Oceana O’Dean helping to protect local crops from pests
WOMEN’S roles have changed tremendously and this change is allowing women to make their greatest impact in our society today.
Many years ago, women’s contribution to society was limited and controlled by men. Now, their contributions are standing tall and are playing a major role in many important areas such as politics, engineering, technology and medicine.

In recognition of the women in the agricultural sector, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) will continue to highlight the female staffers who have been making a significant impact in developing the country.
In this week’s column, we are featuring an enthusiastic 26-year-old Research Scientist, Oceana O’Dean. Currently, she heads NAREI’s Plant Pathology Anthology and Weeds Science Department. She also manages the Laboratory.

O’Dean was employed by NAREI in January 2016 to run the department that monitors pests and diseases affecting plants in Guyana. It was Oceana’s curiosity in butterflies that led her to work with NAREI where she is tasked with the duties of protecting our plants.
It was while studying Biology at the University of Guyana, her interest in insects and pests—their existence, lifecycle and everything they did while on earth – grew, and this led to her doing her thesis on butterflies for her Bachelors of Science in Biology.
“Growing up, I wanted to be a doctor and then I went into biology thinking that I was going to become a doctor and by the end of my first year, I realised that it (biology) was very interesting. In my fourth year, I did my final paper on butterflies and it took off from there—I always liked insects,” O’Dean said.

She always knew she wanted to work with NAREI. In 2012, when she finished her Degree, she applied for a job at the institute but there was no vacancy—but this did not discourage her. In fact, she went onto furthering her study the following year by pursuing a Master’s of Science in Forest Biology.

“When I finished my Masters, I reapplied at NAREI and I was hired to run my department,” the 26-year-old said, while urging young men and women not to give up hope if they did not succeed the first time of trying something. “It may not be yours today, but it can be yours tomorrow.”

Initially, Oceana started out the University of Guyana, thinking that she would have been a medical doctor by now but even though her field of study took a different turn, she is determined to have that “Dr” in front of her name.
“My goal is to do my Ph.D. but I want to have some working years under my belt and as of now, I think I can make a significant impact where I am right now,” the 26-year-old said. She presently manages 10 staffers in her department—these are the people, she said, who made her work easier.

“At the beginning, it was challenging because I was never in a position to head a department and in this case, I had to come in and learn quickly but my staff was very helpful. They walked me through the process and they told me what the previous supervisors taught them,” Oceana recalled.

O’Dean deals with projects such as macro-propagating of planting, creating integrated pest management strategies to monitor the Black Sigatoka disease that affects banana and plantain suckers. She also did work on the Red Palm mite disease. Since the world is “going green,” her department looks at bio-pesticides and bio-fungicides to control pest to eliminate the use of chemicals.