Jamaican economist Dr Nadine McCloud, a member of Bank of Jamaica's Monetary Policy Committee and a leading figure in Caribbean economic research, is among eight University of the West Indies (UWI) academics promoted to the rank of professor.

“Their appointments reflect excellence in scholarly work and sustained, practical contributions to fields spanning veterinary public health, econometrics, development economics, international relations, applied mathematics, clinical psychology, music, and psychiatry,” the university said in a statement on Monday.

Professorship is the highest academic ranks at the university. Six of the eight newly appointed professors are women.