programmes with real-world energy transition goals. By setting new standards in renewable energy education, the university is shaping the future of climate action through innovation and learning.

The 7th Annual CREF Industry Awards were presented during the 17th Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum, the region’s premier clean energy event, held from May 7 to 9 in Miami, Florida. The event also welcomed several alumni from the Department of Physics at The UWI Mona, who are now making significant contributions to sustainable development across the Caribbean, further highlighting the university’s lasting impact on the region’s energy future.

Photo caption: With celebratory smiles, FST Alumni, Ms. Cherri-Ann Farquharson (left), Technical Chief of Staff, The Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE)  and Christina Douglas (right), PhD Engineering student, flanked Prof. Tannecia Stephenson (middle) at the 17th Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum.