The Discipline of Podiatry at NUI Galway has formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding with New York College of Podiatric Medicine (NYCPM), one of the leading institutes in podiatric medical education in the USA. Speaking at the signing, Dr Caroline McIntosh, Head of Discipline of Podiatry at NUI Galway, said: “This agreement facilitates the establishment of student and staff exchanges, research collaborations and the co-development of innovative developments in podiatric education which may have academic, clinical and commercial implications.” Since its establishment, NYCPM has built up a significant reputation in excellence in podiatric education.  Dr Michael J. Trepal, DPM, Vice-President, Academic Affairs, and Academic Dean with NYCPM, said: “I look forward to the potential that this agreement offers to both institutions. It will without question enhance podiatric medical education, patient care and research. We are delighted to partner with such a prestigious university.” The Discipline of Podiatry at NUI Galway was established in 2008. Podiatry is a healthcare profession that specialises in the management of disease and disorder of the lower limb and foot. NUI Galway offers the only BSc (Honours) Podiatry programme in the Republic of Ireland. The development of this popular new course has increased the opportunities for Irish people to undertake training in podiatry and qualify as professionally accredited podiatrists in Ireland. The course has 25 places available for students per year. In contrast NYCPM is one of the most established colleges for podiatric medical education. The College is currently celebrating its centennial year. The staff team within the Discipline of Podiatry are delighted to announce this partnership with NYCPM and look forward to future collaborations and gaining from the vast experience within such a well established, and respected, centre for podiatry education.   -ENDS-   

Postgraduate students in Information Systems at NUI Galway recently showcased voluntary work that benefited local organisations in Galway. The showcase is the culmination of compulsory project work completed by the students as part of the MSc (Information Systems Management). The project component of the MSc requires students to analyse the operations of an organisation, focus in on a problem area, design a solution to that problem in consultation with the users, and develop and implement that solution. This year, a total of 11 projects were submitted, all involving a substantial amount of voluntary work where students applied their skills to address the needs of local organisations. The clients included Leitrim County Council, People with Disabilities in Ireland (PwDI), Cancer Care West, Western Care Association, Salthill Devon FC, COPE Galway, NUI Galway Rowing Club, and Tourmakeady Parish (Bliainiris Tuar Mhic Éadaigh) Co. Mayo. “The field of Business Information Systems is primarily about helping organisations to solve real problems and grasp opportunities,” explains MSc in Information Systems Management Programme Director Chris Barry. “Many people do not fully understand how innovative IT applications can be potentially very beneficial within their workplace, often because they are not aware of the capabilities of technology. This is where our postgraduate students can help.” The aim of the projects undertaken by students is to enable them apply the skills they learn on the programme, such as database design, user interface design, applications programming, Web development, business systems analysis, project management, security planning, and e-business strategic thinking, as well as skills such as teamwork, interpersonal communications, and presentation skills. It also affords the opportunity to be involved in civic engagement and volunteering. Professor Willie Golden, Dean of the College of Business, Public Policy and Law at NUI Galway, said “I was highly impressed to see the innovative capabilities of the students of the MSc in Information Systems Management producing such excellent and creative projects. NUI Galway places a high value on the importance of civic engagement and volunteering, and service learning is very much a core aspect of our teaching and learning strategy.” Support for NUI Galway’s service learning strategy is centrally provided by the office of the Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI), which also oversees the ALIVE student volunteering programme. Combining classroom theory with community practice, service learning is a teaching tool aimed at connecting students with their community through practical work and has given students the opportunity to see the impact that civic engagement has for the communities they work with, their own learning and the wider society. For further information contact Michael Lang, michael.lang@nuigalway.ie, Anatoli Nachev, anatoli.nachev@nuigalway.ie, or Lorraine Tansey, lorraine.tansey@nuigalway.ie.

The annual meeting of the European Chapter of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), which took place in Granada, Spain in June, showcased much of the innovative research undertaken by researchers at the Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB), NUI Galway. The NFB, which was established with funding from Science Foundation Ireland under the Strategic Research Cluster Programme, conducts research on biomaterials, developing technologies for use in clinical applications in the fields of orthopaedics, soft-tissue healing and neural and cardiovascular regeneration.  Last year’s TERMIS-EU meeting, which attracts leading researchers from academia, industry and clinical institutes, was hosted by the NFB in Galway.   At this year’s meetings, Professor Abhay Pandit, Director of the NFB was invited to deliver a keynote address and eleven postdoctoral candidates and postgraduate students gave podium presentations.  In terms of conference abstracts, the NFB was one of the most prominent groups at the conference.  In addition, six conference sessions were chaired by Professor Pandit and NFB Principal Investigators Dr Wenxin Wang and Dr Dimitrios Zeugolis.  These sessions are in the areas of Neural Tissue Engineering, Polymeric Transfection Vector, Injectable Scaffolds, Tendon Tissue Engineering, Modulation of the in vitro macro-environment and cell-based therapies.   Dr Dimitrios Zeugolis said “The fact that so many of our abstracts and submissions for conference sessions were approved by an international panel of experts in the field reflects the leading-edge nature of NFB research; this is hugely encouraging.  We always welcome the opportunity to interact and participate with the international scientific community”.  -ends-

Dr Neil Rowan, a lecturer and internationally recognised researcher at Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT), has been appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the School of Medicine in NUI Galway. Based at AIT’s Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Professor Rowan has a strong history of collaborative research with leading medics, scientists and engineers at NUI Galway. Professor Rowan has collaborated with researchers in NUI Galway in the areas of anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, water research, food safety microbiology, and bacteriology. Over his 20-year academic career, Professor Rowan has published some 70 papers in scientific and engineering journals, published five book chapters and delivered over 110 presentations at national and international conferences. He is delivering the keynote opening address at the 100th anniversary of the International Association of Food Protection Conference in Chicago this August. He has generated €8.6 million in research funding and holds fellowships of the Institute of Biology, Institutes of Food Science and Technology Ireland and UK. Professor Rowan frequently undertakes scholarly duties with the Food Standards Agency Scotland and the European Food Safety Authority, and is an expert evaluator for the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC). Professor Rowan, a BSc in microbiology graduate from NUI Galway, said “I am humbled and honoured by this elevation and I very much look forward to facilitating further bridge-building in areas of research and teaching that are deemed of strategic importance to both AIT and NUI Galway.” The Academic Registrar at AIT, Dr Joseph Ryan, congratulated Professor Rowan on the appointment. “It is well deserved recognition for consistent endeavour that has contributed so much to enhancing the research profile of this Institute and in forging valuable collaboration with NUI Galway and other leading HEIs here and abroad. It also reflects positively on the standing of the Institute and for that, the Professor deserves special appreciation.” President of NUI Galway, Dr James J. Browne, said “We are very pleased to welcome Dr Rowan as an Adjunct Professor at the School of Medicine. The appointment is in recognition of his outstanding academic track record, his existing deep collaborative links with our School of Medicine which spans both research and teaching, and our desire to create a more formal basis for his future relationships with the School, to which we believe he will bring many further benefits.”   -Ends-  

The COLOURS Fringe Festival 2011 takes place from 1 to 8 July and features music, readings, exhibitions, films, and a parade. A number of the events are taking place in NUI Galway. TheatreThe Resolutionists, a new Galway based company, will present two Forum Theatre pieces based on Agusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed techniques. Ye Are All the Fecking Same and Something is brewing in the Office will take place on Wednesday, 6 July at 1pm and 8pm in the Cube theatre, Aras na Mac Léinn NUI Galway. Side-Show Productions will present King Alfred - A Mystery Play, on Tuesday, July 5 and Friday, July 8 at 8pm Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUI Galway.     Footfalls by Samuel Beckett will take place on Thursday, July 7 and Friday, 8 July at 1pm in the Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUI Galway. Beckett's Footfalls will be performed by Unbound, Eilís Ward and Fionnuala Gallagher and will be directed by June Favre. ExhibitionsIn Print Exhibition will take place form 1 to 8 July from 12 to 4pm daily in the University Art Gallery. Fresh from the Fine Art Printmaking course at GMIT, ten artists will exhibit their work for the festival. The artists include Moira Comiskey, Tania Lee, Darragh Murray, Jonny Flynn, Stacey Power, Doris Vukovic, Ashling Gavin, Emily Real, Alan Clinton and Eric Bradley.A group exhibition entitled Galway Art Collective will take place in Áras na Mac Léinn from 1 to 8 July. Exhibitions will include: Simon Murphy - Making Space - in the strange and unknown; Marie-Jeanne Jacob - Wherever your feet may take you; Caroline Coleman - original paintings; Rachael Webb - The Happy Heart and Marina Wild - original paintings.   MusicLunar Echoes Music Night will take place on Thursday, 7 July at 8pm in the The Cube, Áras na Mac Léinn. An infusion of folk, soul and traditional music, the concert will be performed by an eclectic group of musicians. A selection of music, dance, theatre and readings will also take place at a variety of locations around Galway City. For full details of all events at the festival visit www.coloursfringe.blogspot.com. Tickets are available from The Socs Box, Áras na Mac Léinn, NUI Galway at 091 492852.                                                               ENDS