Five University of The Bahamas researchers have been granted Wilson Awards.

Small Island Sustainability (SIS) programme coordinator at UB Dr Brandon Bethel; Government and Policy Institute Policy Fellow Lesvie Archer; Assistant Professor of Physics Dr Amin Kabir; and the duo of SIS Research Centre executive director Dr Kristen Welsh Unwala and assistant Professor of Biology Dr Williamson Gustave have been granted $4,000 to further their research. The Wilson Awards Programme was created by donors Sir Franklyn Wilson, Sharon Lady Wilson and the Wilson Family Foundation (WFF).

Dr Bethel’s study, “Application and Implementation of Floating Solar Panel Arrays in The Bahamas” will offer insights into transforming the energy landscape of The Bahamas. He said: “When I found out, that represented an amazing opportunity to bring to life research that I think will bring change to Bahamians everywhere. Not five, 10, 15 years in the future, but two months and two months only because I’ll need to get government approvals. Everything that we need is in place. We can start right away. That represented an opportunity to change lives. That’s how I felt.”

Dr Bethel’s project explores how floating solar technologies can transform the nation’s energy landscape.

Mrs Archer’s study is “The Bahamas at 50: Assessing the Cultural Values of The Bahamas”, while Dr Welsh Unwala and Dr Gustave are collaborating on “The Threat of Hurricanes to Sustainable Development in The Bahamas: Hurricane Dorian Recovery of Groundwater and Soils in Grand Bahama”.

Dr Kabir is conducting atmospheric aerosol studies in The Bahamas.

The Wilson Grant Programme offers a maximum of four $4,000 awards, renewable, upon proof of progress, for a second year in the first cycle and a maximum of four years in the cycles thereafter.