GSA Alumnus of the Month, Maxine Parris-Aaron

The Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) Alumni Association is proud to feature Dr. Maxine Patricia Parris-Aaron, as the September “Alumnus of the Month”. Maxine’s journey from being the eldest of seven siblings, growing up in Buxton, a former student of South Georgetown Secondary and St. Rose’s High School, to a career choice of animal medicine over human medicine is truly inspiring. Her dedication and commitment have seen her since graduating GSA with a Diploma in Agriculture (1978) progressing today to being the Agricultural Health and Food Safety Specialist at the IICA. Being honored with the Golden Arrow of Achievement national award in 2019 is testament to recognition of the outstanding professional achievements of this GSA graduate.

Education

After graduating with a Diploma in Agriculture, GSA, 1978, Maxine worked for a few years before commencing study at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, USA, in 1981. In 1986 she graduated with a B.Sc. in Animal & Poultry Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. This veterinarian would further her studies, such that in 1991, she would graduate with a M.Sc. in Tropical Veterinary Medicine from the Center for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Edinburgh, Scotland. In addition, she completed several short courses in Agricultural Health and Food Safety (covering Inspection and Certification, Epidemiology, HACCP, Good Agricultural Practices, Packaging and Labeling) at prestigious institutions (such as Michigan State University, Texas A&M University, US Food and Drugs Administration, US Department of Agriculture and McGill University).

Career Trajectory

Recall that Maxine left GSA in 1978. Upon graduation, Maxine worked briefly with the Ministry of Cooperatives, teaching Animal Science at the Kuru Kuru Cooperative College; then served as a Fisheries Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture before returning to GSA as a Lecturer in Organic Chemistry thence heading off to university.

Upon completion of university studies in 1986, Dr. Parris-Aaron rejoined the Ministry of Agriculture as a Veterinary Officer, eventually being promoted to Senior Veterinary Officer. Thereafter, in September 1995, she was seconded to the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), to work as a Consultant on the Regional Agricultural Health and Food Safety Project of that organization. In March 1996, Dr. Parris-Aaron was appointed a National Specialist in Agricultural Health at IICA. Over a period of time, she completed multiple training courses at renowned institutions, thereby enhancing her areas of expertise in general agriculture, veterinary medicine, training, and food safety. This GSA graduate, also skilled in administration and management is still employed by IICA, with responsibility Agricultural Health and Food Safety Programmes in Guyana and Suriname.

Achievements

The stellar career path of Dr. Parris-Aaron, education, and work excellence has been personally fulfilling by her work with women agro-processors. The focus of these endeavours was to try not only to improve income generation but also to market the products locally and internationally. She was quoted in 2019 as saying, “For the last ten or so years I have worked with women in agriculture, especially the agro-processors and I think the work with them would have been some of my proudest achievements. There is recognition with respect to that” Her contribution towards agriculture and food safety and specifically working with women agro-processors saw her in 2019 receiving the national award of the Golden Arrow of Achievement.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions, the GSA Alumni Association proudly names Maxine Parris-Aaron as the Alumnus of the Month. Her journey exemplifies the values and mission of GSA and serves as a beacon of hope for a more sustainable and prosperous future in agriculture.