Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin ends 7-year tenure as UG’s Vice Chancellor

– Transitional management team established to oversee operation

The University of Guyana (UG) on Friday announced that the contractual agreement between Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin as Vice Chancellor (VC) and the tertiary institution ended on July 31, 2026, bringing an end to seven years of service. The Chancellor and Chair of Council, Sir Ronald Sanders, expressed appreciation to Professor Mohamed-Martin for her service and commitment to the university during her tenure.
“The University Council thanks Professor Mohamed-Martin for her seven years of stewardship of the University of Guyana and wishes her every success in her future endeavours,” Sir Ronald said.

To ensure continuity of leadership and the uninterrupted conduct of the university’s academic, administrative and financial affairs, the university council has established a transitional management team to oversee the day-to-day operations of the university until a new VC is appointed. The Transitional Management Team will be chaired by Professor Stafford Griffith, a professor at UG and professor emeritus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).
Professor Griffith has had a distinguished career in higher education across the Caribbean, having served in a number of senior leadership positions at UWI, including interim pro-VC and principal of the Five Islands Campus, regional director of the Office for Online Learning, director of the School of Education, and deputy dean of the Mona Campus. He has also held senior regional appointments with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and has served on numerous national and regional commissions, committees and boards.
Joining him on the Transitional Management Team is Deputy VC (Finance and Administration) of UG, Dr Diana Devika Gobin. Dr Gobin has more than 18 years of experience in higher education and has served in a range of academic and administrative leadership positions, including assistant dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. She has played a significant role in the university’s financial administration, academic development, and institutional governance and holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation, an International Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and a Bachelor of Social Science in Management.
The third member of the transitional management team will be the incoming chair of the Committee of Deans, who is expected to be elected next week. The transitional management team will manage the university’s day-to-day affairs under the oversight of the Chancellor and the University Council until the appointment of a new VC.
The search for the university’s next VC is continuing. Following a comprehensive and rigorous international search process, four candidates have been shortlisted and are proceeding through the final stages of consideration by the University Council.
“The Council is committed to ensuring a smooth and orderly transition in the leadership of the university while maintaining continuity in its academic mission, governance and administration. I have every confidence that Professor Griffith, Dr Gobin and the incoming Chair of the Committee of Deans will provide the steady and experienced leadership necessary during this interim period. At the same time, the Council remains fully engaged in completing the search for the University’s next VC through a rigorous and transparent process,” Sir Ronald Sanders had stated.