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”. We look forward to connecting you with the voices and insights driving positive change in small island developing states.
International Science Council Staff and Regional Focal Point Colleagues
Carolina Santacruz-Perez *TBC
Science Officer
Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean
Expertise: Biophysics, biochemistry
Salote Austin
Oceania Programme Manager
Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific
Expertise: Educational policy
ISC SIDS Liaison Committee
Caribbean Academy of Sciences; University of the West Indies, St. Augustine
Expertise: Agri-environmental soil physics, sustainable agriculture
Professor Mark Wuddivira, serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (UWI), is recognized for his expertise in agri-environmental soil physics. With a Ph.D. in Soil Science from UWI and extensive experience, he contributes significantly to interdisciplinary research, particularly in soil physical management and tropical ecosystem sustainability. Additionally, he holds key editorial and leadership roles in scientific organizations, including the Caribbean Academy of Sciences.
University of the West Indies, St. Augustine
Expertise: Urban and regional planning; sea-level rise
Professor Michelle Mycoo is a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning in the Department of Geomatics Engineering and Land Management, Faculty of Engineering, at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. She is one of two Coordinating Lead Authors of Chapter 15 on Small Islands in Working Group II of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. Professor Mycoo is a Member of the Future Earth Coasts (FEC) Academy and a Regional Engagement Partner of FEC. She is also a Steering Committee Member of the UN-Habitat University Partnership Initiative.
University of Mauritius, Mauritius Academy of Science
Expertise: Biopharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and functional foods; innovative and preventative healthcare solutions.
Dr Neergheen is the Director of the Doctoral School at the University of Mauritius. In this capacity, she actively advocates for and supports doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows. Dr Nerrgheen spearheads research initiatives at the Biopharmaceutical Unit within the Centre for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research. Her outstanding contributions to cancer research earned her the prestigious Best African Woman Researcher Award at the UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit in 2017. Committed to advancing scientific collaboration and knowledge dissemination, she actively engages in prominent global scientific communities, including the Global Young Academy, Next Einstein Forum, and African Science Leadership Program. As a facilitator within ASLP, Vidushi steadfastly works to nurture a sustainable network of science leaders in Africa, emphasising the imperative role of young scientists in influential decision-making processes.
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Expertise: Resource Economist – ocean and fisheries policy and management
Dr. Salome V. Tupou Taufa is Programme Adviser – Economics (Resource Economist) at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), where she is also Team Leader for Fisheries. As part of the Economics Team, Dr. Taufa supports the implementation of the Forum’s Economic Ministers’ decisions, including leading the development of the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development in support of the implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. Prior to joining PIFS, Dr. Taufa was a Lecturer of Ocean Resource Management at The University of the South Pacific (USP) and the head of the Economics Division of the Ministry of Fisheries in Tonga. She has worked in fisheries and oceans, with a focus on ocean and fisheries policy and management, for over 15 years.
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.
Peseta Su’a Desmond Mene Lee Hang
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.
Mauritius Academy of Science and Technology
Expertise: Environmental Education, Sustainable Development Education, Curriculum Development
Dr Atchia is a senior consultant in the Education, Curriculum Development and Planning, and Environmental Education sectors. He has been Chief of the Environmental Education and Training Unit at UNEP in Nairobi, and Programme Director for the UNESCO/UNEP International Environmental Education Programme. He has professional experience in both developing countries (Africa, Asia, and South America, island states) and in Europe, North America and Australia. From 1997 to 2003, Dr Atchia was Director of Education in Mauritius. He is a founding Fellow of the Mauritian Academy of Science and Technology (MAST).
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 Trinidad and Tobago
Expertise: Mathematics
Dr Andrew Hunte is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), Department of Foundations and Prior Learning. Dr Hunte’s current research interests include reasoning and proof in geometry and algebra in secondary school, mathematics education reform, students and teachers conceptions of reasoning and proof, textbook analyses, graph theory and combinatorics. Dr Hunte currently conducts research with the Center of Education at UTT, investigating social mathematical norms during students’ engagement with reasoning and proof opportunities.
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 is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Studies at the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts, Trinidad and Tobago.