The use of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to solve practical problems is one of the top research works recognised by the University of the West Indies, Mona campus (UWI).

Dr André Coy's book Emulating Human Speech Recognition: A Scene Analysis Approach to Improving Robustness in Automatic Speech Recognition has been named the Best Research Publication from the Faculty of Science and Technology.

Dr Coy is one of the researc-hers awarded by the UWI for outstanding contribution in the fields of science and technology, economic development, health and the arts on Thursday, February 8, culminating the university's annual Research Day activities.

In an effort to encourage and promote research excellence of the UWI and maintain its place as the principal research entity in the region, the institution recognises and rewards its researchers for their outstanding work. This year, UWI highlights an impressive collection of research output for the year 2012 and awards a group of the best intellectual minds and experts responsible for carrying out that work.

This group of academics includes Professor Veront Satchell of the department of History and Archaeology. Professor Satchell will be acknowledged for his publication Hope Transformed: Historical Sketch of the Hope Landscape, St Andrew, Jamaica, 1660-1960, earning him the awards for Best Research Publication and Most Outstanding Researcher/Research Activity.

Professor Terrence Forrester has been making strides in the fields of medical sciences and economic development. He and collaborators produced one of the best research publications from the Faculty of Medical Sciences on dietary cysteine used by children. Professor Forrester has another award under his belt, having been named one of the most outstanding researchers from that faculty, along with Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughn.

Credited

A study on mobile financial services is the research project with the greatest business/economic/development impact in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Professor Forrester and the Mona School of Business Management's Professor Evan Duggan and Dr Maurice McNaughton have been credited with this project, conferring Professor Forrester with a third award.

Dr Densil Williams, also of the Mona School of Business Management, will take home the award of Most Outstanding Researcher for the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Three of the research projects that earned him this coveted award are titled: The Dark Side of Social Entre-preneurship, Competitive-ness of Small Nations: What Matters? and Technology and the Export Behaviour of Small, Locally Owned Firms: New Insight.

Over 20 research projects and publications produced in 2012 were recognised at the awards ceremony held last Friday.