In Loving Memory
Alfred Maxwell Watt Sangster, OJ, CD, JP, BSc, PhD, FJIM
Personal Data
Date of Birth: 24th July 1929, St. Elizabeth. Nationality, Jamaican.
Married to Velma (nee Bodden, Trinidad)
Retired President, University of Technology, Jamaica.
Faith: Christian. United Church Membership.
Interests: Environmental issues, swimming, photography, technology and development, civil society.
Appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1977
Formally a regular columnist- “Point of View”- for the Daily Gleaner
Married to Velma (nee Bodden, Trinidad) (deceased)
Children: Kathleen, (Medical Doctor M.B.B.S., UWI,) Tobago; Peter, (Mechanical Engineer B.Sc. UWI, MBA Western Ont.) Jamaica; David, (Mechanical Engineer B.Sc. MIT., M.Sc. Stanford, MBA Cal.) California
Education
• Munro College (1940-1947) St Elizabeth: Schools Cert. Higher Schools Cert., House Captain, Dep. Head Boy, Schools Colours in Athletics, Cricket, Hockey, Tennis. Scouts, Cadet Corps.
• Queens University, Belfast. N. Ireland (1948-1952): B.Sc. Chemistry 1st Class Hons. Athletics Blue; Executive, Varsity Bible Union.
• UCWI/London Special relationship. Ph.D. Organic Chemistry 1958
Career
• UWI University College of the West Indies and the University of the West Indies (1952-1970.) Saw the transition from a College of London University to an independent University with its own Royal Charter.
• Chemistry Department: Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer.
• Member of the Academic Board, Senate, Vice Dean of Evening Students- Science Faculty. Involved in teaching at undergraduate and post graduate levels. Successfully supervised one student for M.Sc. and one for Ph.D. In charge of Instrumentation Lab.
• Helped to establish the University College in Barbados in September 1963 with Professor Leslie Robinson the first acting Principal
• Postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Hawaii 1969.
• Was invited to take up the position of Principal of College of Arts Science and Technology (CAST) in 1970. This involved an initial secondment 1970-1996 from UWI. The post of Principal was changed to that of President in 1986 when CAST became a degree granting institution in its own right. The College was formally designated the University of Technology, Jamaica on September 1, 1995.
Some major accomplishments during the 26 years at the institution were:
• The growth in student numbers from some 1200 to over 6000
• The introduction of over 50 new programmes
• The establishment of three (3) new departments; architecture, computing, and technical teacher training
• The change of the College Scheme to allow the institution to grant its own degrees
• Membership of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
• The significant growth of the physical plant, much of this without Government assistance.
• Creating important linkages with several international agencies and foreign governments leading to important projects and developmental initiatives.
• Establishing a strong regional presence and leadership in technical education with many Caribbean students coming to the institution.
• The establishment of an extensive and very successful intramural and extramural sports programme. Graduating students were able to benefit from academic linkages that were developed.
• Developed academic links with local and regional community colleges and other educational institutions.
• Established the CAST (now the UTech) Education Foundation
• Successfully organised the 9th World Conference on Co-operative Education (WACE) in August 1995
• Helped to establish the academic legitimacy of technical education in Jamaica and the Caribbean
• Restoration of the campus after Hurricane Gilbert in 1988
• Retired on August 31, 1996.
Conferences
Participated in many regional and international conferences and specialised meetings including:
The Association of Canadian Community Colleges; the British Council; The Caribbean Community (CARICOM); Caribbean Association of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CATVET); Canadian International development Agency; the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) ; the Commonwealth of Learning (COL); the Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSEC); the International Labour Organisation (ILO); the Organisation of American States (OAS) the Pan American Health
Organisation (PAHO); UNESCO; and the World Association on Cooperative Education (WACE).
Consultancies
Served either alone or with other individuals as consultant to:
• The Governments of: Barbados; British Virgin Islands; The Gambia, West Africa; St. Lucia; Turks and Caicos Islands.
• Involved with projects for international agencies; CIDA, Comsec, CXC, ILO, OAS, PAHO. UNESCO, World Bank, The UNDP and UNESCO, USAID
Publications
These are in addition to many general and scientific publications, seminar papers, and conference
Addresses:
• The Merl Grove story: the Merl Grove High School history 1924-2000.
• The Kingston Technical High School Story
• The Making of a metric Jamaica. A.W. Sangster and The Bureau of Standards.
• The Making of a University from CAST to UTECH. Ian Randle Publishers
• Energy and our world: an integrated approach to the study of energy. College of Arts, Science and Technology
• New directions in technical and vocational education in the Caribbean. College of Arts Science and Technology.
• Remembering Hurricane Gilbert September 12, 1988: the CAST experience (now University of Technology UTECH).
• Book Reviews for the Jamaica Sunday Observer
Sports
Represented Jamaica at Hockey both locally and overseas.
Member of the Carreras Sports Foundation.
Royal Lifesaving Society Bronze Medallion.
Memberships
• International International Solar Energy Society
• Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions (ACTI) Hon. Member
• World Future Society
• World Association on Cooperative Education (Former Council Member)
• Local Association of Science Teachers of Jamaica
• Carreras Sports Foundation (Former Board member)
• Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs
• Jamaican Institute of Management (Fellow)
• Jamaica Theological Seminary (Former Board Member)
• The Caribbean Graduate School of Theology (Board Member and later Chairman)
• Students’ Christian fellowship and Scripture Union, Board Member
• National Commission on Science and Technology (NCST)
• Public Service Commission. Member
Chairman (Former)
• Metrication Board
• Intercollegiate Sports Association (Intercol)
• Student’s Loan Council
• Student’s Christian Fellowship and Scripture Union (SCFSU)
• Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE)
• Carreras Sports Foundation
• Caribbean Graduate School of Theology
• Jamaica Computer Society Education Foundation
• Merl Grove High School Board (1965 – 2008)
• Executive Chairman, Jamaican Institute of Management
Some Awards and Honours.
• 1977 Jamaica Institute of Management – Fellow
• 1981 College of Arts Science and Technology- Distinguished
• Service Award
• 1982 Jamaica Society for Scientists and Technologists- Award
• 1982 Government of Jamaica Commander of the Order of
• Distinction (CD)
• 1986 SCF/SU- Distinguished Service Award
• 1988 Institute of Jamaica- Musgrave Gold Medal
• 1988 UWI- Honorary LL.D
• 1990 Carreras Sports Foundation –Certificate of Merit
• 1990 Daily Gleaner- Honour Award for 1989
• 1992 Professional Societies of Jamaica- Hall of Fame
• 1994 St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation- Best of St. Bess Award, in the category of Science and Technology
• 1995 Munro and Dickinson Trust. Award for Excellence
• 1995 Government of Jamaica – Order of Jamaica (OJ)
• 1996 Joint Committee for Tertiary Education- Outstanding
Educator Award
• 1996 UTech Auditorium named, The Alfred Sangster Auditorium
• 1997 Carreras Sports Foundation- Chairman’s Award
• 1997 Jamaica National Building Society –Award for JN relays
• 1999 Gleaner Special Award to CAFFE for service to the county
in election monitoring.
• 2002 Honorary Graduate of the University of Technology. Doctor of the
University.
• 2012 Honorary Doc. Divinity Caribbean Graduate School of Theology
