Today we’d like to introduce you to Delon Omrow

Hi Delon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

There is a substantial amount of evidence suggesting intergenerational transmission of trauma and its effects on us in the present day. This, I think, is where my story as an Associate Dean at Centennial College begins. In a 2012 report by the World Health Organization, Guyana was ranked the number one country with the highest suicide rate in the world. Being a son of the Guyanese diaspora, I was alarmed by this but then thought of my own experiences with mental health unwellness. I concealed these ubiquitous feelings in the deep recesses of my mind, using humor, music and academics to adapt and persevere.

This led to a Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, PhD, Postdoctoral fellowship and career with INTERPOL, specializing in transnational criminology. My belief is that there is a link between eco-cidality and suicidality; Guyana, for example, has been ravaged by colonial and neo-colonial forces since its discovery by Europeans in the late 15th century and its beautiful terrain has been decimated by fronterism and extractivism. This, accompanied with a tenuous infrastructure for mental health supports, spells disaster for this small country, who now faces the threat of annexation by Venezuela, due to the discovery of oil by transnational forces.

As a researcher and Associate Dean, I tell this story with the utmost humility.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

The primary obstacle, for me, has been self-doubt. Abraham Maslow coined the term “The Jonah complex” to describe one’s fear of success or the fear of being one’s best. I guess I could say I have been evading my destiny out of fear. This obstacle has held me back many a time, but I am slowly getting more comfortable with leaning into my potential and taking on certain initiatives for myself, and my community.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I am a criminologist by trade, specializing in transnational environmental crime. I am very active in knowledge mobilization (KMb). For example, in 2019, I delivered a keynote presentation at the annual Environmental Crime and Power Conference at Ghent University in Ghent, Belgium. I presented a paper on the use of encrypted sites as platforms for facilitating the international wildlife trade, accelerating the spread of invasive alien species (IAS) and threats to nations’ biosecurity, sustainability and human security. I also presented a paper for the British Society of Criminology in Preston, England, exploring how ecofeminism and green criminology can be used to theorize gender-based violence and environmental (in)security in Indonesia. In 2022, I presented a paper at INTERPOL’s Wildlife Crime Working Group in Singapore, discussing the ‘darknet’ and the proliferation of illegally traded wildlife. Knowledge mobilization, I believe, is key to fostering communities of inquiry (CoI) and communities of practice (CoP) and as an Associate Dean, I try to guide my faculty on their own professional development and research projects, aligning their interests with our student population.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?

Despite my credentials (for what they are worth), I think the only characteristic driving my success is “grit”. Angela Duckworth, based on her studies, defines gritty as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” It’s never been easy for me, but sheer perseverance has brought me to this point in my life. Gratitude is also key: I am grateful for my parents who, despite irreconcilable differences, did their best to raise me and my siblings. The magnitude of their sacrifice is beyond my comprehension at times, and I suppose that drives the machine within – honoring their sacrifices.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://delonom.com
• Instagram: delon_om
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Delon-Om-109119934585276/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/delon_om?s=21&t=JXMaOfoK1szKlAAxFLg6-Q
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@delonom7302