Marthious Clavier – 2002, 2008

Marthious Clavier

While attending the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), I had many memorable and meaningful experiences. The memories that I will share with you occurred during my sophomore year of college. I was a member of the Math Boosters club, and as a group we decided to do an outreach to the Evelyn M. Williams Elementary School on St. Croix. Our goal was to assist the school in preparing some of its students for the National Association of Education Progress (NAEP) and Terra Nova standardized tests. My fellow club members and I traveled to the school twice a week for approximately two months and met with the selected students during their lunch hours in the library.

As we prepared the students for the math portion of the standardized test, we also built relationships with each of them. We went to the school with the intention of teaching math, but from time to time we found ourselves having discussions about life. There were moral and ethical questions posed to us by the students. I remember one particular student asked me, “If you see someone drop a five dollar bill while they are walking, is it wrong to pick it up and keep it?” The student asked that question based on the saying, ‘Finders keepers, losers weepers.’

At that point, the other club members and I took a short break to explain to the group, not just the student who asked the question, why the saying would not apply to that case. It took them a little while to understand that if there was no way to return a found item to the owner, it may be okay to keep it. However, if there was a way to return an item to its rightful owner, it was their duty to make every attempt to return it. It really sank home to them when they were asked to be in the shoes of the person who lost the money. How would they feel?

Clavier in 1999 receiving volunteer certificate from Dr. Lionel Sewpershad
 the then principal of the Evelyn M. Williams Elementary School

I mark this experience as one of my most memorable because we were able to teach lifelong lessons that I hope that those students still utilize today. The fact that I had attended the Evelyn Williams School made the outreach even more special for me. Being in the classrooms and walking the hallways brought back many memories of being a child and attending school there. Everything looked the same, and it was truly rewarding to give back to next generation. I saw so much of me in the young people I tutored those many years ago. Giving back to the community had a whole new meaning to me after that experience, and as a result, I have continued through the years to participate in many other volunteer experiences. I thank UVI for not only what I learned in the classroom, but for all the wonderful learning opportunities I was afforded outside the classroom.

Mr. Clavier is presently an Extension Instructor and Extension
 Agent at UVI’s Cooperative Extension Service

LaVerne E. Ragster

LaVerne E. Ragster

The marine biology program at the University has a long tradition of firsts and people working together to fulfill the instruction and research aspects of the mission. In 1985, the College of the Virgin Islands enrolled approximately 795 full time students and 17 of them declared marine biology as their major. The Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology was a new degree and we were still developing some of the courses.

As an Associate Professor of Marine Biology, I worked with Diving Instructor and Divemaster, Mark Sabino, to get students in the water and involved in research on marine algae and ecology. Mark moved tanks and other dive equipment from the dive locker in the Classroom Administration Building to the dock in Brewer’s Bay and back in his personal vehicle or faculty and students helped to carry equipment when it was necessary. We decided that the situation was not sustainable and began the search for a solution. None of the academic programs that moved students had a vehicle solely dedicated to their needs, and of course, funding was a major challenge. Mark identified a useable panel van and the idea to raise some of the funds grew among our small group of faculty and students.

Dr. LaVerne Ragster, bottom left, with marine
biology students in 1985.

The big fundraiser project was a sponsored walkathon. We solicited pledges for the approximately 16 mile trip from the St. Thomas campus to Coki Beach and back to campus. On April 21st, we started early and Mark followed us in his car with water and encouragement. Dr. Bill Gorham, wore his cap and smiled all day, and everyone was happy to sit for a little while when we arrived at Coki Beach after eight miles of walking. At the end of the day and many miles of walking, we were exhausted, but very happy to be contributing to the growth of the marine science program.

The hundreds of dollars we were able to raise helped to pay for the white panel van we bought. The van was fitted with benches for students to sit on and racks for tanks and equipment. That white panel van was the workhorse of the marine science area for years. I will always remember that long walk and the great spirit of those who worked so hard to make CVI/UVI the best it could be for all of us.

Happy 50^th Anniversary, UVI!

Dr. LaVerne Ragster served as UVI President from 2002 to 2009.
She is currently a Professor of Marine Biology at UVI.

Utha O. Williams - 1982

Utha O. Williams

To have a close affiliation with UVI is on its own a very special feeling. But to know that the affiliation helped in some way to build the institution into what we have today indeed has even greater meaning. Two special connections come to mind that occurred during the years I served as the Title III Program Coordinator.

First, under the leadership of the late President Dr. Arthur A. Richards, UVI was engaged in a curriculum improvement plan, a part of which was focused, in response to students’ needs and demands, on developing a comprehensive Music Education Program. With full support of the Board of Trustees which approved establishment of a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education degree, the administration, in collaboration with the Music Education faculty of the late 1970’s, wrote and submitted a strong application to the U.S. Department of Education, Division of Advanced Institutional Development (AIDP) the umbrella agency for the Title III Program. The funding received enabled UVI to renovate the north end of the old Field House (an old airplane hangar built by the U.S. Navy in the 1930’s) to create a two story structure to accommodate faculty studio/offices, classrooms, a choir room, a band room, and practice rooms. Although the grant was funded, there were portions that required stronger justifications to ensure full funding for everything requested.

UVI fought hard to defend the portions of the application that had come under heavy scrutiny by program and financial officers of the U.S. Department of Education. We organized a team and prepared for the negotiations. We traveled to Washington, D.C., to fight for and justify the request for Yamaha pianos, band instruments and all the resources needed to complete renovation of the Field House. After several days of intense meetings and relentless justifications, to the delight of the UVI family our grant was fully funded. Renovation began to create the two story structure and prepare for arrival of the pianos and band instruments for our Music Education Program. We operated out of that modest facility until dedication of our new Music Education Center on February 11, 1999.

That facility represents the second special connection. It came about due to another collaborative effort under the leadership of then President Dr. Orville Kean, the Title III Program, Music Education faculty, and UVI Facilities professionals. The Music Education Center on the St. Thomas Campus stands as a testament to our ingenuity and tenacity to help UVI through two important phases of curriculum and infrastructure development leaving an enduring legacy of what can be accomplished out of devotion for this institution.

Utha O. Williams is currently a professor of Business
at the University of the Virgin Islands.

Arah C. Lockhart - 1978

Arah Lockhart

Prior to my enrollment as a ‘CVI’ student in August of 1974, I had already visited the Virgin Islands on several occasions to spend time with my father who resided on St. Thomas. During those periods, we spoke many times about his dream (which was gradually becoming my nightmare), of his children, not only relocating from Antigua to St. Thomas but of our opportunity to attend the “prestigious” College of the Virgin Islands. He would always reflect on the many people from the “islands” who went to and graduated from CVI, and were doing well here in this community and abroad. He wanted nothing less for ‘his’ children! Therefore, exactly five days after completing High School in Antigua, I was on the plane heading to St. Thomas.

As with most new experiences, on registration day, I was scared yet confident that I would survive. That was, until I learned that the only gym (physical education) class open was SWIMMING! This was the worst news I had heard in a long time. Notwithstanding that I was born on and frequented many of Antigua’s 365 beaches – I could not swim, and was prepared to quit college rather than take swimming as a class!

Arah Lockhart - 1976 Yearbook

With encouragement from my PE teacher Mr. Eugene Werts, I not only registered but survived and enjoyed the experience. I also earned a “B” grade! This was only the beginning of many other lasting and memorable experiences at CVI. My orientation to “dorm life” as a resident of Harvey Student Center… Hey ‘PURGERS’!... coupled with the classroom, campus and associated stories for each experience would require another fifty pages of documentation.

I am extremely proud that through my involvement in all facets of campus/college life, I have contributed to the CVI history and UVI legacy. Most memorable among these include: representing the Student Council at the Chase Auditorium dedication, reviving the CVI Carnival Troupe and our 1st Prize winning entry/trophy; the BUCS Volleyball Team practice tortures and victories… (Thank you, Blaiko!). This pride in my alma mater extended to New York where I attended Pace University, and where several other alumni decided to establish the Alumni Association New York Chapter. The déjà vu moments were surreal!

Sincere thanks and kudos to CVI (UVI) and special greetings to the graduation class of 1978 – WE ARE TRULY “UVI”!

Arah C. Lockhart is an assistant commissioner
at the VI Department of Labor.

James Rakocy



James Rakocy



I participated in 30 years of development at UVI. It started on June 23, 1980, my first day of work, and ended on Nov. 30, 2010, my retirement day. Fresh from obtaining a PhD in aquaculture from Auburn University, my assignment was to lead the Aquaculture Program at the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) in developing commercially feasible systems for the production of tilapia. Since there is little fresh water in the Virgin Islands, intensive production systems were required that conserved and reused water. We developed three commercially feasible systems: cage, aquaponic and biofloc systems.

In the beginning there were no facilities. My team and I installed a well and rainwater catchment, constructed a shed, erected tanks, built systems and dug ditches for water, air and electric lines. Initially I was more of a construction worker than a scientist. My office was in Building E, a house shared by AES and the cooking and sewing classes of the Cooperative Extension Service.

In 1987 I became the assistant director of AES and eventually worked my way up to director in 1996. A milestone occurred in 1988 when the fiscal year was ending with a budget surplus which enabled us to remodel Building E into a proper office and research facility with three laboratories. 



James Rakocy, third from right, at first Ag Fair 1981.

 

In 1989 powerful Hurricane Hugo came through destroying much of AES. Adversity turned into opportunity in 1990 when funds became available to build the Research and Extension Center with four offices for AES employees and two more laboratories, a field building containing 10 rooms for work and storage, and a bank of six greenhouses. We came out of that traumatic experience with greatly enhanced research capacity.

While the Aquaculture Program and AES were developing, UVI was growing at a remarkable rate with new buildings and infrastructure, state-of-the art information technology systems, more faculty and programs, comprehensive policies, better learning outcomes and greater emphasis on community engagement.

Personally I experienced the most gratifying career imaginable. In 1999 we started an annual short course to teach people how to use the technology we developed, especially the aquaponic system in which fish and vegetables are cultured together in a recirculating system. In 14 offerings, the course was attended by 566 students from 45 U.S. states and territories and 55 other countries. The UVI aquaponic system, as it is known, has become world famous and is being used in commercial operations in many U.S. states and foreign countries. Increasingly large facilities are being established. The story of the UVI aquaponic system is not finished, but it is important to recognize that UVI created an environment where innovation and creativity were allowed to flourish. I am very grateful UVI. Congratulations on your 50^th Anniversary.

Photo detail: The 1981 photo shows, from left, Aquaculture staff members Ayyapan Nair, James Clark, Dr. Rakocy, UVI President Arthur Richards and AES and CES Director Darshan Padda. Click photo to view larger image.

Dr. James Rakocy is a former Research Professor of Aquaculture
and Director of the UVI Agricultural Experiment Station

Frank L. Mills - 1967

Frank L. Mills

Here we are at 50! A time to “big up” ourselves. Indeed, an occasion to backslap because of what the College of the Virgin Islands has now become and what it has achieved. All of this seems so commonplace now, but this was certainly not the future image that captured our student imagination in the mid-1960s.

It is difficult to recall what catapulted me into campus politics in my first semester in the fall of 1965. It is not the politics itself that seems significant, but rather the consequences of being elected Vice President of the Student Association in my first year, and President in the second. What is noteworthy is that as President I was part of a symposium held in the Little Theater to defend the integrity of the fledgling college against a resident stateside writer who harshly criticized CVI as being a “big white elephant!” That is, CVI was labeled an enormously expensive exercise from which the VI would derive little benefit.

Even as a student leader, it was indeed brave for a foreign student to shepherd a group of students on a late Sunday afternoon in 1966 from the cafeteria-cum-library-cum-bookstore, up the hill to the President’s home, because of a totally unpalatable dinner. This was effectively the first campus demonstration – a rather miniscule one compared to the more serious demonstrations of the early 1970s. The first lesson learned was the need to remain resolute when convinced of the rightness of a cause, and the second was that it was in the interest of the chief administrator to ensure that students are reasonably satisfied.



Teaching at UVI in 1976



Some unforgettable events as a student included: my exposure to many notable Virgin Islanders who addressed Ideas and Issues sessions, my first and only visit to Virgin Gorda, witnessing Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Tortola, and working as a student at the Caribbean Research Institute.



My first – and only long-term – job at CVI began in 1974 with a joint appointment as Institutional Research Officer and Assistant Professor of Social Sciences. Teaching was a passion until it became evident that the motivation for a college education had changed significantly – exemplified by a student who, when questioned about her persistent lateness for class, rejoined that it should be no concern of mine since it was her money to waste! It was my significantly productive sabbatical year at the Census Bureau in Washington in 1985-86 that authenticated for me that there are many other meaningful callings in addition to teaching, such as the kind of applied research in which the Caribbean Research Institute was engaged, and eventually becoming the VI Census Data Center.

Direct involvement in the accreditation process of CVI/UVI has spanned my entire work period from getting ready for the first site visit in 1976 to the preparation of the current 2012 Periodic Review Report.

And so, in this Jubilee Year, I salute my alma mater on its many successes!

Carmie Thompson - 2010

Carmie Thompson

As the University of the Virgin Islands celebrates its fiftieth year since its founding throughout 2012, I would like to express my sincere support of this commemorative proceeding; for the years gone and those to come. As a recent alumnus of the institution, I have benefited from many of the services and activities which were hosted by UVI. Although I completed the majority of my studies on the St. Croix campus, I also enjoyed my visit to the St. Thomas campus to complete some summer courses. While studying at UVI, I spent many hours on campus not only attending classes but participating in activities. I was particularly interested in volunteer opportunities and UVI has several ways to contribute to the UVI community and the overall community where the campuses are located. 

My experience at UVI can be captured in three words: Learn, Participate and Volunteer. The activities associated with each of these categories are the things that stand out to me as significant to my UVI experience. 

Since most of my classes were evening sessions, it was quite humorous at times to dread the late hour classes. Still the learning experience was really great considering several things. My classes were not too large and facilitated much one on one question/answer times with my professors, there were lots of learning and growing in the group projects and above all, the end of exams was always a relief and I was able to spend time with friends reminiscing on the semester.

I was able to participate in activities that helped build my knowledge in specific and general areas. Some of the activities/organizations that UVI has and I participated in were the 4-H Collegiate Club, Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute and Summer Institute for Future Global Leaders. My participation in these activities encouraged me to learn from my peers and share ideas.

One of the building bricks of my UVI experience was to volunteer my time and service. Meaningful volunteering was done as a researcher for a Retention and Graduation Focus Group, Career Fairs, Shadow Our Student and the Virgin Island’s Agriculture Fair.

The Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA) was a very supportive arm of UVI that I was able to benefit from. It’s because of the OIA that I was able to financially meet tuition cost for a semester through the William Koier Scholarship. The Office of Institutional Advancement also played a very vital role in days leading up to graduation. Now that I have graduated, I enjoy keeping in contact with professors and friends and financially supporting UVI.