NUI Galway has appointed Dr. Pat Morgan to the newly created position of Dean of Graduate Studies. Dr. Morgan has previously served as Dean of College of Science at the University (1998-2004) and more recently as Pre-clinical Vice-Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing, & Health Sciences.

NUI Galway has some 3,500 postgraduate or 'fourth-level' students, and offers over 400 full-time and part-time postgraduate programmes, including taught and research masters, and doctoral research options. With the number of postgraduate students expected to grow quickly in line with growth in research activity at the University, Dr. Morgan will focus on maintaining the high quality of PhD programmes.

Dr. Morgan will also support the development of new Graduate Schools at NUI Galway. Alongside NUI Galway-based initiatives, there will be a focus on encouraging inter-institutional cooperation and in attracting high calibre international students to the programmes.

Commenting on the appointment, NUI Galway President, Dr. Jim Browne, said, "The University is committed to the development and provision of high quality research and taught graduate programmes. Postgraduate programmes are based on the University's traditional areas of academic strength, and increasingly draw on our well-established Research Centres in areas as diverse as Biomedical Engineering Science, Human Rights, Film & Digital Media, Regenerative Medicine and Marine Science."

Speaking about her appointment, Dr. Morgan said, "Ireland has seen rapid growth in the number of students studying at fourth-level. What is critical is that such growth does not compromise the student experience and that we provide the range of skills and training that a fully-rounded graduate student needs."

Working with the 'fourth-level' theme, NUI Galway's graduate education opportunities are now under the banner go4th™. An online prospectus of all that is on offer at NUI Galway is available at www.go4th.ie

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