A Professorial Inaugural Lecture entitled “Caribbean Small Island Developing States on the Frontline: The Urgency for Climate Action” was delivered by Professor Michelle Mycoo, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, on March 1, 2023. Professor Mycoo is the first woman in 60 years to be elevated to the rank of Professor in the Faculty of Engineering.

The Commonwealth and Fullbright Scholar has conducted more than 25 years of research on urban planning and human settlements, climate change adaptation, water management, disaster risk reduction and integrated coastal zone management in SIDS.

She is a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and is Deputy Executive Director of The UWI Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development. She has also co-authored several vital reports germane to the subject.

The lecture focused on threats posed to SIDS by delays in implementing concerted global action on climate change impact, as articulated in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.