The College of Engineering and Architecture celebrated excellence and diversity amongst its students, alumni and staff, starting with the annual Engineering Graduates Association (EGA) Awards Ceremony in November 2025. Alumnus Brendan O’Callaghan, Executive Vice President at Sanofi, was presented with the Distinguished Graduate Award.
A new Engineering Impact Award recognises excellence and leadership. The first awardee, Sósanna Ní Dhubháin, has worked with the Aston Martin Formula One Team and is an inspirational role model for young women going into engineering careers.
Gold medals were presented to the students with the highest grades, and scholarships and bursaries were presented in recognition of academic achievements. These awards are made possible by the generous support of our alumni and corporate sponsors.
The EGA Research Day in November saw UCD engineering graduates revisit the campus to see the impressive work being undertaken across the Schools of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering.
Alumni and students came together in January, when the College, the EGA, the UCD Women+ in STEM Society and Arup hosted an industry networking event for engineering students at Arup’s Dublin headquarters. Students learned about projects across multiple disciplines, gained insight into real-world engineering practice, and met with graduates pursuing careers in Arup.
The College has become increasingly diverse, and we welcome the richness it brings. In August 2025, UCD School of Civil Engineering organised an Indian Independence Day celebration. Led by Assistant Professor Saptarshi Sen, it was attended by staff and students campus-wide, and showcased Indian culture and heritage through Rangoli art, music, traditional attire, and food.
In April, Landscape Architecture opened the end-of-year exhibition in the studio spaces in Newstead. On display were the final projects of students from Years 1, 2 and 4, and the Masters programme. These projects represented an enormous investment of time and effort, and students curated an exhibition that met professional standards. The LARC SOC hosted a wonderful reception, complete with drinks and finger food.
In May, UCD Architecture, in partnership with ArcSoc, welcomed students, families, alumni and the wider architectural community to Richview for the 2026 End-of-Year Show and awards, which had the defining message of ‘potential.’ Head of Architecture, Assistant Professor Paul Kenny, welcomed State Architect and Principal Architect at the OPW, Conor Sreenan, a UCD alumnus, who opened the show.
Guests toured the studios and viewed the exceptional work. A panel discussion, ‘Absolute Wasters’, was moderated by Professor Hugh Campbell, with Tanad Aaron, Ciarán Cuffe, Jane Larmour, Ste Murray and Orla O’Kane.
Also in May, the College of Engineering & Architecture welcomed 45 Transition Year students to campus for its week-long Engineering Your Future programme. Designed to inspire them to consider a future in engineering, students attended interactive talks and presentations, took part in group-based projects and activities, met students and visited local industry partners.
This year, a new undergraduate stream in Sustainable Systems Engineering was introduced, responding to the need for engineers to lead and implement the global transition to sustainable bio-based supply chains, and to support the emerging circular bioeconomy.
Participants and alumni of the Food and Agriculture Sustainable Technology Innovation Programme (FAST-IP) took centre stage at AgTechUCD, Lyons Farm, in May for our second annual showcase. Delivered by UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering in partnership with NovaUCD and Teagasc, FAST-IP is a needs-led programme empowering innovation-curious professionals to learn and apply entrepreneurial skills for the rapid advancement of market-ready business solutions for the agrifood industry.
The College celebrated the end of the academic year with the first College Community Day. Led by Associate Professor Veronica Sofianos, College Vice-Principal for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the UCD Engineering Society, the event brought students together to promote well-being and foster a sense of community.
■ ucd.ie/eacollege