Immaculate wins inaugural STEM Role Model competition

Jamaica has produced scientists of global standing, yet their achievements remain little known at home. That gap in awareness inspired the launch of the “FiWi Science Video Competition: Who is your STEM Role Model?” last year.

On Thursday, March 27, the top three schools – Immaculate Conception High School, Lister Mair Gilby High School for the Deaf and Spanish Town High School – were formally announced and awarded for their entries in the Grade seven to 10 category.

The competition is an initiative of the FiWi Science website at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. Conceived by Professor Michael Taylor, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), it aims to spotlight Jamaica’s often overlooked scientific heritage. Taylor, known for his work in climate-change resilience, wanted to counter the scarcity of publicly available information on Jamaican scientists.

As Dr Susan Otuokon, strategic development officer in the Dean’s Office, explained, “Through his own experience, he realised that there is little information on Jamaican scientists in the public domain … He identified a need to motivate Jamaica’s youths to study STEM subjects … by exposing them to Jamaica’s rich science heritage. The approach uses both art and technology to stimulate interest.” The competition, she noted, also sought to boost use of the FiWi Science website as a resource for teachers and students. “Their teachers all indicated that the website and the competition activity … were excellent learning tools.”

Launched in October last year but extended to February due to Hurricane Melissa, the competition drew strong engagement from schools across the island. More than 100 students from the winning institutions attended the prize-giving ceremony, held on UWI Mona’s “Research Day”.

Otuokon said the level of participation “augurs well for the future of STEM in Jamaica”, noting that it showed that students “from a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities” were interested in the work of Jamaican scientists and their contributions to society. She added that the competition encouraged creativity and teamwork as students produced short videos on the scientists who inspired them.

The FiWi Science website now profiles more than 200 Jamaican scientists, from early pioneers such as Francis Williams to renowned figures like Dr T. P. Lecky and Professor Manley West, as well as modern researchers such as Professor Daniel Coore, Dr Ainka Brown and Dr Simone Badal – each selected as role models by the student teams.

The choices highlight the range of scientific excellence emerging from Jamaica. Coore, a computer engineer, co-invented the UWI Heart Surgery Simulator. Brown, an organic chemist, develops less-polluting chemicals for everyday use. Badal, a cancer researcher, created the first cancer cell line derived from people of African descent.

Guest speaker Dr Charah Watson, executive director of the Scientific Research Council, urged students to channel “science, creativity, and innovation” into shaping Jamaica’s future and solving real-world problems.

To ensure full inclusion of the Lister Mair Gilby High School for the Deaf – second-place winners–the event featured a sign-language interpreter, a student from the FST. The competition was sponsored by Liguanea Drug and Garden Centre, the Scientific Research Council and UWI’s Faculty of Science and Technology.

Paul H. Williams