KERON BASCOMBE

26 Diamond Drive, El Dorado Gardens, Tacarigua

Phone Contact: 1 868 297 5378

LONG TERM OBJECTIVE / Being a young professional in agriculture I seek a career in agricultural journalism and communications. As a blogger, I hold great enthusiasm for social media, with a passion for writing, due to an understanding of the power of the media in keeping food and agriculture on the forefront of world issues.
EDUCATION
AWARDS / Period: 2009 – Present (near completion)
Institution: University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine,
Degree: M.sc. Agribusiness and Marketing
Period: 2006 - 2009
Institution: University of the West Indies, St. Augustine
Degree: B.Sc. General Major in Agribusiness
Minors: 1) Communication and Extension; 2) Entrepreneurship
Period: 2004 – 2006; Period: 1999- 2004
Institution: St. Anthony’s College, Advanced level, Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam, 8 passes; Ordinary Caribbean Examinations Council/Cambridge Ordinary Level, 8 passes
May 2012:Winner in the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition, Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Best Institutional Blog - Caribbean Region
September 2013: Trinidad and Tobago Youth Awards Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs; Trinidad and Tobago, 3rd Place winner - Agriculture
February 2014:Excellence in Agricultural Journalism in Trinidad and Tobago awards ofThe Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) & the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Winner for Best New Media
May 2015: Global Water Partnership, Caribbean Secretariat, Media Awards, Honorable mention award, in collaboration with colleague Renaldo Matamoro.
September 2015: The MJ Bear Fellowship 2015 of the Online News Association
WORK EXPERIENCE / Period: March 2014 –September 2014
Position: Communications Intern at the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development
Responsibilities: Online content management, writing and editing, Technical assistance
Period July 2011 – Present
Position: Blogger and Freelance Writer – Self Employed
Published Work:Blog – tech4agri.com;GCARD2 Social Reporter; ICT4ag Social Reporter; GLF Social Reporter Correspondent for NewAgriculturist
Correspondent for SPORE Magazine
- Issue 162 pg 8 – A taste for rabbits
- Issue 163 pg 10 – Affordable feed from sorghum
- Issue 165 pg 11 – Maturing market
- Issue 166 pg 8 – Creating a buzz for honey
- Issue 168 pg 8 – Livestock research
- Issue 169 pg 12 – Achieving sustainability in the Fisheries Sector (Interview)
-Issue 172 pg 8 – Cross Cutting Initiatives
Correspondent forYoung Leaders in Local Development(YLPD), Guest Blogger for Plantwise.org, Guest Blogger for the Global Agricultural Development Initiative,
Freelance Work

Email: Twitter: @wiscobasco

Period: Jan-Dec 2011; Sep-Dec 2012
Position: Tutor/Assistant at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension (DAEE), UWI
Responsibilities: Facilitator for Student Blogs, Group work, Field Trips and Group Projects
Period: August 2011
Temporary Position: Administrative Assistant at the Caribbean Telecommunications Union
Responsibilities: Rapporteur for the 2011 Caribbean and Latin America Internet Governance Convention
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE /
  • Mobile Journalism Conference, Dublin, Ireland 27-28 march 2015
  • The Thought for Food Summit, Feeding 9 billion by 2050,” September 20 – 22, 2013, Berlin ,Germany. & February 12 – 14, 2015, Lisbon, Portugal.
  • Thought for Food Ambassador Sep 2013 – Present
  • The IFPRI 2020 Conference, “Building Resilience for food and nutrition security,” May 15 – 17 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Social media training and social reporter at the Global Landscapes Forum, October 2013 in Poland Warsaw
  • Off-site social Reporter for the CTA ICT4AG conference, the 6th African Agriculture Science week and the 2014 Forest Asia Conference.
  • Invited to and participated in the 5th Global Forum on Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship “Innovation for Socio-Economic Development’’ May 28-30 May, 2013 in East London, South Africa
  • Social Reporter for the Second Global Conference on Agricultural Research 2012 (GCARD2) at Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Reported on the event via social media channels as part of a group of young social media reporters.
  • YPARD representative for Trinidad and Tobago 2013 - present
  • Caribbean Week of Agriculture; Dominica 2010, Antigua 2012, Suriname 2014
  • Third International Association of Agricultural Information Specialist (IAALD) Africa Chapter Conference in Johannesburg from the 21st – 23rd May 2012.
  • The Postgraduates of the DAEE, in collaboration with the Agribusiness Society of UWI: Postgraduate Study Tour Activities:
  1. To Jamaica - Focused upon Livestock Sector production and its readiness to supply the Caribbean among other areas of study. Conducted May-June 2012
  2. To Guyana and Suriname - Executed group project entitled: An Assessment of Trinidad and Tobago Fish Landing Sites - Readiness to Export – Involves Comparative analysis and Qualitative field research. Conducted May-June 2011
  3. To St. Vincent and the Grenadines– Examined the agro processing sector and Conducted Value Chain analysis, January 2010
  • Study Abroad Program to the University of Wisconsin, (UW) Madison; Two separate semester periods: Jan 2012 – May 2012 and Sep 2010 – Dec 2010
  • Member of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) UW Student Chapter; and the UW Waterpolo Club; Jan 2012 – May 2012 and Sep 2010 – Dec 2010
  • Member of the UW Hoofers Outing Club; Sep 2010 – Dec 2010
  • Marketing and Communications Officer (2009 – 2011) and President (2012 - Present) Agribusiness Society of the University of the West Indies

HOBBIES
OTHER SKILLS
REFERENCES / Football, Water related activities, Hiking and other outdoor activities
High Level Computer literacy, Social Media, Print and Electronic Design
Dr Selby Nichols
Head of Department - Lecturer - Nutrition
Department of Agricultural Economics & Extension, University of the West Indies
E-mail:| Tel/ext: 1 (868) 662 2002 ext.82093, 83564
Dr David Dolly
Lecturer - Agricultural Extension
Department of Agricultural Economics & Extension, University of the West Indies
E-mail:|Tel/ext: 1(868)-662-2002 ext.83206
Pascal Corbé
Communications Officer
Global Donor Platform for Rural Development
E-mail: