Regional
Headquarters, Jamaica. August 27, 2019. Ten
persons will receive honorary degrees during the 2019 graduation
ceremonies at The University of the West Indies (The UWI). The
honourees, approved by the University Council, are recognised for
making significant contributions to the region and the wider world in
their respective fields of expertise, including the Arts, Business,
Religion and the Sciences. They join a select group of some 500
persons conferred UWI honorary degrees since 1965 when Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother received The UWI’s first honorary
degree (DLitt). This prestigious tradition has seen honorary
graduands recognised annually since then.

The
2019 honorary graduands and degrees to be conferred are:

Cave Hill
Campus

• 
  Ms.
  Maxine Williams of Trinidad and Tobago for Leadership – Doctor of
  Laws (LLD)
  
• 
  Mr.
  Stedson ‘Red Plastic Bag’ Wiltshire of Barbados for his work as
  an Entertainer – Doctor of Letters (DLitt)
  
• 
  Mr.
  Alan Emtage of Barbados for Scientific Invention – Doctor of
  Science (DSc)
  

Mona
Campus

• 
  Mr.
  Patrick A. A. Hylton of Jamaica for his contribution the field of
  Finance – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
  
• 
  Mrs.
  Thalia Lyn of Jamaica for Entrepreneurship – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
  
• 
  Reverend
  Dr. Burchell Taylor of Jamaica for Theology – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
  
  
  

Open Campus

• 
  Sir
  S. W. Tapley Seaton of Saint Kitts and Nevis for Public Service –
  Doctor of Laws (LLD)
  

St.
Augustine Campus

• 
  Mr.
  Ewart Williams of Trinidad and Tobago for Leadership and his service
  to the region – Doctor of Laws (LLD)
  
• 
  Mr.
  Pelham Goddard of Trinidad and Tobago for his work in music
  production and entertainment – Doctor of Letters (DLitt)
  
• 
  Professor
  Emeritus Harold Ramkissoon of Trinidad and Tobago for his work as a
  Mathematician and his contribution to the development of Science and
  Technology in the Caribbean and beyond – Doctor of Science (DSc)
  
  

The
Open Campus will launch UWI’s 2019 graduation ceremonies on October
12 in Antigua and Barbuda; followed by Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, on
October 1; St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, from October
24–26; and Mona Campus, Jamaica, on November 1–2.

About
the 2019 Honorary Graduands

Cave
Hill Campus

Ms.
Maxine Williams of Trinidad and Tobago for Leadership – LLD

An
attorney, human rights activist, diversity specialist, actress, media
personality, writer, Maxine Williams is a multifaceted Caribbean
woman with a global mandate. Since 2013, the Trinidad and Tobago born
Attorney-at-Law has served as Global Chief Diversity Officer at
Facebook. It is a role which allows her to make international impact
supporting the inclusion of underrepresented people and groups and
ensuring that cognitive diversity—different ways of thinking based
on varying backgrounds, experience and information—remains a
visible priority for the mega-company.

Prior
to Facebook, Ms. Williams worked as Global Director of Diversity
Programmes at White & Case LLP, a large global law firm with a
focus on cross-border expertise. At White & Case she worked out
of both the US and Switzerland offices developing and implementing a
diversity plan. An attorney, admitted to both the Trinidad and Tobago
and the New York State Bars, she has also served as a United Nations
Human Rights Consultant; managed a network of human rights
organisations as Senior Manager with the Caribbean Human Rights
Network; lectured at The UWI and spent over a decade in her parallel
career as a broadcast journalist, producing television shows focused
on social issues and penning opinion articles on issues of law and
social justice.

Ms.
Williams is a graduate of Yale University (1991), where for her
Bachelor’s she created an interdisciplinary major in Caribbean
Studies. She was also a Rhodes Scholar (1992) and at Oxford
University she received her law degree completing a second a BA with
First Class Honours (1995).

Mr.
Stedson ‘Red Plastic Bag’ Wiltshire of Barbados for his work as
an Entertainer – DLitt

Stedson
‘Red Plastic Bag’ Wiltshire is a Barbadian cultural ambassador.
For almost two decades his performances, musical compositions and
lyrics have thrilled Caribbean and international audiences as far as
Canada, UK, China, Brazil, Australia, Germany and South Africa. He
has performed on popular stages in the US including the Apollo
Theatre, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln
Center, and Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Regionally
and locally he is a widely awarded entertainer and founding member
and director of the Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers. He has also served on the Barbados Copyright Tribunal and
the Board of the Barbados Cultural Industries Agency. This pioneer of
Ragga Soca has recorded 25 albums with a repertoire of over 400
songs, won the Barbados National Pic-O’-De-Crop Calypso competition
10 times, and has composed popular songs for acts like Alison Hinds,
TC and Arrow of ‘Hot Hot’ fame. His music has successfully
crossed over into film and other areas. Known internationally as the
King of Ragga Soca, his song ‘Ragga Ragga’ is recorded in seven
languages and featured alongside internationally acclaimed artistes
like Celine Dion and Culture Club in Sony’s compilation Dance
Pool - Volume 2.
His music has also been featured on film and television including
HBO, Discovery Channel and the Irish movie, The
Sparrow’s Nest.
Mr. Wiltshire himself has appeared in two movies.

In
2018, Mr. Wiltshire founded the Red Foundation with a focus on
poverty relief, education and community development projects. He was
also responsible for coordinating a programme called Tang
Break
where motivational speeches were delivered at more than 60 Barbadian
primary schools. He continues to mentor youth across Barbados and
conducts workshops on writing and composition regionally.

For
his contributions to culture Mr. Wiltshire has received national
honours, the Barbados Service Star (1995) and the Barbados Jubilee
Honour (2016).

Mr.
Alan Emtage of Barbados for Scientific Invention – DSc

Barbados-born
Inventor, Alan Emtage has been dubbed the ‘Father of the Internet
Search Engine’. Winner of the 1983 Barbados Scholarship, his
secondary
school education was at Harrison College (1975-1983).

In
1987 he received a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from
McGill University, Montreal. In 1989, while pursuing his Master’s
degree in Computer Science at the same university and working as a
systems administrator for the School of Computer Science, Mr. Emtage
conceived and implemented the first version of Archie
– the world’s first internet search engine. The concept pioneered
many of the techniques used by modern public search engines leading
directly to today’s Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Mr. Emtage graduated
with his Master’s degree in 1991.

In
1992, together with Peter J. Deutsch, he founded Bunyip Information
Systems Inc., the world’s first company dedicated to providing
internet information services. Bunyip went on to distribute a
licensed commercial version of the Archie search engine.

A
founding member of the Internet Society, Mr. Emtage has chaired
several working groups at the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF),
including one which established the standard for Uniform Resource
Locators (URLs). He has lectured on Internet Information Systems and
served on advisory panels for the National Science Foundation, the
Library of Congress, and the Online Computer Library Center. He has
been a partner and Chief Technical Officer at Mediapolis, Inc. a
small web development firm in New York since 1998.

In
2017 Alan Emtage became the first Barbadian and Caribbean person
inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame.

Mona
Campus

Mr.
Patrick A. A. Hylton of Jamaica for his contribution the field of
Finance – LLD

Patrick
A. A. Hylton is a prolific leader in the Jamaican finance sector with
over 30 years’ experience. His professional accolades include
significant contributions to the rescue of Jamaica’s financial
sector meltdown in the 1990s. The highly successful intervention
effort was valued at JA $146 billion, 40% of GDP and involved the
rehabilitation and management of 22 distressed financial sector
groups with over 200 of their subsidiaries. For this, Mr. Hylton was
awarded the Jamaican national honour of the Order of Distinction –
Commander Class in 2002. He is also recognised for his work restoring
the National Commercial Bank (NCB) and continues to serve as the
President and Group Chief Executive Officer of NCB, now Jamaica’s
largest financial conglomerate.

His
service to the region includes his work as a Director of numerous
regional companies including the West Indies Trust Company, American
Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) of Jamaica, Kingston City Centre
Improvement Company, Massy Holdings Limited (Trinidad and Tobago),
Economic Growth Council (Jamaica), Guardian Holdings Limited
(Trinidad and Tobago) and Clarien Bank (Bermuda) in addition to eight
NCB companies.

Mr.
Hylton was Chairman of the Board of Management at the Mona School of
Business and Management from 2015-2018 and maintains close ties with
The UWI as a donor. In 2018, Mr. Hylton received the AMCHAM
President’s Award.

He
holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Diploma, Banking –
Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB) (London), both from the
University of Technology in Jamaica.

Mrs.
Thalia Lyn of Jamaica for Entrepreneurship – LLD

Thalia
Lyn has made her mark as one of Jamaica’s most successful
entrepreneurs and tireless philanthropists. Founder and Chief
Executive Officer of Island Grill Restaurants, established in 1991,
it is now a multi-billion-dollar enterprise with 19 stores across
Jamaica and Barbados and a team of more than 900.

Her
considerable business acumen is directed towards raising funds for
education and community efforts. She is particularly proud of
co-chairing the restoration of the murals of the Holy Trinity
Cathedral, a National Heritage Site and currently chairs The National
Commercial Bank Foundation, where, since 2003, she and her team have
presided over approximately JA $2 billion in awards to education and
youth development. In 2012, Mrs. Lyn co-chaired one of the most
successful fundraisers for The UWI Mona Campus scholarship programme,
The UWI/CB Group 5K and Smart Eggs Kids K. Committing Island Grill
instantly, Mrs. Lyn then on-boarded the lead sponsor, the CB Group,
and assisted in gathering a coalition of sponsors from the business,
media and Diplomatic communities. Since the inaugural initiative,
over 250 scholarships valued at JA $75 million have been awarded,
with continued commitment from corporate Jamaica.

Among
the boards on which she serves are: The NCB Financial Group; The
National Commercial Bank

Jamaica
Limited; Island Catering Limited; Island Grill Barbados Limited; Port
Royal Patties Limited

(London);
Jamaica Macaroni Factory Limited; the Oracabessa Foundation and Devon
House Development

Limited.
She has served as a Director for JAMPRO, the United Way of Jamaica,
St. Patrick’s Foundation and

Chaired
the Jamaica British Business Association.

A
passionate advocate for gender equality and persons with
disabilities, Mrs. Lyn is a thrice repeated Patron of the UN Women’s
Entrepreneurship Day, serves on the Private Sector Organisation of
Jamaica (PSOJ) Gender and Disabilities Affairs Committee, and as a
Director of Mustard Seed Communities. She is in the process of
certifying Island Grill under the UNDP Gender Equality Seal, is a
member of the UN Women Win-Win Movement and a past Go Red Ambassador
for The Heart Foundation, raising awareness of heart disease—the
number one killer of women.

Her
achievements have been internationally recognised and she has been
awarded, honoured and

acknowledged
for excellence in business, entrepreneurship, diplomacy, leadership
and community service

by
organisations such as American Friends of Jamaica, Mustard Seed USA
and Jamaica, Ernst & Young

Caribbean,
Florida International University, Consular Corps of Jamaica, Jamaica
Chamber of Commerce, Jamaica Observer, the Gleaner Company, Lay
Magistrates’ Association, Immaculate Conception High School (ICHS)
Hall of Fame and the Women’s Leadership Initiative.

In
2003, Mrs. Lyn was appointed Honorary Consul General for Jamaica to
the Kingdom of Thailand and

bestowed
with the Commander of the Most Noble Order to the Crown of Thailand
in 2004. In 2012 she was

honoured
with a Jamaican national award, the Order of Distinction. She is also
a Justice of the Peace.

Reverend
Dr. Burchell Taylor for Theology – LLD

Reverend
Dr. Burchell Taylor is a servant leader, preacher, teacher, author,
social justice advocate and international Christian scholar whose
service to the public has primarily been through his service to the
Church. He served at the Bethel Baptist Church in Jamaica for 47
years and is credited with the development of holistic ministry at
the church—the practice of attending to the body, mind, and spirit.
Under his leadership the church also prioritised ministry across
denominational lines. He has also pastored a 3000-member congregation
in Jamaica and previously served at the Porus Circuit of Baptist
Churches in Manchester.

He
graduated from Calabar Theological College in the 1960s and obtained
a Bachelor of Divinity in Theology from London University as an
external student. He went on to complete an MA in Theology at Oxford
University and gained his PhD in Theology (Biblical Studies) from
Leeds University.

In
addition to his Pastoral and other ministry responsibilities,
Reverend Dr. Taylor has authored several books and is published in
several theology journals, including the Caribbean Journal of
Religious Studies. He has served as Chaplain and Lecturer at the
United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI); President of
the Jamaican Baptist Union (JBU); President of the Caribbean Baptist
Fellowship (CBF); executive member of the Jamaica Council of Churches
and Vice President of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), an
international association of Baptist denominations.

Reverend
Dr. Taylor has done significant work shaping the fledging discipline
of Caribbean Theology making him one of the founders of this branch
of theology.For
his outstanding service to Jamaica, in the area of religion, Reverend
Dr. Taylor was awarded the Order of Distinction (CD) in the rank of
Commander in 2000 and the Order of Jamaica in 2015.

Open
Campus

Sir
S. W. Tapley Seaton of Saint Kitts and Nevis for Public Service –
LLD

Sir
Samuel Weymouth Tapley Seaton, Governor-General of Saint Kitts and
Nevis, has an enviable record of public as well as private sector
service. An alumnus of The UWI and an attorney by profession, Sir
Tapley has made his mark as a regional pioneer in the field. Admitted
to practice Law in 1975 from among the first group of graduates of
the Faculty of Law at The UWI Cave Hill Campus, he went on to become
the first of the cohort to be appointed Attorney General (1980) at
the age of 29 and was the youngest Attorney General in the
Commonwealth. He served as Attorney General of Saint Kitts and Nevis
for 15 years, becoming the longest serving Attorney General in the
region. With his tenure spanning both the pre and post-independent
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sir Tapley also became the first
Attorney General of the independent state having earlier served as
Crown Counsel and Acting Registrar and Magistrate.

In
1985 Sir Tapley was awarded the rank of Commander of the Royal
Victorian Order by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during a Royal
visit to Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1988 he was elevated to the rank
of Silk (Queen’s Counsel) becoming the first graduate of the West
Indian Law school to achieve the honour.

After
his public service as Attorney General ended in 1995, Sir Tapley
spent 20 years in private practice, during which time he served as a
Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, a member of the
Tripartite Committee (Government/Chamber/Trade Union) and a member of
the Social Security Appeals Tribunal. Other prominent positions he
has held include: President of the Saint Kitts and Nevis Bar
Association; Director of the Saint Kitts and Nevis Chamber of
Industry and Commerce; President of the OECS Bar Association; 1st
President of the Saint Christopher National Trust; Vice President of
the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society; and Chairman of
The UWI Territorial Advisory Committee.

In
September of 2015, Sir Tapley was appointed Governor-General of Saint
Kitts and Nevis and later that year was conferred a knighthood by Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He continues to share his passion for
law, history and conservation to enhance citizen patriotism.

St.
Augustine Campus

Mr.
Ewart Williams of Trinidad and Tobago for Leadership and his service
to the region – LLD

Ewart
Williams graduated from The UWI in 1968 with a BSc Economics (Hons)
and an MSc Economics in 1970. In 1971 he joined the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) where he had a varied and impressive career
spanning three decades. At the IMF, Mr. Williams was the main
architect of the Caribbean Regional Technical Agency (CARTAC). CARTAC
an IMF-sponsored training institution located in Barbados provides
training and technical assistance to IMF member countries in the
Caribbean. It has served as the model for regional training centres
in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Some of his other notable
assignments at the IMF included appointments as IMF Resident
Representative to Jamaica; Special Assistant to the Director of the
African Department; Assistant Director in charge of Mexico and Deputy
Director of the Western Hemisphere Department. As Deputy Director, he
was one of a small Senior Management Team responsible for the Fund’s
work in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In
2002 he retired from the IMF and took up the post of Governor of the
Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago where he served two five-year
terms. Under his leadership the Bank significantly upgraded its
analytical capacity and expanded its publication of analytical and
statistical reports. During his tenure, the Central Bank’s
semi-annual Monetary
Policy and
Financial
Stability
reports became essential and sought-after documents for policy
makers, investors and other key stakeholders.

Mr.
Williams returned to his alma mater, The UWI in 2007 to serve as
Chairman of the Audit Committee at the St. Augustine Campus
(2007-2008) then Chairman of the St. Augustine Campus Council from
2009-2018. His service to Trinidad and Tobago also includes his
contribution to the establishment of the Heritage and Stabilisation
Fund where he served on the Board of Directors from 2007-2012 and as
Chair of the Board from 2018 to present. Mr. Williams has also served
as Macro-Economic Advisor to the Minister of Finance (2015-2018) and
Chairman of the Green Fund Advisory Board (2016-2018). Mr. Williams
received a UWI Distinguished Alumni Award (2011) and the Trinidad and
Tobago Chaconia Medal (Gold) for Public Service (2018).

Mr.
Pelham Goddard of Trinidad and Tobago for his work in music
production and entertainment – DLitt

The
name Pelham Goddard is synonymous with steelpan, calypso, and soca.
This
well-respected musician, arranger, producer, and composer has made
his mark in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean music
industry for over four decades. Born into a musical family, Mr.
Goddard started playing the piano at age 10. In his early years, he
learnt music by ‘ear’ and was consistently in demand as a
keyboardist and bass player. This was until the 1970s when an
opportunity to arrange for Clive Bradley’s Esquires Brass band, a
Russel Garcia book, The
Arranger, Composer
and a correspondence course from Berkeley College of Music propelled
him into the next level. He enhanced his knowledge of music theory,
began writing and arranging music and joined the well-known Caribbean
orchestra, Art DeCoteau.

Mr.
Goddard was at the forefront of the experimentation that
characterised the music of the 1970s and was the first to introduce
the synthesiser to Calypso. He worked closely with musical greats
such as Ed Watson aka Dr. Soca, Ras Shorty I and Lord Kitchener and
in 1975 gave birth to the ‘Sensational Roots’ later renamed
‘Charlie’s Roots’. The band became internationally recognised
for its calypso music and played at Carnivals and festivals across
North and South America, Europe and the Caribbean. Mr. Goddard has
arranged a record 13 Trinidad and Tobago Carnival road march winning
songs, producing hits for Calypso Rose, Super Blue, Penguin, David
Rudder and Christopher ‘Tambu’ Herbert.

As
one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most recognised steelpan arrangers,
Mr. Goddard first worked his magic with Third World Steel Orchestra,
a spin off from Starlift Steel Orchestra, with whom he played his
first National Panorama Steelpan competition. He went on to arrange
for Third World Steel Orchestra, Invaders Steel Orchestra, Starlift
Steel Orchestra and Exodus Steel Orchestra. Exodus has taken home
first place Panorama titles four times with Goddard as arranger; the
orchestra has also won multiple Panorama ‘East Zone’ titles and a
World Festival Championship.

For
his contribution to culture and the arts, Mr. Pelham Goddard was
awarded Trinidad and Tobago’s national award, the Humming Bird
Silver, in 1994.

Professor
Emeritus Harold Ramkissoon of Trinidad and Tobago for his work as a
Mathematician and his contribution to the development of Science and
Technology in the Caribbean and beyond – DSc

From
a young age, Professor Emeritus Harold Ramkissoon fostered a love for
Math, first completing a BSc Honours in mathematics from The UWI Mona
Campus then going on to receive an MSc at the University of Toronto
and a PhD at the University of Calgary in the area of applied
mathematics. Professor Ramkissoon’s work focuses on the practical,
real-world application of mathematical concepts in the study of flows
and fluids—particularly Non-Newtonian Fluids, Stability Analysis,
Micro polar Fluids and Flow Past Spheroids.

Professor
Ramkissoon has dedicated his life to instilling a deeper
understanding of science and mathematics through research and
teaching, and has lobbied for the harnessing of science and
technology in the service of the Caribbean and its people. Through
his career, first as a Lecturer and then Professor Emeritus, he has
shared his passion with upcoming generations and in the process,
became the first West Indian to be given a Personal Chair in
Mathematics at The UWI.

For
his contribution to the region, he has received numerous awards
including the first CARICOM Science Award, the Chaconia Gold Medal
(the second highest national award of Trinidad and Tobago) and the
Academic Gold Medal of the Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela. He
continues to play a role in the development of science and technology
in the region and the world through his service in a number of
capacities. These include his contribution as President of the
Caribbean Academy of Science, President of the Caribbean Scientific
Community, and Executive Member of both the Association of Academy of
Sciences of the World (IAP) and the Inter American Network of
Academies of Sciences (IANAS).

Professor
Ramkissoon also served as an Independent Senator in the Parliament of
the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago from 2010-2013, where he used his
platform to positively influence policies in his country and the
Caribbean, especially on issues of social consequence. Throughout his
political and academic careers, he has taken a deeply human approach
to his work, while maintaining his devotion to the fields of
Mathematics and Science.

About
The UWI Honorary Degrees

The award of
honorary degrees is conferred on persons who have distinguished
themselves by their substantial contribution to the development of
the region and or the advancement of the university. Individuals
upon whom such a high honour has been bestowed are not referred to as
“Doctor” but are entitled to use the abbreviated honorary degree
behind his or her name.

About The
UWI

For more than
70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided
service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider world. The
UWI evolved from a university college of London in Jamaica with 33
medical students in 1948 to an internationally respected, regional
university with near 50,000 students across five campuses: Cave
Hill in Barbados; Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda; Mona
in Jamaica, St. Augustine in
Trinidad and Tobago; and an Open
Campus. Times Higher Education has ranked The UWI among the top
600 universities in world for 2019, and the 40 best universities in
its Latin America Rankings for 2018 and 2019. The UWI is the only
Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists.

As part of its
robust globalization agenda, The UWI has established partnering
centres with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, and
Africa including the State
University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and
Sustainable Development; the Canada-Caribbean Studies Institute
with Brock University; the Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric
Development with Universidad de los Andes (UNIANDES); The
UWI-China Institute of Information Technology, the University of
Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African and Diaspora Studies and the
Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of
Johannesburg (UJ). The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma,
undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food &
Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical
Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. As the
region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost objective
is driving the growth and development of the regional economy. For
more, visit www.uwi.edu.

(Please note
that the proper name of the university is The University of the West
Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)