ABOUT US
The Research Office of the University of Belize oversees the activities of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Graduate Studies and Research Committee (GSRC) and the two UB Journals: Journal of Belizean Research and the Belize Creative Arts and Culture Series. In the future, the office will also oversee the Internal Research Grants and Awards policy.
MISSION
The Research Office at the University of Belize exists to coordinate, build, and facilitate the ongoing development of the human and institutional research capacity in collaboration with the various academic units and individual researchers of the University, and partner institutions, to advance a research agenda that contributes to the sustainable development of Belize.
VISION
The University of Belize is a recognized research leader advancing a research agenda for the sustainable development of Belize in collaboration with national and international partners.
STRATEGIC AREAS
ROLE OF THE RESEARCH DIRECTOR
The Director of Research is a senior member of the University's administration and is responsible for the Research Function of the University of Belize. The Director assumes responsibility for the development and management of the Office of Research including seeking research opportunities for UB faculty, coordinating research projects of UB faculty, generating research proposals, and managing the
UB research budget. The Director of Research is expected to play a leadership role in the overall development of Research Mission of the University.
MEET THE RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Dr. Joyanne De Four-Babb
Dr. Joyanne De Four-Babb, was appointed the Interim Research Director at the Research Office in January 2023. Prior to that, she served for four years as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education and Arts at the University of Belize. She was the coordinator of the Field Experience and Research Methods in Education courses. Joyanne is currently the co-Chair of the Caribbean and African Studies in Education, Special Interest Group (86) of the American Educational Research Association (2020—2023) and has previously served that organisation in the capacity of Program Chair (2015-2016; 2019–2020). Dr. De Four-Babb is a doctoral Commonwealth Scholar and received her doctorate from the University of Waikato, Hamilton New Zealand.
Dr. De Four-Babb’s research focuses on the development of identity (being and becoming) among various populations, such as women faculty, teachers, business leaders, and women priests. Her other work has also focused on peer mentoring among women faculty, spirituality, practical experiences of learning to teach, and comparative collaboration as an emerging research method. She has presented her research at major conferences including the American Educational Research Association, Academy of Management, British Academy of Management, Biennial Narrative Research in Progress Conference, University of the West Indies Biennial Conference in Education, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) Conference AQR/DPR Conference. She has also served as a peer-reviewer for the AERA Narrative SIG and CASE SIG, and for journals such as Gender and Education, Studies in Continuing Education, the Caribbean Educational Research Journal, and Journal of Educational Administration and History.
Joyanne’s publications include multiple book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles in journals including Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning Professing Education, The Journal for the Study of Spirituality,The Journal of Educational Research, Caribbean Curriculum, Power and Education, and The Journal of Pan African Studies.
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB)
The main function of the IRB is to protect and manage the risk of human participants involved in research. In carrying out this role the IRB will ensure that all research conducted will:
- Promote safety and wellbeing of human participants
- Ensure the adherence to ethical values and principles
- Ensure that only ethical and scientifically valid research is approved
- To assure our stakeholders that all research conducted at UB is done in a responsible
The board members for 2022-2024 are:
Dr. Geraldo Aldana
Chair & Assistant Professor
Dr. Danladi Chiroma Husaini
Vice Chair & Assistant Professor
Dr. Ismael Hoare
Assistant Professor, University of South Florida
Dr. Dylan Vernon
Founder & Managing Director, D-GOV Consulting Ltd.
Mr. Kevin Arthurs
CEO Ministry of of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries
Dr. Marcia Commissiong
Quality Assurance Director & Ex Officio
Dr. Kieran Ryan
Assistant Professor
Dr. Sherlene Enriquez - Savery
Vice President
Dr. Joyanne De Four-Babb
Interim Research Director
Ms. Myrna Teck
IRB Secretariat
GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH COMMITTEE
The Graduate Studies and Research Committee is established to serve as the primary
governance body with responsibility to foster a culture of graduate studies and research at UB
and to manage graduate and research programs at UB using a coordinated approach to academic aspects and quality enhancement of all graduate taught and research programs.
The board members for 2022-2024 are:
Dr. Dion Daniel - Chair
Ms. Melanie Smith - Member
Ms. Theresa Coye - Member
Dr. Joyanne De Four-Babb
Dr. Jake Snaddon - Vice Chair
Mr. Maximiliano Ortega - Member
Ms. Deserie Avila - Member
Dr. Phillip J Castillo - Member
Mrs. Patricia Lopez - Member
Dr. Marcia Commissiong - Ex Officio
