Doris Elrina Rogers (née Vantull; 21 November 1929 – 22 September 2016) was a Guyanese academic who specialised in fine arts. She was a professor at the University of Guyana from 1988 to her retirement in 2008, and a

professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

thereafter.

Early life

Rogers was born in Georgetown,

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first European to encounter Guiana was S ...

. She grew up in the small settlement of Rose Hall, in the country's east, but returned to Georgetown to attend Central High School. After completing her leaving certificate, Rogers began teaching at a Roman Catholic school in

Port Mourant Port Mourant is a town on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast in East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana. It is the birthplace of the late president Cheddi Jagan as well as many of Guyana's most famous Cricket, cricketers. Port Mourant was originally a suga ...

.In Tribute: Emeritus Professor the late Doris Rogers
''

Stabroek News The ''Stabroek News'' is a privately owned newspaper published in Guyana. It takes its name from ''Stabroek'' , the former name of Georgetown, Guyana. It was first published in November 1986, first as a weekly but it later changed to a daily prin ...

'', 1 January 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017. Originally a science teacher, she developed an interest in art and in 1967 won a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

scholarship to attend the

South Australian School of Art The University of South Australia (UniSA) is a public research university in the Australian state of South Australia. It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the largest university in South Australi ...

(now part of the University of South Australia). When she returned to Guyana, she took up a position as an advisor to the national Ministry of Education, additionally teaching art at Bishops' High School.Prof Doris Rogers passes away
''Stabroek News'', 29 September 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Academia

Rogers moved to the United States to further her education, spending several years in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, studying at Howard University. She graduated with a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

degree in 1974 and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in 1975, specialising in art education and painting. She completed her

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

at the age of 51. Rogers subsequently moved to

Benin City Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, Edo State, Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano (city), Kano, and Ibadan, with a population estimate of about 3,500,000 as of ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, to take up an associate professorship at the University of Benin. She spent seven years there, studying African art with a concentration on the traditional art of the Fulani people. Returning to her homeland, Rogers became a professor at the University of Guyana in 1988. Prof Doris Rogers remembered as dedicated educator
''Stabroek News'', 30 September 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017. She was the coordinator of the Division of Creative Arts until 2003, and oversaw the introduction of the university's first fine arts degree in 1990. Rogers was interested in spreading and maintaining the knowledge of African art among the Afro-Guyanese population. She was the founder of Revival and Perpetuation of African Culture (RAPAC), an organisation devoting to protecting the intellectual property rights of practitioners of African cultural traditions. Rogers was also inspired by Indo-Guyanese practices, and once led a study tour of India alongside Bernadette Persaud. Her own artwork was exhibited in Guyana, North America, Nigeria, and India.Prof Doris Rogers made significant contributions to Guyanese art and culture
''Stabroek News'', 2 October 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Later life and honours

Rogers retired from the University of Guyana in 2008 and was made a

. In 2015, she was awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement by the Guyanese government. Rogers died in September 2016, aged 86, having suffered from dementia for several years. President

David A. Granger David Arthur Granger (born 15 July 1945) is a retired military officer who served as the 9th President of Guyana from May 2015 to August 2020. He served for a time as Commander of the Guyana Defence Force and subsequently as National Security A ...

issued a condolence statement describing her as "a distinguished national expert in the field of art education and the performing arts".Message of Condolence from His Excellency Brigadier David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, on the passing of Professor Emeritus, Dr. Doris Elrina Rogers
Government of Guyana, 1 October 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Doris 1929 births 2016 deaths Guyanese expatriates in Nigeria People from Georgetown, Guyana Academic staff of the University of Guyana Howard University alumni Pennsylvania State University alumni Academic staff of the University of Benin (Nigeria) Guyanese artists