Abiding Memory
My abiding memory of UCD occurred while sitting in the basement lecture theatre of the former Royal College of Science in Upper Merrion Street. The late Professor Michael A Hogan, Dean of Engineering and Architecture, was at the podium. Looking intently at the newly inducted engineering freshmen, he proclaimed, “You are the future leaders of the nation.” Wow! He left me breathless but impressed.
  | The UCD Sutherland School of Law is the largest law school in the country and opened its doors in 2013 but originally dates back to 1911. Notable alumni include Alumni Award winner Maeve O’Rourke (BCL 2009) who works closely with Dr Katherine O’Donnell and Claire McGettrick of UCD on the Justice for Magdalenes campaign. Gifts to UCD’s Annual fund can enable us to provide scholarships to students from a variety of backgrounds that would typically exclude them from participating in third level education. |
 | Each of the seven schools in the UCD College of Science engages in exciting and internationally recognised research. Research includes drug discovery, development and delivery which aim to identify biomarkers, novel therapeutic targets to guide drug development and target medicines toward specific populations. Gifts to the UCD Annual Fund can enable us to provide scholarships to undergraduate students to study in the field of science which can lead onto working in areas of research that will benefit us all. |
 | The UCD Student Centre is home to the UCD Student Union which aims to promote student wellbeing on campus be it mental health, disability rights, mature students or accommodation support. The UCDSU provides free counselling services as well as running life skills courses for students suffering from depression or anxiety. |
 | The James Joyce Library receives on average one million visits per year. Behind these doors there is vast study space amongst hundreds of books and academic journals. The library’s special collections houses the first documentation of the Flight of the Earls, a letter written to Éamon de Valera as well as numerous manuscripts by some of Ireland’s most celebrated writers such as Frank McGuinness, Edna O’Brien, and Maeve Binchy. The library’s doors remain open to our alumni long after they graduate, with many retaining membership, your support will enable us to continue to replenish our shelves and preserve our rich cultural heritage. Redevelopment of the existing James Joyce Library aims to provide a range of modern study and active learning spaces with centralised student-facing support services, in addition to cultural, heritage and public engagement spaces. |
 | Newman is a multi-storey mixture of the arts and social sciences. With lecture theatres that can house up to 500 students as well as smaller spaces for tutorials, students can share ideas with both their peers and their tutors. Whether it be current politics, history or literature there are a wide array of topics up for debate and discussion. A gift to the UCD Annual Fund can enable us to award scholarships to students who would typically be excluded from third level education. UCD also hopes to bring Newman in to the future with a regeneration project that aims to provide students with a student centered academic facility that strengthens the disciplines and schools identity. |
 | There is no better training for students than in Richview, the home of architecture in UCD. This space includes design studios, a well-equipped workshop and building laboratory, exhibition spaces and the most extensive architectural library in the country. Students are also in the most capable hands here, among the expert faculty are Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Royal Gold Medal 2015 awardees Sheila O’Donnell and Professor John Tuomey, both of whom are also graduates of the School. A gift to the UCD Annual Fund can enable us to award scholarships to students who would typically be excluded from third level education. |