UNIVERSITY professor of urban and regional planning Michelle Mycoo has died.There were no immediate details yesterday as to when she died or funeral arrangements.The University of the West Indies (The UWI) said it joined the Caribbean and international academic community in mourning the passing of Mycoo, whom it described as 'one of The UWI's most distinguished scholars'.The pro vice-chancellor and campus principal of The UWI, St Augustine campus, Prof Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, reflected on the loss in a release yesterday, noting that Mycoo's passing represents a profound loss to the university and to the wider Caribbean.'Professor Mycoo made an extraordinary contribution to The UWI through her globally recognised scholarship, her commitment to our students and her unwavering belief in the importance of research that responds to the needs of our region.'Her work on climate change, urban development and sustainable planning brought Caribbean realities into important global conversations and demonstrated the power of knowledge to shape meaningful solutions for our communities. We are devastated.' she said.Mycoo received the Best Researcher Award at the Principal's Research Awards and Festival in 2025.Over the course of her career, she produced 147 publications, supervised more than 60 graduate research projects, and secured nine internationally funded grants supporting multidisciplinary research, doctoral studies and scientific innovation.Her scholarship attracted more than 6,000 citations and earned her international recognition as a leading voice in climate change and sustainable development, The UWI said. Her work extended internationally, notably with the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Selected from more than 1,000 international nominees, Mycoo served as a coordinating lead author for the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.She was also among the top 8% of global scientists selected as lead author contributing to the IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change and was among 17% of elite scientists serving as a review editor for the Seventh Assessment Report on climate impacts and adaptation, due in 2029, the university said.The university said her contributions were recognised with several prestigious honours, including the Gulbenkian Prize for Human Development in 2022; and the Commonwealth Association of Planners Women in Planning Award.The university extended its condolences to Mycoo's family, friends, colleagues, students, and 'all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with her'.'A force in urban planning' The Trinidad and Tobago Society of Planners (TTSP) yesterday marked the passing of Mycoo, describing her as a 'force in urban planning and global climate action'. 'At The UWI St Augustine, Professor Mycoo was responsible for training and mentoring multiple generations of Caribbean planners. Her students form the backbone of our regional profession, carrying forward her high standards of practice and research,' the TTSP said in a post on Facebook. 'Her reach extended far beyond regional borders. Professor Mycoo was a globally recognised voice for coastal urban centres and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).'From her role as an IPCC Coordinating Lead Author to her appointment as Vice-President of the UNESCO MOST Scientific Advisory Committee, she actively translated spatial planning into global climate policy. Her foundational work on the blue urban economy remains a blueprint for coastal adaptation worldwide.'The TTSP added, 'Her lessons live on in the spaces we plan and the communities we protect.'