The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Wednesday described the late Professor Michelle Mycoo as one of its ‘most distinguished scholars’ whose work on climate change, urban development and sustainable planning brought Caribbean realities into important global conversations.
‘Professor Mycoo made an extraordinary contribution to The UWI through her globally recognised scholarship, her commitment to our students and her unwavering belief in the importance of research that responds to the needs of our region,’ said Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine Campus, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine. Antoine said her work on climate change, urban development and sustainable planning brought Caribbean realities into important global conversations and demonstrated the power of knowledge to shape meaningful solutions for our communities, adding ‘we are devasted’.
Professor Mycoo received the Best Researcher Award at the Principal’s Research Awards and Festival in 2025 and over the course of her career, she produced 147 publications, supervised more than 60 graduate research projects and secured nine internationally funded grants supporting multidisciplinary research, doctoral studies and scientific innovation.
The UWI gave no details regarding her death, but said that her scholarship attracted more than 6,000 citations and earned her international recognition as a leading voice in climate change and sustainable development.
‘Her work extended internationally, notably with the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Selected from more than 1,000 international nominees, Professor Mycoo served as a Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.
‘In that role, she helped lead a global team of scientists and contributed to shaping the evidence and messages used by decision-makers around the world,’ the UWI said, adding that she was also among the top eight per cent of global scientists selected as Lead Author contributing to the IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change and was among 17 per cent of elite scientists serving as a Review Editor for the Seventh Assessment Report on climate impacts and adaptation, due in 2029.
‘Through this work, Professor Mycoo ensured that the experiences and vulnerabilities of cities and communities in small island and developing states were part of the global scientific conversation.
She also served as Vice-President of UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations programme and held appointments with the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Science Council and Future Earth Coasts.’
The UWI said that Professor Mycoo’s demand-driven scholarship informed policy and practice across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and with international agencies including the European Union and the Inter-American Development Bank.
‘Her research contributed to conversations around urban planning, disaster risk reduction, water security and coastal resilience – issues that are increasingly important to the future of the Caribbean.
‘Her exceptional contributions were recognised with several prestigious honours, including the Gulbenkian Prize for Human Development in 2022; and the Commonwealth Association of Planners Women in Planning Award,’ the UWI said, adding that her vision was for Caribbean research to build bridges among academia, governments, communities and the private sector, and for science to move beyond the page to drive transformative action.
‘Her work will continue to inform the region’s response to some of its most pressing challenges, and her vision for a stronger, more resilient Caribbean will remain part of the legacy she leaves behind.’.