The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) has established the new Faculty of Science and Sport which came into effect at the start of the 2009/2010 academic year.
As part of its ongoing restructuring and expansion to meet relevant labour market needs for Jamaica's development, the University's former Faculty of Health and Applied Science was this academic year reorganised into two separate entities - The Faculty of Science and Sport building on the tradition of the departments of Science and Mathematics and the College of Health Sciences, replacing the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Structure of the Faculty of Science and Sport
The Faculty of Science and Sport comprises three schools and a centre.
School of Natural and Applied Sciences which offers the bachelor of science in science and education with majors in biology and chemistry, biology and mathematics, biology and physics, mathematics and chemistry, mathematics and physics, and physics and chemistry. The School also offers a new Bachelor of Science degree in applied science with majors in industrial and analytical chemistry, environmental science and forensic chemistry. School of Mathematics and Statistics which offers the new Bachelor of Science in applied statistics with majors in social and economic statistics and environmental statistics. The school will continue to offer science and mathematics modules in all courses of study in all faculties across the university. The Caribbean School of Sport Sciences which, beginning in January 2010, will offer the Bachelor of Science in sports science specialising in sport coaching, sports management, sports psychology and athletic training, making it the Caribbean's hub for high-quality sports education and training. The school will also have responsibility for the management and delivery of the over 20 sports electives offered to UTech students. The Centre for Science-based Research, Entrepreneurship and Continuing Studies will consolidate activities in research, entrepreneurship, continuing studies and delivery of specialised multidisciplinary science-based service modules.Spawning Research and Innovation
Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science and Sport Dr Colin Gyles notes that the establishment of the faculty with dedicated focus on the development of science and sport is a major thrust for the University. The faculty, he said, "will focus much-needed attention on research and other scholarly activities to provide bases for creating new knowledge that will spawn innovation and the creation of new technologies."
Already, the faculty has been making strides in research, with the establishment of a molecular biology laboratory with the capabilities for doing DNA analysis. This research project was initiated through a grant of $5.5 million from the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica. Arrangements are also currently being made to set up an integrated optics laboratory to expand the research and entrepreneurial capabilities of the faculty in optical applications such as photonics and fibre optics.