UCC/NCB Rickert Allen Memorial Lecture to Spotlight Disaster Readiness, Recovery and Resilience

  The annual UCC/NCB Rickert Allen Memorial Lecture Series held on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on finance under the theme ‘From Data to Dollars: The Role of AI in Investment Strategies’. Actively engaged in conversation are: Denario Brown, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at NCB Capital Markets; Novandra Allen, Manager at the NCB Centre of Excellence (CoE); Dr. Karrian Hepburn Malcolm, Head of Wealth Management at NCB; Dr. Peter Ndajah, Dean of the School of Math, Science and Technology at UCC; and Dr. Ren-Neasha Blake, Data Scientist & Manager at the Ministry of National Security.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Wednesday, April 15, 2026: With hurricane seasons growing more intense and climate-related disasters increasingly threatening Caribbean communities, the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) and the National Commercial Bank (NCB) will convene leading specialists, graduate scholars, and university executives to discuss the region's readiness head-on. 

On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the UCC/NCB Rickert Allen Memorial Lecture will examine the physical, psychological, and economic toll of natural disasters under the theme 'Strength of the Caribbean: Readiness, Recovery, and Resilience' — continuing a tradition of timely, solutions-focused discourse that has defined the series since its 2021 launch. This distinguished lecture honours the legacy of the late Dr Rickert Allen, who served as the Board Chairman of UCC and a Senior General Manager in charge of Human Resources at NCB. 

Spearheaded by the College of Graduate Studies & Research at UCC, this lecture series underscores the University’s commitment to advancing intellectual leadership, cultivating impactful research skills, and facilitating substantive policy discourse – values that Dr Allen championed throughout his life and legacy.

Since its launch, the Rickert Allen Memorial Lecture has consistently addressed timely issues shaping leadership, innovation, and national development. The inaugural lecture in 2021 focused on ‘Transformational Leadership and Readiness For Change’ followed by ‘Becoming COVID-19 Resilient’ in 2022.

In 2023, the series turned to the education sector with ‘Navigating Artificial Intelligence and Education: Exploring Issues of Impact, Ethics, Access and Security’ while the 2024 staging examined cybersecurity under the theme ‘Think Like a Hacker: Safeguard your digital assets’. 

The discourse advanced further with ‘From Data to Dollars: The Role of AI in Investment Strategies’ in 2025, continuing the series’ tradition of engaging critical contemporary issues through informed dialogue, practical insight, and forward-thinking scholarship.

This year, the series will be held under the theme, ‘Strength of the Caribbean: readiness, recovery, and resilience’. The central feature will be an expert-led panel discussion examining the physical, psychological, and economic implications of environmental change, while highlighting multidimensional perspectives on resilience.

The 6th Annual UCC/NCB Rickert Allen Memorial Lecture will be held at the UCC Lecture Theatre, 17 Worthington Avenue, Kingston, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 starting at 6:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and will be available via live stream for virtual attendees.

 

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