UWI Mona Campus professor to give tribute to Haiti at local lecture

PRESS RELEASE: The University of the West Indies Open Campus Dominica and the National Bank of Dominica Limited are pleased to announce the staging of their Third NBD/UWI Open Campus Dominica Distinguished National Lecture Series.

This year, there will be two public lectures, delivered by Professor Carolyn Cooper, Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Education, the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. The lectures will be held at the Conference Room, Fort Young Hotel, on Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6 commencing at 7:30 pm on both nights.

At the first lecture on Wednesday, May 5th, Professor Cooper will present on the topic, “No Matter Where You Come From: Pan-African Consciousness in Caribbean Popular Culture”; the additional/bonus lecture, on the second night (Thursday, May 6th), will be mounted as a tribute to Haiti. The topic is “Haiti: The Price of Freedom”. The second lecture is co-authored with Cecil Gutzmore, retired lecturer, Institute of Caribbean Studies, Mona; independent scholar-activist; and Founder of the Haiti First! Haiti Now! Reparations Campaign.

On both nights, the event will be chaired by Head of the UWI Open Campus Dominica Dr. Francis O. Severin. On Wednesday, May 5th, Mr. Daryl Bobb, the recently elected Public Relations Officer of the UWI Alumni Association, will lead the National Anthem. Mr. Gregory de Gannes, Managing Director of the NBD Ltd. will deliver a brief address while the Head of the UWI Open Campus Dominica, Dr. Francis O. Severin, will extend welcome remarks as well as introduce the Guest Speaker, Professor Carolyn Cooper. The vote of thanks will be delivered by Mr. Felix A. Wilson, Programme Officer, Open Campus Dominica.

On Thursday, May 6th, Mr. Daryl Bobb will lead the National Anthem. Mr. Verieux Mourillon, Executive Manager Human Resource and Organizational Development, NBD Ltd., will deliver a brief address while the Head of the UWI Open Campus Dominica, Dr. Francis O. Severin, will extend welcome remarks as well as introduce the Guest Speaker, Professor Cooper. The vote of thanks will be delivered by a representative of NBD Ltd.

His Excellency the President Dr. Nicholas J. O. Liverpool and Mrs. Liverpool will be in attendance.

The audience should be seated by 7:15 pm.

Biography of Professor Cooper

Carolyn Cooper is Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies, Department of Literatures in English, Faculty of Humanities and Education, The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

Professor Cooper holds the B.A. in English from the University of the West Indies, Mona; the M.A. in English from the University of Toronto, and the Ph.D. in English, from the University of Toronto. Her thesis is “„A Different Rage‟: An Analysis of the Works of Derek Walcott, 1948-1976”.

During her thirty years at the University of the West Indies, Professor Cooper has had the opportunity to share her profound academic experience and knowledge with several universities around the world. For instance, she was Visiting Professor, School of International Migration and Ethnic Relations, Malmo University, Sweden in 2006; Visiting Scholar, Ford Foundation International Graduate Summer Seminar, Florida International University in 2006; Scholar-in-residence, Caribbean Studies, University of North London, 1996-97; Visiting Professor, Department of English, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1996; and DuPont Visiting Scholar, English Department, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Virginia, in 1994.

– UWI Dominica Open Campus