The regional UWI community is celebrating with great pride the appointment of its alumna Christine Kangaloo to the office of President of TT.

In a release, the university said Kangaloo, who was inaugurated on March 20 to serve as the country's seventh president, also has the honour of being only the second woman to hold the position of head of state. She was preceded by President Paula-Mae Weekes, another UWI alumna and the first woman president of TT.

Extending congratulations on behalf of the regional UWI community, Vice-Chancellor Prof Sir Hilary Beckles said, “Regionally and internationally our alumni continue to excel in every sphere of public life, and we celebrate the impact of our alumni every day. It is, however, a special occasion when one of our own ascends to the highest seats of leadership in the region. As we celebrate our 75th anniversary and reflect on our rich legacy of leading Caribbean development, this is the kind of occasion that reinforces the need for The UWI to continue rooted, ready and rising.”

The release said Kangaloo graduated from UWI and the Hugh Wooding Law School and was admitted to practice law in 1985. An accomplished legal mind and parliamentarian, she has made history before as the only person to serve both as president and vice president of the Senate.

It said over her career, she has also served in a wide range of legislative and ministry portfolios, including opposition senator, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education. She has acted in the position of president on several occasions and was elected by a 48-22 secret ballot vote of the electoral college.

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