UCD PROFESSIONAL ACADEMY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Senior Executive
Aileen works closely with the General Manager on UCD Research projects, providing key administrative support.
Job Titles:
- EU Research Office Manager
Aine leads the EU Research Office who provide specialist support to researchers applying for EU funding.
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- Project Manager - Public Engagement & Outreach
Alex looks after public outreach and engagement, and leads projects such as UCD Science Expression and the Decade of Centenaries.
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- General Manager
- Service Lead: Researching
Andrea looks after UCD Research-led events and conferences, the marketing of UCD Research and Innovation, and handles HR and facility operations in UCD Research.
Ann is responsible for the College of Social Sciences and Law, the School of Agriculture and Food Science and the School of Veterinary Medicine.
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- Service Lead: Enabling Services
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- Head of IT Programme & Risk Management, IT Services.
- Member of Committee
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- Director of Quality
- Director of Registry ( or Nominee )
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- Communications Manager, Research
Caroline leads the design, development and delivery of strategic online communications initiatives to profile research in University College Dublin, to a range of national and international audiences.
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- Innovation Education Manager
Caroline is responsible for providing and supporting a variety of innovation related education programmes and initiatives across the University which also includes outreach to second-level education.
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- EU Research Administrator
Chantal provides specialised proposal support for Horizon Europe in the areas of Health (Cluster 1), Digital, Industry and Space (Cluster 4), and European Innovation Council.
Job Titles:
- DAFM Research Call
- EI Innovation Partnerships / EI Commercialisation Fund
- Proposal Support Team Lead
- Wellcome Trust / All Schemes
Claire leads the team supporting proposal submissions for national and non-EU programmes. She also supports UCD researchers in preparation and submission of funding applications to national and non-EU funding agencies, charities and foundations.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Research Programmes
Dipti leads the Proposal Support Team and the Research Programmes Team who provide frontline and specialist support to researchers in securing external funding.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President for Global Engagement
Professor Dolores O'Riordan is the Vice-President for Global Engagement. In this role she is responsible for the development and implementation of UCD's Global Engagement Strategy. She is a Full Professor of Food Science with a research focus on the physico-chemical properties of food ingredients and creating food structures that enhance health benefits.
Her research programme has active links with colleagues in Europe, the US, New Zealand and China.
She is UCD's lead investigator in a Private-Public Research Partnership, Food for Health Ireland (FHI) and has been the recipient of academic and innovation awards for her contribution to food research.
She has supervised 48 postgraduate students to completion and has over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Prior to joining UCD she worked in a research and development capacity with a multinational food company servicing global markets. She is a member of a number of national and European boards.
Job Titles:
- One Representative of Student Complaint Investigating Officers
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- Member of Committee
- Student Engagement Office
Ciara is working on our public affairs programme, developing our responses to national and international policy initiatives, and engaging with our network of stakeholders.
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- Manager, Knowledge Transfer
Ciaran leads the knowledge transfer team responsible for identifying, protecting and commercialising intellectual property (IP) either through licensing and/or new venture creation, negotiating IP terms in agreements and supporting research proposals.
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- Member of the Engineering Taught Programmes Board
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- Applying Research into Policy & Practice Postdoctoral Fellowship ( ARPP )
- EPA Research Call
- Pre - Award Research Administrator
Colleen supports UCD researchers in preparation and submission of funding applications to national agencies (IRC, HRB) and the Marie Curie Individual Fellowship. She oversees the Research Professional database and the fortnightly UCD Research Bulletin.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager - Research Partners
Colm leads the Research Partners team, which provides strategic support for UCD's major research themes. Colm is also the first point of contact for major proposals that are outside of these major research themes.
Dimitrios-Stavros is responsible for the information gathering, tendering and first phase implementation of a new IT based RMS Grants system.
Job Titles:
- Vice Principal for R & I - Science
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- Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer
Ena is responsible for the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the life and medical sciences research area
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- Member of Academic Council, Nominated by the President
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- Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer
Hugh is responsible for the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the physical sciences research areas.
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- Students' Union President
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- Head of School Elected by Heads of Schools
Loraine works with senior academics to identify, develop and implement strategic initiatives and major proposals within the Health theme.
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- Chairman of the NCAD Academic Council ( or Nominee )
Margherita provides proposal support to researchers preparing targeted Individual Award applications in UCD for both national and international calls preparation.
Job Titles:
- Head
- President
- Representative
Meadhbh is responsible for School of Medicine and the School of Nursing Midwifery and Health Systems.
Job Titles:
- Pre - Award Research Administrator
Monika provides proposal support to researchers in UCD for preparation and submission of funding applications to national (e.g. SFI, HRB, IRC) and non-EU international (e.g. US, UK) funding agencies, charities and foundations.
Job Titles:
- Member of AC Nominated by CP - Arts & Humanities
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- Three Student Representatives Nominated by the Student 's Union
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- Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer
Stacey is responsible for the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the agriculture, food and veterinary research areas.
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- Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer
Stephen is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of University College Dublin research outputs within the environment area.
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- Member of AC Nominated by CP - Social Science & Law
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- Member of Academic Council Nominated by the President and Appointed by Academic Council
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- Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer
Tony is a Case Manager for Technology Transfer and is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the ICT research area.
Job Titles:
- Acting Registrar, Deputy President ( or Nominee )
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- Vice Principal for T & L Elected by V - Principals for T & L
Job Titles:
- Head of Consultancy Services, ConsultUCD
Elizabeth is responsible for developing a professional and commercial managed consultancy service to facilitate access and support engagement between business, industry and UCD. This includes facilitating and supporting UCD academics and professional staff to engage in consultancy with external clients.
Job Titles:
- Director, School of Medicine Office
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- Strategic Projects Officer
Helen has responsibility for managing the incubator at NovaUCD, the centre at NexusUCD, and the financial management at UCD Innovation.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Senior Executive
Jackie provides administrative support to the Director for Enterprise and Commercialisation and the wider innovation team and assists with accounts payable and receivable.
Job Titles:
- EU Research Administrator
Jenny provides proposal support for Horizon Europe in Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society (Cluster 2), Civil Security for Society (Cluster 3) and Research Infrastructures. She provides post-award support for PERITIA.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Policy and Governance Specialist
Jill is responsible for developing UCD's portfolio of research policies, and establishing and operating the necessary governance schemes for major research programmes.
Job Titles:
- Member of AC, Elected by AC
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant, Knowledge Transfer
John provides administrative support to the knowledge transfer team and assists in the financial management of NovaUCD.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- One Representative of Corporate and Legal
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- Research Partner, Culture, Economy & Society
Justin works with senior academics to identify, develop and implement strategic initiatives and major proposals within the Culture, Economy and Society theme.
Job Titles:
- President
- Director of Assessment, or Their Nominee
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- Research Partner, ICT & Data Science
The ICT partner works with senior academics to identify, develop and implement strategic initiatives and major proposals within the ICT and Data Science theme.
Job Titles:
- Pre - Award Research Administrator
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- Senior Manager - Research Analytics & Impact
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- Residential Assistant Team Leader
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- Representative
- Student Engagement Manager / Head of Student Engagement, Conduct, Complaints and Appeals
Job Titles:
- Director of Quality
- Representative of Students' Union, Nominated by Students' Union President
Job Titles:
- EU Research Administrator
Margaret provides proposal support for Horizon Europe in the areas of Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5), Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6) and MSCA ITN, RISE and COFUND.
Job Titles:
- Consultancy Services Executive
Marian works with academics and external clients, and supports the development of professional consultancy services at UCD.
Job Titles:
- Students' Union Graduate Officer
Job Titles:
- Nominated by Director of Human Resources
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- Programme Director
- One Representative from the Heads of Support Units, Nominated by the Registrar
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- Research and Innovation Engagement Manager
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager, Innovation
Micéal is responsible for communicating UCD's innovation objectives, activities and achievements to internal and external stakeholders using a variety of communication channels.
Job Titles:
- Bursar / Chief Financial Officer
- Bursar, University College Dublin
David has worked for UCD since 2006 and has been in his current role as Chief Financial Officer since 2018. Prior to that David worked in BBC television and radio in London, covering a number of business and financial roles. He trained as an accountant in Hanson PLC, also in London.
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Senior Administrative Staff Nominated by President
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- Facilities Manager, Estate Services
- Member of Committee
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- Representative from UCD Foundation
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- Director of Communications
- Chief People Officer and Director of SIRC & Legal Services ( Deputy Chair )
- Chief People Officer and Director of SIRC and Legal Affairs
Tristan Aitken obtained his BSc (Hons) from the University of Glasgow, his MSc in HRM from the Strathclyde Business School and more recently his EMBA from UCD Smurfit Business School. Having had the opportunity to work across many global markets, he has developed a career in Human Resources Management, largely in the private sector, working with such organisations as News Corporations, Mercer, Heineken and Diageo plc during where typically his focus has been on driving and supporting organisation change and growth to help equip markets, functions and teams to perform better.
In late 2015 he was appointed to the position of UCD Human Resources Director and with his teams set about developing and implementing human resources strategies, services and partnerships, which directly contribute to the achievement of the University's aims and priorities, transforming the organisational culture to enable UCD to become both a University and an Employer of Choice on a national and international platform and working to enable all faculty and staff members to achieve their full potential whilst encouraging diversity and equality of opportunity.
In 2018 his remit was extended to include directing the activities of the SIRC and Legal Affairs departments.
Whilst in role Tristan has held several external leadership positions, including Chair of the IUA HRD Forum; Member of the HR Policy Workgroup - reporting to the Department of Education and Skills; Council Member for the 30% Club - promoting more women in Leadership; and Council Member of Gartner Research.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Director of Communication and Marketing
Eilis is Head of University Relations, Director of Communication and Marketing. Previously she held a similar role at Dublin City University.
In addition to her marketing experience in product and public awareness campaigns, brand identity and corporate reputation, Eilis has extensive strategic and operational experience in media and corporate communication with a high degree of crisis management.
Eilis has held a number of senior communication and marketing roles in a variety of public and private sectors spanning finance, natural gas, food safety, health and higher education. Her experience also includes clean air designation and tobacco control.
Previously she was director of communication, education and training during the start-up phase of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Eilis was public relations manager with Bank of Ireland for eight years and with Bord Gáis Eireann, the national natural gas operator in Ireland, for five years.
She is a member of the board of the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and a member of the board of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
Eilis holds an MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and a BA in Economics and Geography from UCD.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive, the Institute of Banking
- Minister 's Nominees
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- Officer
- President, UCD Students' Union
- Student Representatives
- Students' Union Education Officer
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- Member of Committee
- Student Engagement, Conduct, Complaints and Appeals Office
Job Titles:
- Research Programmes Officer
- SFI Research Professorships
Máire provides specialised knowledge and support for advanced research funding programmes. Her current focus is on the European Research Council suite of schemes and Science Foundation Ireland's Research Professorship and President of Ireland Future Research Leaders programmes.
Nicola is responsible for internal funding, with a particular focus on OBRSS and cost extensions.
Job Titles:
- Member of AC, Elected by AC
Job Titles:
- Chairman ( Appointed by President )
- Chairman of AC Committee - ACCSAC
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- Vice Principal for R & I - Business
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- College Principal - Business
Job Titles:
- Chairman ( Appointed by President )
- Chairman of AC Committee - ACCHDMA
- College Principal - Engineering & Architecture
- Full Professor
- One College Principal Elected by College Principals
Professor Ahern is Full Professor, College Principal, UCD College of Engineering and Architecture, and Dean of Engineering. She graduated from Trinity College Dublin in first place in her civil engineering class in 1998. From there, she went on to do a PhD in University College London (UCL), where she was in receipt of a British Council Chevening Scholarship and a UCL scholarship.
Prior to joining UCD, she was a lecturer in the School of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering in TCD from 2000-2003. She joined UCD as a lecturer in 2003, spending her first few years in Earlsfort Terrace. She was appointed as Head of UCD School of Civil Engineering from 2016-2019.
Her research interests are in two main areas: creating opportunities and infrastructure for sustainable travel; and critical thinking in education. She has been involved in both national and international projects in both areas. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland, and a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Vice Principal for R & I - Eng & Arch
Job Titles:
- Acting Registrar and Deputy President
- Acting Registrar, Deputy President
- Acting Registrar, Deputy President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Chairman of AC Committee - ACCE
- Chairman of Academic Council or Nominee
- Professor
- Secretary to Academic Council
Professor Barbara Dooley is UCD Acting Registrar and Deputy President and was appointed in March 2022. Prior to her appointment she was UCD Dean of Graduate Studies and Deputy Registrar since 2014. She has served as Vice-Principal for Teaching and Learning in the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law (2009-2014) and Head of the UCD School of Psychology (2005-2009). She is a member of the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention Evaluation Advisory Group, Vice-President of the International Association for Youth Mental Health and a member of the HRB National Drugs Strategy Research Subcommittee.
Professor Dooley holds a PhD in Psychology from UCD and is an active researcher in youth mental health with a particular interest in student mental health. In collaboration with the UCD School of Psychology and Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, she was the Principal Investigator for the My World Survey (MWS). Two large scale studies (MWS1 published in 2012, and MSW2 published in 2019) assessed how different elements and experiences in the life of a young person may be related to their mental health. The MSW received combined responses from over 34,000 young people in Ireland and is Ireland's largest and most comprehensive study of young people's mental health and well-being.
As a psychologist, educator, and researcher, she believes strongly in the role well-being plays in allowing a student to achieve their potential. As leader of the implementation of the UCD Education and Student Success Strategy, her current priorities also include developing a framework for academic advice for students, faculty development, and leveraging the VLE to enhance student learning and engagement.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Public Health Medicine
- College Principal - Health & Agricultural Sciences
Professor Cecily Kelleher is Chair of Public Health Medicine and Epidemiology and has been the Principal of the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences since 2015. She previously served as Dean and Head of the UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science.
She is the former Chair on the statutory Women's Health Council and served as Chair for the report to the Minister for Health in the Republic of Ireland of the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel on Examination of Measures to 2021.
Her main areas of research are on Lifecourse epidemiology and cardiovascular disease, childhood obesity, Traveller health, and the public health impacts of tobacco smoke.
Job Titles:
- College Principal - Social Sciences & Law
- Professor of EU Regulation and Governance
Professor Colin Scott is Professor of EU Regulation and Governance at UCD, where he currently serves as Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dean of Social Sciences and Principal, UCD College of Social Sciences and Law. He has previously held academic appointments at the Australian National University, the London School of Economics, the College of Europe, Bruges and the University of Warwick and was formerly Dean of Law at UCD.
His research encompasses issues of regulatory design and accountability, the regulation of government and transnational private regulation. He has held editorial responsibilities for the Modern Law Review, Law & Policy and Legal Studies and is currently a member of the Editorial Boards of The Conversation UK and Regulation and Governance and Convenor of the ECPR Standing Group on Regulatory Governance.
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- Member of AC Nominated by CP - Health & Agri. Sciences
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- Member of AC Nominated by CP - Business
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- Vice Principal for R & I - Social Sciences & Law
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- Member of Academic Council Elected by Academic Council
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- Member of AC Nominated by CP - Science
Job Titles:
- Dean of Students
- Marie Clarke / Dean of Students
Job Titles:
- College Principal - Science
- Professor
Professor Jeremy Simpson obtained his BSc (Hons) and PhD degrees from the University of Warwick. After postdoctoral work at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego (USA) and the ICRF (now Cancer Research UK) in London, he was awarded a long term EMBO fellowship allowing him to move to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg. For over nine years he worked at EMBL developing and applying novel high-throughput imaging approaches to study protein localisation and membrane traffic in mammalian cells.
In 2008 he was appointed as Full Professor of Cell Biology at UCD. His lab applies high-throughput imaging technologies in 3D cell models to study subcellular transport pathways and human diseases associated with their function, as well as the internalisation routes taken by synthetic nanoparticles as potential drug delivery vehicles. It also develops novel approaches for image analysis. He has authored over 115 peer-reviewed articles, including articles in Nature Cell Biology, Nature Methods, Nature Communications and a number of book chapters.
Since joining UCD he has held several leadership positions, including Head of Subject for Cell and Molecular Biology, Head of the UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, and Vice-Principal (International) for the UCD College of Science.
Job Titles:
- One Representative of the Student Assessment Appeals Panel
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- Head of School Elected by Heads of Schools
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- Vice Principal for R & I - Health & Agricultural Sciences
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- Member of Academic Council Nominated by the President and Appointed by Academic Council
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- Acting President
- Chairman
- Acting President, Professor
- Chairman of AC Committee - ACCAC
- Senior Officer - Registrar
Professor Mark Rogers is Acting President of UCD. He was Registrar and Deputy President from July 2014 until March 2022 and Dean of Science from June 2007 until August 2011. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a first-class honours degree in genetics and completed a PhD in genetics at the University of Glasgow. Awarded fellowships from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the John Douglas French Foundation for Alzheimer's Research, he spent five years in as a researcher in prion diseases in the Laboratory of Nobel Laureate Professor Stanley Prusiner.
Professor Rogers' research is in the field of scrapie in sheep and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. He successfully licensed immunodiagnostic technologies that have been employed in BSE diagnosis, resulting in over 2 million in royalties accruing to UCD.
With over twenty years teaching experience at all levels from undergraduate to PhD supervision, Professor Rogers strongly promotes a student-centred and student-led approach to education that encourages independent learning. During his term as Dean of Science, significant changes were introduced to the Science programme, including a revised structure and new approaches to assessment. He led student recruitment efforts to engage second-level students with science, resulting in year-on-year increasing demand for places on UCD's Science programmes.
During his time as Registrar, Professor Rogers implemented strategic changes in curriculum design, including assessment practices. He refined UCD ‘entry and selection' processes, led a major review of academic regulations ensuring students gain the skills required to succeed in a globally connected world. He was also responsible for the transformation of access and widening participation in the University, promoting an ethos of mainstreaming supports and a university-wide approach to universal design. He is a strong proponent of wider reform of alternative entry routes and pathways to higher education.
Job Titles:
- Chairman ( Appointed by President )
- Chairman of AC Committee - ACCASP
Job Titles:
- Representative
- Technical Officer
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- Vice President for Research, Innovation & Impact
- Vice President for Research, Innovation & Impact ( VPRII )
Professor Orla Feely is Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact at University College Dublin.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of AC Committee - UPB
Job Titles:
- Vice Principal for R & I Elected by V - Principals for R & I
Job Titles:
- Chairman ( Appointed by President )
- Chairman of AC Committee - ACQEC
Job Titles:
- College Principal
- College Principal - Arts & Humanities
- Principal - UCD College of Arts and Humanities
- Principal, UCD College of Business
- Professor
Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin is the College Principal and Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. She is the UCD Chair of Modern Irish and Literature and Director of the Academic Strand of the UCD Ad Astra Academy. She was Head of the UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore from 2015-2021 and the Founder and Director of the UCD de Bhaldraithe Centre for Irish Language Scholarship from 2008-2019.
She was appointed Chair of Foras na Gaeilge, the North South Irish language public body responsible for the promotion of Irish on the island of Ireland in 2021. She is a founding committee member and was Chair of the Irish Newspaper and Periodical History Forum and is a member of the MoLI Academic Advisory Board and Éigse Cholm Cille in the University of Ulster. Previously she was also a member of the original State Board of TG4 and the Folklore Council of Ireland.
Her research focus is Language Revival and Irish language media with national and international publications in this area. Current research also includes Women and Irish language scholarship and a monograph entitled ‘Athbheochan pobail agus teanga: Na Meáin Ghaeilge'. She holds a BEd from Carysfort College of Education, and an MA (research) and PhD from Maynooth University.
Is í Regina Uí Chollatáin, an Príomhoifigeach/ Déan ar Choláiste na nEalaíon agus na nDaonnachtaí. Is í an tOllamh Sinsearach le Nua-Ghaeilge agus is í an Stiúrthóir í ar an tSraith Acadúil d'Acadamh Ad Astra COBÁC. Ba í Ceann Scoil na Gaeilge, an Léinn Cheiltigh agus an Bhéaloidis COBÁC í idir 2015-2021agus bhunaigh sí agus ba í an Stiúrthóir í ar Lárionad de Bhaldraithe do Léann na Gaeilge COBÁC (2008-19). Is ball í de Ghrúpa Stiúrtha an Ionaid Náisiúnta Barr Feabhais mar chuid de thogra an rialtais d'Ardscileanna Teanga.
Job Titles:
- Chairman ( Appointed by President )
- Chairman of AC Committee - ACCSCC
Rafaela is responsible for the College of Arts and Humanities, College of Business, College of Engineering and Architecture.
Santiago supports the client companies based at NovaUCD and NexusUCD and he is responsible for the management of the physical facilities of both of these centres.
Job Titles:
- Director of Financial Planning and Management Accounting
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- Senior Manager, New Ventures
Simon is responsible for the development and funding of new knowledge intensive ventures.
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- Member of Academic Council Elected by AC
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- Research Partner, Agri - Food
Sinéad works with senior academics to identify, develop and implement strategic and major proposals within the Agri-Food theme.
Suad is responsible for the College of Science and the Research Institutes.
Job Titles:
- Service Lead: Campus Living
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- Director of Enterprise and Commercialisation
Tom leads the team that supports research collaborations and knowledge transfer with industry, that assists entrepreneurs to launch and scale new high-tech businesses and that supports UCD academics to deliver global consulting services.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Research Operations & Finance
Tony is the senior manager responsible for the grant registration team. He also manages the annual UCD Seed Funding scheme.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research
- Research
Triona leads the team in UCD Research and supports the development and implementation of the Research Strategy, working with the VPRII and Research, Innovation and Impact Group (RIIG) of the University.