The UWI Celebrates 14 Top Postgraduate Presentations and Prepares for 2026 Regional Conference

The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica, W.I. Friday, July 3, 2026— The University of the West Indies (The UWI) will convene its 4th Annual One UWI Postgraduate Student Conference from November 18–21, 2026, under the theme “Advancing Knowledge, Shaping Futures: Research, Innovation, and Impact Across the Caribbean and Beyond.”

The announcement follows the recognition of 14 outstanding oral presentations from the conference’s third staging, held earlier this year to highlight the growing impact of postgraduate research across the region.

Rescheduled from November 2025, the 3rd Annual One‑UWI Postgraduate Student Conference was held virtually January 20–22, 2026, attracting more than 600 participants and featuring 51 research presentations across health, climate resilience, education, governance, and sustainable development.

The 14 award recipients recently received electronic gift vouchers and other prizes and giveaways. Their award-winning presentations were selected for their originality, academic rigor, and relevance to Caribbean development priorities and reflect the breadth and depth of postgraduate scholarship across The UWI. The full list of winners and their presentations is as follows:

• Dr. Li-Shann Paul Mullings | Faculty of Medical Sciences, Mona Campus — Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Infants with Urinary Tract Infections and Concomitant Cerebrospinal Fluid Pleocytosis: A Single-centre Retrospective Study
• Dr. Griffin Benjamin Jr. | Faculty of Medical Sciences, Cave Hill Campus — Primary Care Patients Awareness Toward Medicinal Cannabis in Barbados
• Rhonda Rattansingh | Faculty of Social Sciences, St. Augustine Campus — The Impact of Uni Sensory and Multi Sensory Semantic Cue Congruence on Online Consumer Product Attitude
• Dr. Gabrielle Boyce | Faculty of Medical Sciences, Cave Hill Campus — Sociodemographic and Health Characteristics of Elderly People Referred to Public Long Term Health Care Facilities in Barbados
• Shara Williams Lue | Faculty of Social Sciences, Mona Campus — Workplace Support for Retirement in Jamaica: A Resource Based Dynamic Perspective
• Gopiechand Boodhan | Faculty of Social Sciences, St. Augustine Campus — A Proximity Analysis of Communities at Risk from Landfill Air Pollutants – A Study of the Beetham, Forres Park and Guanapo Landfill Sites
• René Henry | Faculty of Social Sciences, Global Campus — An Exploration of Perspectives on Programme Diversification in a Tertiary Institution in Anguilla, 2019–2023
• Dhanielle Smith | Faculty of Social Sciences, St. Augustine Campus — A Living Wage for Trinidad and Tobago
• Dr. Deepak Ramsingh | Faculty of Medical Sciences, St. Augustine Campus — The Role of Ki 67 in the Prognosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review
• Mrs. Cynanie Sawyers Haylett | Faculty of Social Sciences, Mona Campus — An Investigation of the Learning Organisation and Psycho Socio Cultural Predictors of Institutional Effectiveness in Three Jamaican Higher Education Institutions
• Mrs. Meera Mahase Forgonie | Faculty of Food and Agriculture, St. Augustine Campus — Household Dietary Diversity and Associated Socioeconomic Factors: The Case of Three Rural Communities in Southeast Trinidad During COVID 19
• Mr. Jody Brown | Faculty of Humanities and Education, Mona Campus — Promoting Nutritional Wellbeing through Indigenous Food Systems in Caribbean Households (Home Economics Focus)
• Ms. Kendria Ferguson | Faculty of Social Sciences, Mona Campus — Intersecting Vulnerabilities and Socio-Economic Drivers of Household Impact in Post Hurricane Dorian Bahamas
• Mr. Noor ud din Mohammed | Faculty of Humanities and Education, St. Augustine Campus — Translanguaging for Creole Education: A Caribbean Centered Approach

Following an opening address by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, the conference featured distinguished speakers, including Ms. Nadine Bushell from Lions Clubs International, Mr. Rodolpho Gonçalves da Silva from UNESP, Brazil, and Mr. Ishaan Sudan, a sustainability entrepreneur from India. Their presentations emphasized resilience, innovation, youth leadership, and service in tackling global challenges.

Commenting on the winning presentations, Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR) said, “These presentations demonstrate the exceptional quality of postgraduate research across The UWI and direct application to real-world challenges. They reflect a strong commitment to producing knowledge that matters to the Caribbean.” She added, “SGSR extends sincere appreciation to the Session Chairs, Session Discussants, Directors of Graduate Studies and Research, Postgraduate Student Representatives, Guild representatives, presenters, attendees, and organising team whose collective efforts contributed to the success of the conference.”

The conference extended beyond academia with a January 23, 2026 outreach initiative in Hanover, Jamaica, where postgraduate students and partners provided relief and support to more than 200 families affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Organised with the Lions Clubs of Jamaica and the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston, the initiative underscored the University’s emphasis on civic engagement and served as a pilot for the proposed UWI Give Back Day in November 2026.

Now in its fourth year, the One‑UWI Postgraduate Student Conference continues to expand its reach and influence, offering a platform for students to present research with regional and global relevance. Planning is already underway for November 2026, which is expected to further elevate postgraduate research and deepen engagement across all UWI campuses and partner institutions. For more information, email ava-loi.forbes@uwi.edu or uwipgconference@gmail.com.