SIDS4 Talent Book
Welcome to the ISC Talent Book for the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4). This book serves as a resource to acquaint you with some of the key individuals from the ISC community who will be attending this important event.
Within this page, you’ll find profiles of diverse individuals representing various backgrounds and expertise. From seasoned professionals to emerging leaders, each person featured here plays a significant role in the efforts towards the sustainable development of SIDS.
For any inquiries, interviews, or media queries with members of the Talent Book, please contact James Waddell at james.waddell@council.science using the subject line “SIDS4 Talent Book” (WhatsApp: +33 6 34 23 54 05). We look forward to connecting you with the voices and insights driving positive change in small island developing states.
ISC Staff and Regional Focal Point Colleagues
ISC SIDS Liaison Committee
ISC network
Pacific Academy Establishment Committee; Janessa’s Research and Consultancy Services (JRCS)
Expertise: Digital fabrication; integrating cutting-edge technology into educational environments
Dr Vomaranda Joy Botleng is a specialist in digital fabrication. Her research is at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technology into educational environments. Dr Botleng’s research has been featured in prominent international conferences focused on science, technology and engineering, notably including the prestigious ‘International Conference for Engineering Design (ICED)’. In her previous capacity as the Officer-In-Charge of the National University of Vanuatu School of Education, Dr Botleng played a pivotal role in shaping the teacher education landscape in Vanuatu. She is now a consultant for ‘Janessa’s Research and Consultancy Services (JRCS)’ in Vanuatu.
Pacific Academy Establishment Committee; National University of Samoa
Expertise: Education
Peseta Su’a Dr. Desmond Mene Lee Hang is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the National University of Samoa. He is in charge of the university’s academic and research programmes to ensure that they offer quality teaching and provide quality research skills to students.
Pacific Academy Establishment Committee; University of the South Pacific, Fiji
Expertise: Climate action in mangrove management and restoration
Salote Sevuti Nasalo is an i-Taukei young scientist from the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) at the University of the South Pacific (USP-Laucala Campus) in the completion phase of her master’s degree. She is an ACIAR PASS-CR scholar and her research focusses on the role of climate action in Mangrove Management and Restoration.
Science Research Council, Jamaica
Expertise: Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Analytical Chemistry
Charah Watson is Executive Director of the Scientific Research Council in Kingston, Jamaica. Charah previously worked in research and product development for BioTech Research and Development Institute and as an Educator with Tivoli Gardens High School. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of the West Indies and is founder of Kihara Cosmetics.
Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Trinidad; University of the West Indies, Trinidad
Expertise: Epidemiologist, veterinary medicine
Dr Lisa Benjamin is an epidemiologist and veterinarian at the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), UWI Trinidad, with experience of conducting research in the US, as well as in Trinidad and Tobago. As an Oak Ridge Institute of Sciences and Education Postdoctoral Scholar, she was based at the Center for Food Safety at UC Davis in California, a US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Nutrition Centre of Excellence. Dr. Benjamin’s focus at the Center for Food Safety was on risk factor analysis of pre-harvest data. She continues to conduct food safety research at the SVM. Another current focus is on tackling antimicrobial resistance, described as a “silent epidemic”, in the Caribbean region using a One Health approach. The objectives are to provide data that will support the development and implementation of real-time surveillance systems and to promote the creation of innovative solutions to challenges arising from antimicrobial resistance.
International Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS)
Expertise: Author, campaigner for the oceans
Maxime de Lisle is an author and campaigner for protection of the oceans. He is President of Seastemik, a non-governmental organisation, and co-ordinator for the International Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS). A former second-in-command on Sea Shepherd ships, he spent a year at sea campaigning against illegal fishing in Africa and the Mediterranean Sea.
Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Antigua & Barbuda; University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago
Expertise: Mathematics and Education
Dr Andrew Hunte is the Head of the School of Humanities and Education at UWI Five Islands Campus, Antigua and Barbuda, where he lectures in Mathematics and Education. He is a Fulbright scholar and serves as an Assistant Chief Examiner of Additional Mathematics (CSEC) at the Caribbean Examination Council. Dr Hunte is also an Associate Editor of the Caribbean Educational Research Journal (CERJ), and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST), Trinidad and Tobago. He has over 20 years’ experience teaching at the tertiary level in the US and Trinidad and Tobago, and has presented his research work at several international mathematics education conferences. Dr. Hunte has received several international awards for his research and excellence in teaching.
Caribbean Academy of Sciences; University of the West Indies, Jamaica
Expertise: Climate change
Tracy-Ann Hyman is currently a Researcher in the Climate Studies Group of the Department of Physics, U.W.I. Mona, Jamaica. She is responsible for providing technical research support to the Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project in Jamaica. This project is being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the United Nations Environment programme and is funded by the European Union. The project’s objective is to ‘increase resilience and reduce risks associated with natural hazards in vulnerable areas, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of Jamaica.’
Caribbean Academy of Sciences; Scientific Research Council, Jamaica
Expertise: Pure and applied chemistry, chemical biology, pharmaceutical chemistry
Prof. Raymond Jagessar is a Fellow of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences. His research interests are broad, covering the spectrum of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Chemical Biology and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. He has published over one hundred research articles, five book chapters, one book and presented at over a hundred conferences locally, regionally and internationally. He has given keynote presentations at several conferences. He is also member of several editorial board and reviewer to several journals. He is currently Professor in Chemistry at the University of Guyana (South America), former President of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences (2020-2023) and now Foreign Secretary of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences.
Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Antigua & Barbuda; University of the West Indies, Antigua & Barbuda
Expertise: Teacher Education
Andrea K. Veira is a Lecturer in Teacher Education at The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, with expertise in Educational Studies and the Natural Sciences. Andrea has worked in science education for over 15 years and holds a PhD in Biology. Her doctoral thesis focused on Agroecological Approaches to Ipomoea batatas Farming in the Caribbean. Additionally, Andrea served as the Head of the St. Lucia Unit at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) during the period 2018-2020. She also managed and assisted with the implementation of the CARICOM Japan Friendship Cooperation Project: ‘Advancing Information and Communication Technologies for Climate Smart Agriculture’ in St. Lucia and the OECS territories. Some of her research interests include: reflective practice, technology in education, medicinal uses of tropical plants and urban gardens.
Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Trinidad; College of Science, Technology & Applied Arts, Trinidad & Tobago
Expertise: Climate change adaptation and risk; Industrial engineering
Christian Virgil, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental and Sustainability Studies, is a Queen Elizabeth Scholar and member of the Trinidad and Tobago National Technical Committee for Occupational Health and Safety. He is also a member of the International Standards Organization (ISO) Working Group (WG7), which is developing the ISO 45007 standard. This forthcoming standard will provide organizations with guidelines for managing the occupational health and safety risks arising from climate change and climate action. His research focuses on climate change adaptation and occupational health and safety, reflected in numerous publications and presentations. Mr. Virgil holds an MSc in Occupational Environmental Safety and Health from the University of the West Indies, along with certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing and the Board of Certified Safety Professionals as an Occupational Health and Safety Professional. He is pursuing his PhD in Industrial Engineering at the University of the West Indies.
Imperial College, London
Expertise: Data science; Environmental Policy; Climate Change
Christopher Zhu is a dedicated researcher in the fields of data science, artificial intelligence, and environmental finance, currently based at Imperial College, London. Christopher has also studied at the Oxford Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford. He is an experienced speaker at conferences and seminars. His research work in financial engineering has been recognized at various academic forums with multiple awards such as the United Nations World Data Forum and the China Financial Engineering Annual Conference, where his paper has won numerous awards, including the “Best Paper Award,” “Excellent Paper Award,” and “Academic Research Award “. He is also Co-Chair of CODATA Connect (the Committee on Data, one of the International Science Council’s Affilifated Bodies).