I am Jeanette C. Corniffe, a PhD candidate and Teaching Assistant in the Department of History and Archaeology, UWI, Mona. I am also the holder of a B.A. (Hons.) in History, with a minor in International Relations from the UWI, Mona. This degree was awarded in 2003. In my doctoral research I investigate developments in Westmoreland's Sugar Industry, 1703-1833, with a particular focus on the impact of those developments on changing landownership trends. This is an example of micro level history and falls within the ambit of economic history. As a postgraduate student I have been the recipient of both the UWI Postgraduate Scholarship and a Department Award.
In addition to my current teaching responsibilities I have lately worked on several research projects. These include the Jamaica Business History Project "Business and Business Development in Jamaica, 1962 to the Present" and the Jamaica Heritage Trail Project.
My passion for history and historical research was birth long before I developed a desire to work in academia. I have always been appreciative of, and intrigued by, the usefulness of the proper application of the knowledge of past events, systems and personalities. In fact, at the risk of sounding cliché, I echo the Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey- National Hero of Jamaica and leader of the largest ever Pan-African movement- in ardently asserting that “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” The skills that I have learnt from being engrossed in historical study/research cannot become irrelevant or outdated. Indeed a nation or an institution of analytical thinkers, adapt policy makers and problem solvers always has the proper application of history as one of its foundational pillars.