Dr Camille Bell-Hutchinson is used to being in a male-dominated environment. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Playing with the big boys was never a daunting task for Dr Camille Bell-Hutchinson, campus registrar for the University of the West Indies (UWI). Having six older brothers and being the only girl, it was normal. So professionally, it seemed only natural that she would rise to the top in a male-dominated field and think nothing of it.

Bell-Hutchinson took up the post of campus registrar last August, and is the first female to do so. She said it is an exciting time to be a part of the leadership which will help to usher in change at the 60- year-old institution.

"Right now is a special time for us, because we are right in the middle of our new strategic plan and a major imperative is transformation. We are working on a number of projects. We're trying to reposition our public relations office to be more marketing focused. We were once the regional university and the only university in Jamaica; you realise how many universities we now have, so it's no longer business as usual," said Dr Bell-Hutchinson.

Through her duties as campus registrar, her office is responsible for all administrative processes which allow the university to achieve various objectives. Some of the processes include student records, examinations, admissions, public relations and human resources. While the registrar does not only cater to students' needs, but to those of lecturers and attendants as well, Bell-Hutchinson admitted she has a special affinity for improving the student experience.

"The student experience must be one that they would like to come back to UWI, and we have a long way to go with that. But we are certainly making every effort to change that," she said. "We are also a research university so we have to support national development which has a number of elements to it. A part of supporting that national development is to produce students who can go out there and add value to the society." A certain value which she believes persons can contribute if they identify their purpose. A purpose she found in teaching, a profession which she never dreamt of.

Intrigued by Mathematics

"I never always wanted to do anything," she said in regards to indentifying with a profession. Growing up, she was intrigued by mathematics and was good at it. At Wolmer's Girls' School she pursued it along with the sciences. Her university career would begin at the UWI, following an obvious theme. She would eventually do all her degrees there, an undergraduate degree in mathematics, a diploma in math education, a master's in education and a PhD in math education.

But this well-defined path really came about while visiting a career exhibition when she was an undergraduate student. The principal of Wolmer's Girls' School needed a math teacher and that was where her trek began. She would eventually return to the UWI as a lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities and Education.

"I have a passion for education. I have a passion for young people. I have a passion for seeing us doing the best we can to enable others to grow and I think that's one of the things that drives me as registrar. I don't think there is anything more enriching than seeing others develop and contribute and getting a sense of self," she said.

She still has that passion for the classroom and how it shapes a child's life. "I do work with the Ministry of Education and, from time to time, I chair one of the transformation sub-committees that's looking at math. I still supervise some students in maths education," she explained.

Mother of two

But in case you think this mother of two is one-dimensional, forget it. She loves literature and history. Her appreciation for art and history is possibly best indicated by a drawing which hangs on the wall behind her desk. In it, influential black figures from different eras gather around a globe, including Nelson Mandela, Mohammed Ali, Desmond Tutu, Malcolm X , Harriet Tubman. Where did she get it? It was a gift from one of her dearest brothers, of course.

Education is her passion. Although she is no longer in a classroom full-time, in her job as registrar she is committed to providing a rewarding environment for students. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer