The Department of Geography and Geology, The University of the West Indies hosts a regional meeting on ‘Foundations and Directions: Celebrating Geography and Geology at The University of the West Indies’. The meeting is scheduled for July 7-11 at the UWI, Mona and begins with an Opening Ceremony on Monday, July 7, 2008 at the New Physiology Lecture Theatre at 6 pm. Dr. Leonard Nurse will deliver the keynote address at the Opening Ceremony. Dr. Nurse is a Senior Lecturer, Centre for Environmental Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) and a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which, along with former United States Vice President, Al Gore Jr. was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007. He is also in the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the GEF.

The conference will be an integral part of the university's 60th anniversary celebrations, the climax of which will be a Special Convocation Week from July 12-19, 2008. The conference aims to bring together past and present staff, graduates, and friends of the Department of Geography and Geology to share their views, experiences and memories on the contribution of the Department to the development of Caribbean geography and geology.

The conference features plenary presentations and paper sessions exploring topics including: plate tectonics and vulcanicity, sedimentology and palaeontology, natural hazards and disaster management, hazard mapping, land management and conservation, small-scale farming, urban landscapes, tourism, and migration. The meeting activities also include a field trip to Ewarton, St. Catherine.

Conference registration fees have been waived. For more information about accommodation and field trip costs participants may visit the website at http://www.mona.uwi.edu/geoggeol/news.htm. Persons may also contact Dr David J. Miller via email, david.miller@uwimona.edu.jm  or Professor David Barker via email, david.barker@uwimona.edu.jm