A south Trinidad scientist has made it into the prestigious 1995 Marquis Who's Who in the World of Science.

Dolly Nicholas, a former chief chemist at Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) and inventor of the company's range of Lasco products, received news recently that her name will be in the twelfth edition of the publication.

Nicholas has a master's degree in analytical chemistry from Queen's University in Canada. She lives in Marabella.

Nicholas worked in the Research and Development department of the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (Cariri) before moving to LATT.

When LATT changed management during the period 1987-1991, Nicholas' research with asphalt was put on the front burner and a wide range of downstream products were developed and marketed under the Lasco brand name.

In 1990, Nicholas was awarded a Public Service Medal of Merit in the field of inventions.

Nicholas has since been reassigned to Petrotrin, Pointe-a-Pierre.

Nicholas said science and technology are driven by research and development (R&D). She bemoans the fact that little or no resources are invested in R&D, especially in state-run enterprises.

She blames this on the lack of appreciation by the public on the vital role played by science and technology in supporting a modern economy.

Nicholas believes that the lack of a modern intellectual property system and the lack of respect for the contributions of scientists and engineers will have an adverse effect on research and development.

She is concerned that state companies have not been budgeting for research and development as a major plank of operation.

Another aspect that bothers scientists and engineers in this country is the management of research and development personnel at state agencies.

The Draft Energy policy statement published as a Green paper points out that success in the energy sector, "more than any other, depends on a successful and well-funded research and development sector".

The Green paper made it clear that R&D is expensive but must be regarded as a necessary expense.

It has been pointed out that if R&D managers do not understand the technological basis of global competition then Third World countries should not complain when the industrial nations in the north become the source of technological good and services.

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