Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel Edmunds
Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel Edmunds is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico (BSA in Agronomy) and Cornell University (MSc and Ph.D in Plant Pathology and Nematology respectively).
He served as a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO and held the positions as Director of Research and Development of the Windward Islands Banana Research and Development Center; Ambassador of St Lucia to the United Nations (UN); the Organization of American States(OAS), and the United States of America(USA); Senator in the Government of St Lucia; Senior Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies(UWI), St Augustine Campus and Director of the General Secretariat of the OAS in Suriname.
He served as consultant to various international agencies on agricultural projects in the South Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean; chaired a committee to review the educational system in St Lucia and made recommendations for improvement; produced for the OAS, a “Working Document on Program of Support for Democracy and Good Governance in the Caribbean” and contributed to a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report on Governance in the Caribbean.
He was Dean of the Caribbean Diplomatic Corps and Vice-Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Washington. Included in his various awards is the Office of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) awarded by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second for his contribution to science; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for International Service and the nematode Longidorus edmunsi was named in his honor for his contribution to Nematology.
He is a former board member of Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA) organization, as Ambassador at Large to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and presently board member of the Caribbean American Intercultural Organization (CAIO)
He has presented, published and participated in several projects related to science and technology, agriculture, education, democracy and governance, and youth leadership activities relevant to the Caribbean and international affairs. His book entitled “The Triangle of Success: For our Youth, Leaders of Tomorrow” has been acclaimed by distinguished educators, youth leaders, teachers and parents as a scholarly and practical guide for the development of youth, motivating and empowering them in the achievement of their potential.
In addition to his work as a scientist, statesman, diplomat and leader, he has published a book of poems and his poems have been published in various anthologies. He has exhibited his paintings in the USA, Canada, Europe (Paris) and the Caribbean and works of art are in private collections and institutions in those countries.
He has been cited as a Pioneer in the Conservation Movement in St Lucia and a Caribbean Icon in Science, Research and Innovation.