NUI Galway has announced the winners of the 2012 Alumni Awards to be presented at the twelfth annual Alumni Awards Gala Banquet on Saturday, 3 March, 2012. The Gala Banquet will again be held in the Bailey Allen Wing located in Áras na Mac Léinn on campus. The Alumni Awards recognise individual excellence and achievements among the University’s more than 80,000 graduates worldwide. The Awards programme boasts an impressive roll call of 68 outstanding graduates who have gone on to honour their alma mater, including, for example, Michael D. Higgins, Ciarán FitzGerald, Sean O’Rourke, Professor Frank Gannon, Dr Luke Clancy and Gráinne Seoige. The winners of the six alumni awards to be presented at Gala 2012: Bank of Ireland Award for Business, Public Policy and Law Máire Whelan, Attorney General of Ireland Bank of Ireland Award for Engineering and Informatics Gerry Kilcommins, VP Global Vascular Operations & General Manager Medtronic Galway and past President American Chamber of Commerce, Ireland. NUI Galway Alumni Award for Science  Professor Fergal O'Gara, Chair of Microbiology UCC; Director, BIOMERIT Research Centre (BRC) AIB Award for Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies Marie Mullen - actress, Druid Theatre Company co-founder Medtronic Award for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Professor Tim O'Brien, Director, Gait Laboratory & Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Central Remedial Clinic Duais Hewlett Packard don Gaeilge Peadar Mac An Iomaire, Iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh Speaking on the announcement of the Awards recipients, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said: “Our Alumni Awards programme recognises the many Galway alumni who are leaders in their professions and excel in their pursuits at national and international levels. These awards celebrate the life-long value of an NUI Galway education and recognise individual achievements among the University’s more than 80,000 graduates worldwide. I congratulate each of the Award winners and look forward to welcoming them back to their alma mater for the Gala Banquet in March.” For booking information contact Catherine Conroy on 091 492972 or email catherine.conroy@nuigalway.ie. Online bookings at www.nuigalway.ie/alumni-friends  ENDS        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Tá buaiteoirí Dhuaiseanna Alumni 2012 fógartha ag OÉ Gaillimh. Bronnfar na Duaiseanna ag Mórfhéasta Bronnta na nGradam Alumni san Ollscoil Dé Sathairn, an 3 Márta 2012. Seo an 12ú bliain as a chéile a mbeidh an Mórfhéasta á reáchtáil. Reáchtálfar an Mórfhéasta i Sciathán Bailey Allen in Áras na Mac Léinn, OÉ Gaillimh. Tá breis agus 80,000 céimí de chuid na hOllscoile scaipthe ar fud an domhain. Tugann na Duaiseanna Alumni aitheantas do chuid de na céimithe sin a bhfuil éachtaí déanta acu.  Go dtí seo tá duais alumni bronnta ar 68 céimí den scoth – céimithe a bhfuil a n-alma mater fíorbhródúil astu – Michael D. Higgins, Ciarán FitzGerald, Sean O’Rourke, an tOllamh Frank Gannon, an Dr Luke Clancy agus Gráinne Seoige ina measc. Seo a leanas an seisear a mbronnfar Duais Alumni orthu ag Mórfhéasta 2012: Duais Bhanc na hÉireann don Ghnó, an Beartas Poiblí agus an Dlí  Máire Whelan, Ard-Aighne na hÉireann Duais Bhanc na hÉireann don Innealtóireacht agus don Ionformaitic  Gerry Kilcommins, Leas-Uachtarán Global Vascular Operations & Bainisteoir    Ginearálta Medtronic na Gaillimhe agus iar-Uachtarán ar Chumann Tráchtála Mheiriceá in Éirinn Duais Alumni OÉ Gaillimh don Eolaíocht  An tOllamh Fergal O’Gara, Ollúnacht le Micribhitheolaíocht, UCC, Stiúrthóir, Ionad Taighde BIOMERIT (BRC) Duais AIB do na Dána, na hEolaíochtaí Sóisialta agus an Léann Ceilteach  Marie Mullen – aisteoir, comhbhunaitheoir Chomplacht Amharclannaíochta an   Druid Duais Medtronic don Leigheas, an tAltranas agus na hEolaíochtaí Sláinte  An tOllamh Tim O’Brien, Stiúrthóir, Saotharlann Gait & Máinlia Comhairleach Ortaipéidice, an Clinic Lárnach Íocshláinteach Duais Hewlett-Packard don Ghaeilge  Peadar Mac an Iomaire, Iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne, nuair a fógraíodh buaiteoirí na nDuaiseanna Alumni: “Tugann an clár Duaiseanna Alumni aitheantas d’iarmhic léinn na Gaillimhe ar ceannairí iad agus atá ar thús cadhnaíochta ina ngairm in Éirinn agus thar lear.  Déanann na gradaim seo ceiliúradh ar luach fadsaoil an oideachais a chuirtear ar fáil in OÉ Gaillimh agus tugann siad aitheantas do na héachtaí atá déanta ag cuid den 80,000 céimí de chuid na hOllscoile fud fad na cruinne. Déanaim comhghairdeas le gach duine a bhuaigh Duais Alumni agus táim ag súil go mór le fáilte ar ais a chur rompu chuig a n-alma mater ag an Mórfhéasta i mí an Mhárta.” Chun eolas faoi áirithintí a fháil, déan teagmháil le Catherine Conroy ag 091 492972 nó seol r-phost chuig catherine.conroy@nuigalway.ie.  Is féidir áit a chur in áirithe ar líne ag www.nuigalway.ie/alumni-friends CRÍOCH 

Students from across Connaught who received an A in Junior Certificate Honours Business Studies, were presented with Certificates of Achievement from the College of Business, Public Policy and Law, NUI Galway recently. The presentations, in association with the Business Studies Teachers Association of Ireland (BSTAI), were made at a recent special ceremony at the University which included teachers and parents. This is the second year NUI Galway has presented these awards and 200 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

One of Ireland’s leading scientists working in the field of stem cell therapy is to receive the 2012 Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research. Professor Frank Barry, Director of the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science (NCBES) at the National University of Ireland, Galway, is to be given the award by the Orthopaedic Research Society. This is the first time the award will go a scientist working outside of the US. The Marshall R. Urist, MD Award was created in 1996 and is sponsored by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This prestigious award honours an investigator who has established him/herself as a cutting-edge researcher in tissue regeneration research, and has done so with a sustained ongoing body of focused research in the area of tissue regeneration as it relates to the musculoskeletal system. The award is named after Dr Marshall R. Urist (1914-2001) who carried out pioneering studies on bone induction and the identification of bone morphogenetic protein, or BMP, which revolutionised orthopaedic medicine.  Harry A. McKellop, Chair of the Awards and Recognition Committee of the Orthopaedic Research Society, said: “The Urist Award honours investigators who have made significant contributions to research in tissue regeneration. It is presented to Professor Barry in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of cell mediated therapies in bone and joint repair, and the impact of his research on improving the understanding of tissue regeneration and joint metabolism.” Professor Frank Barry, who is from Cobh, Co.Cork, moved to the US in 1990 to work with Osiris Therapeutics, based in Baltimore, which is now one of the leading companies engaged in the development of stem cell therapies. In 2004 he moved back to Ireland, as Scientific Director of the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at NUI Galway, a role he continues to hold. He took over as Director of NCBES in 2009, and oversees 70 academic investigators and 300 researchers as they develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic solutions in the areas of Biomedical Engineering, Cancer, Neuroscience, and Regenerative Medicine. Commenting on the announcement, Professor Barry said: “It is an extraordinary honour for me personally to receive this award and I am very grateful to the Orthopaedic Research Society for recognising the research I have been involved in over the last number of years. I am fully aware that research of this nature involves teams of scientists and I have been very fortunate to work with many talented and innovative researchers in the US and especially now at NUI Galway.” The Marshall R. Urist Award includes an honorarium of $5,000 and a commemorative plaque, which will be presented to Professor Barry during the 2012 Annual Meeting of the ORS in San Francisco, on 6 February. Professor Barry will join the company of previous distinguished recipients, including Drs. Ernesto Canalis, A. Hari Redi, Arnold Caplan, Richard Coutts, Thomas Einhorn, Steven Goldstein, Rocky Tuan, Farshid Guilak, Chris Evans, Vicky Rosen and Jay Lieberman.

The next talk in the NUI Galway public talk series on Sports Technology will take place on Tuesday, 17 January at 6pm. Entitled A score or not a score – that is the question! Score detection and other technologies in Gaelic games, soccer and other field sport, the talk will be delivered by Liam Kilmartin, Lecturer with the School of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway. According to Liam Kilmartin: “From Geoff Hurst in 1966 to Frank Lampard in 2010, the inability to determine whether valid goals have been scored in soccer has generated much press and debate. Similar discourse has erupted at times in GAA circles particularly relating to hurling where determination of valid point scores is often even more challenging due to the speed and height of the sliotar.” The talk will initially focus on the challenge of score detection in a number of sports, and will examine technologies which have been proposed for use in both soccer and Gaelic sports, ranging from a prototype system developed for the GAA in the late 1990s to contemporary systems such as Hawkeye and other candidates for ‘goal line technology’ currently being considered by FIFA. The second half of the talk will examine in a broader sense how modern communication and sensor technology is being used in team sports such as soccer, GAA, Australian football and rugby to aid in monitoring player performance both in training and during actual games. The final portion of the talk will examine possible future technologies which could help with player’s mental focus, possibly determining when they are in the zone and hence ready mentally to perform at an optimal level. Liam Kilmartin, an NUI Galway Engineering graduate, has been a Lecturer in Electronic Engineering at the University since 1994. His research interests include signal and image processing algorithms and applications and wireless and mobile communication technology. He was one of two Principle Investigators on a GAA/Enterprise Ireland (formerly Forbairt) co-funded project which ran from 1998 to 2002. The project focused on the development of technology to facilitate automated score detection in hurling. In recent years, his research interests have also focussed on how advanced technologies such as GPS, wireless communications and signal analysis can be applied to maximise athletes’ physical and mental conditioning. The free public talk will take place in room ENG-3035 in the Engineering Building at NUI Galway. The series of Sports Technology talks is being organised as part of NUI Galway’s degree programme in Sports & Exercise Engineering, whose students are being educated to design the next generation of sports and exercise systems and devices. For more information on the Sports Technology talks, which are supported by Engineers Ireland (West), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, visit www.ExerciseEngineering.com or call 091 492728.

NUI Galway is pleased to announce the launch of a new computer training initiative aimed at people categorised as digitally excluded. Working in partnership with Limerick Community Connect, DCU and Age Action Ireland, NUI Galway will deliver basic computer training to 400 people between January and June of 2012. ‘Click & Connect’ is funded by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and will be delivered by the Discipline of Information Technology at NUI Galway. All training will be provided without charge. Experienced tutors will introduce learners to the very basics of computers and teach them computer activities such as: surfing the web, setting up and using email, how to download photographs, how to access Government information on-line. Classes will be small and will be carried out in local, non-formal learning settings. Professor Gerry Lyons, Dean of the College of Engineering and Informatics, stated that there are thousands of people living in Ireland today who have been left behind when it comes to the internet. Referring to the new computer training initiative he said: “Older people will particularly benefit, as will unemployed people and disadvantaged groups in the Galway region. These people miss out on opportunities most people take for granted.  For example, those not yet online cannot send emails, do internet searches for products or information, or conduct Government transactions online.” NUI Galway has designed training material suitable for beginners, with plenty of support and encouragement from the volunteer tutors. The training provided will be very basic and is intended as practical guidance for people with no prior experience of computers and the internet. Classes will be just two hours duration over three consecutive weeks and are a great opportunity to be part of this amazing digital world. If you would like more information on NUI Galway’s ‘Click and Connect’, or to register for the classes, please contact the co-ordinator Trish O’Connell in the Discipline of Information Technology at 087-0571967 or e-mail her at clickandconnect@nuigalway. Training begins the week of 16 January. ENDS