Friday, 8 April 2011

"Poor systems within the civil service and the public sector will further dis-empower public sector leaders and compromise the change needed to correct our public finances," that's according to NUI Galway President Dr James J. Browne, speaking earlier today at the launch of Leadership in the Irish Civil Service: A 360° Review of Senior Management Capability report at the University today. President Browne added that a robust, independent and rational public service must be free from any suspicion of political clientelism. Civil servants, especially senior civil servants, must feel free to act with true accountability and transparency. In his speech, Dr Browne added that "senior leaders are currently managing and leading without the authority or indeed adequate control mechanisms to effect real change and this encapsulates the challenge facing leaders in the civil service, and indeed the wider public sector". The President is arguing for a system where senior managers in the public sector are given defined budgets and are responsible for outputs within their organisation. "Leaders and managers must have the freedom to allocate resources and to change processes while working within these budgets and achieving agreed outputs. There is no role for a central 'control' authority, in second guessing processes, procedures and decisions made at local level, provided always, of course, that decisions are made in accordance with best practice and good governance and are within agreed budgets." With a forward by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, the report is the culmination of a two-year research project at the University's Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC) and Management Discipline. The Taoiseach has written that the report, "will inform public service policy and practice with regard to human resource management and leadership development". The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC) and Management Discipline, NUI Galway, led by Dr Alma McCarthy, carried out the leadership capability study, funded by the IRCHSS, at senior management level in the Irish Civil Service. The study was carried out between May and August 2010. Over 140 senior managers participated in the study from 12 Government Departments and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners with over 1,200 leadership surveys completed in total and represents the most extensive study of its kind to-date in Ireland. Keynote speakers at today's Conference included Dr Maria Maguire, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and Independent Consultant; Philip Kelly, Assistant Secretary General, Department of An Taoiseach with responsibility for Transforming Public Services and Brian Cawley, Director General of the Institute of Public Administration. Dr Alma McCarthy, CISC and J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, NUI Galway, who presented the findings of the report at today's Conference said, "This conference focused specifically on the area of senior management leadership capability in the Irish public service. The conference debated the important areas of human resource management, talent management, and leadership development that merit attention in the drive for public service modernisation and reform. The conference is extremely timely given the new Government's express focus on reform and the establishment of the new Public Expenditure and Reform Department under Minister Brendan Howlin." The report will be available online at www.nuigalway.ie/cisc -Ends-

Thursday, 7 April 2011

The NUI Galway Society Awards took place on campus recently with seventeen awards presented at the gala event. The Society Awards celebrate the contribution which over one hundred societies make both to the University and the wider community. NUI Galway Societies Officer Ríona Hughes, said: "The NUI Galway Societies Awards was a huge success and hosting the event on campus in the new Bailey Allen Hall was a fitting end to an outstanding year of creativity and involvement." The winners on the night will represent the University at the BICS National Society Awards which will be hosted in NUI Galway on Thursday, 21 April. · The coveted Best Society of the Year Award went to the Drama Society for the professionalism and creativity they brought to their numerous and varied events during the year. · Most Improved Society went to the GiG (Gay in Galway) Soc for their sheer determination and effort to improve and expand the society. · Best New Society went to the Comic Book Society who exploded onto the societies scene this year with colourful and original events. · Best Society Individual went to Drama Society's Neasa O'Callaghan whose hard work and dedication during the Irish Student Drama Awards was exemplary. Neasa is also the auditor of Classics Soc and an active member of Lit & Deb. · Best Fresher went to Ronan Gallagher. Ronan was the venue manager of the Bank of Ireland theatre during the ISDA Festival and has been involved in lighting for many Dramsoc productions. Ronan's commitment and passion to Dramsoc won him this award. · Best Event went to the ISDA festival which was organised by the Drama Society. The other awards on the night were: Best Departmental Society: Accountancy and Finance Society; Best Poster: Literary and Debating Society; Best Website: Comedy Soc; Most ALIVE Society: Musical Society (GUMS); Best Civic Contribution: Draíocht Nepal Society; Best Cultural Contribution: Anime and Manga Society; Best Small Publication: Musical Society (GUMS); and Best Multi Media/ Large Publication: Art Soc for their Lunatic Fringe publication; and Best Photograph to Joe Hyland in the Photography Society. Two Múscailt prizes were also presented to the Orchestra Society and Comic Book Society and the best contribution to Múscailt Arts Festival award went to the Juggling Society for their wonderful show during the festival. -Ends-

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

'Research between commercial and academia sectors a winning formula for our economic recovery' - Minister Sherlock "The 'clustering' model of scientific research, comprising an unprecedented degree of co-operation and collaboration between commercial and academic personnel, has been a winning formula here," Minister for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock T.D. said today (Wednesday) 6 April, 2011. Minister Sherlock was addressing the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) Open Day at NUI Galway earlier today. DERI, a Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), supported by Government through Science-Foundation Ireland-funding, was established in 2003, and has become an internationally-renowned web science research centre, providing the technology which underpins intelligent services on the Internet. Current research results include semantic search engines, novel collaboration and social media as well as sensor network technologies. Over 250 academics and industrialists attended the DERI Open Day and were briefed by presentations and demonstrations on DERI's research, applied research and commercialisation activities. Also presenting were DERI's key industrial partners and funders. Minister Sherlock told the assembled group, "There is a story here to be told. It is a story of resilience, skill, steely determination and achievement. You are the characters who make the story and should be the tellers of that story." The Minister added, "You have both a national and an international audience that I believe are eager to listen once their attention has been captured. Today's showcase demonstrates clearly the high quality research underway here at DERI, and at NUI Galway." He added that DERI's impressive track record provided the Government with "considerable hope and indeed some expectation that science will be pivotal to our economic recovery". The Minister referred to the Government's pledge in the Programme for Government to promote and support investment in technology research, development and commercialisation in line with an overall Digital Ireland strategy. Professor Stefan Decker, Director of DERI, said: "Our research showcases the innovation potential in the Irish ICT sector. Realising this innovation potential by contributing to a national and holistic Digital Ireland strategy is firmly on our agenda." Michael Turley, CEO of DERI noted: "Today was an extremely important day for DERI. It enabled us to showcase what we have achieved to date, but also to demonstrate the possibilities for the future with the research we are doing, and also with the collaborations we have through our partners. All of our efforts are geared to assisting in achieving the goals of the Smart Economy." Throughout his day long visit to NUI Galway Minister Sherlock met with a range of key research and industry personnel connected to the University covering the biomedical, ICT and energy sectors. -Ends-

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Michael D. Higgins will officially launch a new documentary film, Bridging the Gap, in which leading academics in Irish higher education discuss contemporary social and economic issues in an engaging and accessible way. Two of the NUI Galway contributors to the film, Dr Su-Ming Khoo, School of Political Science and Sociology, and Dr Vinodh Jaichand, Irish Centre for Human Rights, will also speak at the launch and the event will include screening of excerpts from the film. The launch, hosted by Galway City VEC, Campus Engage and NUI Galway, will take place on Wednesday, 13 April at 11am at the Galway City Museum. The aim of the film is to 'bridge the gap' between higher education and adult and community education, by making available the knowledge, expertise and perspectives of academics to students learning in community-based settings. The film consists of two DVDs which contain a number of short programmes on topics such as human rights, globalisation, education, democracy, gender and racism. Ann Lyons, Project Manager at the Community Knowledge Initiative, said: "The experience of adult and community education has demonstrated that students learn best when a variety of teaching methods and media are used. The DVDs will provide a visual and audio tool which will be a user-friendly resource for teachers, tutors, and educational facilitators in the field of adult and community education and beyond. The producers of the film hope that the various programmes will stimulate discussion and be a catalyst for social action. While the primary objective of the film is to be a resource for adult and community education it will also be of interest to individuals, other organisations and learners in general." The production of Bridging the Gap is a partnership between County Wexford VEC, Roots Reel Films and the Equality Studies Centre at UCD and supported by funding from Campus Engage. The film has won an Aontas Star Award as an outstanding learner centred adult and community education project and represents a very productive collaboration between institutions of higher education and community-based education. It will make a valuable contribution to the adult and community education sector and be a useful resource for teachers and learners alike. For further information on Bridging the Gap contact Ann Lyons, Community Knowledge Initiative, NUI Galway at 091 492228/087 7677080 or email ann.lyons@nuigalway.ie -Ends-

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Tá duais náisiúnta €1,000 buaite ag an gCumann Sóisialta in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, An Cheathrú Rua. Tháinig an Cumann sa tríú háit i gcomórtas Ghlór na nGael do Chumainn Ghaelacha i gColáistí tríú leibhéal na hÉireann. Fógraíodh na torthaí beo ar chlár Rónán Mhic Aodh Bhuí, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Dé Céadaoin, 5 Aibreáin 2011. Bronntar na duaiseanna seo ar choistí mac léinn i gColáistí tríú leibhéal, a bhfuil forbairt agus caomhnú teanga agus cultúr na Gaeilge mar spriocanna lárnacha acu. Bhí 14 Cumann Gaelach ar an ngearrliosta agus ba mhór an t-éacht do mhic léinn an Acadaimh an gradam seo a ghnóthú i bhfianaise nach bhfuil ach 120 mac léinn lánaimseartha ar an gcampas. Is iad an dá champas is mó sa tír, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath agus Coláiste na Tríonóide a tháinig sa chéad agus sa dara háit. Tá Oifigeach na Mac Léinn, Louise Ní Dhaibhéid, ag obair san Acadamh mar chuid den bhliain taithí oibre agus is í a dhéanann comhordú ar imeachtaí na mac léinn. Cé gur pobal beag mac léinn atá ar an gcampas, tá An Cumann Sóisialta thar a bheith gníomhach agus tá a gcuid féin déanta ag na mic léinn de shaol na Gaeltachta. Tá gné láidir charthanachta ag baint le hobair an Chumainn agus tá breis is €25,000 bronnta acu ar charthanachtaí áitiúla le cúig bliana anuas. "Tá obair thar na bearta déanta ag An gCumann Sóisialta faoi stiúir Louise Ní Dhaibhéid agus is iontach an méid atá bainte amach acu. Tá mic léinn anseo ó chuile chearn den tír agus is cuid an-tábhachtach d'eispéireas an choláiste an ghné sheach-churaclaim", a dúirt Treasa Uí Lorcáin, Riarthóir Ionad an Acadaimh ar an gCeathrú Rua. Bronnfar na duaiseanna ag ceiliúradh mór Ghlór na nGael in Óstán Carton House, Maigh Nuad Dé Sathairn, 16 Aibreán 2011. -Ends-

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

The Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) is delighted to publish the third review report from its Institutional Review of Irish Universities (IRIU) process, this time focusing on NUI Galway. Dr Padraig Walsh, IUQB Chief Executive stated, "This evidence-based review provides independent confirmation of NUI Galway's commitment to quality in line with national and European standards." The Review Team was composed of national and international experts. They identified areas of good practice and areas for further development to assist NUI Galway in assuring the quality of the student experience.  IUQB is particularly pleased that the review team commended NUI Galway's approach for unifying strategic planning, institutional research and quality assurance. The review report commends 'the strong leadership of the President and the University Management Team and the overall institutional structure and processes for quality.' Dr Walsh added: "The Review Team was impressed by the visibility of strong leadership and the track record of President Browne in driving forward the quality vision for NUI Galway, together with the strategic thinking and effective restructuring necessary to achieve this vision." NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne has welcomed the report and its findings and stated: "We welcome the report's recommendations - in particular, the suggestions for increasing student feedback and pursuing further an internationalisation agenda and we will ensure that these will be addressed." The Review Team found there was 'abundant evidence that the University pays attention to the findings and recommendations of internal and external reviews of its teaching, research and support systems and that, where it is reasonable, affordable and practicable to implement the recommendations, it does so.' The Report encourages the University to continue to ensure that its governance structures are strategically focused and include a wide spectrum of external stakeholders. It is also encouraged to pursue an assertive internationalisation agenda to achieve a more open and outward-looking approach, and to review its current policy on student feedback. -Ends-

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

NUI Galway's Figure Fun are hosting Making Awesome Things Happen in Summer, a summer enrichment programme with maths in mind, from 7 to 10 June, in the Education building, NUI Galway. This course is aimed at first year secondary school students who wish to improve on their maths skills in a fun environment. The area of mathematics is currently undergoing many changes in secondary schools and as a result Figure Fun has decided to provide a summer camp for students who have just completed first year and wish to strengthen knowledge gained. The camp will cover the areas of number systems, geometry and probability, building strong foundations in these key areas required for further study of mathematics. Students will learn that there is a fun element to maths and heightening their interest in the subject. Students will discover the beauty and necessity of mathematics in our every day lives. Upon completing the course, participants have an excellent grasp of basic topics needed for the junior cycle. Dr Catherine Paolucci, a programme director of the BA in Mathematics and Education, is a lecturer with the School of Education, NUI Galway: "This is an exciting programme offering students an opportunity to reinforce their classroom learning in an alternative setting with a focus on real-life applications. The unique projects and activities that Figure Fun have planned will ensure that students enjoy the week, make new friends, and learn a lot in the process." Speaking about the course, Nichola Leonard, a member of the Figure Fun production team has said "through fun and games students will develop an appreciation and greater understanding of maths". Figure Fun is a group of seven, third year Maths and Education students dedicated to the promotion of secondary school mathematics and providing a fun environment to facilitate this. They are committed to providing a professionally run summer camp and ensure students satisfaction and safety at all times. Rachel Lynch, Administrator of Figure Fun says: "The members of the Figure Fun team look forward to hosting this event, which is the first of its kind for NUI Galway. The whole team are excited about sharing their enthusiasm for maths and hope to convey the relevance and value of the subject for secondary school and beyond." The course is priced at €10 per student. You can register online by visiting the website www.conference.ieand following the link for Making Awesome Things Happen in Summer. Places are limited and offered on a first come first served basis, so apply early to avoid disappointment. For further information contact Conor Diskin on 087 7535006 or c.diskin2@nuigalway.ie -Ends-

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

The 2011 Monsignor Pádraig de Brún Memorial Lecture, entitled Your Inner Muse: Heart, Ears, Mind, and Chipsets, will be delivered by concert pianist and MuseAmi CEO, Robert Taub. Taking place at NUI Galway on Monday, 11 April at 7.30pm in the Bailey Allen Hall, the lecture will address the relationship between music and technology, and will place leading-edge technological innovation within the context of musical innovation over the ages. Robert Taub has been acclaimed internationally as a concert pianist and recording artist. Having achieved many goals in the arena of the performing arts, Robert altered his focus and founded MuseAmi in 2007. With advanced machine learning capabilities, MuseAmi software breaks down both written and acoustic music into its most basic elements in real-time. This results in a total deconstruction of the sound or notated page, enabling end users to put the metadata back together in any way imaginable. In effect, the technology enables every musician to sound great while interacting and engaging in fun ways with the music they love, and to more easily facilitate people's innate creativity. A distinguished American concert pianist, Robert Taub is familiar to Galway audiences as his performances have featured frequently in Music for Galway s concert programmes. Music for Galway celebrates its 30th Anniversary Season this year. Robert Taub is perhaps best known to Galway concert audiences for his performances of the complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Sonatas. According to NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne: "The Monsignor Pádraig De Brún lecture honours a former University President who was a renowned polymath with keen interest in the arts, the sciences and the culture of his day. In many ways, Roberts Taub's work is a perfect reflection of De Brún s interests, at the nexus of music, mathematics, technology and culture." As part of the presentation on 11 April, Robert Taub will perform one of the most revolutionary piano works, the WaldsteinSonata Op. 53, in which Beethoven transcended expectations of musical creativity and musical perception, and thereby forged new demands on pianos, the pianists, and audiences. According to Robert Taub: "Music is all around us; music knows no linguistic or geopolitical boundaries; music moves us all. Yet music has always been married to technology, and thus has often been the driving force for new innovation." The public lecture takes place at 7.30pm on Monday, 11 April in the Bailey Allen Hall, NUI Galway and is organised by the President's Office, NUI Galway. Admission is free. For further information contact 091 492110. Robert Taub will also give a Seminar to the College of Engineering and Informatics on Tuesday, 12 April at 11.30am in the Information Technology Building. For further information please contact 091 493413. -Ends-

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

The Global Women's Studies Programme, in the School of Political Science and Sociology at NUI Galway, will be hosting a public lecture on Friday, 15 April, as part of the 2010-2011 public lecture series. Professor Clare Midgley, distinguished women's historian, will deliver the lecture entitled, 'Imperial feminist or transnational social reformer? Mary Carpenter and India'. During the lecture, Professor Midgley will explore concepts of gender, imperialism and religion with reference to Mary Carpenter, an archetypal imperial feminist. Mary Clancy, Historian and Lecturer in Global Women's Studies, says, "We are especially pleased to welcome Professor Midgley to NUI Galway and to be able to participate in discussions about women's history, imperialism and public commemoration with a leading international researcher and practitioner in the field." Professor Midgley is Research Professor in History at Sheffield Hallam University and President of the International Federation for Research in Women's History. The lecture will be held in the Alexander Anderson boardroom, in the Quadrangle Building at NUI Galway at 1pm. All are welcome to this public event and light refreshments will be served. For further information contact Gillian Browne, School of Political Science and Sociology, at gillian.browne@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

The 2011 Debating Science Issues All-Ireland Finals will be held Thursday, 14 April, at the Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin. The Finals, co-ordinated by the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at NUI Galway, will see four teams of secondary school students representing the provinces of Connacht, Ulster, Leinster and Munster. The schools in the Finals are: St. Joseph's College, Garbally, Co. Galway; St. Catherine's Vocational School, Killybegs, Co. Donegal; St. Vincent's Secondary School, Dundalk, Co. Louth and Coláiste an Phairsaigh, Glanmire, Co. Cork. The Connacht winning team from St. Joseph's College is comprised of speakers Matthew McMorrow, Eoin Moran and several researchers working behind the scenes. Their transition year English teacher and team mentor, Fr Iomar Daniels, comments: "As the competition has progressed, the students have enjoyed the challenge of researching and preparing for the contemporary, engaging topics set by the organiser. Their interest in science issues has been greatly enhanced." Magh Ene College from Bundoran, Co. Donegal, was the Runner-Up team from the West. Teammates Eoin Dillon and Kitty Pang gave a strong performance throughout the debate series. Fifty-six schools are involved in the 2011 Debating Science Issues competition, which encourages young people to engage in debate on the cultural, societal and ethical implications of advances in biomedical science. The competition, which is coordinated by eight research, medical and science centres throughout the island of Ireland, addresses contemporary scientific issues such as stem cells, nanotechnology, genetically modified food, vaccinations and health and self-testing. This national schools' biomedical science debate competition, sponsored by a Wellcome Trust People Award, is run in collaboration with the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, CLARITY, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, CRANN, Tyndall National Institute, the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, and W5. Provincial trophies and prizes are sponsored by the College of Science at NUI Galway and Boston Scientific. Competition organiser and Outreach Officer at REMEDI, Danielle Nicholson remarked, "The pre-competition workshops provide an open and impartial environment and challenge the students to consider the ethical impacts of contemporary research. This debate series reflects the interest and insight among 15 to 18 year olds in the field of biomedicine." For further information on the Debating Science Issues competition visit http://www.remedi.ie/education/debating-science-issues-dsi-2010-2011. -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

One of the world's outstanding mathematicians comes to NUI Galway next week. Professor Cheryl Praeger, from the University of Western Australia, is in the top one per cent of highly cited mathematicians in the world. She has made revolutionary contributions in several disparate pure and applied areas, including Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, and Statistics (Data Analysis). According to Dr Dane Flannery, of the de Brún Centre for Computational Algebra at NUI Galway: "We are very fortunate to be hosting Professor Praeger. We look forward to hearing about her latest research, as well as her insights about Mathematics in the wider contexts of modern science and society. Her visit here is also an important advertisement for the many successes of women in Mathematics." Professor Praeger visits Galway for the 5th de Brún Workshop from 11 to 16 April, where she will deliver a lecture course on the state-of-the-art in her specialities. The Workshop brings together international experts to discuss computational aspects that have recently emerged in Algebra and Discrete Mathematics. These areas are part of a current strategic focus of Mathematics at NUI Galway, which is supported by the de Brún Centre for Computational Algebra, funded by Science Foundation Ireland under its Mathematics Initiative 2007. Professor Praeger has strived to encourage involvement by talented students in mathematics from an early age; as she says, "We need to ensure a strong mathematical education for our young people to underpin their other skills, whether in science, medicine, engineering or technology. This requires a new educational focus on nurturing mathematically talented young people to ensure they realise their potential." Professor Praeger's forebears originally lived in Germany, but moved to Dublin for a time, before settling in Australia. In 1983, Praeger was appointed to her current position as Professor of Mathematics at the University of Western Australia. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, a former President of the Australian Mathematical Society (1992-1994), and a member of the Order of Australia (since 1999). Her many other prestigious awards include honorary Doctorates of Science from the Prince of Songkla University in 1993, and the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 2005. Professor Praeger works tirelessly for the mathematical community worldwide. As just one example of this, she is a serving member of the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union which comprises 10 leading mathematicians who administer the Union. In particular, this committee oversees selection of the Fields Medallists, known as the 'Nobel Prize in Mathematics'. -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

A team of students from NUI Galway have won a Health and Safety Authority run competition aimed at undergraduate teams from construction related degree programmes in third level institutions. At the final held recently in the Ashling Hotel in Dublin, six short-listed teams battled it out to win the first prize of €3,000 with Sligo Institute of Technology awarded the runner-up prize of €1,000. Other teams which made the final included students from UCC, GMIT and Carlow IT. The NUI Galway winning team was made up by Kevin Carney from Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon, Grant Deeney from Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, and Shane McHale from Ballina, Co. Mayo. The students from different disciplines worked together to take on the role of giving expert advice on remedial repairs, traffic management and long-term maintenance of a bridge that suffered structural damage as result of a bridge strike. Various challenges had to be addressed including examining the impact of design on after-care maintenance, site-specific risk assessments and preparing traffic management plans. Dr Jamie Goggins, Chartered Engineer and Programme Director for BSc in Project and Construction Management at NUI Galway, said: "We would like to congratulate Kevin, Grant and Shane on winning this competition organised by the Third Level Initiative Group of the Health and Safety Authority. The aim of the competition fits very well with the ethos of our undergraduate degree programmes in construction related programmes – to provide an environment where undergraduate students can collaborate and work together to enhance, develop and embed their knowledge and understanding of various aspects of engineering and construction. Furthermore, this competition provides a platform for students to work in multidisciplinary groups, which is an experience that we value and promote in our undergraduate degree programmes." Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority's Third Level Initiative Group (TLIG), Dr Anne Drummond, said, "In the world of work, collaboration and working with colleagues from other disciplines is essential to problem solving as well as being the safest approach. This competition has clearly illustrated to both students and judges that engagement and teamwork with their colleagues is a rewarding experience for students, and one that can deliver a safe and effective product." -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

Secondary school students interested in NUI Galway are invited to an information evening in Tipperary on Thursday, 14 April. Parents and guardians are also particularly welcome to the event which runs from 7 to 9pm in the Anner Hotel, Thurles. The evening will begin with short talks about NUI Galway and some of the 60 courses it offers. Afterward, current students and NUI Galway staff will be on hand at information stands to answer any individual questions visitors may have. Seamus Hennessy, from Cloughjordan, is currently studying Commerce with Accounting at NUI Galway and will be there on the night to answer questions: "I decided upon NUI Galway as it has an extremely high teaching quality, a great social aspect to both the college and city, and an excellent sporting structure for various sports. It also has a very reputable reputation among employers both nationally and internationally. I would highly recommend it to any prospective student". The ever-increasing popularity of NUI Galway is in part due to a whole suite of innovative new programmes, developed in response to the changing needs of the employment market, including an Energy Engineering degree and a Maths and Education degree aimed at training Maths teachers. "Our own students tell us our lecturers are inspirational and challenge them to achieve their full potential. The student experience in Galway is second to none, and we want to bring a taste of that to Tipperary, while also providing all the practical information on accommodation, CAO points, fees, scholarships and courses", says Caroline Loughnane, Director of Marketing and Communications at NUI Galway. The University recently developed a popular four-year Arts degree called BA Connect, which allows specialisation in certain areas and a year of placement in Ireland or abroad. There are eight to choose from, including Human Rights, Creative Writing, and Theatre and Performance, all areas where NUI Galway leads the field. NUI Galway is Ireland's leading University for Biomedical Science, so students have access to top researchers and the very latest facilities. As the University is at the heart of the medical device industry hub in Galway, graduates have excellent opportunities for ongoing employment in the field. Caroline Loughnane continued: "With so many courses on offer, this event in Thurles is a perfect opportunity to meet current students and our lecturers to see what degree might be the right fit". To find out more about the Information Evening in Tipperary, contact NUI Galway's Schools Liaison Office, Siobhan Dorman, Schools Liaison Office on 086 042 1591 or siobhan.dorman@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

Almost 3,000 prospective students and their parents from across the country visited NUI Galway's campus for the Spring Open Day on Saturday, 2 April. Tailored toward Leaving Certificate and mature students who are interested in studying at NUI Galway, the Open Day featured hands-on interactive Science Experience workshops and tours of the campus. With some 60 degree programmes, NUI Galway offers a wide range of traditional courses but also a whole suite of innovative new courses. The Open Day offered prospective students information on practical issues such as University accommodation, scholarships, and general support services available to students. Student ambassadors were on hand to assist with all queries about specific courses and student life at NUI Galway and current students were there to discuss the vibrant societies and sports clubs on campus. Lecturers and support staff were also available at 80 stands to deal with any queries about degrees, accommodation, finances and much more. Caroline Loughnane, Director of Marketing and Communications at NUI Galway said "The Spring Open Day was a great success with many prospective students, their parents and guardians sampling life at University. Everyone got an opportunity to ask questions about courses of interest and get a feel for the campus. Spring Open Day has proved invaluable to many students, particularly those considering their options before the CAO change of mind deadline of 1 July." -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

A spin-out company of NUI Galway's Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) – Peracton Ltd. features in a new book by SOGETI which offers guidelines to successful cloud computing. The book 'Seize the Cloud' is aimed at business professionals in finance and introduces them to cloud based technologies. The book also illustrates how various companies have made use of cloud computing. As a start-up, Peracton provides a unique insight to the challenges as well as angles it has to address the financial services needs and legal requirements of a company through the use of MAARS technology. The technology used by Peracton was initially developed within DERI at NUI Galway and through Peracton, the MAARS technology is being offered to the finance/business world. The original MAARS technology development research has been funded by Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland. MAARS is a platform that provides complex analytics decision support for most common equities selection (stocks, funds, ETF etc.), audit and compliance as well as forensic capabilities. A report by Forrester in 2010 claimed that Peracton s MAARS was the Hot Technology to Watch for 2010. A Forrester excerpt says: "Focusing on solving the core industry-specific business problems is the next big wave in the tech industry. Nowhere is it more evident of technology s unique role in solving business problems than in the highly tech-dependent banking market." For further information contact: info@peracton.com -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

Building on its introduction and success last year, the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway continues to partner with local businesses to challenge its students through its Bachelor of Commerce and B.Sc. in Business Information Systems 'Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise(ICE)' module. For their final year of studies, all students of the School are given the opportunity to innovate in all aspects of business and community enterprise. Michael Campion, ICE Module Director at the School stated: "The overall objective of the Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise course is to encourage self-confidence in students of business in their ability to be creative and innovative in whatever future business and/or community settings that they are working in." With the support this year of an expanded number of 33 local business and community leaders who have mentored the students since January, this module provides opportunities for over 360 students to engage in group-based projects requiring them to innovate with the community in a variety of interest areas. The Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise module is part of a wider initiative within the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, supported by funding from the NUI Galway Students Projects Fund, to focus on student personal development planning, and employability skill development. As a competitive part of the module, groups of students from the class were required to present their innovation projects to mentors through a number of stages of judging, resulting in the selection of five finalist groups to compete for a prize fund of €6,000, sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants(CIMA). On Friday, 1st April, these groups presented to the final judging panel consisting of Denis McCarthy, Regional Director CIMA, Michael Corless, Chairman of Galway Airport and Judy Greene, Managing Director Judy Greene Pottery. The overall winners were James Kenny from Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Patrick Flanagan and Mark Ruane, both from Sligo. Their project was 'Pipe Protect' – a new product which makes use of mobile phone technology to monitor and control pipes during freezing weather. Denis McCarthy, Divisional Director, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) said: "CIMA is forging strong linkages with NUI Galway and in particular the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics. This bursary is designed to support students in a practical way that underpins the importance of bringing real time expertise to learning which is at the core of the CIMA qualification. I am delighted to congratulate all the finalists who demonstrated their entrepreneurial skills in what was a competitively contested final." Michael O'Keane, Industry Mentor of the winning group commented: "I was delighted to be involved as a mentor on this year s ICE programme. Michael Campion and his colleagues in NUI Galway offer a very unique programme and their drive and enthusiasm is much appreciated by the students. The quality of ideas which emerged is clear evidence that entrepreneurship is alive and well and now more than ever this needs to be exploited to help get our economy back on it s feet." -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

The James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway is the venue for an exhibition of 48 photographs that illustrates the early history of An Garda Síochána, including its precursors: The Royal Irish Constabulary and The Dublin Metropolitan Police. This fascinating collection of photographs is on loan from An Garda Síochána Historical Society. There are scenes of Gardaí on duty in Dublin and important occasions such as the funeral of Kevin O'Higgins in 1927. There are several photographs showing the scenes of crimes, including the discovery of a ton of salmon in a derelict house in Blackrock in 1927. The salmon are laid out for all to see. Photographs of Gardaí from the Library's Ritchie-Pickow Collection also feature in a slide show. The exhibition will be launched by Chief Superintendent Dónal Ó Cualáin, An Garda Síochána, Galway Division, at 5.30 pm on Thursday, 7 April at the Library. Dr. Mary Harris, Senior Lecturer in History at NUI Galway, comments: "This intriguing exhibition provides insights into various aspects of police work and prompts interesting questions about crime in early twentieth-century Ireland." John Cox, University Librarian, adds: "The James Hardiman Library is delighted to host this exhibition, and is extremely grateful to the Garda Síochána Historical Society for affording us the opportunity to make it accessible in Galway. Members of the public are very welcome to come and view it." The exhibition will be located in the Library Foyer until 6 May. Admission is free, and the Library is open until 10pm weekdays and 5.30 on weekends. Please check the Library website for opening hours over Easter www.library.nuigalway.ie -Ends-

Friday, 1 April 2011

President Mary McAleese officially opens the new Prostate Cancer Institute at NUI Galway today. The Institute, of which President McAleese is a Patron, is directed by Professor Frank Sullivan, Consultant Radiation Oncologist. The Institute, which is primarily focused on developing better therapies for patients with prostate cancer, will benefit from a close association with the extensive clinical services already offered to these patients at Galway University Hospitals and other regional hospitals. The Institute will also collaborate with the wide-ranging biomedical research programmes of the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Sciences (NCBES) at NUI Galway and with a number of research institutes in Ireland and internationally. Cancer Biology and Developmental Therapeutics are strategic research priorities at NUI Galway. Over the last number of years, NUI Galway and Galway University Hospital have built a strong team of internationally recognised pre-clinical, translational, and clinical cancer scientists. Galway University Hospital is the major academic-medical centre in the West of Ireland, and is one of the eight specialist cancer centres established under the National Cancer Control Plan. As such it offers the full range of prostate cancer diagnostics and treatments, and is one of the country's leading centres for treatment of this form of cancer. Prostate cancer still claims around 550 lives a year in Ireland, rivalling the number of deaths due to breast cancer. The Prostate Cancer Institute will draw on the expertise of clinicians and scientists from the University and Hospital in its commitment to develop effective new therapies for patients with prostate cancer. While many advances have been made in the management of early stage patients, a subset of these men will relapse and die of the disease. New and more effective therapies are urgently needed for patients with relapsed disease or disease which is relatively resistant to current standard therapies. Initial funding for the Institute has been provided by Galway University Foundation. This has enabled the Institute to appoint Dr Sharon Glynn as Director of Laboratory Research. Early work at the Institute will involve the collection and bioprocurement of prostate tissue which will provide the base for its primary and collaborative research programme. The aim is to investigate (as is already being done with breast cancer) which molecular or genetic markers can predict those patients who are likely to relapse, so that they can be targeted with more advanced and novel treatments. The Institute will commit its research to the development of new therapies which will address the challenge in treating those relapsed cancer patients who are unresponsive to currently available treatments. The Galway HRB Clinical Research Facility provides the environment in which patients with prostate cancer will receive novel therapies. The CRF is led by the NUI Galway/Trinity College Dublin Professor of Cancer Therapeutics, Frank Giles, who also serves as the Prostate Institute's Scientific Director, thus optimising the integration of NUI Galway's resources devoted to improving therapy for patients with cancer and to giving patients access to new approaches within their own local community. NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne said: "This is an important development for NUI Galway as it marks a new direction for translational research at the University. Our research achievements in cancer biology and therapeutics will be given added impetus by the establishment of the Prostate Cancer Institute, which we believe will have a significant impact on both the quality of life of sufferers and on our knowledge of this common disease." Director of the Prostate Cancer Institute, Professor Frank Sullivan, said: "This represents an important milestone in collaboration on prostate cancer in Ireland. Bringing together the breadth of clinical and basic science experience in our region, and linking it with national and international research groups, can only be good for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, now and into the future. We intend to add to the treatment options for men with the most difficult prostate cancers. A tough but hugely important challenge." -Ends-

Thursday, 31 March 2011

After a year in operation on the NUI Galway campus, the New Tech Post – a daily publisher of articles on innovative and emerging technologies – has announced that it will open a second office in Silicon Valley in partnership with the Irish Innovation Center in San Jose. New Tech Post aims to create a 'news bridge' between its headquarters in Galway and its new office in the US. New Tech Post s coverage of innovative and emerging technologies is reflected in its five main newsfeeds: Video; Mobile; Business; Technology; and Social Media. According to founder John Breslin, who is a lecturer in electronic engineering at NUI Galway: "The main aim of the New Tech Post is to cover emergent technologies and share new, innovative ideas with an audience interested in learning what future trends to think about and how they might be affected by them. We're very excited to work with the Irish Innovation Center in San Jose since they are ideally placed in Silicon Valley and are extremely well connected to the heart of the tech universe." New Tech Post writer Tom Murphy says: "Technologies that are sometimes obscure and difficult to decipher are explained in such a manner that an average reader can explain the essential ideas with ease to a third party not familiar with the area: to their boss, co-worker, friend, and so on. Natural areas of activity are innovations and ideas emerging from large companies such as Cisco and HP, as well as the bubbling undercurrents of start-ups and early-stage ventures." John Hartnett, the founder of the Irish Innovation Center (IIC) and also of the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG), says: "We are delighted that the New Tech Post will launch its US base in the IIC on 5 April at our yearly ITLG/Irish Times Silicon Valley Awards. We have been working with the New Tech Post in the run up to the awards on the Irish America 'Silicon Valley 50' magazine, recognising the top Irish American tech executives in the Valley and also profiling various Irish technology companies of note." With its origins in Ireland, one goal of New Tech Post is to promote Irish technology wherever possible, in the belief that Irish companies and entrepreneurs are on the same footing as other international contributors when it comes to technology, business and innovation. Some of the tech leaders interviewed on New Tech Post during its first six months include: Carlos Dominguez (Cisco); Dylan Collins (Jolt Online); Andrew Parish (Wavebob); Nova Spivack (Live Matrix); Bernardo Huberman (HP Labs); and Iain MacDonald (SkillPages). A varied set of topics are covered on New Tech Post, including: pervasive computing and mobile networking; how to measure influence on Twitter; similarities between neurons and social networks; robots learning from their environments; and solar technologies for harvesting light. -Ends-

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

One of the world's leading international web science research institutes will showcase its research at NUI Galway on 6 April. The Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), based at the University, is a key player in the Irish government's plan of transforming Ireland into a competitive knowledge economy. Minister for Research & Innovation, Mr Sean Sherlock T.D., will give the keynote address at the event. The day-long event will reflect the work undertaken by DERI's 120 researchers who, with key partners from Multinational companies and Small and Medium Enterprises are shaping the next generation of the web know as the Semantic Web and developing new products and technologies in this area. In the past seven years DERI has developed into an internationally leading research centre, as documented by its large number of high-quality publications in core conferences, outnumbering any other research organisation world-wide in its field of research. The Institute's focus is on education and technology transfer, which directly contributes to the Irish government's plan of transforming Ireland into a competitive knowledge economy. Professor Stefan Decker of DERI: "The discovery, integration, and exploitation of the humongous amount of the web's information have become important challenges. DERI is taking on these challenges by defining and executing a research agenda and outreach activities targeted at enabling and supporting people, organisations, and systems to collaborate and interoperate on a global scale using semantic web technologies." A selection of DERI technologies will be presented through a series of lecture sessions and participants can engage with researchers through demonstration and posters sessions. Industry partners including Cisco, Storm, Alcatel-Lucent, Celtrak and Avaya will also participate on the day. Michael Turley, CEO of DERI added: "By helping to create critical new jobs, products, services and commercial opportunities, our centre is an integral part of the national strategy of transforming Ireland into a competitive knowledge economy. Our event on 6 April gives us a chance to network with existing partners and open up our research to potential new collaborations and influences." DERI is a Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) established in 2003 with funding from Science Foundation Ireland. As a CSET, DERI brings together academic and industrial partners to boost innovation in science and technology, with its research focused on the Semantic Web. DERI has leveraged its SFI CSET funding to add significant additional research funding from the European Union, Enterprise Ireland, and industry sources giving it a total funding to date of over €62 million. The DERI Open day takes place from 10:30am to 5.30pm on Wednesday 6 April. For registration and a full programme visit http://www.deri.ie/about/deri-open-day/. -ends-

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

This year marks the 50th anniversary since graduation for all who were conferred with degrees in 1961 from NUI Galway, or University College Galway (UCG) as it was known then. As well as the Class of 1961, all those who graduated prior to 1961 will be welcomed back to their alma mater on Friday, 15 April, to celebrate this special milestone. The reunion programme includes a bus tour of a vastly changed campus, a presentation of Cumann Caoga Bliain (50 Year Club) commemorative certificates by University President, Dr James J. Browne, and a reunion dinner in the Meyrick Hotel. J.B. Terrins, Director of Alumni Relations at NUI Galway, encourages graduates to come along "Reunion is a perfect opportunity to take a walk down memory lane, renew old acquaintances and see how the University has developed over the years. Over 60 guests have signed up so far. I encourage all of the classmates to get out their address books and call around. Reunion attendees never regret making the effort." For a detailed schedule of events or to book tickets please contact Colm O'Dwyer in the Alumni Office on 00 353 (0)91 493750 or email alumni -Ends-

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Second-level students from across Connaught who received an A in Junior Certificate Honours Business Studies, were presented with Certificates of Achievement from the NUI Galway J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics. The presentations, in association with the Business Studies Teachers Association of Ireland (BSTAI), were made at a special ceremony at the University which included teachers and parents on Wednesday, 23 March. This is the first year NUI Galway has presented these awards. Over 270 students received recognition for their achievement at the ceremony. The certificates were awarded to students from over 55 individual schools throughout the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. Dr Willie Golden, Dean of the College of Business Public Policy and Law, NUI Galway, who presented the certificates to each individual winner, said: "NUI Galway's international success is built on a strong and enduring relationship with its hinterland, and a commitment to working with all stakeholders in the community. We are continuously updating our suite of business programmes to ensure we stay ahead of market changes and industry demands. I congratulate all the students on their achievement and also the work of teachers in helping students achieve their potential." Mary O'Sullivan, President, BSTAI said "The BSTAI are delighted to partner with NUI Galway to host this ceremony which celebrates and recognises academic excellence in Business Studies at a young age. I have no doubt that many of today's award recipients will embark on successful careers in the business world." -Ends-

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Research suggests that intelligence in humans is controlled by the part of the brain known as the 'cortex', and most theories of age-related cognitive decline focus on cortical dysfunction. However, a new study carried out by NUI Galway's Dr Michael Hogan from the School of Psychology which involved older Scottish adults suggests that grey matter volume in the 'cerebellum' at the back of the brain predicts cognitive ability, and keeping those cerebellar networks active may be the key to keeping cognitive decline at bay. The study looked at 228 older adults living independently in the Aberdeen area, who had been part of the Scottish Mental Survey of 1947. This survey had tested Scottish children born in 1936 and at school on 4 June 1947 using the Moray House intelligence test. The cognitive abilities of the participants were tested again, now at age 63 to 65 years, and their brains were also scanned, using a neuroimaging technique called voxel-based morphometry (VBM), to determine the volumes of grey and white matter in frontal areas and the cerebellum. The most interesting finding from this study is that grey matter volume in the cerebellum predicts general intelligence. However, results differ for men and women, with men showing a stronger relationship between brain volume in the cerebellum and general intelligence. It has long been recognised that the cerebellum is involved in sensory-motor functions, including balance and timing of movements, but it is now believed that the cerebellum also plays an important role in higher-level cognitive abilities. Dr Michael Hogan says: "General intelligence is correlated with many basic aspects of information processing efficiency which I believe depend upon the functioning of the cerebellum, including the speed and consistency of our perceptions and decisions, and the speed with which we learn new skills. This is exciting research, as it suggests that there may be a backdoor route into maintaining higher cortical functions in old age, that is, through the sustained activation of cerebellar networks via novel sensory-motor and cognitive activities, all of which I believe the cerebellum seeks to regulate and automate, working in concert with the cortex." -ends-

Monday, 28 March 2011

An online business simulation tool is allowing NUI Galway students compete against students in University of Texas to learn about the trials and tribulations of running a business. As part of the Bachelor of Commerce with Accounting degree programme at NUI Galway, an interactive game called Globalsym is being used in the classroom. This game involves students managing a company by producing and selling products, and competing against other virtual companies in a virtual business world. Thorough collaboration with University of Texas, the third-year students at NUI Galway have extended the competition beyond their classmates to compete with their US peers. While the students in University of Texas are postgraduate business students, the undergraduates in NUI Galway are undaunted by the competition. On a recent visit to NUI Galway, Professor Stephen Salter from University of Texas commented on the high performance of a number of NUI Galway teams who are giving the Texans a run for their money. Just as in the real world, students face decisions on how to handle the problems, opportunities, and challenges facing the modern company. They are involved in developing a strategy for their company each week in response to economic and political information and aligning marketing, finance, production, and sales decisions with their choosen strategy. "Students appreciate the opportunity to apply the skills they have learned across their subjects in managing a company and the competitive element with University of Texas has been very enjoyable for students", commented Dr Breda Sweeney, Head of Accountancy and Finance Discipline at NUI Galway. The Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) course combines a broad-based business education with an accounting specialism providing a gateway to careers in accounting, taxation, corporate finance and related professions. As with the general Commerce degree, the subjects cover a balance of theoretical and practical learning experiences in accounting, business and related areas. Graduates benefit from considerable exemptions from examinations of professional accounting bodies, such as Chartered Accountants Ireland, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. -Ends-

Monday, 28 March 2011

Students from all disciplines in NUI Galway were recently given the challenge of taking €10 and using their wits to make as much money as possible over three days. The SEEN €10 competition's aim was to show that any student could create an enterprise from a small initial investment, in this case just €10. SEEN is the Student Enterprise Exchange Network which is NUI Galway's student run and focused enterprise support service. The competition was won by Philip Ryan, a Commerce student from Donnybrook, Co Dublin, who made a profit of €202 after three days by selling confectionary and soft drinks door to door in the NUI Galway student villages. Philip explains how the competition has awoken his entrepreneurial spirit: "The €10 challenge allowed me to take what I knew in the lecture theatre out into the real world. The competition showed me just how easy it is to start up a business. It is due to the €10 challenge that I plan to start up my own business in the near future." Other awards included the most innovative product award which was won by Saffron Brady from Galway City for her Tayto sandwiches idea. The dell boy award for best sales person went to Kevin Donoghue, from Doocastle, Co Mayo, a third-year arts student, for his salesmanship in selling fruit cups on campus. Paddy Melia, from the SEEN team adds: "A competition such as the €10 challenge highlights the fact that emigration after college is not the only option open to students. With a small investment and a little support students can create their own employment and decide their own future." Competitors had to have receipts for their purchases but had to also gain a contact detail from their customers in order to back up their sales figures. Anyone who wishes to get involved in future events should email them at seen.nuigalway@gmail.com or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/seen.nuigalway/. -Ends-

Monday, 28 March 2011

The School of Psychology at NUI Galway has announced details of the 8th Annual Psychology, Health and Medicine Conference, which will take place in the Arts Millennium Building, NUI Galway on Monday, 4 April. The aim of the conference is to promote high quality research at the interface of psychology, health and medicine, as well as to facilitate social and professional networks among people working in this area. The conference will be of interest to a variety of health professionals, as well as to health psychologists. This year the conference will feature presentations on all aspects of health psychology, from laboratory studies of cardiovascular health to cognitive behavioural interventions to improve health outcomes in clinical settings. Keynote speakers will include: Professor Derek Johnston, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, who will deliver a talk on stress in health professions; Dr Catherine Woods, Dublin City University will address the field of physical activity and health; and Dr Val Morrison, Bangor University, Wales, who will discuss chronic disease and psycho-oncology. Conference co-chair, Dr Jane Walsh from the School of Psychology at NUI Galway, said: "We are delighted and honoured to be hosting this year's Psychology, Health and Medicine Conference here in NUI Galway. The conference has grown from strength to strength over the past eight years and has become a truly international and multidisciplinary event. This year we are expecting over 100 delegates from a variety of backgrounds such as nursing, medicine, occupational therapy, psychology and health promotion." The conference is hosted by the Division of Health Psychology of the Psychological Society of Ireland in association with the Division of Health Psychology of the British Psychological Society, Northern Ireland Branch. Dr Molly Byrne, School of Psychology at NUI Galway and conference co-chair, said: "Year on year Psychology proves to be one of the most popular courses at NUI Galway. Psychology is of interest as it touches on so many aspects of our lives, from health to child development to the clinical psychology." For further information, or to register for the conference, visit http://phm2011.wordpress.com. -Ends-

Friday, 25 March 2011

The NUI Galway 2011 Sports Awards were announced and presented at a special ceremony in the Ardilaun Hotel last night. The Awards highlighted the broad diversity of success both on and off the field of play that is the strength of sport at NUI Galway. The award winners were nominated by the members of the 46 clubs in the University and reward the outstanding individual and team performances and those who contribute to the development of clubs and the participation of all. During a successful year for sport at NUI Galway, the University's Men's Basketball team won the Intervarsity title after 25 years while the rowers won their second Men's 8 title in a row at the National Rowing Championships. Other team highlights included the Collingwood Soccer team reaching a remarkable third final in a row to lose out in extra time, the Gaelic Football team taking the scalps of Galway and Sligo county teams on the way to the Final of the FBD league and the Camogie team winning the Ashbourne Shield competition. Students such as Diarmuid Nash in Handball, Ciaran McDonald in Gaelic Football, Evan Preston Kelly and Nuala Marshall in Soccer and Michaela Morkan from Camogie were among those that continued their successful year with an individual sports award. Gary Ryan Development Officer for Elite Sports remarked that "We have a remarkably high calibre of student athlete at NUI Galway who are successfully combining their performances in sport with earning an excellent education. We have seen an ever increasing number of students gain International recognition and at the same time contribute to their NUI Galway club." The awards have been extended to recognise the huge contribution students make to the running and development of their clubs and the opportunities for participation they give to others. Amongst the winners were Dee O'Dwyer, who was an outstanding club captain for the Athletics Club and epitomises what students can contribute to University life. Also Nithin Bindal for his massive contribution to the NUI Galway Cricket Club over a number of years. He was recognised with a Special Achievement Award. The Women's Rugby Club were awarded the most improved club award. The Boxing Club beat off the stiff competition of 17 other clubs to win the Alumni Leadership Sports Connect Award. Kathy Hynes the Development Officer for Clubs and Participation commented that "This has been an extremely successful programme that has seen the clubs develop excellent plans and programmes for their future development and we must thank the fantastic support of their Mentors and the Alumni Office in this." The awards which have been in existence since 1983 and have proven to be hugely significant to the student body and have in the past included such leading names as Paul Hession and Olive Loughnane (Athletics) Eadoin Ní Challarain (kayaking) Alan Martin, Cormac Folan and James Wall (rowing) and former Irish Rugby captain Ciaran Fitzgerald. This year's Sports Awards recipients are: Archery: Aisling Finn, Ballimacourty, Clarinbridge, Co Galway Boxing: John Ridge, Rusheenamanagh, Carna, Co Galway Darts: Stiofán De Lundres Ó Dálaigh, Dangerville, Tuam, Co Galway Ladies Gaelic Football: Eilish Ward, Ballybrillaghan, Mountcharles, Co Donegal Men's Gaelic Football: Ciaran McDonald, Newtown, Aherlow, Co Tipperary Camogie: Michaela Morkan, Shinrone, Birr, Co Offally Handball: Diarmaid Nash, Tobarnagoth, Scarrif, Co Clare Hockey: Aoife Smyth, Upper Salthill, Galway Judo: Fiona Keating, Lower Salthill, Galway Mountaineering: Joan Mulloy, The Quay, Westport, Co Mayo Women's Rugby: Heather Cary, Toronto, Canada Ladies Soccer: Nuala Marshall, London, Ontario, Canada Men's Soccer: Evan Preston Kelly, Dr. Mannix Road, Galway Team Award: Men's Basketball: Men's Senior Basketball Team 2010 – 2011 Team Award: Rowing: Men's Senior Rowing 2010 – 2011 Most Improved Club: Ladies Rugby: Women's Rugby 2010 -2011 Club Captains Award: Athletics Club: Dee O'Dwyer Special Achievement Award: Cricket Club: Nithin Bindal Participation Award: Athletics Club: Fun Run Committee Recreational Award: Futsal: Men on Bikes Alumni Leadership Award: Boxing Club -Ends-

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Over 70 students were recognised by NUI Galway today (Thursday, 24 March) at a special ceremony when they were conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne. All Colleges of the University were represented at the ceremony, with graduands from the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, the College of Business, Public Policy and Law; the College of Engineering and Informatics; the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences; and the College of Science. NUI Galway President Dr. James J. Browne said: "I would like to congratulate each graduate on their achievement in earning their PhD degree. We in NUI Galway are determined that this University will play its full part in producing the graduates and the leaders who will create the future. We have more than doubled our PhD output in recent years to almost 150 in the calendar year 2010. Today we are conferring the largest number of PhD's ever in a single University conferring in Galway." Dean of Graduate Studies at NUI Galway Pat Morgan says: "We are delighted to have a special PhD conferring which highlights our growth in numbers but more importantly celebrates the parallel increase in research publications and recognises the participation of academic staff that mentored and supported these graduates in their significant research achievements." Over 91,000 graduates have benefited from higher education at NUI Galway since it opened its doors in 1849. The next conferrings to take place at NUI Galway will be the summer conferring on Thursday, 23 June and the conferring of Honorary Degrees on Friday, 24 June. -Ends-

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

As part of their BA CONNECT degree programme, a group of NUI Galway students are bringing a special production of a Vincent Woods play to the stage. At the Black Pig's Dyke will perform at Nuns' Island Theatre at 8pm, from Monday, 28 March to Sunday, 4 April. All ten students involved are studying the BA CONNECT with Theatre and Performance at NUI Galway. The programme is currently in its third year, with the production marking the end of a semester of training at the Galway Arts Centre under the direction of Andrew Flynn. At the Black Pig's Dyke is a story of murder, mystery, fairy enchantment and tragic love. It is set on the border of Northern and Southern Ireland where family feuds are passed down through generations. The story is told using the pagan ritual of the mummers' play as a metaphor for Ireland at a time when people laughed at a wake and cried when a child was born. The student group has been involved in every aspect of the production, from costume, lighting and set to actually performing all the parts. NUI Galway's popular four-year Arts degree, BA CONNECT, allows students to specialise in certain areas and includes a year of placement in Ireland or abroad. There are eight programmes to choose from, including Theatre and Performance, Human Rights, Creative Writing, Film Studies, Children's Studies, Latin American Studies, Global Women's Rights Studies, and Irish Studies. Dr Irina Ruppo Malone is Acting Director of the BA CONNECT with Theatre and Performance at NUI Galway: "Over a period of four years, the course introduces students to aspects of theatre history, different approaches to making theatre, and nurtures their interest in and talents for performance". Much of the teaching on the BA CONNECT with Theatre and Performance is in practical workshops by members of the university staff and also by professional theatre practitioners. NUI Galway and the well-known Galway-based Druid Theatre Company have formed a partnership to develop a range of practice-led workshops and seminars. Dr Malone added: "The workshops introduce students to different styles of and approaches to the art of acting, as well as developing their skills in textual and performance analysis. Bringing a play through the whole process to opening night on the stage will be an enviable experience for this talented group of students. We hope the theatre-goers of Galway will turn out to enjoy this production." For booking information call 091 565886. -ends-

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

RTÉ news correspondent Tommie Gorman presented two awards to NUI Galway journalism graduates at the University yesterday. The Fourth Annual Donna Ferguson Memorial Award and the Connacht Tribune Medal were presented to the top achieving students in the MA Journalism class of 2010. Lorraine O'Hanlon received the Donna Ferguson Award for achieving the highest mark in the broadcasting module of the MA programme. The Connacht Tribune Medal was presented to Antoinette Giblin who achieved the highest overall mark in the MA in Journalism at NUI Galway. Donna Ferguson was posthumously conferred with an MA in Journalism at NUI Galway, following her untimely death in a car accident in December 2006. The Donna Ferguson Memorial Award was initiated by her family and community in Belleek, Co. Fermanagh, and commemorates Donna's achievements while she was a student on the journalism programme in 2006. Tommie Gorman, Northern Editor for RTÉ News, was conferred with an Honorary Degree from NUI Galway in 2009 for his dedication and accomplishment in the profession of Journalism. He began his career at the Western Journal based in Ballina, Co Mayo and has since become a household name having been RTÉ Europe Editor and carried out many high profile television interviews including one with Roy Keane in 2002. He has also reported extensively on issues pertaining to Northern Ireland. Claregalway native Lorraine O Hanlon graduated from the MA in Journalism with first class honours and now works as a journalist with the Galway Independent Newspaper. Antoinette Giblin from Elphin in Co Roscommon also graduated with first class honours from the MA in Journalism and now freelances with Shannonside Radio. -Ends-