News

MANY TALENTED AND ambitious students are flourishing at UCD today thanks to the opportunities afforded them by the generosity of our wonderful community of alumni, philanthropic supporters and friends.

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Juno Kostick

“Going into college, I had a lot of financial concerns, but the scholarship gave me space to focus on my studies and not worry about expenses like rent and groceries. It has given me stability. I want alumni to know the huge impact they make by supporting these scholarships. They really do transform people’s lives.”

We believe wholeheartedly that a good education lays the foundation for better lives, stronger communities and a more equitable world. Everyone should have equal access to educational opportunities, regardless of who they are and where they come from. At UCD, we are striving to make this a reality.

The past couple of years have not been easy for any of us, and the long shadow of the pandemic continues to touch the lives of many of our students, in the form of financial stress or mental health struggles. In these challenging times, it’s reassuring to know we can rely on the support of alumni and the wider UCD community to empower students with the help they need to thrive and excel. For Juno Kostick, Politics and Social Justice student, right, this support has been invaluable.

In the past academic year, funds raised through the UCD Champions – Changing Futures initiative had a transformative impact on many young lives. Thanks to the tremendous generosity of Champions like Susan Philips, UCD was able to award a record 152 scholarships to deserving undergraduate and postgraduate students. Alumni and friends of UCD also supported student mental health services and many other facilities that enhance the student experience, including UCD Writing Centre, the Sports Development Fund, UCD Boat Club and the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin.

UCD CHAMPIONS SUPPORTER

Susan Philips

“I left school at 16 and started working soon after. I had the chance to come to UCD as a mature student and was lucky to receive a scholarship. I made good friends and really benefited from the university experience. As a result, I wanted to give something back so that another student could avail of a similar opportunity. My years at UCD were incredibly happy, and I feel so grateful to have got that chance in life to do what I was unable to do earlier.”

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who supports our students to participate fully in UCD life, and helps us to provide an outstanding, inclusive education for all. If you would like to become part of the story and join this incredible community of positive changemakers, please get in touch. New UCD Champions are always needed and welcome.

■ To learn more about how you can support UCD students today, visit ucdfoundation.ie/supporting-students.

LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES

PHILANTHROPIC GIVING AT all levels sustains UCD in our mission to empower humanity and change the world through knowledge and discovery. The generosity of our supporters has an extraordinary impact and transforms many young lives every year.

Empowering humanity starts with confronting the social inequities that make it harder for some students to access and participate fully in higher education and realise their full potential. UCD alumni and supporters share our belief that everyone has an equal right to an outstanding education. That’s why they’re creating life-changing opportunities and pathways to success for more and more UCD students through College and School Support Funds.

These funds provide critical financial aid for students like Oumba Christ Kodia who face barriers to access and participation. With families struggling to stay afloat amid the spiralling costs of living, and many students finding it hard to keep a secure roof over their head in the current rental crisis, the Support Funds offer a safety net for students experiencing hardship. A helping hand when it’s most needed can mean the difference between being unable to complete your studies and scaling the heights of academic success.

The Support Funds are designed to be flexible so that Colleges and Schools across the University are able to allocate finances according to emerging needs and challenges. They also provide a sustainable source of funding for programmes and resources that ensure every UCD student has an exceptional college experience. This can include state-of-the-art equipment, postgraduate scholarships, and bursaries for internships and other experiential learning opportunities.

In the College of Arts and Humanities, the Joseph M. Hassett Creative Bursary – named for the renowned Yeats scholar and College alumnus – provides an incredible opportunity for creatives like the poet Christodoulos Makris to engage directly with UCD’s rich cultural heritage and bring new and exciting perspectives to the College’s research activities. Other initiatives that benefit from the College and School Support Fund include UCD Cultural Heritage Collections, UCD Classical Museum, PhD scholarships and internship bursaries – all of which serve to inspire and foster creativity and enrich the cultural fabric of the University and society more broadly.

OUMBA CHRIST KODIA

Engineering

“Financial stress has affected me personally and was beginning to take a toll on my academic performance. I am so thankful for the support I received through the College of Engineering and Architecture Support Fund. It made a huge difference in my life. Before, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to cover my fees and continue with my education. Thanks to the generosity of the donors to the Fund, the stress and pressure have been relieved and I am able to focus fully on my education. Even small offerings can change someone’s life by opening doors and allowing them to pursue what they love. I’m so grateful to the donors and to the Engineering faculty, who listened to my concerns, understood my situation and supported me throughout.”

POWERED BY PHILANTHROPY

On a global scale, philanthropic support is enabling UCD to lead the way in tackling the major challenges facing our world today.

UCD Energy Institute is a prime example of just how far-reaching the impact of such support can be in driving change and progress at a societal level. UCD Energy Institute brings together experts from multiple disciplines – including partners from industry and other research organisations – to identify a way forward to a sustainable future for our communities, our country and our planet.

Working within this highly collaborative space, a world-class team of researchers, innovators and policy analysts are driving a cleaner energy future for Ireland. Their ultimate goal is to decarbonise our energy and achieve a full transition to a net-zero carbon energy system in Ireland by 2050. This means giving up fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy sources. And the clock is ticking.

Fortunately, Ireland has an abundance of renewable energy resources, and we are already using large amounts of renewable energy within our electricity system. There is huge potential to harness the power of offshore wind in our coastal waters. In fact, we have more than enough resources to meet our own energy needs, so Ireland could reap significant economic benefits from exporting energy to other countries – if we had the proper infrastructure in place. This is where NexSys comes in.

Launched earlier this year, NexSys (Next Generation Energy System) is a strategic research partnership – led by UCD Energy Institute – that is working to shape Ireland’s future energy system. The partnership includes nine academic institutions across the island of Ireland, as well as key industry partners. They are working together to develop the solutions and technologies that will enable Ireland to transition to a greener, more cost-effective energy system. This is urgent work to address the intertwined crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

“We are uniquely placed with our industry partnerships to develop cutting-edge technologies alongside developing engagement and dialogue with society on the energy transition,” says Professor Andrew Keane, Director of NexSys and UCD Energy Institute. “The partnership will have potentially transformative socio-economic impacts, and will further enhance the global reputation of Irish research in the energy sector.”

NexSys was awarded €8 million in funding from Science Foundation Ireland, and this was matched by a philanthropic donation from Dr David O’Reilly, Chair of UCD’s Energy Advisory Board, and NexSys industry partners. UCD is profoundly grateful to David for his great generosity, his leadership and his vision for a greener future for Ireland.

TRUE ENLARGEMENT OF MIND

For more than 30 years, exceptional young academics have been given the freedom to pursue ambitious research in their chosen field through the prestigious UCD Newman Fellowship Programme. This extraordinary opportunity is made possible entirely thanks to generous philanthropic donors and the commitment and support of academic mentors across a diverse range of disciplines.

Dr Niamh Kirk and Dr Shane Comer are just two of the passionate and brilliant researchers whose work has been supported recently by the Newman Fellowship Programme.

DR SHANE COMER

Sanofi Newman Fellow in Haematology

Shane was just a few months into his Newman Fellowship when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. As evidence of abnormal blood clotting began to emerge in severely ill patients with the virus, he rapidly redirected the focus of his research to investigate the role of platelets in COVID-19 and the impact of anti-coagulant and anti-platelet drugs in treating the disease. He made a significant discovery: COVID-19 infection causes patients’ platelets to become hypersensitive and hyperactive, which may contribute to the observed increases in clotting seen in COVID-19 patients. This new knowledge will ultimately help to inform clinical best practice in the treatment of COVID-19 and will result in improved patient care and outcomes.

Shane says: “Thanks to Sanofi and the Newman Fellowship Programme I have been able to work at the forefront of haematological research, with the freedom to pursue different aspects and findings of the research. The opportunity to work at the cutting edge of translational research in the midst of a global pandemic, doing my bit to improve patient care and long-term outcomes, has been an extremely rewarding endeavour.”

DR NIAMH KIRK

Microsoft Newman Fellow in Digital Policy

Prior to taking up a lecturing position at the University of Limerick earlier this year, Niamh was instrumental in establishing the UCD Centre for Digital Policy during her Newman Fellowship. With a background in communications and journalism, Niamh’s work brings a transnational perspective to digital media, digital policy, and online cultures. In the era of fake news and disinformation, Niamh is particularly interested in the regulation of political communication in the hybrid media environment and its impact on political engagement. She has presented research and recommendations to the Dáil and the European Commission, and is deeply committed to ensuring that a diverse range of voices and perspectives inform the development of digital policy in the EU.

OUR GLOBAL VILLAGE

Our amazing community is spread far and wide, bringing UCD values to all corners of the globe and making a real difference for humanity. The incredible impact of our alumni network begins at home, on campus, in each donation, no matter how small, to support our students, our research programmes, and the ongoing development of our facilities and infrastructure. We thank our alumni, volunteers, friends and supporters for your continued generosity and commitment. Together, we are changing lives. It takes a village.

To learn more about how you can support UCD, visit www.ucdfoundation.ie

UCD FESTIVAL

UCD CELEBRATED THE seventh birthday of the UCD Festival in style in June. Thousands of visitors returned to the Belfield campus for the first time since the last in-person UCD Festival in 2019.

From the UCD Symphony Orchestra’s virtual reality experiences to Masterclasses in writing, UCD celebrated the Festival day with a free showcase of 145 interactive events. Organisers issued nearly 40,000 tickets for events in arts, science, engineering, technology, sport, family fun, discovery and ideas.

The UCD Festival blends educational research showcases and family fun, with hundreds of students, researchers and academics displaying their work across eight interactive zones. The hands-on nature of the demonstrations allowed festival-goers to get up close with exciting research taking place at UCD. The interactive events reflected the thematic pillars of UCD’s ‘Rising to the Future’ strategy, Creating a Sustainable Global Society, Empowering Humanity, Transforming through Digital Technology, and Building a Healthy World.

The interactive Intel Science and Innovation Zone attracted thousands of visitors of all ages to play, create, and explore, while others explored the Engineering and Technology Zone.

Meanwhile, in the Festival Hub and the Culture Zone, festival-goers were treated to a starry list of UCD’s top academics, alumni and friends joining in talks, performances, and activities. Speakers included alumni Jessica Traynor, Rick O’Shea, Chandrika NarayananMohana, Aingeala Flannery, Audrey Magee, Maeve O’Rourke, Dr Niamh Shaw, alongside friends of UCD Mark O’Halloran, Colm O’Gorman and Laurence Moroney. There was also the chance for festivalgoers to explore the campus with Sculpture Trails and Campus Tours running throughout the day.

Hundreds of primary school pupils attended an exclusive ‘Intel Meet the Astronaut’ event with internationally renowned Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. They had the chance to put weird and wonderful questions to him, and were inspired and enthralled by his experiences and insights. Later in the day, the standout event was the conversation in a packed-out O’Reilly Hall with Colonel Hadfield and Dr Niamh Shaw.

Another highlight was ‘The Magdalene Laundries: Told, Acknowledged and Not Forgotten’, a powerful conversation based on a book co-authored by alumni and academics from the College of Social Sciences and Law.

Relive the action with videos and images, and be the first to hear about next year’s programme – all at the UCD Festival website: www.ucd.ie/festival.

THE ARTHUR COX UCD WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

The Arthur Cox UCD Women in Leadership conference returned in person to O’Reilly Hall and the University Club in March. The stellar lineup included Professor Aoife Ahern, Principal, UCD College of Engineering and Architecture; Noeline Blackwell, CEO, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre; Lorna Conn, CEO, Cpl and David McRedmond, CEO, An Post. Martina Fitzgerald, CEO, Scale Ireland returned for the third year running to lead a discussion on ‘Women in STEM’. Panels discussed ‘Executive Sponsorship’, ‘Women in Finance’ and ‘Women in Sport’, and experts hosted lunchtime breakouts on intersectionality, work-life balance and returning to the office. It was wonderful to see people networking in person again and the addition of the mentor circles on day two provided a virtual element, where groups met leaders such as Dee Forbes, Director General, RTÉ, and Joy-Tendai Kangere, barrister and co-founder, Roots in Africa-Ireland. A special thanks to our corporate sponsors Arthur Cox, KPMG, ESB, Abbott, Aldi and Jaguar Land Rover who contributed so much.

UCD COLLEGE OF SCIENCE REUNIONS

UCD SCHOOL OF BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, in collaboration with UCD Alumni Relations, were delighted to reconnect alumni, retired staff and friends at an on-campus barbecue overlooking the lake. Taking place in the UCD University Club on a sunny Friday evening in May, the get-together was an excellent opportunity for friends, colleagues, classmates and staff to celebrate 58 years of science research and education and to reminisce about their time spent at UCD.

UCD SCHOOL OF PHYSICS

The UCD School of Physics held its annual lecture and reception for alumni in the UCD O’Brien Centre for Science in May. Alumni and friends heard from fellow alumna Professor Winnie Svendsen from the Technical University of Denmark. The title of Professor Svendsen’s talk was ‘NanoBio Physics – a Tool for Biology’ which covered her research journey from atomic and nuclear physics to probing and manipulating biology using micro and nanotechnology.

THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE MILESTONE REUNION

Graduates of the UCD College of Science gathered in the University Club on the morning of the UCD Festival to celebrate their milestone reunion. Friendships were reignited with classmates from the graduating years of 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012. They chatted over breakfast cocktails and brunch before going to the Science building to explore a selection of more than 40 science-based activities and events happening as part of the Festival.

HONORARY DOCTORATES AND CONCERT

Celebrating some of the stellar talents in Irish music and in recognition of their outstanding contribution to arts and culture and the central role they played in the Irish folk music revival, the University awarded honorary doctorates in March to Mary Bergin, Mary Black, Finbar Furey, Paddy Glackin, Andy Irvine, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill and Mary O’Hara.

The awards were conferred by UCD Acting President, Professor Mark Rogers. Professor Rogers drew on the powerful words of Paul Brady’s iconic song ‘The Island’ in his closing speech, the words of which resonate with all of us. “While we are just a small island on the western edge of Europe, we want to reach out to our sisters and brothers in Ukraine … Now I know us plain folks don’t see all the story. And I know this peace and love’s just copping out. And I guess these young boys dying in the ditches. Is just what being free is all about. And how this twisted wreckage down on main street. Will bring us all together in the end. And we’ll go marching down the road to freedom …. Freedom.”

A number of distinguished artists performed to an invited audience of 700, joined by special guest Donal Lunny and by a talented house band of UCD students and alumni. The future of traditional Irish music is indeed safe!

It was a night to remember, expertly compered by Associate Professor P.J. Mathews, Director of UCD Creative Futures Academy. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after Dr Finbar Furey’s closing number – the inimitable ‘Sweet Sixteen’.

ALUMNI VOLUNTEERING

Activity this past year was as vibrant as ever as our programmes took a hybrid approach and volunteers offered their time to both in-person and virtual events.

The in-person highlight of the year was engaging an impressive 200+ person strong crew of dedicated volunteers on campus for the first on-campus UCD Festival in three years. The enthusiasm and support on the day captured the true meaning and energy of the UCD Alumni Volunteering Programme.

The UCD Alumni Buddy Programme continued to link international graduate students with locally based UCD alumni, providing them with friendly support particularly when they first arrived in Dublin. Before coming to Ireland, our Global Alumni Ambassadors supported potential students from around the world who are considering studies at UCD.

This past year, myriad mentoring programmes combined in-person and online mentoring with alumni mentors for nearly 500 students across all of UCD’s colleges. Our alumni mentors enable students to flourish and develop both personally and professionally by offering support on developing career ideas, clarifying goals and improving employability.

GLOBAL ALUMNI EVENTS

LONDON

In November, UK Alumni Chapter representatives David O’Reilly and Jeremy Boles were joined by a group of London-based alumni, proudly wearing their finest UCD colours, to mark the appointment of law alumnus Vincent Keaveny as Lord Mayor of the City of London.

BLOOMSDAY ALUMNI RECEPTION, LONDON MANSION HOUSE

UCD Alumni Relations and the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Vincent Keaveny, welcomed London-based alumni to a reception to mark Bloomsday. Guests enjoyed drinks, canapés, great conversation and a Joycean recital by UCD Ad Astra Scholar, Graham Butler Breen.

FRANCE PARIS ERASMUS PICNIC

As restrictions started to ease internationally, we were delighted to recommence global in-person gatherings in late 2021. An early highlight was the Erasmus Picnic hosted by the Paris Alumni Chapter in the Centre Culturel Irlandais.

CHINA SHANGHAI CHAPTER EVENT

Shanghai Chapter representatives Wendy He and Dianyi Zu hosted Shanghai-based alumni in The Tipsy Fiddler Irish bar where they enjoyed a Guinness or two and reminisced about their time in Ireland.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES IN: TORONTO, WASHINGTON DC, PARIS, MINNESOTA, BEIJING, CHICAGO, LONDON

Global Perspectives, our international celebration of the UCD Festival overseas, was back in 2022, this time in-person with a wonderful array of alumni events across seven locations. Alumni came together to celebrate in Toronto, Washington DC, Paris, Minnesota, Beijing, Chicago and London with activities varying from walking tours, exhibitions, picnics, park outings, trad sessions and happy hours.

BUSINESS DEANS EVENT

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School welcomed back former Deans of UCD College of Business to discuss the College’s evolution over the last 30 years. This is the first time the former Deans of Ireland’s leading graduate business school have gathered to share the history of business education in Ireland, and some shared their own experiences as students in the 1960s.

MEDICINE REUNION

The Medical Graduates Association (MGA) Symposium and Gala Dinner was held at Belfield in May. Dr Mick Molloy, MGA President, welcomed over 33 classes, from the Class of 1962 to the Class of 2021. The distinguished Graduate Award was presented to Dr Linda Mulligan, Chief State Pathologist, Class of 2002. With over 180 alumni and guests in O’Reilly Hall, there was a wonderful atmosphere. The symposium in the afternoon included alumni speakers Dr Linda Mulligan, Professor Maccon Keane, Class of 1987, Dr Conor Maguire, Class of 1987, Dr Deirdre Lundy, Class of 1987 and Dr Ciara Kelly, Class of 1997. Topics of discussion ranged from ‘Dealing with Death – Forensic Pathology in Ireland’ and ‘A Multidisciplinary Approach to Managing Parkinson’s Disease’ to ‘From Medicine to Media’.

VIRTUAL ALUMNI EVENTS

IN CONVERSATION

Our popular virtual UCD In Conversation series continued this year and we were delighted to engage with thousands of alumni and supporters from over 65 countries worldwide. Our series featured expert alumni and academics on a variety of topics based on UCD’s four strategic themes. The conversations ranged from ‘Cybercrime Causes, Trends and Prevention’ and ‘Climate Neutral Dairy Farming’ to ‘Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ and ‘Borders & Rights: Migrant Journeys’. International Women’s Day featured a host of virtual and in-person activities across the campus, starting with a ‘#BreakTheBias breakfast panel’. Our Golden and Diamond Jubilee virtual celebration featured alumni Dr Tony Scott, Charles Lysaght, Éanna Ní Lamhna, Frances Fitzgerald MEP and Dr Desmond Green in conversation. They reminisced with former broadcaster and arts manager, Doireann Ní Bhriain. www.ucd.ie/alumni/ucd-in-conversation-a-virtual-series.

WHAT IT TAKES

This year our virtual career-building series for alumni and students, What It Takes, returned with topics on ‘How to Excel in the Hybrid Workplace’; ‘Thrive in Global Teams’; ‘Network Like a Pro’; ‘Kick Imposter Syndrome’; ‘Know your Rights’; ‘Stay Ahead of the Digital Curve’; ‘Be an Inclusive Leader’; ‘Innovate your Career with Design Thinking’ and ‘Flourish in your Early Career’. Speakers included Criona Turley, Emmet Daniels, Siobhán McKenna, Síobhra Rush, Ebony Lawless-McCrea, Patricia Munatsi, Dr Lollie Mancey, and Janice Lau. Watch back episodes and find out more at: www.ucd.ie/alumni/ucdwhat-it-takes-career-building-series

UCD ALUMNI AWARDS 2021

The annual UCD Alumni Awards proudly celebrate the success and exceptional achievements of UCD’s alumni and recognise their outstanding accomplishments and contribution to society.

The 2021 winners – Neil Jordan, Olivia Maguire, Liam Madden, Dr Mike Ryan, Fiona McEntee, Teresa Lambe OBE, Caitríona Palmer, Ann O’Dea and Leo Cullen – were nominated by their peers, UCD faculty and students. Their accomplishments showcase the multidisciplinarity and breadth of the programmes at UCD.

It was a wonderful evening of virtual celebration, conversation and reflection. Former UCD President, Professor Andrew J. Deeks opened proceedings with UCD alumnus Pat Kenny hosting the virtual celebration, viewed by alumni, supporters, faculty, staff and friends of UCD around the globe. We were delighted to continue the tradition of closing the evening with the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin and their performance of Bó na Leathadhairce, arranged by Artistic Director, Dr Desmond Earley. www.ucd.ie/alumni/awards/watchback

UCD BUSINESS ALUMNI CHALLENGE – KILOMETRES THAT COUNT

In February 2022, the College of Business Alumni Relations team kicked off their second virtual active wellbeing initiative. The UCD Business Alumni Challenge – Kilometres That Count attracted participation from alumni, students, and friends of the college. The challenge ran for 30 days and participants were encouraged to complete a personal target distance of 100, 200, 300, 500 or 1000 km. The challenge was a wonderful success – well done to over 925 students and alumni located in over 30 countries and five continents for participating and clocking an incredible 71,000km. www.ucdbusinesschallenge.ie/

UCD RUGBY CLUB

ANNUAL DINNER

UCD RFC was delighted to hold its first Annual Club Dinner in over three years in O’Reilly Hall in May. Irish Rugby Forwards Coach Paul O’Connell was guest speaker and with more than 500 guests on the night the dinner was an enormous success, providing an opportunity for members and friends to reconnect. Amongst the many guests were members of the recent Irish Rugby U20 Grand Slam winning team. Longstanding UCD Rugby Club member Fred Gilligan was the MC for the evening and introduced UCD Rugby President David Carrigy. David spoke about the commitment of Club members who play a vital role in managing the various teams across the Men’s, Women’s and Tag Rugby section of the club, and highlighted the resilience shown during the pandemic. Clubman Killian Keane interviewed Paul O’Connell, the latter sharing his many experiences as captain of Munster, Ireland, the British & Irish Lions, and his current role with Irish Rugby. UCD RFC would like to say well done to Keith Smith and the Dinner Committee and many volunteers for the effort in organising the event, and also to thank all its members, Crowe and the University for the support it receives to assist it in striving to bring success to the players, the Club and the University.

UCD SOCCER REUNION

CHINA TOUR 1976

UCD Soccer Club visited China when the Club’s 1975/76 freshman squad toured the Far East over a five-week period in 1976. The tour received generous sponsorship from various companies including Swissair and O’Neill’s sportswear. The tour was organised by coach and aspiring sports administrator Tony O’Neill (The Doc), and was led by the President of the Club David Andrews TD. The tour captain was Paddy Dwyer from Drogheda. The tour itself took on even more historic significance when, shortly after the team’s arrival, Chairman Mao, founder of the Peoples Republic of China, died at the age of 82. China was plunged into official mourning and went on high-security alert in case of foreign attack. It’s a mark of the historic nature of the tour itself, the impression it made on the 18- and 19-year-old players, and the respect for Tony O’Neill who went on to make such a mark on all sports in UCD, that 23 of the 24 playing squad travelled from all parts of the globe to attend the 46-year reunion with officials from UCD Soccer Club in the O’Neill Bar in the UCD Student Centre, which was coordinated by Dominic O’Keeffe, Brian Mullins and the team from UCD Student Services and Facilities. It was on this tour of the Far East and subsequent tours that Tony found inspiration for many of the sporting initiatives he introduced to UCD, most notably the Sports Scholarships.

CLASS OF 2020 CELEBRATION

The UCD Class of 2020 spent their final University days locked down – doing exams, meeting friends and even graduating online. They finally got to celebrate their achievements in-person at O’Reilly Hall, with their lecturers and guests in June 2022. Associate Professor Maeve Houlihan gave a heartwarming welcome, and Acting UCD President Professor Mark Rogers delivered an address. Grace Oladipo (BCL 2020), spoke, advising her peers to “live a life that you are proud of. Do not let fear hold you back at all. Take the plunge. Shine so bright, because you are powerful beyond measure”. After the ceremony, attendees were led in a procession of flags and drumming to the UCD Village for food, drinks and dancing ’til late.

GIFTED MEN AND WOMEN have studied at UCD throughout its history. Since Ireland signed the Accession Treaty in 1972, before officially joining the EEC (now EU) in 1973, UCD alumni have shaped Ireland’s place in the Union. Among them, many have served in the EU’s seven main decision-making institutions.

UCD alumni have played a role in the legislative function of the EU, carried out by the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission; UCD alumni were involved in the overall policy direction and priorities of the EU, which is decided by The European Council, and UCD law alumni have been influential members of the judicial wing of the EU, responsible for settling disputes and enforcing EU law at The Court of Justice of the European Union. UCD alumni also feature in the Court of Auditors and the European Central Bank, which manage the euro and implement EU monetary policy.

In 1972, UCD alumnus Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Patrick Hillery (BSc 1944, MB BCh BAO 1947, DPH 1952, LLD 1962) signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Community at the Egremont Palace, Brussels. Dr Hillery had spearheaded the campaign since he was appointed in 1969, and led the negotiation team. Newly appointed Irish Ambassador to the European Community, Seán P. Kennan (BComm 1943) had advocated for Ireland’s entry as a means to preserve stability and peace in Europe. Following accession, Kennan became Ireland’s Permanent Representative and Dr Hillery was appointed Ireland’s first European Commissioner in Brussels.

Since accession, UCD has produced 11 ministers for Foreign Affairs and seven European Commissioners including the aforementioned Dr Hillery; Richard Burke (BA 1956, HDipEd 1967, MA 1960) for two stints; Michael O’Kennedy (BA 1956, MA 1957); David Byrne (BA 1970); Peter Sutherland (BCL 1967); Charlie McCreevy (BComm 1970) and Mairéad McGuinness (BAgrSc 1980).

Five UCD alumni have been appointed judges of the European Court of Justice: Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (BA 1931); Aindrias Ó Cuiv (BA 1933, LLB 1936); Thomas F. O’Higgins (BA 1937); Aindrias Ó Cuiv, son of the aforementioned, (BCL 1971, DipEurL 1977) and Eugene Regan (BA 1974, MA 1975). Many Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) studied at UCD including Frances Fitzgerald (BSocSc 1971); Sean Kelly (BA 1974, HDipEd 1975); Barry Andrews (BA 1988, MA 1990); Ciarán Cuffe (BArch 1989, MRUP 1996) and Michael Wallace (BA 1978, HDipEd 1983).

Within the EU institutions, UCD alumni achieved many firsts – Catherine Day (BA 1974, MA 1975) was the first woman to hold the position of Secretary General of the European Commission. Having worked for 25 years for the Commission (including in the cabinets of Richard Burke, who himself had the unique distinction of being appointed twice to the EU Commission, first by a Fine Gael taoiseach, then by a Fianna Fáil taoiseach), and Dr Peter Sutherland (BCL 1967), as Secretary-General, Day served under Presidents José Manuel Barroso and Jean-Claude Juncker. In 2018, Eugene Regan (BA 1974, MA 1975) became the first Irish Judge of the European Court of Justice to be elected President of a Chamber.

1972

The Signing Ceremony of the Treaty of Accession to the European Communities with UCD alumnus and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Patrick Hillery (BSc 1944, MB BCh BAO 1947, DPH 1952, LLD 1962), with Taoiseach Jack Lynch.

2014

UCD alumna and former EU Council Secretary Catherine Day (BA 1974, MA 1975) with former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Day was the first female Secretary General of the EU Commission.

2021

EU Financial Services Commissioner since 2020, Mairéad McGuinness (BAgrSc 1980) also previously served as First VicePresident of the European Parliament from 2017-2020.

1987

Professor James Dooge (BE 1942, BSc 1942, ME 1952), leading academic and former Foreign Affairs Minister who played a key role in the development of the EU, with former European Parliament President Pat Cox.

1988

Member of the Council of State (1981- 1984), EU commissioner in charge of competition policy (1985-1989), Dr Peter Sutherland (BCL 1967), was greatly admired at an international level and regarded the EU as a means of improving the lives of Irish people and Europeans generally. Right: EU Commissioner Dr Peter Sutherland is awarded the Robert Schuman Medal by European Parliament President Henry Plumb.

1974

A founding member of European Movement Ireland in 1954, Dr Garret FitzGerald (BA 1946, PhD 1968) took a leading role in the campaign for Irish membership of the EEC and paved Ireland’s way to full EU membership. As Minister for Foreign Affairs, his conduct of Ireland’s 1975 presidency of the European Council of Ministers was seen as highly successful. Left: Foreign Minister Dr FitzGerald in Paris for a meeting of the nine EU foreign ministers.

COURTING EUROPE

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) comprises two courts, the European Court of Justice and the General Court. John D. Cooke (BCL 1965, LLB 1966) pictured right; second from left, a judge of the General Court, was the longest serving Irish member of the CJEU. Other UCD alumni who have served in the courts of the CJEU include Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (BA 1931); Aindrias Ó Cuiv (BA 1933, LLB 1936); Thomas F. O’Higgins (BA 1937); Donal Barrington (BA 1949, LLB 1951, MA 1953); Aindrias Ó Cuiv, son of the aforementioned, (BCL 1971, DipEurL 1977); Eugene Regan (BA 1974, MA 1975); Kevin O’Higgins (BA 1967, DipEurL 1969) and Colm MacEochaidh (BCL 1984) who is currently in situ. UCD Professor Suzanne Kingston became a member of the General Court last year and remains affiliated with the UCD Sutherland School of Law.

2003

As Taoiseach 1994-1997, John Bruton (BA 1968) presided over the successful Irish EU Presidency in 1996 and chaired the European Council meeting that year which finalised the Stability and Growth Pact underpinning Economic and Monetary Union and management of the Euro. He was appointed EU Ambassador to the United States in 2004, and served for five years. He was a member of the Praesidium of the Convention that drafted the proposed European Constitution, signed in Rome in 2004, the basis for the Lisbon Treaty now in force. He is a former VicePresident of the European People’s Party (EPP). Left: At a European Convention meeting in Brussels, John Bruton with Gisela Stuart, a British Labour MP who helped draw up the Lisbon Treaty. She later became co-director of the 2016 Vote Leave Campaign.

2003

David Byrne (BA Politics and Economics 1970) served as the first EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection 1999-2004. A barrister by training, he became a Senior Counsel in 1985 and was appointed Attorney General in 1997. In 1998 he was one of the negotiators of the Good Friday Agreement

1973 – Richie Ryan & Justin Keating

Richie Ryan (BA 1949) and Justin Keating (MVB 1951) were two of the 10 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) appointed to the first delegation as a result of the Irish accession to the European Economic Community on 1 January 1973. The first delegation, served only two months, from Jan-Feb 1973 until the general election took place.

2013

Emily O’Reilly (BA 1979), pictured with EU Parliament President David Sassoli, was first elected as European Ombudsman in 2013 and re-elected in 2019.

2004

Anne Anderson (BA 1972), former diplomat and ambassador to France, Monaco, the US and the UN, became Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU 2001-2005. ABOVE: Anderson with Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy (BComm 1970), during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2004.

1990 – Gerard Collins

Gerard Collins (BA 1964), pictured at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers at Dublin Castle, was twice appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs, and served as an MEP 1994-2004.

1974 – David Andrews

David Andrews (BCL 1960), at an informal meeting of Foreign Ministers, in conversation with his Italian counterpart, Lamberto Dini.

1980 – Brian Lenihan Snr

Brian Lenihan Snr (BA 1951) was MEP for the Oireachtas 1973-1977, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Jan-March 1973, 1979-1981, 1987-1989.

1979 – Michael O’ Kennedy

Michael O’ Kennedy (BA 1956, MA 1957), Minister for Foreign Affairs, at an EEC Summit at Dublin Castle.

1974 – Charles Flanagan

Charles Flanagan (BA 1977) was Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 2014-2017.

MEMBERS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The European Parliament (EP) has 705 MEPs from across 27 EU Member States elected for five years. The Republic of Ireland has 13 MEPs, a number of whom are alumni of UCD including:

Frances Fitzgerald (BSocSc 1971), former Tánaiste and Fine Gael government minister, has been an MEP since 2019, and was elected Vice-President of the European People’s Party (EPP) delegation in 2021.

Ciarán Cuffe (BArch 1989, MRUP 1996), former Green Party minister of state, has been an MEP since 2019, and belongs to the Greens/EFA group.

Barry Andrews (BA 1988, MA 1990), former Fianna Fáil government minister, has been an MEP since 2019, and belongs to the Renew Group.

OUR ALUMNI NETWORK is filled with people making a difference at all levels; across business, industry, society and culture, here in Ireland and right around the world.

The UCD Alumni Awards recognise and celebrate the excellence and achievement of individuals within our network. Their accomplishments and successes are a source of great pride to UCD and an inspiration to present and future generations. With over 300,000 alumni in 189 countries around the world, the reach of the UCD alumni network is truly global. Our alumni are loyal and passionate, and their support and achievements help to shape the future of UCD, Ireland’s leading global university.

In the ninth year of the UCD Alumni Awards we are delighted to announce this year’s admirable recipients who now take their place in the hall of fame alongside our previous winners…

SOCIAL SCIENCES AWARD

NIALL BRESLIN BA (ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY) 2003, MSc PSYCHOLOGY 2019

Niall is the founder of the mental health charity, A Lust for Life. A musician, broadcaster and podcaster, he is passionate about normalising conversations around youth mental health.

What are your key UCD memories? I was on a rugby scholarship and didn’t get the full college experience in that first year. But learning is something I adore, and I was getting to study something I had a passion for. Professor Aidan Moran had a huge impact on me – I remember going straight to the library from his classes to try to find out more. What are you especially proud of in your career to date? The most challenging part was to set up an organisation and a charity [A Lust for Life]. We built that organisation and have a team. It’s no longer me any more and I can, in essence, walk away from it knowing that we’ve done what we needed to do. How did you manage in the pandemic? We rushed very quickly to pathologicalise it, to immediately say, ‘There’s something broken in all of us’. But, what I learnt very quickly about the pandemic is that, if I’m feeling a bit empty, or lost, or exhausted, it’s a very good, human response. None of it was normal. That anxiety and fear we felt was the brain doing its job. What advice do you have for UCD students? Life is not a straight line. Shit things are going to happen to you. Amazing things too. An awful lot of our suffering comes from the belief we shouldn’t suffer.

SCIENCE AWARD

CONRAD BURKE BSc PHYSICS 1989

Conrad is the co-founder and managing partner of MetaVC Partners. An entrepreneur and investor, he is a leading figure in the worlds of renewable energy, optical communications, nanomaterials and biosciences.

What are your memories of UCD? I really enjoyed the camaraderie and great friends and educators I met. Physics really set me up to be quite at ease with navigating different technologies, products, and markets. What life and professional skills did you pick up at university? I was rather shy coming from a small secondary school – St David’s, Greystones – but when thrown into the giant, sprawling campus of UCD, I learned valuable social and storytelling skills from so many interesting and smart people. How did the pandemic affect your work? We embraced Zoom and the various online communication tools, but I am a diehard believer in the power of face-to-face engagements. I lament that we lost some of the magic of human contact in doing business. What are your future goals? I just co-founded a new venture firm (MetaVC Partners), backed by Bill Gates. We have already funded three start-up companies spanning space communications, optical computing and driverless car sensors. More are coming. I want to visit the South Pole before I am too old. What advice do you have for UCD graduates? Now that you have your degree, always seek opportunities to ensure you keep growing and learning. Get outside your comfort zone. Take on the hard stuff that will make an impact and do not get hung up on the risk of failure. Failure is a way to learn.

BUSINESS AWARD

MARY QUANEY BComm INTERNATIONAL (FRENCH) 1999, MAcc 2000

Mary is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Mainstream Renewable Power, an Irish-based renewable energy company specialising in the development of onshore and offshore wind and solar projects.

What are your memories of UCD? UCD opened up the world to me. It was a most formative and enjoyable time with lifelong friendships made and so many avenues of learning and development from both an academic and personal perspective. A year spent on Erasmus in France was a particular highlight. What skills did UCD nurture? It nurtured a natural curiosity which has taken me far, as well as the confidence to be open to a lifetime of learning. What are you most proud of, career-wise, to date? Being appointed CEO of Mainstream at a pivotal time and leading the company through the change in ownership which resulted in the Aker Group of Norway acquiring 75 per cent of the company, followed by Mitsui investing €575 million in the company for a 27.5 per cent shareholding. But what makes me most proud is the recognition of the company that Mainstream has grown to today as well as its potential for the future. And Mainstream is on a significant growth trajectory. What advice do you have for UCD’s students and graduates? Don’t impose limits on yourself. With an open mind, focus and resilience, so much can be achieved. Setbacks and failures are to be expected, but a mindset of viewing them as learning experiences and strengthening resilience can be very powerful.

RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND IMPACT AWARD

DR MARTIN J. TOBIN MB BCh BAO 1975

Martin is a world-renowned critical care doctor, pulmonologist and academic. He is regarded as a leading expert in acute respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation and neuromuscular control of breathing.

What did you enjoy most about your UCD years? Although most of my interactions at UCD were with medical students, I was fortunate in knowing many students in other disciplines who broadened my horizons and deepened my understanding of literature and the arts. What professional and life skills did you pick up at UCD? My mentor, Professor Muiris FitzGerald, who instilled in me that medicine is fundamentally about how a doctor interacts with the single patient in front of him or her. Everything else in medicine is a footnote. What are you most proud of in your career to date? To be able to gain new knowledge into how the human body works as a result of making physiological measurements in healthy volunteers and patients with diseases of varying severity, and to translate those research findings into practical steps that doctors can use on a daily basis as they take care of patients. What are your future goals? To continue doing what I have been doing for the last 45 years: take care of patients, teach students and trainees at the bedside, and do original research on patients with lung disease. What advice do you have for UCD’s latest graduates? Look into your soul and figure out your own dream. Persist with that dream despite repeated setbacks and failures and do not get seduced by trends and fads.

ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE AWARD

CIARAN CONNELL BE (ELECTRONIC) 1982 AND MICHAEL MC LAUGHLIN BE (ELECTRONIC) 1982, MEng (ELECTRONIC) 1992

Ciaran Connell and Michael McLaughlin are veterans of the communications and semiconductor industry. They co-founded Decawave, the micro-location specialist and pioneer of IR-UWB (Impulse Radio-Ultra Wideband) technology, which was acquired by Qorvo in 2020. Both are still actively involved in the company, and were recipients of the Distinguished Graduate Award from the UCD Ciaran Connell Engineering Graduates Association (EGA) in 2021.

Ciaran Connell:

What are your memories of UCD? Through ‘intellectual sparring’ with my peers and professors, I got a much better appreciation of my strengths and my shortcomings and, most importantly, where my interests lay. I knew then I wanted to start a company and bring a technology to market. What professional skills did you acquire at university? The job of a CEO is to make decisions with incomplete data. And then to sell that decision. And to be willing to modify or abandon it should new information suggest doing so. The skill to do this is learnt at university through lectures and interaction with fellow students. I learnt it in spades. What are you most proud of in your career to date? Without doubt, building a company, Decawave, with my co-founder and UCD friend and fellow Alumni Award winner Michael McLaughlin. Decawave’s charter was to bring a new technology, IR-UWB to market which would have a meaningful impact on society while also providing meaningful, well-paying engineering jobs in Ireland. Mission accomplished. What advice do you have for UCD graduates? Constantly build your portfolio of skills. Don’t stay in any bad job or situation long. Stay curious. Get international experience – that does not necessarily mean moving abroad. And never give up.

Michael McLaughlin:

What are your memories of UCD? There were about 120 students in our year – four of them women. I loved the computer room. I used to skip lectures to write APL programmes. I spent a lot of time at the Belfield Bar at the weekends. What skills did you pick up at university? An understanding of signal processing and electronics. Plus lots of maths and physics. What are your proudest achievements? I won the 2019 Parsons Medal, which is given to one engineer every year for outstanding contribution to engineering. It’s named after Charles Parsons, who invented the turbine steam engine. And one of the very proudest moments was when [DecaWave’s innovative] chip came back from the foundry and we plugged it in and it worked! What advice do you have for students and graduates? Be true to what you love. Pursue your dream. Always have confidence that it’s going to come true. I never doubted that I was going to change the world sometime – and I did. You have to believe that, or you won’t change the world. Be optimistic all the time. Myself and Ciaran Connell, fellow Alumni Award recipient, are optimists and wouldn’t have started DecaWave if we weren’t.

ARTS AND HUMANITIES AWARD

CONSOLATA BOYLE BA (HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY) 1972

Consolata is a world-leading costume designer in the film business. She has worked on several movies, including The Queen and Philomena, and has been nominated for an Academy Award on three occasions.

What did you enjoy most about UCD? The strongest memories are the teaching and lectures and the way people like [professors] Seamus Deane, Denis Donoghue and George Eogan opened up your mind. They informed a lot of what I did afterwards. I’ve a great memory of excavating in the Boyne Valley as part of the archaeology module of my degree. What professional skills do you attribute to your time at university? It instilled in me a love of research, a kind of rigour. It also developed my imagination – to imagine unknown worlds through archaeology and literature. It helped me get used to ideas – and how to express those ideas. What aspects of your career have given you pleasure? There’s joy in being able to pick and choose, more or less. I work as a freelancer, so I’m sort of in a position where I can choose what I want to do. I work with wonderful people and have collaborated with great creative minds who I’ve had the honour of working with. Do you have a future goal? Getting to read and enjoy and be inspired by great scripts – and then work with great directors. That’s always been my goal. What advice do you have for UCD students? Don’t narrow down. Keep your mind as open as possible, to politics, art, life, your friends and what’s happening in the world.

SPORT AWARD

EIMEAR LAMBE BComm INTERNATIONAL (GERMAN) 2019

Eimear is one of Ireland’s leading rowers. She won bronze at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in the women’s coxless four event. She was named July 2021 Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman.

What are your UCD highlights? Having the opportunity to study Commerce through German at UCD’s Partner University, the University of Regensburg. There I met people from all over the world, from a multitude of different cultures, who I am still in contact with today. What life and professional skills did you pick up at UCD? Time management. It has proved to be invaluable in all aspects of my professional and personal life so far. Learning how to balance being a full-time student alongside training at a high-performance level meant learning how to prioritise tasks and plan my weeks accordingly to ensure success. What are you most proud of in your career to date? While a bronze medal at the Olympic Games has been my career highlight to date, I am proudest of successfully managing my academics alongside training on my road to Tokyo. This ultimately allowed me to transition after the Olympic Games into a position as management consultant at one of the world leading financial services firms [EY]. What advice do you have for UCD’s students and graduates? Don’t compare where you are in your journey to others. Everyone has their own path to follow and although it may not always be as straightforward and clear as you would like, it doesn’t mean you won’t make it to your destination.

HEALTH AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AWARD

MICHAEL BURKE MVB 1970

Michael is the founder of Chanelle Pharma, a leading provider of human and animal health generic pharmaceuticals worldwide. A horseracing devotee, he is the owner of several racing thoroughbreds.

What did you like best about UCD? The social aspect was great. There were a lot of [horse] racing people in my year. A couple of amateur jockeys too. We used to go racing twice a week, on the Wednesdays and Saturdays when we had half-days. And we’d come home from the races and play poker. We were among the first students to study out in Belfield. What skills did you pick up at university? It was a fantastic degree [in Veterinary Medicine] and a great start in life because after I qualified, I had my own practice after nine months. I had an entrepreneurial streak. My mother was an amazing businesswoman. What are the highlights of your career? My company has brought me to so many countries around the world and that is an education in itself. Chanelle Pharma exports to 94 countries. One of the highlights was spending an hour with Muhammad Ali and, this year, I had a horse running in the Kentucky Derby. What are your future goals? We’ve a huge development plan. We’re expanding the facility here and bringing in lots of new products. Do you have advice for UCD students? Have a clear goal and work hard. Get the balance right between the academic side and your social life.

LAW AWARD

BILL SHIPSEY S.C. BCL 1979

Bill is a human rights activist and retired Senior Counsel barrister. He also initiated the Ambassador of Conscience Award, Amnesty International’s most prestigious human rights award, and has been involved with many philanthropic organisations and boards.

What are your UCD highlights? After six years of single-sex boarding school, the freedom and luxury – academic and personal – of being in a university environment was the highlight of my time there. Much of what I enjoyed and appreciated occurred beyond the lectures! What are you most proud of in your career to date? I have been fortunate to have had two careers. One in-law – from which I have retired – and the other engaging with artists for the benefit of Amnesty International and human rights. But it is the Art for Amnesty work that I am most proud of. In what way did the pandemic impact on your work? It cramped my travel style for sure. It also made me realise that we should be more conscious of our travel and not travel for the sake of travelling or just for meetings that can be done more efficiently with the dreaded Zoom. I still managed to complete a film project with filming in Mexico City, Paris, Cape Town, New Delhi and Sydney from the comfort of my office chair in Paris. What advice do you have for UCD’s latest graduates? It sounds cliched, but if there was any advice that I would dispense it would be the advice J.K. Rowling gave to Harvard undergraduates on the twin benefits of failure and imagination: don’t fear failure and use your imagination.

www.ucd.ie/alumniawards

‘IF YOU WEREN’T there not only would you not know, you literally wouldn’t believe it’. UCD alumna Maeve Binchy said it best. At its heart, involvement in society life in UCD has very regularly been multiple experiences in search of a narrative.

Joining countless societies during Freshers Week just for the free lunch. Missing the last bus home after a sangria-soaked gathering with the Spanish Society. Queuing for hours to secure a ticket to the Engineering, Commerce or Law Ball. Being dragged by a friend on some society committee to an event in the depths of the Arts Block only to realise, “Wait, there’s a theatre here!”.

Then there were the characters. The single society ‘specialist’, member of one society only, attending their events religiously, often ending up as the Auditor or Treasurer as a reward for their fervorous commitment. The society ‘multi-tasker’, regularly holding down positions across multiple societies, up at dawn with a roll of Sellotape, ready to carry boxes, keep accounts, write letters and book venues or die trying. The committee ‘specialist’, the old hand at committees, brought in to run the ball, and organising it to within an inch of its life, driving everyone else demented along the way. And the ‘committee magpie’ (or in 21st-century parlance, the ‘hoodie collector’), no role is too small (and no important-sounding title too large) for this person.

Societies are a broad church, bringing together students from all backgrounds, united only by their interest in the arcanity of such topics as Japanese film, knitting or tractors. They are the glue which holds together the UCD experience. Lots of institutions offer accounting or science degrees, not all provide the subversion and irresponsibility of societies (the irresponsibility obviously being minimised because “it’s all in a good cause!”)

No member of a society doesn’t have a story from a society night out (most of them unprintable here). For the UCD student, societies were, and are, the lodestone around which most of their finest hours revolved. For many, it was also the first taste of leadership and involvement for their future careers progression. Ryan Tubridy honed his interview skills as Auditor of the History Society; the quick wit of Dara Ó Briain skewered many aspiring speakers and audience members from his throne as Auditor of the L&H; Martina Fitzgerald developed her interest in current affairs as Auditor of the Politics Society, while political luminaries Hazel Chu, Dr Garret FitzGerald and Charles Haughey led the Philosophy, Economics, and C&E Societies respectively.

Even today, old friends come together every year at UCD reunions, Christmas parties, weddings and dinners, and talk invariably turns to the insanity that they shared as committee and society members together. The phrase most commonly used is ‘we wouldn’t get away with it now’! But, you know what? They’re still getting away with it. As Maeve Binchy said ‘you literally wouldn’t believe it’.

Over the last 160 years there have been over 100 student societies, each with its own unique story. The Societies History & Memories Project was created to capture a snapshot of our shared history that may otherwise fade from memory.

Today UCD is home to a population of more than 35,000 students, including overseas campuses. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions early in the academic year, some 15,198 individual students became members of a student society. In all, there were a total of 61,505 memberships shared by over 83 societies, with 22 societies exceeding 1,000 members.

While a great many things have changed in Belfield, the importance of society life and its place at the heart of UCD’s student experience has remained constant. Students continue to attend debates, seminars, musical and theatre performances, formals and other social events. Annually there are over 4,000 events on campus, not including the countless committee meetings, casual meet-ups and of course the days and months spent by committees preparing their schedule of events.

Student societies support a number of charity partners and annually (preCOVID-19) raise over €200,000 through direct fundraising.

PILLARS OF SOCIETIES

Mervyn Wall

I resigned after a disagreement with Dr Coffey as to the Dramatic Society’s right to choose for itself the play for its annual public production. ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ had been suggested, and Dr Coffey referred our choice to the professor of English Literature, who reported unfavourably, saying to me that he did not think it proper that the students should go out under the banner of Oscar Wilde.

We then proposed a play called ‘Winterest’, which was all about Vikings and similar husky characters with wings on their helmets, but Dr Coffey imposed a veto, partly because he thought that the play would not be a commercial success and partly because he thought that influence outside the college was being exercised upon us in the choice of play. I believed the issue of freedom for the Dramatic Society to be an important one and resigned from the directorship and from the Society. “Foolish young man” was Dr Coffey’s comment. As it happened, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ was the play that accorded presidential approval in the end, and it was put on some months later at the Gate.

From Centenary History of the Literary and Historical Society 1885-1955, edited by James Meenan, published by A&A Farmar.

Dr Garret FitzGerald

While I enjoyed work at college, study certainly did not absorb much of my energies. I joined a large number of societies and concentrated on helping with the societies’ teas, having observed at an early stage that the preparations for these festivities, which followed language-society meetings in particular, were undertaken by girls. Boys – oddly, I thought, having been brought up in a family of boys where all had to help with meals – regard this part of a society’s activities as being beneath their dignity. The loss was theirs, I felt, especially after seven years at a single-sex secondary school, the major attraction of university life, it seemed to me, was the company of girls. Before long, I featured in the college magazine with the comment ‘among the girls present was Sir Garth FitzGerald Bart.’ – and there he remained.

From Just Garret, an autobiography by Garret FitzGerald, published by Liberties Press.

Des Keogh

DramSoc moved to the Belfield campus in 1972, wrote Peter McGuire in The Irish Times in 2007, and was given rehearsal and performance space in the lower floor of the arts building, where it remains to this day. Students can still be found lingering around the DramSoc noticeboard, rehearsing their lines and investing huge amounts of time and energy into productions which they hope will rival the professionals. “DramSoc certainly had a huge influence on my life,” says Des Keogh. “It’s where I really learned about acting and the theatre. It gave me a huge amount of opportunities and a lot of breaks in the world of drama. Most of all, it’s where I learnt that acting is really what I love and want to work in.”

From ‘Dramatic Times on Stage’, published in The Irish Times, 15 May, 2007.

Maeve Binchy

The debate at the L&H on a Saturday night was the sex of the fifties. Who knew how the night might end? Well, I always knew how the night would end, actually, it ended in the same way most of the time with me having to run down from the Physics Theatre in what was then UCD and now houses the National Concert Hall to catch the 11:23pm train back to Dalkey from Pearse Station, then called Westland Row.

In my first year, 1956-7, I looked at the Auditor and committee as if they were great stellar creatures, no boys band or football team could have got as much adoration.

I ached to be part of it all, something much nearer than just sitting in those ascending benches. Other girls dreamed of wearing strapless dresses and being whirled around to the music of Neil Kearns in the Gresham; I yearned to be the confidante of the L&H Committee, earnestly discussing some new outrage that had to be dealt with, or coming up with a wonderful speaker that no one else had thought of.

When Myles McWeeney was going to become Auditor the following year, he asked me to serve on his committee. Apart from the proposal of marriage that I got at a much, much later time, it was the most wonderful question I was asked in my life. When I look back at it all, it was a very hot house and totally overdramatic and I loved every bit of it.

You always think your time is the best; I KNOW those years nearly half a century ago were magic. But just as I thought my father’s generation fairly sad and pathetic back in the twenties, so too do people laugh an embarrassed laugh at our antics. It doesn’t matter. It’s only lent to you, that time. And we loved it.

From The Literary and Historical Society, 1955-2005, edited by Frank Callanan, published by A&A Farmar.

Vincent Browne

The centre of my life really was the L&H, which met on Saturday nights in the Physics Theatre on Earlsfort Terrace. It was an incredible arena … I did a post-graduate thing in Loyola University in New Orleans. I came back, and I suddenly found the whole place to be dampened down by this monster, crypto-fascist [Michael] Tierney [then President of UCD].

[Michael Tierney] banned me from coming in [to the L&H] and I sent a telegram saying that I was coming, got Jackie McGowran in the Abbey to make me up as a woman.

Tierney panicked, called in the police, police were all around. I got past, sat in there for about two hours, and then Seamus Sorohan [now a senior counsel] stood up and said what will happen if he comes in and Ryan said – Lemass was in the chair – “I’ll have him suspended and put out”. So I stood up and took off my wig and handcuffed myself to the desk and the whole thing broke up. Tierney actually expelled me from the college for that. I had my BA at the time, I had just got it, but I had my Law lectures to do and he wouldn’t let me do them.

From ‘Ulick O’Connor: A very cavalier Irishman in every sense of the word’, published in The Irish Times, 12 August 2015.

UCD SOCIETIES PROJECT

We invite alumni to share their story with us at www.ucdsocietieshistory.ie. This can take the form you are most comfortable with. It can be anecdotal, it can explore what a society meant to you or look at a certain period more generally.

This work is part of an ongoing project with an eye to creating a central archive collection, connecting with society alumni and publishing and exhibiting materials. A book project is also being explored to tell the story of UCD Societies through personal vignettes. This project can only be successful with your support. www.ucdsocietieshistory.ie.

AS THE FIRST university in Ireland to develop a neurodiversity focus, UCD is striving to promote the rich benefits of a neurodiversity-friendly campus. Pioneering this initiative embodies the vision and strategic objectives of UCD and accentuates the University’s commitment to equality in Irish society with a cutting-edge approach, channelling the largely untapped potential of neurodiversity. An initiative originally shaped by the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CHAS), with the key support and input of Professor Fiona McNicholas, the UCD Neurodiversity Programme has made great strides in a short space of time and now seeks to broaden its reach. Professor Colin Scott, Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, UCD emphasises that the University Management Team EDI Group “was proud to establish a Neurodiversity Working Group … to enhance existing supports for all members of our university community”.

Neurodiversity is a term coined in the 1990s to describe the wide variation in human brain functions relating to sociability, learning, attention and mood. The term encompasses many common conditions traditionally labelled as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia and Dyspraxia and represents at least 10% of the population. By embracing these conditions as reflecting the ‘neurological diversity’ of the human brain rather than pathologising their difference, this conceptualisation of ‘diversity rather than deficit’ leans on concepts such as biodiversity. Neurodiversity acknowledges and respects all types of brain functioning and implicitly understands that each and all can contribute to the tapestry of humanity given the correct conditions. The fact that some types of brain functioning are more common in the majority of people is not assumed to imply deficit in the minority.

A key aim in reconfiguring the conceptualisation of these conditions is to promote the understanding that many of the challenges that exist for people who are in the neurominority are societal. It is hoped that increased understanding and awareness across all sections of society will lead to fuller societal participation, harnessing the strengths and exceptional promise of neurodiversity.

To this end, in March 2022 UCD held its first Neurodiversity Celebration Week ably curated by Eimear O’Reilly, Projects Officer, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), UCD. In what was an enormously rewarding, well-received venture, the event inaugurated the opportunity to highlight neurodiversity across the entire UCD community. It involved contributions from students, past and present, across an array of disciplines who shared their experiences of neurodiversity in the university setting and beyond.

Participants of Neurodiversity Celebration Week included creative artists, academics, medical professionals, engineers and architects as well as individuals from Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Google and the Irish banking sector. Ronan McGovern, a UCD alumnus, was one such contributor. Ronan, who has a diagnosis of ADHD, works in AIB where he promotes awareness of neurodiversity. He graduated from Stanford Business School where he worked for six months as a scholar at the Stanford Neurodiversity Project. Spreading the word about neurodiversity is something that Ronan is passionate about. He believes that the neurodiverse population encounters unconscious bias of which society is mostly unaware: “Growing up in Ireland with (then undiagnosed) Combined Type ADHD, I suffered greatly, and I would like that no one has to go through this suffering in the future. Neurodiverse people are a huge source of invisible innovation in society and if this is recognised, the world will be a better and more diverse place for it.”

Another participant was Adrian Jones, Global Head of Healthcare Private Investing, Goldman Sachs, New York. Adrian, who has an MA in Economics from UCD, understands the importance of the programme for the corporate world: “Neurodiversity in the workplace is primarily about fairness. It is also about successfully recruiting and retaining talent in a ferociously competitive global market. By building a culture of awareness and inclusion, employers can ensure that all employees reach their full potential and thrive as their authentic selves.”

Despite often having rare patterns of cognitive strengths, achieving university entry and navigating the education system will generally reflect a more arduous path for neurodiverse students. The nature of the variability of brain functioning is such that the university experience is laden with demands that are uniquely challenging and, all too often, the true potential of neurodiverse individuals, both students and staff, remains untapped. In order to facilitate a successful university experience, it is critical that universities provide adequate recognition, supports and equality of opportunity. Professor Scott notes that “teams from UCD Access and Lifelong Learning and other key services play an important role in ensuring neurodivergent students can thrive at university and can succeed when entering the workforce.”

In this journey, the UCD group has looked abroad for inspiration. At an international level, Stanford University has been to the forefront by establishing the first ‘Neurodiversity Friendly Campus’. Director of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project, psychiatrist Dr Lawrence Fung, has generously provided guidance to its nascent UCD equivalent. Stanford has incorporated a number of different strands in its mission, strands which the UCD group seeks to emulate. Firstly, and most importantly, it recognises the potential that neurodiversity offers. Stanford sets out to maximise this potential by not just empowering the neurodiverse community on campus but by actively setting out to attract neurodivergent staff and students to the university. As such, the Stanford project seeks not to merely cater to a ‘minimum standard’ of inclusion but sets out to raise the bar to promote a university culture that harnesses the true value of differences in thinking and learning styles. The value of this approach is fully endorsed by Dr Deirdre O’Connor, Chair of the UCD EDI Disability Sub-Group/Associate Dean for EDI in the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science: “Initiatives that promote a more neurodiversity-friendly campus are at the heart of UCD’S EDI remit, which is about creating an environment that is inclusive to all students and staff and celebrates the rich diversity that exists in our university.”

The Stanford project aims to embolden neurodiverse individuals to deliver on their potential and to disseminate knowledge through teaching and training to allow crossfertilisation of this positive culture across the employment sector. A key component of this model is linking with businesses in the Stanford area. Today, most major international tech companies in Silicon Valley, a sector which has traditionally welcomed and benefited from a more neurodiverse workforce, have a neurodiversity inclusion policy, helped in no small part by an agreement signed in December 2020 with Google who piloted a Neurodiversity at Work Programme at Google Cloud.

Another strand to the Stanford model adopted by UCD is to disseminate its message locally, nationally, and internationally. In May 2022, UCD hosted a world-first global conference on ‘Neurodiversity and the Legal System’. This conference complements the UCD group’s collaboration with An Garda Síochána with respect to Neurodiversity and Human Rights.

Ken Kilbride, CEO of ADHD-Ireland, an advocacy charity, stresses the societal value of this truly collaborative approach:

“We have welcomed the fact that UCD has embraced us as an equal partner to develop a wide range of neurodiversity initiatives and indeed world-leading conferences.

This parity of esteem has delivered visible impacts not only for UCD, its students and alumni but also to positively increase acceptance of ADHD throughout Ireland.”

Partnerships such as this are intrinsic to the framework of the Neurodiversity Programme in UCD, which incorporates a multifaceted approach to achieving its objectives by involving neurodiverse students/staff, the broader student population and academic faculty, advocates, clinicians, companies/employers and the local community. This framework is designed to mutually benefit the student, the university and wider society. This model informs the approach of directly linking with the business community to support their neurodiverse employees and, in turn, to provide a funding stream for the initiative. As the project evolves, it is envisaged that there will be increasing involvement with industry which will confer long-term growth. The potential value of this approach is seen in the group’s work with the multi-national PM Group. Engineer Bryan Humphreys at PM Group recognises the rewards of neurodiversity awareness: “UCD Neurodiversity outputs have helped our business to understand and acknowledge, that it is normal for people to function differently from one another, and helps managers and employees, enabling us to remove boundaries, leveraging the unique strengths of neurodiverse employees and candidates to enable greater innovation, culture, talent retention and more effective decision making.”

As well as new teaching modules, research is at the heart of UCD’s Neurodiversity Programme. Dr Timmy Frawley, Associate Professor in the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, a key member of the project, has been awarded seed funding to pursue a university-wide Neurodiversity Research Programme. Dr Frawley’s research is underpinned by his commitment to the idea that “recognising that students and staff are neurodistinct” is key to achieving a more inclusive university space. Fundamental to the research is exploring staff and student experiences “to establish what is working well in UCD and how we can build on this.

“Our brains are all wired in myriad ways and for some of us, this makes us neurodivergent or neurodistinct. While this can be an advantage, sometimes problems with living in society can be encountered. Our work in Neurodiversity seeks to level the playing field for all,” says Dr Frawley.

As well as its commitment to research, the UCD Neurodiversity Programme has been running a monthly masterclass series with its external partners since February 2021. Beth Kilkenny, Planning and Projects Manager, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, has led this initiative. “We have had world-renowned speakers, academics and clinicians and, of course, members of the neurodivergent community, speak on all aspects of Neurodiversity. The sessions are open to all and we have reached a global audience, from Australia to Ghana to Bermuda, the US and Ireland! In the last 18 months, we have reached over 1,500 people. It is rewarding to know the work we are doing has such reach and impact.”

The international reach of the UCD Neurodiversity Programme is reflected in the partnership with the Institute of Neurodiversity, a global advocacy group founded by corporate governance expert, Charlotte Valeur who identifies autism as key to her success. UCD is also the first university in Ireland to join the Global Neurodiversity Hub Community of Practice. Based in Melbourne, Australia, founder Andrew Eddy is very proud to be involved in the ongoing work at UCD. “Running through each of the activities of the UCD Neurodiversity Programme,” according to Mr Eddy, is a common theme “of selflessly trying to make a difference and inspire positive change. The team at UCD has created a significant shift in the global narrative around Neurodiversity, higher education and employment.”

The UCD Neurodiversity Programme has achieved much since its recent inception. The working group looks forward to continuing its work guided by its North Star that Neurodiversity is welcomed and celebrated, allowing everyone to flourish while enriching the global UCD community.

1 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

A more diverse history of modern architecture and design

UCD Architectural historian Professor Kathleen James-Chakraborty is leading ‘Expanding Agency: Women, Race and the Global Dissemination of Modern Architecture’, a project that explores the role that women and members of ethnic minorities, primarily African-Americans, played in transmitting modern architecture and design internationally between 1920 and 1970. The five-year project is funded under a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant and will explore journalism, patronage and institution building to widen the historical focus of the built environment beyond white men in architecture. The findings will support a more diverse profession to address social issues such as sustainability and integration of migrants.

2 HISTORY

Rethinking civil wars in Europe

We might think of civil wars as isolated, local issues. But research led by Professor Robert Gerwarth, Professor of Modern History at UCD, seeks to challenge this view. ‘The Age of Civil Wars in Europe, 1914-1949’ will examine civil wars in the first half of the 20th century in Europe, from Ireland to Russia, from Finland to Spain and Greece. Funded under a ERC Advanced Grant, it will lead to a better understanding of why the 20th century became the most violent in recorded human history, and why civilians outnumbered soldiers among the dead in most of these conflicts

3 MIGRATION

Unlocking how migration shapes cultural identity

What clues do 19th-century texts hold about British attitudes to European migrants in Victorian times and beyond? Professor Gerardine Meaney has been granted ERC Advanced funding to find out. A major collaboration between literary criticism and data analytics will analyse almost 36,000 books in the British Library Nineteenth Century Corpus. Migrants were vital to the economy and culture of Victorian Britain. The project will focus on how intra-European cultural exchange triggered by population movement is embedded in Victorian fiction. It will identify persistent attitudes to a cross-section of European migrants (Irish, Italian and Eastern European Jewish) and the dynamic cultural impact of the migrants themselves.

4 WOMEN IN STEM

Stories of and for women in STEM

To tackle the lack of engagement by girls with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in disadvantaged schools, UCD researchers Professor Judith Harford, Assistant Professor Rachel Farrell and Assistant Professor Aoibhinn Ní Shuilleabháin worked with more than 1,000 pupils in disadvantaged schools in Leinster to understand more about attitudes to STEM. In parallel, creative new approaches to increasing engagement with STEM have emerged led by project manager Karen Maye and Philosophy for Children expert Marelle Rice, including telling stories of pioneering women in their fields. The approach has demonstrably boosted interest among girls in secondary schools in studying STEM subjects for Leaving Cert and beyond.

5 MY WORLD SURVEY

Improving youth mental health in Ireland

The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions shone a light on the importance of youth mental health. My World Survey (MWS) is the largest national survey on mental health among people aged 12-25 in Ireland. Led by Professor Barbara Dooley from UCD School of Psychology, the MWS surveys carried out in 2012 and 2019 in collaboration with Jigsaw, the mental health supports service for young people, identified the importance of a young person having a supportive adult in their life, the prevalence of excessive drinking and its effects on mental health in this age group and the benefits of young people talking about their problems.

6 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Using AI to prevent elder financial abuse

UCD researchers have developed an alert system based on artificial intelligence (AI) to protect older people from financial abuse or crime. Led by Professor Cal Muckley, the team worked with a major financial institution and used AI to monitor financial transactions. The project showed that the AI system could substantially improve detection of true cases of financial abuse involving customers aged over 70. As a result, around five million accounts belonging to older people benefit from this additional safeguard on their transactions.

7 DIRECT PROVISION

Towards the end of direct provision

In April 2000, the Irish Government introduced direct provision to accommodate people seeking asylum. Some 22 years later, more than 7,000 people are in direct provision, and the Irish Government has committed to ending direct provision by 2024. Research carried out by Associate Professor Liam Thornton at UCD School of Law has identified how the system in Ireland impinges on human rights by limiting access to social welfare and to the labour market and by threatening the protection of home and family. The research is informing advocacy, public discourse and policy and is helping to enable legal change to end direct provision.

8 THE BIOECONOMY

Hands-on learning about the BioEconomy

A new European project led by Associate Professor Tom Curran at UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering will develop hands-on educational activities and programmes for schoolchildren and young people to learn about important themes in the BioEconomy, including connectedness, forestry, life below water and how nutrients flow through the ‘food loop’. The two-year BiaBeo project, funded under Horizon Europe, will deliver educational modules such as creating an indoor wormery, planting trees and grasses, learning about the maths of forests and creating mini-habitats, as well as learning about biogas, the benefits of seaweeds and the importance of removing marine plastic litter.

9 HEALTH

Opening up software to tackle Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes can lead to life-threatening physical complications, distress, anxiety and depression. To help, tech-savvy people with diabetes and their families have developed open-source software to automatically deliver insulin dosing in response to their glucose levels, in order to stay within a healthy range and reduce the relentless psychological burden of the condition. The OPEN project, led in Ireland by Dr Shane O’Donnell at UCD School of Sociology and School of Medicine, is examining the clinical outcomes, quality of life and lived experiences of people using these opensource systems, identifying barriers to uptake and developing consensus on their safe and ethical use.

10 UNPACKING PREJUDICE

A new historical perspective on the ‘drunken Irish’ stereotype

Historically the Irish in London and New York have often been portrayed as being prone to alcoholism. But what lies behind this ‘drunken Irish’ stereotype, and what impact did it have? Dr Alice Mauger from UCD School of History is leading the five-year DIASPORA project (‘Deciphering Irish Alcohol and Substance use: Post-war Representations and Accounts’) to find out. Funded by the ERC, it focuses on the lived experience and broader historical and religious context of the Irish in London and New York after the Second World War, and will offer a new way of understanding ethnic and racial inequalities and prejudices.

11 BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE

Changing citizen habits for a climate-neutral Europe

The European Green Deal seeks to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world. But citizens need to be involved. Professor Francesco Pilla from UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy is leading Ireland’s participation in the EU-funded I-CHANGE (‘Individual Change of HAbits Needed for Green European transition’) project to encourage citizens and civil society to understand and align their habits with environmental protection. Using a ‘Living Lab’ approach, the project will create greater awareness of the scientific processes that underlie climate change and will change the minds, hearts and actions of citizens in a bid to make Europe green.

12 ANTI-GENDER POLITICS

Enabling understanding to strengthen democracy

Anti-gender politics threatens modern democracies, because they challenge people’s everyday survival, bodily integrity and self-determination. Professor Kath Browne from UCD School of Geography, whose research interests are in social and cultural geographies, leads the RESIST project to explore the mechanisms of anti-gender politics and its effects on individuals and on democracies in the EU and beyond. By working with civil society organisations, the RESIST project aims to enable those who are most at risk of violation by anti-gender politics, including women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons, and thereby strengthen democracies.

■ www.ucd.ie/research

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Professor Sarah Prescott

ALTHOUGH A YEAR of remote learning brought its fair share of challenges, there was much to celebrate from our staff, our students, and alumni.

UCD College of Arts and Humanities, in partnership with NCAD and IADT, secured €10m in funding from the HEA Human Capital Initiative, to develop the groundbreaking Creative Futures Academy, to shape the future of Ireland’s creative sector. The initiative will be led in UCD by Professor Sarah Prescott and Associate Professor PJ Mathews.

In April 2021, Professor Kathleen James-Chakraborty, UCD School of Art History and Cultural Policy and UCD Humanities Institute, won a top European Research Council award worth over €2m, for her pioneering research on the role of women and ethnic minorities in the transmission of modern architecture.

Alumna and author Niamh Campbell, 2020-2021 UCD Writer-in-Residence, led Conversations with the Contemporary – discussions with eight writers on the process, craft and contemporary life.

In March 2021, Associate Professor Dr Catherine Cox, UCD School of History and UCD Centre for the History of Medicine, won the UCD Research 2020 Impact Competition with her case study on the mental health crisis in Irish prisons. In November 2020, the UCD Alumni Award for Arts and Humanities was presented to Dalton Philips, CEO of the Dublin Airport Authority.

Professor Sarah Prescott chaired the biannual virtual meetings of the Alumni Advisory Group, which brings together BA graduates from media, government, business and other sectors to advise on College employability initiatives. Associate Professor PJ Mathews, Director of the Creative Futures Academy, chaired the biannual virtual meetings of the UCD Creative Fellows, a fellowship of Ireland’s leading musicians, curators, creatives, writers and directors.

The Schools of History and Art History and Cultural Policy held a series of virtual alumni lectures. Among the speakers were Art History and Cultural Policy alumna and UCD Creative Fellow Oriole Cullen, and History alumnae Anne Anderson and Dr Anne MacLellan.

History and Politics graduate and CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan joined Professor Liam Kennedy for a Q&A event to mark the launch of the new MA in Journalism and International Affairs, co-designed and delivered by UCD Clinton Institute and CNN Academy. The 2021-2022 Joseph M Hassett Creativity Bursary was awarded to poet and writer Christodoulos Makris. Starting in September, Makris will work with the RTÉ Radio Scripts Collection in the UCD Archives.

https://www.ucd.ie/artshumanities/

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS 2020-2021

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Professor Anthony Brabazon

IN AN UNPRECEDENTED environment, students, faculty and staff came together to continue to deliver world-class business education, maintain high learning standards and enhance our reputation as an international leader of relevant and impactful business research.

Faculty were highly active with research projects spanning fintech, AI, sustainable finance, cryptocurrency and more. They continued to lead internationally, securing several awards, with Associate Professors Ciaran Heavey and Dorota Piaskowska winning in the Strategy and General Management Category at the Case Centre Awards, Professors Federica Pazzaglia and Karan Sonpar’s winning the Best Overall Paper Award at the Academy of Management 2020 Conference and Dr Penelope Muzanenhamo awarded Best Critical Management Learning and Education Paper 2020. In addition, Professor Gerardine Doyle was named President of the European Institute of Advanced Studies in Management, only the second-ever female president in the network’s history.

Despite a shifting landscape, the College of Business came together as a community to innovate. In February, the inaugural UCD Business Alumni Challenge, Around the Globe in 30 Days, saw almost 1,000 alumni in over 40 countries participate in this virtual wellbeing initiative.

The UCD Business Impact podcast launched in April 2020 to highlight the depth and breadth of expertise in our international business community. The award-winning podcast now has close to 20k listens.

A new modular Executive MBA has been launched, designed specifically for those with busy professional and personal schedules. UCD Quinn School has joined a new UCD cross-disciplinary BSc Sustainability Pathway degree programme, which shines a light on the business and economic dimensions of sustainability.

Additional mentoring programmes, facilitated by alumni mentors, were introduced to empower students to become impactful leaders with a global mindset. UCD Smurfit School alumni and students also launched the UCD Smurfit Women, Inspiring More initiative to address issues around gender equity and organised a series of events to inspire and encourage debate.

As we move through uncertain times, we will continue to champion informed debate, decision-making, and leadership as we seek to rebuild economies and rethink our institutions and societal priorities.

In Memorium: Professor of Supply Chain Management, Brian Fynes, 1959-2020; Dr Laurence G Crowley, CBE, UCD Smurfit School’s first Chairman, 1937-2020; PwC Professor of Accounting Eamonn Walsh 1960-2021; Cormac McCarthy, Chairman of Aspire, Chairman of UCD Foundation 1962-2021.

https://www.ucd.ie/business

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE HIGHLIGHTS 2020-2021

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Professor Aoife Ahern

UCD COLLEGE OF Engineering & Architecture continued to deliver a world-class education to students virtually this year, with staff and faculty rising to the challenge and supporting students in every way possible. Faculty and research staff continued to innovate with research projects and spin-out activity. UCD Vice-President Professor Orla Feely was inaugurated as the 129th President of Engineers Ireland, with fellow engineering alumnus Professor Edmond Harty appointed Vice-President of Enterprise Ireland.

UCD Engineering Graduates Association (EGA) connects graduates, industry professionals, students and staff to drive national and economic sustainable development through enterprise, research, and innovation. At the AGM in December 2020, Donal Wyse was elected President, succeeding Majella Henchion.

The EGA welcomed a panel of experts to deliver the virtual Autumn Panel Discussion on The Future of the Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Industry in Ireland, in October 2020, and the Spring Panel Discussion on Inclusive by Design: Applying Inclusive Design Methods to Engineering, in March 2021.

The 2021 EGA Distinguished Graduate Award was presented to Ciaran Connell and Michael McLaughlin, CEO and CTO of Decawave. The EGA also conducted the 2020 Gold Medal Award Ceremony virtually in October 2020, with 24 awards presented.

The three-day Engineering Careers Bootcamp took place in March 2021, with students receiving career guidance sessions and advice from alumni in the industry.

Equal1 Labs, founded by Dr Dirk Leipold, Professor R Bogdan Staszewski and Mike Asker, a spin-out from the UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, won a NovaUCD 2021 Innovation Award. Dr Paul Cuffe, UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, was awarded the 2021 NovaUCD Innovation Champion of the Year Award for his work with engineering students to unlock the commercial trajectory of their final year dissertation projects.

We welcomed UCD Architecture alumni Amanda Bone and Even Fuglestad, along with Denis Brereton from RKD Architects, to speak to students at the annual APEP Careers Panel in February 2021. Foreign Exchange: Conversations on Architecture Here and Now, the 2020/21 UCD Master of Architecture Lecture series, continues. With a specific focus on architecture in Switzerland, leading Swiss architects discussed their work in conversation with invited guests and public audiences.

UCD graduate Aisling Mulligan received the President’s Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects in December 2020, one of architecture’s top awards, for her postgraduate thesis on restructuring the construction sector towards a circular economy.

https://www.ucd.ie/eacollege

COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES HIGHLIGHTS 2020-2021

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Professor Cecily Kelleher

THE COLLEGE OF Health and Agricultural Sciences, amid a challenging year, would like to pay tribute to its staff and students, both in achieving academic objectives and also in the engagement with services as part of the National response to the pandemic during the period.

“Never waste a good crisis: what have we learned about classroom and clinical educations from a global pandemic?” was the topic when UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences hosted the virtual Irish Network of Healthcare Educators (INHED) Annual Scientific Meeting in March 2021 with keynote speakers Professor Rachel Ellaway, University of Calgary, Professor Walter Eppich, and Dr Lara Varpio, United Services University, Washington DC.

Congratulations to Professor Frank Monahan who was appointed to the role of Dean of Agriculture and Head of UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science.

UCD Medical Graduates Association presented Distinguished Graduate Awards to three outstanding graduates: Dr Paul O’Byrne, (1975), respirologist and Dean of the School of Medicine at McMaster University, Ontario; Sr Marian Scena, (1975), Faraja Hospice and Palliative Care Programme, Tanzania; and Dr John Donohue (1967), retired consultant nephrologist.

On International Women’s Day on March 8 2021, Veterinary Medicine graduates Delia Grace Randolph (1990), Ciara Feeny-Reid (1996) and Patricia Reilly (1996) came together in a webinar to discuss their careers.

In April 2021, Animal Emergency, a five-part TV series, took viewers behind the scenes of UCD Veterinary Hospital, where thousands of animals are cared for each year, from sick pets, to farm animals, to injured seals and exotic birds.

In June 2021, the School of Veterinary Medicine received full Royal College of Veterinary Science accreditation which means graduates holding a UCD Veterinary degree have an automatic right to join the UK register. Veterinary nurse Jessica Duignan won the British Veterinary Behaviour Association Veterinary Studies Award.

In November 2020, UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science presented 39 awards, including AIB Best in Class Food & Agricultural Business Management (Clodagh Dolan) and AIB Best in Class Dairy Business (Eoin Heffernan).

The Podcast series Agrifood Matters, hosted by Seán Duke and covering topics such as sustainability, biodiversity, food and health, innovation, crop sciences, agricultural economics and humanitarian action, was also launched.

A new quarterly newsletter, SPHPSS in Focus, includes research highlights of three projects: the PREPARE project, which assesses public health and clinical preparedness in the event of an infectious disease pandemic, REFOHCUS (Reimagining the Future – One Health, COVID and Us) which seeks to build science capital in socially disadvantaged areas where progression to careers in science is less common; and ALPHABET, which focuses on early life programming of childhood health.

In June 2021, Simon Harris TD met the staff at UCD’s National Virus Reference Laboratory and UCD researchers who have helped Ireland and the global community tackle the challenges of COVID-19. UCD welcomes Sport Management Professor Eleni Theodoraki. Professor Theodoraki brings with her 25 years of experience at Edinburgh Napier University and De Montfort University, UK.

https://www.ucd.ie/chas

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS 2020-2021

OUTGOING COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Professor Joe Carthy

INCOMING COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Professor Jeremy Simpson

IN THE PAST twelve months, in spite of significant challenges, it has been business as usual for UCD College of Science. Graduation ceremonies were celebrated virtually and a blended approach to teaching was delivered.

Outgoing College Principal Professor Joe Carthy will be succeeded by Professor Jeremy Simpson.

In November 2020, Professor Pat Guiry from the School of Chemistry and Patricia Maguire from the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science were named winners of the prestigious Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Science Awards which recognises outstanding mentorship by a researcher.

In December 2020, epiCaPture, a university spin-out that developed a test to help eliminate unnecessary procedures when it comes to prostate cancer won UCD’s 2020 Start-Up of the Year Award and its €32,000 prize fund.

In January 2021, UCD launched C-Space, the UCD Centre for Space Research, the first dedicated hub of excellence for interdisciplinary collaborative space-related research, innovation and education in Ireland.

In February 2021 The Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG) at UCD received €28m in funding from SFI to support approximately 1,060 graduate and postdoctoral students and research fellows, including over 130 researchers, at iCRAG across eight research institutes.

Also, in February it was announced that UCD will lead a project to help develop healthy and climate-resistant oats, in partnership with Aberystwyth, Swansea Universities and Teagasc after securing €2.7m in funding for the Ireland-Wales Healthy Oats collaboration.

In March 2021, Professor Declan Gilheany from UCD School of Chemistry won the top award from the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland, one of Ireland’s greatest accolades for those working in the industry, in recognition of his significant contribution to the advancement of chemistry.

Also in March, UCD School of Physics was awarded Juno Practitioner Status, recognising steps taken by the school to understand and improve gender balance.

In June 2021, the National COVID-19 wastewater surveillance programme began following a successful pilot scheme by UCD researchers who demonstrated the usefulness of wastewater surveillance as a SARS-CoV-2 early warning system.

https://www.ucd.ie/science

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND LAW HIGHLIGHTS 2020-2021

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Professor Colin Scott

AMID A YEAR of uncertainty, while supporting our students, faculty and staff through challenging times, the College of Social Sciences and Law was proud that QS World University Rankings 2021 ranked five subjects in the College in the top 100, with Library and Information Management ranked within the top 50 subjects and Archaeology, Philosophy, Law, and Politics and International Studies ranked in the top 100.

Professor David Farrell, Head of School in UCD School of Politics and International Relations has been elected Chair of the European Consortium for Political Research, the first Irish person to be elected to this role.

Associate Professor William Kinsella, Head of UCD School of Education, recently secured a €2.7m contract from the Department of Education to establish a national online training programme for Special Needs Assistants in Irish schools.

The UCD Rights Education Network, an interdisciplinary and cross-institutional network, was joined at a recent webinar by human rights champion, Dr Mary Robinson and author and journalist, Caitriona Palmer, to discuss the power of narrative and storytelling as a means of rights education.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD joined in a virtual event to mark the commencement of Ireland’s first Digital Policy Academic Programme, a collaboration between Microsoft and UCD to build digital policy capability in the public and private sector in Ireland and across the wider EU.

Dr Liam Thornton of UCD Sutherland School of Law co-hosted a series of online webinars with Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre focusing on proposals to end Ireland’s direct provision system. In May 2021, the UCD Centre for Human Rights held a successful international online conference on Critical Exploration of Human Rights: When Human Rights Become Part of the Problem. The event was organised by Dr Marie-Luce Paris (Law, Director of the UCD Centre for Human Rights) and Dr Lea David (Sociology), and co-funded by the UCD Sutherland School of Law and the UCD School of Sociology.

Grace Oladipo, 2020 Law graduate, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study International Human Rights Law at the University of Notre Dame. Dr Joe McGrath, UCD Sutherland School of Law, will take up a research role as a Fulbright Scholar at UC Berkeley in the USA.

Dr Mark Coen has secured a Visiting Fellowship at Oxford University in 2022 where he will work on a number of projects relating to the history of trial by jury.

https://www.ucd.ie/socscilaw

UCD IS RANKED in the top one per cent of higher education institutions worldwide. With the student population comprising just over 8,500 international students from 144 countries on our Dublin campuses, and nearly 3,800 international students studying on overseas campuses, it really is Ireland’s Global University. UCD is a third-level institution that prides itself on bringing the best of Ireland to the world and the best of the world to Ireland.

Being globally connected is one of UCD’s defining characteristics. It permeates every aspect of university life, shaping the experience of our students, faculty and staff. It also extends to our alumni community, with more than 70,000 UCD alumni living internationally.

As COVID-19 impacted our global engagement activities, we found innovative ways to reach out to prospective students and create new opportunities for our UCD community to connect in a travel-free world. Given the increasing number of incoming international students, we are keen to extend a generous, warm Irish welcome to our new starters before they even set foot on campus. One of the key ways we are doing this is through the Global Alumni Ambassador Programme. Launched by the UCD Alumni team in mid-2020, the Programme invites recent graduates from various countries, disciplines and backgrounds to engage with prospective students and give them an insight into what it is like to study at UCD. Our alumni are our greatest advocates, and we are delighted to see so many giving generously and enthusiastically of their time to advise and support incoming students and prepare them for an inclusive and friendly campus experience.

The Programme has already connected almost 250 Alumni Ambassadors and incoming students. It offers a tangible and practical way for members of the alumni community to support UCD students by sharing the benefit of their unique and personal perspectives on student and professional life.

GLOBAL ALUMNI IN FOCUS

Three Global Alumni Ambassadors share their stories

AMEYA RANE

MSc Computer Science 2018

“I am a proud alumnus and Global Alumni Ambassador. I loved my year at UCD, it was full of fun and learning. I lived on campus which made it easy for me to connect with fellow students and classmates.

I became a Global Alumni Ambassador as I wanted to share my experience with students, especially those attending from overseas like myself. A little guidance from me to them goes a long way in making their journey to UCD and Ireland smoother.

As the Programme is hosted on the online UCD Alumni Network, it is so straightforward to connect – I am such a fan of the network anyway – I consider myself privileged to be part of this resourceful alumni community. It is a treasure trove of experience and expertise!”

THALIA KANE MA

Theatre Practice 2019

“I had an incredible experience at UCD and found my time there to be highly enriching, inspiring and informative. With my masters in Theatre Practice, I have found exciting work around the world.

Volunteering for the Global Alumni Ambassador Programme allowed me to give back and stay connected with the University. Offering insights to and making connections with future and current UCD students is so important to me. I have also had the experience of establishing myself in multiple cities, which contributed to my ability to advise and discuss relocation and how to settle and find community, even in a place where you have no prior connection. It’s been a privilege to be able to get to know more of the UCD global community.”

XINYUE (EMMA) WANG

MEngSc Engineering Management 2016

“I had such a positive learning experience in UCD and loved my course so I wanted to contribute to promoting it, to help more students see its value. Apart from sharing my academic insights, I learned a lot about western culture, western college life, which of course is so different to that in China. I wanted to share what I learned with incoming students, especially those from my own country.”

ONLINE UCD ALUMNI NETWORK

Connecting incoming students with our fantastic alumni community through the Global Alumni Ambassador Programme is a terrific accomplishment. It could not have been achieved so seamlessly without the online UCD Alumni Network, a free platform where alumni can reach out to fellow graduates, make professional contacts and avail of support.

The online UCD Alumni Network connects a diverse community bound together by a common thread: the UCD experience. It provides rich opportunities for alumni to make social and professional contacts with other UCD alumni from a whole range of different industries and backgrounds, all over the world.

The pandemic has brought enormous uncertainty for all of us, and made us appreciate more than ever the value of community and connection.

The team behind the online Network is dedicated to encouraging and facilitating our wonderful and unique alumni community to stay in touch and stay strong during these challenging times.

Don’t just take our word for it: check out www.ucdalumninetwork.com

ONLINE UCD ALUMNI NETWORK BENEFITS

• Connection and access to over 10,000 fellow alumni members
• Access to the alumni Business Directory, including offers and benefits from alumni-run companies
• Access to mentorship programmes
• Opportunities for alumni to provide advice and support through initiatives like the Global Alumni Ambassador Programme
• Job postings
• Updates on what is happening across our 45 global chapters.

CONNECT

Find and reminisce with fellow graduates, see what they have been up to and stay in touch.

GIVE BACK

Introduce, employ and offer to act as a mentor to our graduating students.

EXPAND

Leverage your professional network to get introduced to people.

RECONNECT WITH FORMER CLASSMATES

UCD Alumni Network allows you to reconnect with former classmates and enables you to utilise the trusted UCD environment to expand your professional network.

YOUR UCD COMMUNITY

By fully integrating with social networks and cultivating a culture of connecting, helping and giving back, you will be amazed how vibrant your UCD community is!