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Student Testimonials

Matthew Cosgrave | Crop Consultant Nutrien Ag Solutions (USA)

PAB took my excitement about plant biology and agriculture and helped me channel it into a useful career path. I really enjoyed the opportunity to develop my skills during my independent research project and found this experience was an important talking point during job interviews. PAB gave me the background in plant biology, agricultural technologies and food systems that I continue to expand on today. I constantly revert back to what I learned in PAB when working with growers to help me explain technical solutions to their problems.

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Muireann Baker | Bord Bia International Graduate Programme

PAB is an excellent pathway for anyone looking to pursue a career in agriculture or sustainability. It is a well-rounded course that covers both scientific knowledge and practical skills. Having completed the PAB course, I feel confident in my understanding of current topics within the industry and feel that I I possess the essential skills required for professional roles. The pathway has a range of modules focusing on laboratory techniques to public speaking and scientific research, all of which have been incredibly valuable in my professional career so far. One of the highlights of the course has been the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. During my time in PAB I had the chance to intern at Teagasc. This experience was incredibly valuable to me in choosing a career path and preparing me for the next step in my career. I am excited to be starting the Bord Bia Graduate Programme this June and I feel that having chosen PAB as my pathway has contributed to this achievement. Another benefit of PAB was the support from lecturers, who created an engaging and positive learning environment. Their guidance has been invaluable to my career even after graduating.

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Sinéad Maloney | Walsh Scholar PhD student at Teagasc

PAB pathway offers a friendly environment for learning and collaboration on a vast range of topics crucial for agricultural development especially in the face of an unpredictable climate. I learned about areas of research that I never knew existed and how these technologies can be used to help agriculture become more environmentally sustainable and resilient to climate change. PAB combines learning, project work and academic skills development which makes this pathway enjoyable and engaging. We received a lecture on methane mitigation strategies in agriculture and I approached the lecturer to express my interest in this topic. Now I am currently working on a PhD research project with her aiming to develop sustainable strategies to reduce methane emissions in Irish agriculture. Every day I use the skills that I developed during my time studying PAB including research, communication, presenting and writing. I am also able to apply the knowledge that I have learned to my research which allows me to connect and collaborate with other PhD students and researchers.

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Katie Molloy | Research Assistant at the University of Waikato, New Zealand

I really enjoyed the broad scope involved in my PAB studies, ranging from plant genetics to current climatic issues of the globe and I feel as though I have a comprehensive understanding of the varying topics studied. The coursework delved into many different aspects of plant functions and explored how plant systems interact with and adapt to shifting environmental conditions. PAB also focused on environmental conservation (my favourite!) and relevant biotechnologies. It gave an interesting insight into real-world applications of current technologies as well as our current and future outlooks with different techniques. As well as this, our size course group allowed everyone to comfortably practice public speaking while discussing papers and make great friends with one another. The lab experience I gained from my research project, alongside the theory studied throughout the course, was invaluable in helping me get a job as an avid lab technician in an ecology department at a university abroad almost immediately after graduation

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