By Sue-Ann Wayow
DR Allan McKenzie who spent decades at UWI-Roytec has been honoured by having the Roytec library renamed after him.
The library at the Roytec campus at Henry St, Port of Spain was officially renamed in a ceremony on Tuesday.
Dr McKenzie, now 89, in a pre-recorded message spoke about his years at Roytec as an English and Communication lecturer and that Tuesday was one of the most significant days in his life.
The former principal of Naparima College in San Fernando said, “I thoroughly enjoyed my work at UWI Roytec mostly my interaction with students and many members of the faculty and support staff.
“I enjoyed specially my interaction with students, which was always accompanied by spontaneous wit and humour, expressed in elegant linguistic style and often memorably so.
“Many students enjoyed my way of commanding their attention. I was happy to hear that the administration thought highly of my teaching style, in which learning was fruitful and enjoyable.”
He spent 27 years at Naparima College and 28 at Roytec.
The UWI-Roytec library is being integrated with the Alma Jordan Library of the UWI St Augustine campus.
Dr Mc Kenzie said, “The integration further consolidates our relationship with our country’s leading tertiary institution, lending greater academic prestige to your work here. Let us think, therefore, how much UWI-Roytec has grown, both visibly and invisibly. As we all herald the excellent status we now enjoy, tribute must be paid to the fundamental, indestructible pillars on which our present educational strength and superstructure now rest.”
He ended his address by saying, “Thank you again for the exceptional honour bestowed on me today. This honour I will wear in my heart invisibly but most significantly. As I eventually walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I may more easily enter the kingdom of God through his infinite grace.”
Roytec’s executive director Wendy Augustus described Dr Mc Kenzie, also former chairman of the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT) as an educational reformer.
As a national awardee, she said it was an honour to have him serve as head of the Department of English and Communication at UWI-Roytec.
Others who spoke at the event praised Dr Mc Kenzie for his style of teaching.
And librarian Alicia George-Wilson said with the integration with the Alma Jordan Library, the Roytec Library will become more prominent.
Roytec is private tertiary-level institution which has distinguished itself in the areas of business, teacher education, technology studies and corporate training.
It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus.
UWI-Roytec was launched in 1987 by RBTT Bank and in 2006 RBTT-RBC transferred the management and academic operations to UWI St. Augustine.
