DEPARTMENT OF OF LIFE SCIENCES
Dr. Dwight Robinson, BSc UWI , PhD – Head of Department
WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT The 2022/23 academic year saw the return to face-to-face teaching which was wel- comed by the Department as it was impossible to provide our students with the hands-on experience and real-life skills, that are an essential component of tutoring in the Life Sciences, in the virtual space. However, not having operated fully in the face-to-face mode for more than two years, the shift posed some major challenges for both students and staff. The need to fully reactivate an aging physical plant that had been dormant or operating well below capacity for more than two years, revealed several deficiencies that were sometimes challenging to address in a tight fiscal space. Several inter-personal challenges also came to the for as staff and stu- dents adapted to a different kind of in-person interaction in the physical learning environment. Our team, in partnership with our students, had to quickly re-learn and re-initiate various, techniques, practices and management strategies to ensure an organized and welcoming learning environment that was conducive to efficient and effective teaching and learning. Despite the many challenges, we were able to weather the transition reasonably well by embarking on an open and inclusive solution-oriented approach that engaged members of all levels of staff and students. With the country and the world emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic induced ‘diapause’ the Department was able to re-activate and strengthen its engagement with its internal and external stakeholders. Our Biology Students’ Association and members of staff engaged in physical activities to mark National Tree Planting Day, International Coastal Clean-up Day, World Wetland Day and International Day of Forests. Our participation in national, regional and international conferences had a welcomed increase with ten graduate students and staff members attending and making presentations at five regional and international conferences. Our outreach and in-reach activities were revived this year as we welcomed a total of 2588 visitors to our facilities on the Mona Campus and at our two Marine Laboratories in Port Royal and Discovery Bay.
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