Cave Hill remembers Professor Emerita Hazel Simmons-McDonald
June 10, 2025
Professor Emerita Hazel Simmons-McDonald
The UWI Cave Hill Campus mourns the passing of distinguished academic, Professor Emerita Hazel Simmons- McDonald.
A prolific writer and staunch advocate for the advancement of the Creole language in St Lucia, Professor Simons-McDonald promoted the teaching of French Creole to children who were not fluent in English, ensuring that no child was left behind due to their lack of fluency in English.
Following decades of research, she recently developed a pilot programme using an introductory text as teaching tool for speakers of French Creole in St Lucia.
Professor Simmons-McDonald held several teaching and administrative posts at The UWI Cave Hill Campus, including lecturer, senior lecturer, and Professor in the Departments of Linguistics and the merged Department of Language, Linguistics and Literature. She was also the Deputy Dean of Outreach, Deputy Dean of Planning, and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education.
She also served as co-Chair of The UWI Cultural Studies Initiative that established the discipline at Cave Hill, and was later appointed to the post of Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Open Campus (now The UWI Global Campus).
Simmons-McDonald was awarded the Order of the British Empire for services to education and educational leadership in 2011.
The UWI Cave Hill Campus extends sincere condolences to her family, friends, colleagues, and students.
