Fantastic Voyagers Land in St. Thomas

Radio personality Tom Joyner brought his 2010 Fantastic Voyage cruise ship tour to St. Thomas on Thursday, May 20, and was greeted by UVI mocko jumbies – alum Rick Grant (09), at left, and Physics Professor Dr. David Smith. The cruise, sponsored by the Tom Joyner Foundation as a “Party with a Purpose” helps to raise scholarship funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. UVI students, faculty and staff were on hand to welcome the more than 3,000 passengers who spent the day shopping and taking island outings. Below, Tom Joyner Jr. buys UVI t-shirts and caps at the UVI Bookstore tent which was set up at the Havensight Mall dock. Shown with Joyner Jr. are Bookstore Manager Mervin Taylor and Faye Liburd.

UVI Confers 312 Degrees

UVI’s 2010 Commencement keynote speaker Randall Robinson, an internationally respected social justice advocate and author, told graduates on the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses that the "torch" had been passed to them and that they were the “hope of the world.” UVI conferred 212 degrees on the St. Thomas campus and 100 on the St. Croix campus in ceremonies held May 15 and May 16, respectively. Class speakers were Jaedee S.K. Caines on St. Thomas and Carmie K. Thompson on St. Croix.

Click here to view the complete 2010 Commencement program, including the lists of graduates on both campuses.

Future Global Leaders Focus on Leading During Natural Disasters

The UVI 2010 Summer Institute for Future Global Leaders opened with a ceremony on May 18, on UVI’s St. Thomas campus. Mark Walters, executive director of the Virgin Islands Emergency Management Agency, was the keynote speaker at the institute’s official opening ceremony. The theme for this year’s institute is “Managing Natural Disasters: A Call for Future Global Leaders."
As the world witnessed the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti and the volcano in Iceland, effectively managing natural disasters is one of the most pressing issues for leaders, said Dr. Solomon Kabuka, the institute’s director. One of this year’s highlights, according to Dr. Kabuka, will be the participation of seven students from Haiti. The students will share their experience in the “Forum on Managing Natural Disasters I – The Haitian Experience.” The institute brings together 40 students from 16 countries and 22 university campuses in the Caribbean and the U.S mainland for two weeks of intensive study. For the complete press release click this direct link. Pictured: Juanita Duenez-Lazo, director of International Education at Texas Woman’s University, with Future Global Leaders Institute Director Dr. Solomon Kabuka at the opening ceremony.