The UWI Vice-Chancellery, Jamaica, W.I. Wednesday, August 1, 2018—The University’s Office of Administration is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Deans, which became effective August 1, 2018. Dr. Paul Aiken has been appointed Dean of the new Faculty of Engineering at The UWI Mona Campus and Professor Edwin Ekwue is the new Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at The UWI St. Augustine Campus.
Dr Paul Reginald Aiken joined The UWI in 1989 as a Scientific Officer in the Department of Physics at the Mona Campus. Since then he has held a range of positions including Senior Engineer and Lecturer in the Department of Physics from 2007 to 2013; Head of Electronics Unit from 2006 to present; Associate Dean, Outreach in the Faculty of Science and Technology between 2011 and 2012; Deputy Dean of Engineering since 2012 and Director of the Mona School of Engineering since 2013.
Dr Aiken is credited with the conceptualisation of the Faculty of Engineering at Mona, which officially commenced operations on August 1, 2018. He is also responsible for the development of over 60 new courses in engineering, electronics and physics, and the creation of five new BSc programmes, one preliminary engineering programme and one MPhil/PhD programme in engineering.
During his career, he has presented in excess of 39 papers at workshops, training sessions, academic conferences and seminars. Among the special distinctions and honours he has received during his career are his elevation to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) senior member in 2011 and recognition by Intel Corporation in 2006 for his outstanding contribution to the successful integration and development of Intel’s Microprocessor Validation Units.
Dr Aiken’s membership on company boards includes Vice-Chairman of the Board of Mona-Tech Engineering Services since August 2017, and Director, Board of Testing of Motor Vehicles and Emissions (TOMAE) since 2016. His public service has also seen contributions as Member, Engineering Accreditation Committee, University Council of Jamaica, since 2015; and Representative, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Taskforce in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Development since 2017.
Fellow Dean, Edwin Ikenna Ekwue is a Professor in the Mechanical Engineering with Biosystems Programme and has served as Deputy Dean (Research and Postgraduate Student Matters) in the Faculty of Engineering at St. Augustine since August 1, 2015. During that period, he acted as the Dean three times. He has held the positions of Head of the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing from August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2015; Chairman of Continuing Education Committee in the Faculty of Engineering and the Manager of the Engineering Institute, an outreach arm of the Faculty from 2005 to 2009. He also served as the Deputy Dean (Postgraduate Students and Outreach) from 2008 to 2009 and Deputy Dean (Undergraduate Student Affairs) in 2003 and has been the Head of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering in an acting capacity on five separate occasions. Before joining The UWI in January 1992, he was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Nigeria.
Professor Ekwue serves as Vice-Chairman of the Publication Board and former Associate Editor of the West Indian Journal of Engineering and was an Associate Editor of the Journal of Arid Agriculture in Nigeria. He has completed a number of research projects both at UNIMAID and The UWI. His main contribution to knowledge has been increasing the understanding of the influence of organic and other amendments on soil erosion, strength, cultivation, compaction, thermal and electrical properties and compression. He has conducted research and published in the areas of Water Resources, Hydrology and Irrigation, as well as Structures and Environment and written or contributed to 108 academic papers, 70 of which have appeared in refereed journals. He has also been involved in a number of consultancy and professional activities.
Much like his research, his teaching is also multidisciplinary – covering Engineering Statics and Strength of Materials, Basic Engineering Infrastructure, Drainage and Irrigation Engineering and Soil and Water Engineering. For his teaching excellence, Professor Ekwue was awarded The UWI/Guardian Life of the Caribbean Premium Teaching Award in September 2006. Professor Ekwue succeeds Professor Stephan Gift who has now taken up the portfolio of Pro Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Research.
The UWI congratulates these new Deans and offers good wishes for successful terms of office.
