The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has announced the promotion of five members of staff to the rank of professors, the highest academic rank at the institution.

Among the cohort are an economist, a legal scholar, an educational policy and leadership expert, and two dental specialists.

The five are Roger Hosein, a scholar in international trade, international economics and economic integration, and William AJ Smith, current director of the School of Dentistry, both from the St Augustine campus; Tracy Robinson, a legal scholar in the Faculty of Law at the Mona campus; Canute Thompson, head of the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning; and Arvind Babu Rajendra-Santosh, a dental surgeon, also from the Mona campus.

The new professors earned their promotions following a rigorous assessment process by independent external assessors, which included evaluation of the quality and quantity of their research, publications and other professional activities, including their contributions to the enhancement of the university’s reputation. The promotions took effect in October 2022.

Hosein was a senior lecturer in economics at the St Augustine campus of The UWI, for over a decade, prior to his appointment. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Cambridge, as well as a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degree (with first-class honours) from The UWI, St Augustine.

Smith was a senior lecturer in conservative dentistry at the campus before he was promoted to professor.

He qualified as a dental surgeon (with honours) in 1994 and was among the first graduating class of dentists from the Faculty of Medical Sciences at The UWI, St Augustine. He holds a Master of Science (with distinction) in Conservative Dentistry from the University of London, Eastman Dental Institute, an Executive Master of Business Administration (also with distinction) from the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of the Pacific, USA.

Robinson’s interdisciplinary work spans the areas of constitutional law, family law, human rights, and gender, sexuality and the law. She has worked at both the Cave Hill and Mona campuses. Before her promotion, she served as a senior lecturer as well as deputy dean in the Faculty of Law, Mona. She earned her LLB degree from The UWI, completed the two-year Bachelor of Civil Law, a distinctive graduate degree from Oxford University and received an LLM from Yale Law School.

Thompson lectures in educational policy, planning and leadership at the Mona Campus. He is a leadership coach and certified management consultant who specialises in educational planning and policy, leadership and management.

Thompson holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree with high commendation in educational administration and leadership and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies from The UWI, a Master of Arts (with honours) from the Eden Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts (with honours) from The UWI. He also earned a certificate in educational sector planning from the international institute for educational planning; and a management consultant international certificate from the Council of Management Consulting Institutes. He has published six single-authored books, one co-authored monograph, 10 single-authored and two co-authored journal articles, four co-authored book chapters, more than 200 Jamaica Observer columns, among other publications.

He is the founding president of the Jamaica Chapter, Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants, and a former Ministry of Education representative on the University Council of Jamaica.

Rajendra-Santosh is a dental educator, researcher, dental surgeon and specialist in oral and maxillofacial pathology. He lectures at the School of Dentistry at the Mona Campus and is one of the early faculty members who joined the school when it opened in 2010. He was appointed as full-time lecturer in 2013.

Rajendra Santosh recently completed a fellowship in forensic odontology and holds a Master of Dental Surgery in Oral Pathology, Microbiology, a Diploma in Forensic Sciences and Forensic Odontology, and a Bachelor’s of Dental Surgery.