Heartfelt Congratulations go out to our very own FST Staff – Dr. Angela Alleyne and Dr. Shane Austin on their well-deserved recognition at the annual Retirees and Long Service Awards Ceremony which was held on Saturday, November 23, 2024 at The UWI Cave Hill Campus!

For dedicated and exemplary service, and an unwavering commitment to elevating Caribbean scholarship, Drs. Alleyne and Austin were two (2) out of the six (6) faculty and staff who were bestowed this year’s Principal’s Award for Excellence. The awardees included members of the academic, as well as the administrative, technical and service staff who received the recognition during awards ceremony.

In the academic category, Dr. Angela Alleyne, a senior lecturer in Plant Pathology, was awarded for her outstanding research. Dr. Alleyne is the Caribbean’s second-highest-ranked plant scientist and a leader in biosafety. Her groundbreaking work on diagnosing plant diseases and reviewing the Plant Protection Act resulted in the establishment of a National Plant Protection Organisation, a UN International Phytosanitary Standard in plant protection and quarantine. She also applies molecular biology expertise to study uterine fibroids among Afro-Caribbean women.

Dr. Shane Austin, a lecturer in Biochemistry, was recognized for his outstanding contribution to Research and Public Service. His work on cellular metabolism and mitochondrial homeostasis has earned him publication in Trends in Biochemical Sciences, making him the first UWI scientist published in the journal since the 1980s. Dr. Austin employs Universal Design for Learning to enhance the classroom experience.

Congratulations once again to Drs. Alleyne and Austin on their outstanding career achievement and this well-deserved recognition. May this be just one of many more milestones to come in their distinguished careers.