Dr. Simon Mitchell, Professor of Sedimentary Geology at The University of the West Indies, Mona has been named the 2011 recipient of the Gleaner Honour Award for Science and Technology in recognition of  his outstanding contribution to the development of Jamaican geological research.  
 
Professor Mitchell l has done a lot of work evaluating and helping to mitigate the effects of sand and gravel quarrying on the environment. He is also studying white limestone in St Catherine and Manchester. His interest in stratigraphy and sedimentology has led to detailed studies on sand mining in the Rio Minho and Yallahs River, beach erosion in Negril, and the definition of the boundary of the Cockpit Country. This work has been recognized locally and internationally for shedding new light on the geological evolution of Jamaica, and is of international significance in its contribution to the unfolding story of the evolution of the Caribbean plate. 
 
In the past decade, Professor Mitchell’s extensive research in stratigraphy and sedimentology has resulted in almost 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals and books including some of the leading journals in his field. 
 
Professor Mitchell's joint research projects have attracted large external funding from agencies such as the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica for the Sedimentary Basin Research Assessment (SEBRA), which he developed with Dr. Ravidya Maharaj.
 
Simon Mitchell joined the staff of the UWI, Mona in 1996 as a Lecturer and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2000 and Professor in 2006 .