THE University of the West Indies (UWI) on Friday awarded its researchers for making last week’s 14th staging of the UWI Research Days a success.

At least six researchers were awarded for their work that continues to promote the University as the research nucleus of the Caribbean.

Among those awarded were Dr Andre Coy, whose book, Emulating Human Speech Recognition; A Scene Analysis Approach to Improving Robustness in Automatic Speech Recognition, was named best research publication from the Faculty of Science and Technology. He was also awarded for his contribution to economic development, health and the arts.

Coy’s Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system was one of the highlights of this year’s Research Days showcase. The system allowed the elderly and disabled to control certain household items such as lamps, televisions, and radios using voice commands. This will help to increase their independence, Coy explained.

Professor Veront Satchell of the Department of History and Archaeology was also awarded for his publication, Hope Transformed: A Historical Sketch of the Hope Landscape, St Andrew, Jamaica 1660-1960, which earned him the coveted award for best research publication and most outstanding researcher/researcher activity.

In the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Professor Terrence Forrester and his collaborators were awarded for their publication on dietary cysteine for severely malnourished children.

But Forrester’s list of awards did not end there. He, along with Professor Evan Duggan and Dr Maurice McNaughton were awarded for their study on Mobile Financial Services, which was dubbed the research project with the greatest business, economic and developmental impact in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Forrester was also named the most outstanding researcher from the faculty, along with Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughn.

Dr Densil Williams, also of the Mona School of Business Management, took home the award for the Most Outstanding Researcher for the Faculty of Social Sciences. Three of the research projects that earned him this coveted award are titled: ‘The Dark Side of Social Entrepreneurship’, ‘Competitiveness of Small Nations: What Matters?’ and ‘Technology and the Export Behaviour of Small, Locally Owned Firms: New Insight’.

More than 20 research projects and publications produced in 2012 were recognised at the awards ceremony on Friday.

The campus embarks on a new round of celebrations this week commemorating the I950 installation of the first Chancellor of the University College of the West Indies — the precursor to the institution now known as the University of the West Indies.