Bio
Dr. Yolande Cooke is the Programme Officer in the Office of the Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. She provides strategic leadership in the design and implementation of campus-wide initiatives focused on innovation, research commercialisation, international student recruitment, and institutional partnerships.
She has played a central role in coordinating major projects such as the Faculty of Science and Technology Renewal, and in advancing proposals for the establishment of centres including the Centre for Biosecurity Studies and the Shaw Centre for Paediatric Excellence. Dr. Cooke was also instrumental in the launch and operationalisation of the Office of Research, Innovation and Community at Cave Hill (RICCH).
Her portfolio includes support for the commercialisation of research innovations such as biogas and alginate extraction technologies and the REST mosquito control device. She has also led activities that support the growth of the Campus Innovation Fund.
A strong advocate for academic development, Dr. Cooke conceptualised the Author Fellowship Programme, co-directed the Build Better 2021 Symposium, and secured the EU- and IDB-funded CaribEquity Grant. She continues to build capacity among staff and students through training in grant proposal development, scholarly publishing, and research translation.