The University of the West Indies is pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. David Barker, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography and Geology in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at The University of the West Indies Mona Campus, to the rank of Professor.
Professor Barker holds the Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography and Economics from the University College Wales, Aberystwyth (1968), the Diploma in Urban and Regional Studies from the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, University of Birmingham, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Geography from the University of Bristol.
He joined the staff of the UWI, Mona in 1980 as a Lecturer in Geography and was appointed Senior Lecturer in 1990. Prior to joining the staff, he was Departmental Assistant in the Department of Geography at Bedford College, University of London (1975-1980).
Professor Barker has a well recognized international reputation as a Caribbean scholar with a broad focus on rural resources and environmental sustainability, and the geography of the region. He has undertaken research on small hillside farming systems and environmental degradation in the Yallahs Valley and on the borders of Cockpit Country. Recent research has focused on the important contribution of yam farming in Jamaica, related issues of economic and environmental sustainability, and potential solutions to the yam stick problem in central Jamaica. A common theme of his research, linking his earlier work in Africa to current interests in Caribbean farming systems, is to highlight the undervalued importance of traditional, indigenous technical knowledge (ITK), and its potential contribution to agricultural innovation and rural development planning.
In the past two decades, he has produced six books and some 40 book chapters and refereed articles, which have appeared in some of the best international journals in his field. He is a co-founding editor and currently managing editor of the journal Caribbean Geography and has been applauded for his commitment and leadership in demonstrating that scholarly research ought to and can address important regional issues and communicate in a manner that is accessible to a regional audience. He has also presented papers at some 27 conferences and initiated and organized three International Conferences.
David Barker has demonstrated academic leadership having supervised the research and theses of eight students who completed degrees at the Masters and Doctoral levels. He has been the external examiner for several Ph.D theses at overseas universities including the Department of Geography, University of Manitoba (1996) and the Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London (1998).
Professor Barker also has wide administrative experience. He was Head of the Department of Geography from 1994 -1996 and after the merger with the Department of Geology, served as coordinator for geography from 1996-2000. He also facilitated a request from Antigua State College to teach the UWI first year Geography programme and was a member of the UWI assessment team to evaluate and report on the readiness of the Antigua State College.
With respect to other service to the University, Professor Barker has been a member of the Senior Common Room (SCR) Management Committee, Chairman of the SCR Editorial sub-committee for the Aqueduct Newsletter and a member of the Faculty of Natural Sciences sub-committee on postgraduate studies.
He has served the wider society and is currently President of the Jamaican Geographical Society, and has served on its Council for many years and, whilst Chairman of its Publications Committee, founded and edited the newsletter Jamaican Geographer. He was a member of the Technical Committee of Flood Plain Mapping Project and as a member of the Preston Lands Task Force Committee, Office of Disaster Preparedness.
Professor Barker is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Institute of British Geographers, a member of the Association of American Geographers as well as the Jamaican Geographical Society.