Professor Gerald Lalor, the visionary Jamaican scientist who helped modernise the University of the West Indies and established the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Science (ICENS), has died.

Lalor, 90, just two years ago headed the list of individuals to receive national honours and awards when he was awarded membership in the Order of Merit.

He died on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately provided.

“It is with great regret that the staff and the board of directors of the ICENS announce the passing of Prof. the Hon. Gerald Lalor, OM,OJ CD. We offer our sincere condolences to his family. He was a visionary, mentor, and friend. His impact was profound and we will miss him,” stated ICENS in a post on Twitter.

In 1966, Professor Lalor travelled to Harvard University and other American universities on a Carnegie Fellowship. After his return to Mona, he became a UWI professor and Head of the Chemistry Department. He was appointed Pro-Vice Chancellor in 1974. In 1978, he began Project Satellite, which introduced satellite communications to Caribbean education and public service. After its success, he became the first director of UWI’s distance learning programme.

Lalor was principal of the Mona Campus from 1991 to 1995. During this time, he established the Biotechnology Centre and the Centre for Nuclear Sciences, initiated the computerisation of the campus, and improved accessibility for the physically challenged.

He has been the Director of the Centre of Nuclear Sciences since its establishment in 1983, contribution to over 50 of the Centre’s scientific publications. Under his direction, the Centre compiled its findings on soils and water into a Geochemical Atlas of Jamaica, and developed a database of this research. ICENS discovered, reduced, treated and prevented lead poisoning in children in the Kintyre district, an area in St Andrew where backyard smelting is prevalent. These studies led to islandwide research on the effects of lead smelting. ICENS discovered remarkably high levels of heavy metals in some Jamaican soils and conducted research on the transfer of the toxic metal, cadmium, to plants, animals and humans and its negative effects on their health.