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-

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-

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-

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-

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-