Shirley Ambassador Professor Gordon Shirley has taken up office as principal-designate of the University of the West Indies, Mona and is expected to be appointed as principal on October 1.
Professor Shirley replaced Professor Elsa Leo-Rhynie who had been serving as principal since the resignation of Professor Kenneth Hall, who was appointed as Governor-General last year.
Professor Shirley has had a distinguished career as a diplomat, educator and as an administrator in higher education.
He joined the staff of the UWI in 1991, first as the Carlton Alexander Professor of Management and Head of the Department of Management Studies then as Executive Director Mona School of Business in 2001. Professor Shirley also served concurrently as executive chairman of theJamaica Public Service Company Limited from 1997 to 2001.
In 2001 he was seconded to the Government of Jamaica as Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States of America and permanent representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS).
Professor Shirley is a graduate of the UWI, St. Augustine campus, graduating with a BSc. in engineering in 1977. In 1982 he received a Master of Business Administration (Hons.) in Operations and Finance and in 1987 his doctorate in business administration in operations management, both from Harvard University, USA.
Professor Shirley will be responsible for the operationalising of the new UWI Strategic Plan 2007-2012 which will include developments such as a western Jamaica campus and other initiatives aimed at consolidating the quality and scope of the UWI's contribution to higher education.