{"id":3392,"date":"2022-08-08T16:32:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-08T16:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lauradowrich.com\/?p=3392"},"modified":"2024-01-05T16:33:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T16:33:53","slug":"from-failing-common-entrance-to-leading-innovation-at-uwi-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lauradowrich.com\/from-failing-common-entrance-to-leading-innovation-at-uwi-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"From failing Common Entrance to leading innovation at UWI campus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As the fifth of seven children, Dr Curtis Charles had no real examples of academic success in his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His older siblings had all failed Common Entrance so it wasn\u2019t much of a surprise when he suffered the same fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, however, Charles has defied his early beginnings and is leading the development of the School of Science, Computing and Artificial Intelligence Research at the University of the West Indies\u2019 Five Islands campus in Antigua as the Director of Academic Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has several degrees \u2013 a BA in Architecture from Howard University, a Masters in Architectural Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Masters in Predictive Analysis from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has held various leadership positions at American universities, among them Interim Dean at Coppin University, President and CEO of Tiffin University and Senior Associate Vice Chancellor at Fayetteville University and worked at Microsoft as a Data Scientist for Higher Education among other jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Charles credits an army of angels, people who saw his potential and worked with him to fulfill it for his success today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As such, he is dedicated in his role as an academic to provide opportunities for those who face challenges in realising their dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to be able to give back and help students who are disenfranchised and underrepresented students, who like me who failed Common Entrance and didn\u2019t have an opportunity,\u201d he told Loop News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born in Arima, Trinidad, Charles was known as Slappy\u2019s son, a nickname his father got while playing football at Queen\u2019s Royal College. His father worked as a firefighter, his mother was a homemaker, and finances were scarce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy father had two vices, alcohol and horse racing. There was rum called Don Carlos and there were times when you would hear at the end of the month someone with a loud voice singing \u2018Don Carlos by so\u2019. It meant my father was coming home, pocket empty and stoned. But we were saved by my grandmother, who was an entrepreneur, a hard worker,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His older siblings didn\u2019t pass Common Entrance so when he heard the words \u2018Slappy Charles\u2019 son failed exams\u2019 over the intercom the day results were announced, Charles couldn\u2019t envision the future the way it turned out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had no hope. At that point in time, UWI was the only gig in town and there was no concept in my mind that I would ever qualify for UWI,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that his father was intent on finding him a job but his mother predicted that he would migrate to the US and have a life there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took the help of what he called angels to realise that prediction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n