Dr Úna McCarthy-Fakhry

UCD Alumni Award in Science 2025

BSc 1998

Dr Úna McCarthy-Fakhry is an international STEM education specialist and a passionate advocate for women and girls in STEM. She has worked in diverse roles in research, public administration, and international development. Currently based at UNESCO in Paris, Úna leads global efforts to strengthen girls’ participation, learning, and retention in STEM. Her work spans Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and centres on ensuring all learners, regardless of gender or background, can build STEM literacy and thrive in an increasingly digital world. A core principle of Úna’s work is her human-centred approach, reflected in national and regional initiatives that advance equity and inclusion. In Cambodia, she led the Annual Cambodia STEM Festival, founded STEM Sisters Cambodia, and supported the Cambodian government in developing a national STEM education strategy through her work with the Asian Development Bank. In Africa, she contributed to World Bank research, evaluated gender-responsive teacher training programmes, and is currently supporting a project focused on closing the digital divide through inclusive digital education. Úna received the Girls in STEM Award 2020 from Juniper Networks and was named in the 2021 Leading Lights Asia Pacific Kindness and Leadership Awards.