Prof Emeritus Clement Imbert, one of three university academics who will receive the nation's highest honour on Sunday, said it was nice to be honoured by his country, especially for his individual efforts.

Imbert was part of the Genesis Steelband Project Team, which developed the G-Pan, and won the Chaconia Medal Gold for Music Innovation in 2007. This year, he was awarded the Order of the Republic of TT, for innovation/steelpan technology, education, and culture and the arts.

“This is about the third time people have recommended me for a national award other that the award we got for the G-Pan. People would say I deserve an award and I would tell them I got one already with a team so don’t worry.

“They would say no, they would recommend me. So when I was told I was being recommended again this year I said, ‘Fine,’ but I didn’t know if it would happen.”

He said he had been doing public services since the 1970s and had been recognised by several organisations including UWI and the Association of Professional Engineers.

Imbert said he came from a family of servers in Sangre Grande as his parents would volunteer at various organisations in fields such as Carnival, their church, and child welfare. He recalled his parents taking him along when they went to volunteer at St Vincent de Paul or with the hospital visiting committee.

He himself joined many clubs, including football, and he was a national billiards player.

“Getting this award signifies that people recognise what I have been doing over the years, have recommended me and the award committee agreed. I am proud to have the highest award in the country and I will not say otherwise.”

Dr Jacqueline Sharpe, a medical practitioner specialising in child and adolescent psychiatry will receive the Chaconia Medal, gold.

In a telephone interview, Sharpe said she was humbled, honoured and grateful her colleagues believed she deserved a national award enough to recommend her for one. And that she would continue to do what she was guided to do.

“I'm a psychiatrist. I love what I do. I've done it for a long time. It's very important to me.”

Although she was the only child and adolescent psychiatrist in TT for many years, she said many people worked in the field including other psychiatrists and social workers.

“The work that I have done in child and adolescent psychiatry, in children's mental health, I have not done alone. I might have been the only child psychiatrist but I've always worked with a team of dedicated people who are committed to the children’s well-being and mental health.”

Psychiatrist Dr Varma Deyalsingh said it was a pleasure being part of the team who recommended Sharpe for the award as she was one of the key people in setting up the Child Guidance Clinic.

“There are many children out there who would look on a mother figure, as a doctor, as a psychiatrist, or somebody who has held them. She has actually eased the pain, for not just children who are undergoing some sort of mental anguish, but also brought comfort to the parents of