Mr. Charles Grant, Director General at the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences.

The Faculty of Science and Technology’s (FST’s) Graduate Orientation was held on Friday, September 04, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom, with over ninety participants. Professor Marcia Roye, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research “kicked off” the evening’s proceedings with the UWI motto “A light rising from the west”, highlighting the bright lights in the Faculty who would help to illuminate the path of the students through their exceptional teaching and research and continued guidance and support. She then introduced the Graduate Coordinators for each programme and the Heads of Departments. The rest of the programme was chaired by Dr. Andrea Goldson-Barnaby, Programme Coordinator for the Food and Agro-Processing Technology Programme. Prof. Michael Taylor, Dean of the Faculty presented opening remarks while Prof. Minerva Thame and Ms. Georgia Bennett, Director and Assistant Registrar respectively from the Office of Graduate Studies and Research brought greetings. President of the Mona Association of Postgraduate Students, Mr. Lance Scott also welcomed and greeted the incoming graduate students.

The keynote speaker Mr. Charles Grant, Director General at the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences, University of the West Indies was introduced by Mr. Marco-Dean Brown an MPhil student in the Department of Life Sciences. Mr. Charles Grant gave a well received, thought-provoking speech which traced his life-journey while encouraging the students to “discover their purpose”. Incorporating a quote from the late actor Chadwick Boseman, star of Black Panther, he said “When you are deciding on next steps, next jobs, next careers, further education, you should rather find purpose than a job or a career, as purpose crosses disciplines, purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history. The struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose”.

Testimonials were also done by Ms. Zoie Aimey, an MSc. student in the Food and Agro-Processing Technology Programme and Mr. Marcel Denny, PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry. Both shared their experiences in their respective programmes, offering words of advice and encouragement.  

Ms. Britta Hay, Programme Coordinator in the Department of Mathematics thanked all the participants and the students for attending the Faculty’s first virtual orientation. The students were then placed in virtual rooms with their Graduate Coordinators to discuss programme related matters.