March 2016

PotterFest Galway, Ireland’s only convention celebrating J.K. Rowling’s much loved Harry Potter series, returns to NUI Galway on 12-13 March. The aim of the event is to provide fans of the Harry Potter series with a memorable and magical experience over the course of the weekend. The two-day convention, organised by NUI Galway’s Harry Potter Society, will include events for Potter fans of all ages, including a Hogwarts House Sorting Ceremony, Hogwarts classes, and the chance to play the most popular sport in the wizarding world, Quidditch. Other events include a family fun day, cosplay events, arts and crafts workshops, a petting zoo, and a bouncing castle. Special guests at PotterFest 2016 will include: actor Hugh Mitchell, who Potter fans will recognise as Colin Creevey in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’; Brian Holden and Meredith Stepien of Team Starkid; and Will Naameh, who runs The Potter Trail in Edinburgh. All guests will take part in panels across the weekend, and will be available for photo opportunities with visitors. On Friday, 11 March, NUI Galway’s Harry Potter Society will be hosting a Yule Ball in the Aula Maxima to celebrate the beginning of the convention, and to bring to a close the Tri-wizard Tournament that has been taking place throughout the year. Tickets for the Yule Ball are €25 and the event is strictly over 18s. Pre-registration tickets for PotterFest Galway, and tickets for the Yule Ball, are available at www.socsbox.nuigalway.ie. Full weekend tickets are €30. Day tickets can also be purchased with Saturday tickets costing €20, and Sunday tickets costing €15. Tickets will also be available at the door across the weekend. For more information, please contact Rebecca Davitt at potterfestgalway@gmail.com, or visit www.potterfestgalway.org. -Ends-

‘Bricks and clicks for Europe: building a successful digital campus’ NUI Galway is delighted to announce it will host the European University Association (EUA) Annual Conference 2016 “Bricks and clicks for Europe: building a successful digital campus” from 7 to 8 April 2016. This is the first time that the EUA conference has been held in Ireland and President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, will deliver the opening address. With 850 members across 47 countries, EUA is the largest organisation representing universities in Europe. 17 million students are enrolled at EUA member universities. As the voice of Europe’s universities EUA supports and takes forward the interests of the European higher education sector as a whole. The EUA Annual Conference will explore how Europe’s universities are developing comprehensive “bricks and clicks” strategies and how they are tackling the challenges involved in becoming more interactive and interconnected.  Of specific interest to the Irish higher education sector will be sessions on ‘University mergers in Europe’ and ‘Galway as a Digital University’. Universities in Europe are currently engaged in large-scale transformation in an attempt to address social, cultural and technological changes. The conference will address these changes, especially the advent of digitalization and why it is important for European universities. In welcoming the conference, NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne, said: “I am delighted that the EUA annual conference is being held for the first time in Ireland this year, and I’m particularly pleased that NUI Galway will host our colleagues from the university sector right across Europe. From our position on the edge of Europe, Galway has a unique view of the global education agenda. NUI Galway will provide a unique platform for informed discussion and stimulating exchange on the changing paradigms in higher education and research and I very much look forward to welcoming more than 300 leaders in European higher education to Galway for this important conference.” High-level university leaders and practitioners from across Europe will share their experiences of major change processes, such as the introduction of open access, open innovation and research and the incorporation of new technologies in university teaching. The conference will also seek to explore how these transformations are affecting institutional development, in particular in terms of HR and campus management as well as community relations. Conference speakers include Entrepreneur in Residence at NUI Galway, student Edel Browne, Regina Moran, CEO of Fujitsu UK and Ireland and Lord David Puttnam, Chair, Atticus Education, and former Chancellor, Open University UK as well as many other leaders of European universities and representatives from the European Commission. The conference will provide a Europe-wide discussion for higher education stakeholders to exchange experiences, share good practices, discuss future strategies and thus anticipate tomorrow’s educational needs. For more information or to view the conference programme, please visit the conference  website. Ends Mórchomhdháil Oideachais in OÉ Gaillimh do Cheannairí Ollscoileanna as gach cearn den Eoraip  ‘Bricks and clicks for Europe: building a successful digital campus’ Is cúis áthais do OÉ Gaillimh a fhógairt go mbeidh Comhdháil Bhliantúil Chumann Eorpach na nOllscoileanna (EUA) 2016, dar teideal ‘Bricks and clicks for Europe: building a successful digital campus’,  á reáchtáil san Ollscoil an 7 agus an 8 Aibreán 2016. Seo an chéad uair a bheidh comhdháil an EUA ar siúl in Éirinn agus is é Uachtarán na hÉireann, Micheál D. Ó hUigínn a thabharfaidh aitheasc na hoscailte. Tá 850 ball as 47 tír san EUA, arb í an eagraíocht is mó í a dhéanann ionadaíocht ar ollscoileanna san Eoraip. Tá 17 milliún mac léinn cláraithe in ollscoileanna ar baill iad den EUA. Tugann an EUA guth d’ollscoileanna na hEorpa agus cuireann sé leas earnáil ardoideachais na hEorpa i gcoitinne chun cinn. Ag Comhdháil Bhliantúil an EUA féachfar ar an gcaoi a bhfuil ollscoileanna na hEorpa ag forbairt straitéisí cuimsitheacha ‘brící agus cliceanna’ agus ar an gcaoi a bhfuil siad ag tabhairt faoi na dúshláin a bhaineann le héirí níos idirghníomhaí agus le níos mó ceangail a chothú eatarthu.  Cuirfidh earnáil an ardoideachais in Éirinn spéis go háirithe sna seisiúin dar teideal ‘University mergers in Europe’ agus ‘Galway as a Digital University’. Tá athrú ó bhonn á dhéanamh ar ollscoileanna san Eoraip faoi láthair d'fhonn dul i ngleic le hathruithe sóisialta, cultúrtha agus teicneolaíochta. Pléifear na hathruithe sin sa chomhdháil seo, agus díreofar go háirithe ar theacht an digitithe agus ar an gcúis a bhfuil tábhacht leis an digitiú d’ollscoileanna na hEorpa. Agus é ag fáiltiú roimh an gcomhdháil, dúirt Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne: ‘Tá ríméad orm go bhfuil comhdháil bhliantúil an EUA á reáchtáil in Éirinn den chéad uair i mbliana, agus tá mé thar a bheith sásta gur in OÉ Gaillimh a bheifear ag fáiltiú roimh ár gcomhghleacaithe ó earnáil na n-ollscoileanna fud fad na hEorpa. Tá léargas ar leith ag Gaillimh ar an gclár oibre oideachais domhanda, ón áit a bhfuilimid suite ar imeall na hEorpa. Cuirfidh OÉ Gaillimh ardán ar leith ar fáil le plé stuama a dhéanamh agus le smaointe spreagúla a roinnt maidir leis na múnlaí ardoideachais agus taighde atá ag athrú. Tá mé ag dúil go mór le fáilte a chur roimh níos mó ná 300 ceannaire as earnáil ardoideachais na hEorpa chuig an gcomhdháil thábhachtach seo.’ Roinnfidh ceannairí agus cleachtóirí ó ollscoileanna ardleibhéil ar fud na hEorpa a dtaithí ar mhórphróisis athraithe, mar shampla, tús a bheith á chur le rochtain oscailte agus le nuálaíocht agus taighde oscailte, agus teicneolaíochtaí nua a bheith á dtabhairt isteach sa teagasc ar an ollscoil. Déanfar iarracht sa chomhdháil freisin plé a dhéanamh ar an tionchar atá ag na claochluithe seo ar fhorbairt na n-institiúidí, go háirithe ó thaobh bainistiú Acmhainní Daonna agus campais de agus ó thaobh an chaidrimh leis an bpobal chomh maith. I measc chainteoirí na comhdhála beidh Fiontraí Cónaitheach OÉ Gaillimh, an mac léinn Edel Browne, Regina Moran, Príomhfheidhmeannach Fujitsu sa Ríocht Aontaithe agus in Éirinn agus an Tiarna David Puttnam, Cathaoirleach, Atticus Education agus iar-Sheansailéir Open University UK, mar aon le go leor ceannairí eile ó Ollscoileanna san Eoraip agus ionadaithe ón gCoimisiún Eorpach. Tabharfaidh an chomhdháil deis plé do pháirtithe leasmhara ón ardoideachas ar bhonn uile-Eorpach chun a dtaithí a roinnt, dea-chleachtais a mhalartú, agus straitéisí a bheidh acu amach anseo a phlé chun go mbeidh siad ábalta freastal ar na riachtanais oideachais a bheidh ann amach anseo. Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil nó chun féachaint ar chlár na comhdhála, téigh chuig láithreán gréasáin na comhdhála. Críoch

Register in advance for a chance to win a GoPro Camera NUI Galway’s annual Spring Undergraduate Open Day will be held on Saturday, 16 April from 10am to 3pm. The Open Day is an opportunity for students and parents to experience first-hand all that NUI Galway has to offer. There is a packed programme of events lined up for the day including subject talks, taster sessions, hands-on science workshops and interactive sessions with IT systems and robotics. There will be over 80 subject-specific stands in the main exhibition area in the Bailey Allen Hall, where lecturers and current students will be available to answer questions on courses, CAO points, employability, and career progression routes. The ‘Parents Programme’ will provide parents with information on important issues such as fees and funding, careers, accommodation, career destinations and the range of support services for students. Highlight talks throughout the day will include: Scholarship schemes including Creative Arts Performance Points, CAO Sports Performance Points, Sports Scholarships and Excellence Scholarships The new Bachelor of Commerce (Global Experience) The new BA Children’s Studies Arts – the new BA Joint Honours Shannon College of Hotel Management – International Hotel Management Career talks – “Where are the jobs? What are my employment prospects after University?” Students registering in advance to attend the Open Day are invited to enter a competition using the hashtag #experiencenuigalway on any social media outlet indicating why they should win a GoPro camera to capture their NUI Galway Open Day experience. The winner will be given a special GoPro tutorial and invited to record their visit to the campus. Niamh Connolly, Marketing Officer at NUI Galway, said: “Attending Open Day is the perfect opportunity to get a real feel for university life at NUI Galway, talk to lecturers and current students, and get all the information you need to make that important decision. We are encouraging anyone with an interest in studying at NUI Galway to come along as the Open Day is a unique opportunity to experience what the University has to offer and decide whether NUI Galway feels right for you.” Tours of the campus will feature the state-of-the-art sports complex and gym, the Engineering Building and tours of student accommodation. Guided walking tours of the main campus and campus accommodation will also take place throughout the afternoon. To plan your visit advance, receive an Open Day programme, and be in with a chance of winning a GoPro camera, visit www.nuigalway.ie/opendays or visit@nuigalway.ie. -Ends- Cláraigh anois do Lá Oscailte Fochéime an Earraigh in OÉ Gaillimh  Cláraigh roimh ré agus beidh deis agat Ceamara GoPro a bhuachan Dé Máirt, 29 Márta 2016: Beidh Lá Oscailte Fochéime an Earraigh ar siúl in OÉ Gaillimh Dé Sathairn, an 16 Aibreán ó 10am go 3pm. Is deis atá sa Lá Oscailte do mhic léinn agus do thuismitheoirí taithí phearsanta a fháil ar gach a bhfuil ar tairiscint in OÉ Gaillimh. Tá clár lán le himeachtaí eagraithe don lá lena n-áirítear cainteanna faoi na hábhair, seisiúin eolais, ceardlanna eolaíochta praiticiúla agus seisiúin idirghníomhacha le córais IT agus róbataic. Beidh os cionn 80 seastán a bhaineann le hábhair ar leith sa phríomh-halla taispeántais i Halla Bailey Allen, áit a mbeidh léachtóirí agus mic léinn reatha ar fáil chun ceisteanna a fhreagairt ar chúrsaí, pointí CAO, infhostaitheacht, agus dul chun cinn gairme. Cuirfidh ‘Clár na dTuismitheoirí’ eolas ar fáil do thuismitheoirí ar cheisteanna tábhachtacha cosúil le táillí agus maoiniú, gairmeacha, lóistín, poist agus an réimse seirbhísí tacaíochta atá ar fáil do mhic léinn. I measc na gcainteanna spéisiúla a bheidh ar siúl ar an lá tá: Scéimeanna scoláireachta lena n-áirítear Pointí Breise do na hEalaíona Cruthaitheacha, Pointí Breise CAO do Spórt, Scoláireachtaí Spóirt agus Scoláireachtaí Sárchaighdeáin An Baitsiléir nua le Tráchtáil (Eispéireas Domhanda) An BA nua le Staidéar Leanaí Na Dána – an BA nua Comhonóracha Coláiste Ósta na Sionna – Bainistíocht Idirnáisiúnta Óstáin Cainteanna faoi ghairmeacha – “Where are the jobs? What are my employment prospects after University?” Tá deis ag mic léinn a chláraíonn roimh an Lá Oscailte iarratas a dhéanamh ar chomórtas tríd an haischlib #experiencenuigalway a úsáid ar aon cheann de na meáin shóisialta agus a rá cén fáth ar cheart dóibh ceamara GoPro a bhuachan chun a gcuid féin de Lá Oscailte OÉ Gaillimh a chur i bhfoirm grianghraf. Cuirfear rang teagaisc speisialta GoPro ar fáil don bhuaiteoir agus tabharfar cuireadh dó/di a c(h)uairt ar an gcampas a thaifeadadh. Dúirt Niamh Connolly, Oifigeach Margaíochta in OÉ Gaillimh: “Is deis iontach atá sa Lá Oscailte tuiscint mhaith a fháil ar shaol na hollscoile in OÉ Gaillimh, labhairt le léachtóirí agus le mic léinn reatha, agus an t-eolas ar fad a theastaíonn uait a fháil chun an cinneadh tábhachtach sin a dhéanamh. Molaimid do dhuine ar bith ar spéis leo staidéar in OÉ Gaillimh teacht chuig an Lá Oscailte mar gur deis ar leith atá ann eolas a chur ar a bhfuil ar fáil san Ollscoil agus a fháil amach duit féin an bhfeileann OÉ Gaillimh duitse.” Ar thurais den champas, taispeánfar an t-ionad spóirt le giomnáisiam den scoth, an Foirgneamh Innealtóireachta agus lóistín na mac léinn. Tabharfar na cuairteoirí ar shiúl na gcos freisin tráthnóna timpeall an phríomhchampais agus thart ar lóistín na mac léinn. D’fhonn do chuairt a phleanáil roimh ré, clár den Lá Oscailte a fháil, agus a bheith sa mhála mór chun ceamara GoPro a bhuachan, tabhair cuairt ar www.nuigalway.ie/opendays or visit@nuigalway.ie. -Críoch-

NUI Galway’s School of Law will host a conference on Law, Revolution and Sovereignty: Reflections on the Legal Legacy of the 1916 Rising and the Declaration of Independence. The conference will take place at the Aula Maxima at NUI Galway on 9-10 April.  The conference, part of NUI Galway’s commemorative programme for the centenary of the 1916 Rising, will consider the legacy of Irish independence and sovereignty in the domain of law and legal thought.  The conference will address: The distinctive character of the legal order that developed post-independence The impact of revolutionary ideals in the Irish legal and constitutional system Constitutional experimentation and evolution in independent Ireland Concepts of nationalism and popular sovereignty and their impact in the area of social and penal policy The conference will be opened by Dr Maurice Manning, Chancellor of the National University of Ireland, and Mr Justice John MacMenamin of the Supreme Court of Ireland.  Emily Logan, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, will close the proceedings. Professor Donncha O’Connell, Head of NUI Galway’s School of Law, said: “The School is delighted to host this conference. It provides an opportunity for staff, alumni and students, and members of the public, to join a distinguished panel of speakers in considering how Ireland has used a century of political independence to fashion its legal order and engagement with the wider world.” To view the full conference programme and speakers visit www.conference.ie. To register for the conference email m.portuondo1@nuigalway.ie. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points will be available for legal professionals who register and attend the conference. -Ends- 

NUI Galway announced the recipients of the 2016 Sports Awards at a ceremony last week. The awards recognise sporting performance, leadership and participation, as well as those that contribute to the running and development of the NUI Galway Sports Clubs. Among the individual award winners were Irish Hockey International Naomi Carroll, who has been capped 72 time for her country and has scored 21 international goals and Soccer player Jenny Byrne, an underage and University Games International who this month  captained the NUI Galway ladies soccer team to All-Ireland Colleges Glory. Promising Triple jumper Conall Mahon, who is both the indoor and outdoor Intervarsity’s champion, was also among the awardees. Conall will be going for four in a row in the outdoor event later this year. Katie Mc Eneff took the individual award for rowing after winning two All-Ireland titles at the national championships, one of which was in a course record. The Judo club were represented by Darren Friel, who followed up his wonderful medal haul of two gold medals at the Irish intervarsity’s with an impressive Silver and Bronze at the National Championship. Eoghan Staunton represents one of the new world sports, Ultimate Frisbee. Eoghan not only coaches our ladies team but was a member of the Irish team to compete in Dubai at the World Championships. Gaelic sports are represented by members of the Hurling Club and the Camogie Club. Chloe Morey, a current member of the Clare Senior camogie team and a leading member of the NUI Galway camogie team, won a Camogie All Star. Niall O’Brien is a current member of the Westmeath Senior Hurling team and has been one of NUI Galway top scorers over the last four years. The Tom Tuohy Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rowing this year went to the Intermediate Fours of Jack Bennett, Daniel Buckle, Kevin Neville, Aidan Kinneen and cox Sandra Kelly. Mike Heskin, NUI Galway’s Director of Sport and Physical Activity, said: “The ongoing success of our students and alumni is a great source of pride for the University and the clubs and coaches that have helped them along the way. NUI Galway has a long tradition in high performance on the national and international stage, it is particularly pleasing to see the high level of success now been achieved by our women across the entire spectrum of sport.” The ‘Most Improved Sports Club Recognition’ was awarded to the NUI Galway Surf Club who have shown great strides in building their club with international surfing trips, providing  lifeguard instruction courses, surf camps, yoga classes and a jam-packed social event’s calendar to take full advantage of the unique location of NUI Galway to Ireland’s prime surfing spots. The ‘Special Achievement Award’ recognises, over a period of time, the excellence of a club or an individual. This year there were two recipients of the award. For Archery, Darren Wallace who has been one of the University’s outstanding representatives. Over the last year Darren has been an outdoor and indoor national champion and represented his country at World and European Games level, as well as the World University Games. For Judo the award goes to Eoin Mac Crossain. Eoin was a member of the winning men’s intervarsity team in 2014.  In the summer of 2014 Eoin was diagnosed with cancer and spent six months in hospital but still captained the men’s team to take Gold in the Intervarsity men’s team event in February 2015. Receiving the all clear in the summer of 2015, Eoin returned to light training with the club January 2016. He was a member men’s team at this year’s Intervarsity’s, and helped the club secure bronze in this event. The ‘Club Captain’s award’ was presented to Elizabeth Mc Keever of Women Rugby. As a player, administrator and mentor Elizabeth has lead her club to three landmark victories over the last year. Under her Captaincy NUI Galway’s Women Rugby won the Irish Universities Rugby Union (IURU) Intervarsities, the Connacht Women's Rugby League and recently the Women's College Rugby league Final, making this session the most successful ever for the club. 2016 Sports Award Winners: Individual Awards Athletics: Conall Mahon from Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh Camogie: Chloe Morley from Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare Hockey: Naomi Carroll from Cratloe, Co. Clare Hurling: Niall O’Brien from Ballinagore, Co. Westmeath Judo: Darren Friel from Carrabaun, Co. Mayo Ladies Soccer: Jennifer Byrne from Athlone, Co. Westmeath Rowing: Katie McEneff from Galway City Ultimate Frisbee: Eoghan Staunton from Taylors Hill, Galway City Club Captains Award: Elizabeth McKeever from Butlersbridge, Co. Cavan Special Achievement Award: Joint winners – Darren Wallace from Portlaoise, Co. Laois and Eoin Mac Crossain from Muff, Co. Donegal Team Winners Team Award: Ladies Soccer Team Team Award: Mystics Basketball Team Team Award: Men’s Basketball Team Team Award: Women’s Rugby Team Team Award: Women’s B Squash Team Most Improved Club: Surf Club Recreation Participation Award: Couch to 5K Team Tom Tuohy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rowing: Men’s Intermediate Fours -Ends-

NUI Galway researchers working on development of technology for self-driving vehicles present to high-level European Transportation Research Advisory Committee Researchers from NUI Galway presented their work on the development of technology for autonomous vehicles at the recent meeting of the European Road Transport Research Advisory Committee (ERTRAC), which was hosted by Valeo Vision Systems in Tuam, County Galway. ERTRAC engages with key stakeholders in road transportation across Europe to develop a common Europe-wide vision for road transportation, and includes in its membership national transportation policy makers and regulators, research and innovation agencies, and major transport industry representatives. Dr Edward Jones and Dr Martin Glavin from the Connaught Automotive Research (CAR) Group at NUI Galway presented research being conducted on the development of highly advanced intelligent automotive systems. This work focuses in particular on signal and image processing technology for applications such as automatically detecting pedestrians and other vehicles using cameras and other sensors. The objective of technology like this is to provide ‘advance warning’ of hazards on the road and give the driver or the vehicle more time to avoid a collision. Technology like this is already making its way into several production cars, and will be an important part of autonomous vehicles that will be capable of driving themselves without human intervention. The NUI Galway CAR Group has a very successful partnership with Valeo for almost 17 years, and has worked on numerous research projects during that time that were aligned with Valeo’s technical and commercial objectives. Since then the CAR Group’s researchers have benefitted enormously by working with an industry partner. At the ERTRAC meeting, Aengus Parsons, Director of Research at NUI Galway spoke about the rich research activity across the University, noting in particular NUI Galway’s significant recent success in attracting non-exchequer funding under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research Programme. Aengus Parsons, Director of Research at NUI Galway, commented: “The long-standing collaboration between NUI Galway’s CAR Group and Valeo is a testament to the commitment of both parties in fostering a research programme that combines the University’s expertise in signal and image processing with the needs of industry. It highlights the relevance and value of NUI Galway’s research in contributing to the commercial and economic development in the Galway region and further afield.” Further information on the CAR Group may be found at http://car.nuigalway.ie For more information about NUI Galway’s Research Office visit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/research-office/ ENDS

NUI Galway to host major exhibition ‘A University in War and Revolution 1913-1919’ which offers a glimpse into the lives of many individuals from the University caught up in the historic events of the era NUI Galway will host a major exhibition entitled ‘A University in War and Revolution 1913-1919’ which will be officially opened by Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, Professor Emeritus at NUI Galway on Monday, 4th April. The exhibition examines life in University College Galway (UCG), as it was then known, during a period of great social, cultural and political change. Exhibition materials drawn from the NUI Galway archives show that the emerging Ireland was reflected in the increasing numbers of students taking Irish, in the growing popularity of Gaelic games, and in the establishment of a University Corps of Volunteers. The outbreak of World War 1 in August 1914 came as a shock to many, and it had a tremendous impact on the University, as it had on Ireland in general. In the medium term, the war led to rebellion and political transformation, but more immediately there was a rush to enlist in the British army, which was encouraged by the University authorities. About 140 UCG students, staff and graduates fought in the war, of whom fifteen were killed. Their expectations and experiences are conveyed in the exhibition through poignant images and in obituaries published in the student magazines of the day. The exhibition offers a glimpse into the lives of many individuals caught up in the historic events of the era, people like Mary Donovan O’Sullivan and Brigid Lyons, who took very different positions politically. Mary Donovan O’Sullivan, the Professor of History at UCG was still in her 20s in 1916. She had been an active feminist in the Connaught Women’s Franchise League, but in 1915, she married Lieutenant Jeremiah O’Sullivan, a UCG engineering graduate. As chairperson of the Galway Women’s Recruitment Committee, she was a strong supporter of the war effort. Early in 1916, she denounced the campus republicans, urging, “There [is] no doubt that a number of young men here [in UCG] would be better employed at the front.” Among the republicans Donovan O’Sullivan was criticising, was Brigid Lyons, a second-year Arts student from Roscommon who had taken a lead in establishing the Galway branch of Cumann na mBan. Lyons was at home on her Easter holidays when word of the Rising reached her. She travelled to Dublin with her uncle, Joseph McGuinness, a prominent Longford republican, joining the Four Courts Garrison, where her commanding officer, Frank Fahy, was a UCG graduate himself. The exhibition will open on Monday, 4th April at 5.30pm in the Hardiman Research Building at NUI Galway. Members of the public are invited to visit the exhibition which will run in the Hardiman Research Building until mid-November 2016. For further information on the exhibition visit: www.nuigalway.ie/anationrising ENDS

NUI Galway’s Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Society will hold its second Climate Congress highlighting national and international approaches, adaptation and mitigation. This year the theme will focus on climate change and Ireland and will take place on Tuesday, 5 April in Áras na Mac Léinn from 11.30am-5pm. Speakers will include: Professor Peadar Kirby, Professor Emeritus of International Politics and Public Policy, University of Limerick; Emer Cosgrove, Climate Leader with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project; and James Nix, Director of Brussels-based non-profit Green Budget Europe. The speakers will discuss the direct causes and consequences of climate change for Ireland, and potential solutions. In addition, this year’s event will feature some new voices in the field with the Ignite Talks competition where postgraduate and early stage researchers will showcase their research. The event is free to attend with lunch provided, but registration in advance is requested at http://tinyurl.com/jhlhvpb. -Ends-

NUI Galway will host ‘1916: The Irish Rising at 100 Years’ conference in Columbia University to discuss the formative role of America in shaping the Easter Rising NUI Galway will host a conference entitled ‘1916: The Irish Rising at 100 Years’. It is the only 1916 event being held outside of Ireland by an Irish university and will take place at Columbia University’s prestigious Heyman Center for the Humanities on Friday, 1st of April. Four speakers from NUI Galway will discuss aspects of the relationship between Ireland, America, and 1916, telling the story of the Easter Rising, its context and cultural impact, and the formative role of America and New York in particular in shaping the Rising. The Galway speakers will be joined by three academics from Columbia University and three scholars from Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Penn State University. From NUI Galway, 1916 Scholar-in-Residence Dr Conor McNamara will look at the relationship between America and the Irish. The most significant figure in the events leading to the Rising, Thomas Clarke, emigrated to New York in 1880. He worked closely there with Clan na Gael leader John Devoy, the journalist and editor of the New York Herald, the Irish Nation and Gaelic American. Clarke returned to Ireland in 1907, re-organised the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and was executed following the Easter Rising. Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, a major leader in the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), was exiled in 1871 (along with Devoy), and spent most of the rest of his life in New York, where he edited the United Irishman newspaper. He died in Staten Island and the return of his body to Ireland for burial in 1915 was the occasion of Patrick Pearse’s milestone funeral oration. Pearse himself recognised the centrality of assistance from the US in the independence struggle and as a means to raise funds. In New York he delivered an important Emmet memorial speech in March 1914. Historian Dr Mary Harris from NUI Galway will look at the role of the key leaders in the Rising, Padraic Pearse and Eoin MacNeill, who moved from cultural to political activism. Pearse was inducted into the Irish Republican Brotherhood, initially to boost his attempts to raise funds in America for St. Enda’s School and he went on to play a significant role in planning the Easter Rising, leaving MacNeill in the dark. Dr Harris will discuss their perspectives on the Irish language, literature, and revolt, the consequences of which MacNeill lived to deal with after Pearse’s execution. NUI Galway Historian, Dr John Cunningham, will discuss the crucial role of Irish labour in this transformative historical moment. James Connolly spent 1903 to 1910 in the US, and lessons he learned there informed the Dublin Lockout of 1913, while others drew on the British and American trade union organisation to advance their cause. Literary scholar Dr Adrian Paterson from NUI Galway will talk about the reaction to the Rising in the work of W.B. Yeats. ‘Easter 1916’ became his most famous poetic response but he made a series of other contributions: ballads about the sixteen men, later made into multimedia hand-printed broadsides, and an astonishing combination of east and west, a Japanese Noh play set in the west of Ireland, The Dreaming of the Bones, featuring a rebel who flees after his role in the Rising to the desolate places of the west coast. For further details on this event visit: http://heymancenter.org/events/1916-the-irish-rising-at-100-years/ ENDS

Recruitment opportunities for Ireland’s future techpreneurs Bank of Ireland has been announced as a sponsor of TechInnovate, a new technology entrepreneurship fellowship at NUI Galway. TechInnovate is a unique specialised technology innovation programme at the University, where teams identify real needs in a certain domain and invent/implement solutions. The programme is a 10 month full-time stipend-supported fellowship. The full-time programme combines teams of high-calibre Fellows from either an engineering, business or design graduate background that aims to align unmet domain needs with a market opportunity. Team members are chosen to contribute their skills, knowledge and expertise as part of a multidisciplinary Fellowship team. Now recruiting, TechInnovate’s focus is on enabling technology innovators and innovations, by producing more technology entrepreneurs in local startups, as well as more intrapreneurs in established technology companies in the West of Ireland. High-calibre Fellows are recruited to form 2-3 person interdisciplinary teams and participate in an intensive 10-month programme that goes from concept to product. The programme has been inspired by BioInnovate, a successful medical device technology fellowship that is modelled on the prestigious and internationally-recognised Stanford BioDesign programme. In parallel to the fellowship programme, the second aspect of TechInnovate involves a series of ten day-long industry training workshops that are offered to industry partners, and that mirrors the TechInnovation process undergone by the full-time Fellows. The aim of this stream is to instill intrapreneurial thinking among staff from participating corporates. Tracy Keogh, Galway Community Manager at Bank of Ireland, said: “In the West of Ireland, we need more people thinking entrepreneurially and intrapreneurially, and TechInnovate will provide an injection of these people into the tech ecosystem in the region.” Dr John Breslin, Director of TechInnovate, and senior lecturer at NUI Galway, said: “TechInnovate aims to enable technology innovators and innovations, and will help to derisk startups through a comprehensive needs finding-centred process in different application domains.” TechInnovate is a joint initiative from the College of Engineering and Informatics and the College of Business, Public Policy and Law at NUI Galway, and is supported by Bank of Ireland, Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway, the Galway University Foundation, NUI Galway, and the Western Development Commission. Interested fellowship candidates can apply for the TechInnovate fellowship at www.techinnovate.org before Friday, 8 April 2016. Candidates in the areas of engineering, information technology, design, law, and business must have completed an undergraduate degree in their area and should hold a postgraduate qualification or have equivalent professional experience. ENDS

NUI Galway will host a public forum to discuss the current challenges and future of mental health in Ireland on Thursday, 24 March in the O’Flaherty Theatre on the Arts Concourse at 7pm. Special guests will include Niall Breslin, better known as ‘Bressie’, and Dr Paul D’Alton, Clinical Psychologist and former president of The Psychological Society of Ireland and will be chaired by Dr Jonathan Egan from the School of Psychology at NUI Galway. Both Bressie and Dr D’Alton have spoken frequently on the topic of mental health, and have played an important role in challenging and changing attitudes towards mental health issues in Ireland. Dr D’Alton through his work as a Clinical Psychologist, equality campaigner and advocate of mental health reform, and Bressie through his openness and honesty about his own battle with anxiety and depression and through his website www.alustforlife.com. In an impassioned address to the Joint Committee on Health and Children about mental health and wellbeing at a meeting of the Oireachtas, Bressie and Dr D’Alton described mental ill-health as the great epidemic of this generation, and emphasised the necessity of a whole society response to the alarming increase in self-harm and consistently high rates of suicide in Ireland. Together they challenged the government and the people of Ireland to ask if we were doing enough.  Hannah Durand, NUI Galway PhD candidate in Psychology and member of the University’s Psychological Society and Psi Chi Chapter, said: “We are very excited to be able to facilitate this essential discussion around the future of mental health in Ireland. This is an important step towards changing for the better how Irish society responds to and takes care of all people with mental health issues.” Places are limited and early booking is advised. To register visit https://mentalhealthinireland.eventbrite.com. This event is facilitated by the University’s School of Psychology at NUI Galway, and students from NUI Galway’s Psychological Society and Psi Chi Chapter.  -Ends-

NetFort Technologies is one of 65 companies the Business Innovation Centre at NUI Galway has supported in their development phase over the last number of years NUI Galway client company, NetFort Technologies, a developer of the network security monitoring solution LANGuardian, announced it has now secured over 200 global customers worldwide. NetFort Technologies flagship LANGuardian product is a single software solution that monitors network traffic, users and security. It passively captures the traffic flowing through an organisation’s network switch, analyses it using deep packet inspection techniques, and stores the results in a database. A web-based user interface provides access to the traffic data in the database. As it works on traffic data, there is no client software to install, no interaction with the devices on the network, and no impact on network performance. Headquartered at the Business Innovation Centre in NUI Galway, with offices in London, the US and Australia, NetFort Technologies is an ambitious company that has grown exponentially with global customers that include the US Navy, US Department of Treasury, Honda Motor Company, Washington Gas, Norwest Venture Partners and McGraw Hill Financial. Founded by John Brosnan and Morgan Doyle the company continues to thrive in the security monitoring market. Mr Brosnan has extensive security and networking experience having worked as a Principal Engineer for several years with Digital Equipment Corporation in Ireland, the UK and the US. He has also worked on a number of high speed network interconnect projects in the past, specialising in low-level kernel programming. Commenting on the companies achievements, John Brosnan said: “The Business Innovation Centre at NUI Galway has provided many positives to our company, in particular the fantastic networking opportunities with other companies and being able to share information with each other. An additional benefit of being located within the vibrant community of NUI Galway is the many visitors who come to the University on an annual basis and provide us with access to a networking community that would otherwise be difficult to reach.” Mr Brosnan added, “One of the many difficulties a business faces during its start-up phase is around how it can best continue to move forward and grow. NetFort Technologies focuses primarily on its existing customers to inform them about the best methods of moving forward. By visiting our customers and listening to them, we are able to combine their opinions and thoughts with our own detailed analyst reports to foster a strong internal innovation that continues to keep us at the forefront of our industry.” Fiona Neary, Business Development Manager at NUI Galway’s Business Innovation Centre said: “It is always such a pleasure to work with and support a company like NetFort Technologies. Seeing them deliver a scalable, exportable, superior product is impressive, while at the same time John and his team are so willing to give their expertise back to the community. This is another example of a great West of Ireland company in Galway who has achieved global success.” The company now has 20 employees working in the areas of Research and Development, Support, Sales, and a number of technology partners. The focus for the future is continuing the development of the technology and growth through partnerships. For further information about NetFort Technologies visit: https://www.netfort.com/ ENDS

By adding just two DNA bases to its genome NUI Galway scientists have discovered that Black Fever, the second most deadly parasitic disease, can become resistant to drug treatment Scientists from NUI Galway and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK have shown how the parasite responsible for the neglected tropical disease Black Fever (visceral leishmaniasis) can become resistant to drug treatment, published today in the life sciences and biomedicine journal eLife. Studying the whole genomes (every single letter of the organism’s DNA code) of more than 200 samples of Leishmania donovani parasites revealed that the addition of just two bases of DNA to a gene known as LdAQP1 stops the parasite from absorbing antimonial drugs. While antimonials (a group of compounds used for the treatment of leishmaniasis) are no longer the first-line treatment for the disease, the discovery does show that whole-genome sequencing of Leishmania  donovani parasites could be used to study and track the emergence of resistance to frontline drugs – alerting health workers to potential outbreaks of resistance. Black Fever is the second most deadly parasitic disease after malaria, affecting nearly 300,000 people every year and killing up to 50,000. The parasite is mainly found in the Indian subcontinent, where up to 80 per cent of the disease occurs. To best understand how the parasite evolves and track the spread of drug resistance, researchers need a way to survey and monitor the parasite’s population structure. Unfortunately standard techniques to do this have proved fruitless because the strains of L. donovani parasite are so genetically similar. Dr Tim Downing, one of the paper’s first authors from NUI Galway and the Sanger Institute said: “We discovered that many of the parasites that were resistant to antimonial drug treatment had just two additional DNA bases in the gene LdAQP1, which produces an aquaglyceroporin protein. This insertion produces a scrambled version of this protein that can no longer move small molecules – including antimonials – across its cell membrane. These strains of L. donovani are likely to be resistant because they cannot take in the drugs.” Dr James Cotton, senior author of the study from the Sanger Institute said: “If you want to control visceral leishmaniasis, you need to understand what is going on at the geographic epicentre of the disease, and you need to be able to see changes at the level of individual DNA bases in the parasites’ genomes. Until now studies have been limited to looking at small regions of the parasite’s DNA or at what happens in the laboratory. To truly understand what is happening in the real world, we analysed the whole genomes of more than 200 samples from parasites captured in India, Nepal and Bangladesh over almost a decade.” Exploring the genetic landscape of L. donovani at such depth and breadth yielded new insights into the parasites’ ability to develop drug resistance, and its evolutionary history. In particular, the researchers found that the insertion of just two extra bases of DNA at this single LdAQP1 (aquaglyceroporin) gene in a genome with over 8,000 genes helped the parasite to overcome antimonial drugs. Black Fever – “kala azar” in Hindi – is the second largest life-threatening parasitic disease after malaria. Spread through the bites of sandflies, the parasites enter the internal organs such as the liver, spleen and bone marrow, making them inflamed and swollen. The infection produces fever, weight loss, fatigue and anaemia and is fatal if left untreated. Professor Jean-Claude Dujardin of the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp and the University of Antwerp, senior author of the study and leader of the consortium that ran the study said: “This study perfectly illustrates the relevance of collaboration between large sequencing centres like the Sanger Institute and clinicians and scientists involved in the battle against the most neglected diseases. Thanks to the acquired knowledge, it will be our turn now to beat Black Fever 2-0 by providing local health authorities with performance monitoring tools, and guiding research and development for new and more efficient anti-parasitic drugs.” Analysis of the genomes by the researchers revealed that the parasites responsible for the current epidemic first appeared in the Indian subcontinent in the 19th Century, matching the first historical records of Black Fever epidemics. In addition, the current genetic diversity of the parasite traces back to the 1960s, around the time that the widespread use of DDT to eradicate malaria in India came to an end. To read the full paper in eLife visit: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.12613 ENDS

NUI Galway’s Italian department will host an evening of talks celebrating the culture of Italian food, and the people who make it in the West of Ireland on Thursday 7 April. ‘Italian Food Culture Meets the Atlantic Way’ will take place in IT125, IT Building at 6pm, followed by a food and wine reception provided by the Italian restaurateurs of Galway. Questions considered during the talk include: What is it that makes Italian food culture so popular in its many adaptations around the globe? What form does it take here, in the West of Ireland? Experts, such as the Italian Institute of Culture in Dublin, and Slow Food Galway, will be on hand to address these questions. Also offering their expertise will be the local Italian restaurateurs, including popular venues such as Mona Lisa, Il Vicolo, Basilico, and La Collina, and wine and cheese importer Grapecircus. The restaurateurs will contribute with their experiences, stories and ideas, showing us the significance of making Italian food in Galway. Professor Paolo Bartoloni, Head of Italian at NUI Galway, said: “This event responds to our intention to foster and consolidate the synergy between the tertiary sector and the world of business and creativity in Galway and its region, providing a full, engaging, and authentic encounter with the various aspects of Italian culture, and the ways it is experienced and lived in the West of Ireland.” The event is free to attend but, for catering purposes, attendees are requested to register on https://italianfoodatlanticway.eventbrite.com For further information please contact andrea.ciribuco@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

Academics and employers name the world’s top universities in 42 disciplines NUI Galway has come out strong in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016, scoring in 35 subjects and achieving a ranking in 11 subjects, an improvement from 9 in 2015. NUI Galway now features amongst the world's elite institutions in 11 of the 42 subjects featured in this year's QS World University Rankings by Subject. In the 11 subject areas, Medicine at NUI Galway has made it into the Top 200 and is now ranked third in the country. NUI Galway also makes the Top 200 in English Language & Literature, History and Earth & Marine Sciences. Seven more subject areas are ranked in the top 200-350 range. Domestically, NUI Galway performed well and is ranked second in Ireland in Earth & Marine Sciences and third nationally in English & Language Literature, History and Medicine. Subject Rankings: Earth & Marine Sciences (151-200), second in Ireland English Language and Literature (151-200) third in Ireland History (151-200), third in Ireland Medicine (151-200), third in Ireland Mathematics (301-350), third in Ireland Computer Science & Info Systems (201-250) Engineering - Electrical (251-300) Biological Sciences (201-250) Chemistry (251-300) Education (201-250) Environmental Sciences (251-300) Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway spoke of the significance of NUI Galway’s improvement in its ranking performance in 11 subject areas. “Across the globe our graduates attach great value to the fact that their alma mater features strongly in global rankings. This recognition enhances the employability of our graduates, by highlighting our academic reputation in specific subject areas. This is especially true of graduate recruitment across Asia and the US where Rankings are a relevant feature of job applications. The QS World University Rankings is one of the best regarded evaluations of higher education in the world. NUI Galway is consistently improving its position on this global platform which is testament to the developments in teaching and research that have taken place at our University in recent years. Just last week THE rankings placed us in the Top 200 ‘Best Universities in Europe 2016’ which is an affirmation of our focused approach to developing our international reputation in a select set of teaching and research areas. This sustained performance in a range of ranking metrics reaffirms that our position globally is on the rise.” The sixth edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, released today on TopUniversities.com, features a record-breaking 42 disciplines making it the largest ever ranking of its kind. The expert opinion of 76,798 academics and 44,426 employers informed the results, alongside the analysis of 28.5 million research papers and over 113 million citations sourced from the Scopus/Elsevier bibliometric database. American universities dominate in terms of the number of subjects in which they lead, just as they do in all the global institutional rankings. Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) continue to dominate, leading in 24 subjects between them. Each takes twelve leading positions. More information on the QS World University Rankings is available at www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings. ENDS Dul chun cinn déanta ag OÉ Gaillimh i Ranguithe Ábhair QS Ainmníonn acadóirí agus fostóirí na hollscoileanna is fearr ar domhan i 42 disciplín  D'éirigh thar barr le OÉ Gaillimh i Ranguithe Ollscoile QS World an Domhain de réir Ábhair 2016, ag baint scór amach in 35 ábhar agus ranguithe in 11 ábhar, sin ardú ó naoi gcinn in 2015. Tá OÉ Gaillimh luaite ar na hinstitiúidí is fearr in 11 de na 42 ábhar atá faoi chaibidil i Ranguithe Ollscoile QS an Domhain de réir Ábhair: Sna 11 réimse ábhair, bhain Leigheas in OÉ Gaillimh áit amach sa 200 is fearr ar domhan agus tá sé sa tríú háit sa tír anois. Bhain OÉ Gaillimh amach áit sa 200 is fearr i dTeanga agus i Litríocht an Bhéarla, Stair agus Eolaíochtaí Domhain agus Muirí. Bhain seacht réimse ábhair eile áit amach sa 200-350 is fearr. I gcomparáid leis na hollscoileanna eile in Éirinn, rinne OÉ Gaillimh go maith. Tháinig sí sa dara háit in Eolaíochtaí Domhain agus Muirí agus sa tríú háit i dTeanga & i Litríocht an Bhéarla, Stair agus Leigheas. Ranguithe Ábhair: Eolaíochtaí Domhain & Muirí (151-200), an dara háit in Éirinn Teanga agus Litríocht an Bhéarla (151-200) tríú háit in Éirinn Stair (151-200), tríú háit in Éirinn Leigheas (151-200) tríú háit in Éirinn Matamaitic (301-350), tríú háit in Éirinn Eolaíocht Ríomhaireachta & Córais Faisnéise (201-250) Innealtóireacht - Leictreach (251-300) Na Bitheolaíochtaí (201-250) Ceimic (251-300) Oideachas (201-250) Eolaíochtaí Comhshaoil (251-300) Labhair an Dr Jim Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh faoin dul chun cinn atá déanta ag OÉ Gaillimh sna ranguithe in 11 réimse ábhair. “Bíonn an-mheas ag ár gcéimithe ar fud an domhain ar a n-alma mater ag déanamh go maith sna ranguithe domhanda.  Tugann an t-aitheantas seo deiseanna fostaíochta níos fearr dár gcéimithe mar gheall ar an gcáil acadúil a bhaineann an Ollscoil amach i réimsí ábhair áirithe.  Tá sé seo fíor go mór mór i gcás earcaíocht na mac léinn san Áise agus i Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá mar go mbíonn an-bhéim ar na Ranguithe in iarratais ar phoist. Tá Ranguithe Ollscoile QS an Domhain ar cheann de na measúnuithe ardoideachais is mó a bhfuil meas air ar domhan.  Tá OÉ Gaillimh ag déanamh dul chun cinn i gcónaí ar an ardán domhanda seo rud a léiríonn na forbairtí teagaisc agus taighde atá déanta ag an Ollscoil le blianta beaga anuas. Níl sé ach seachtain ó bhain an Ollscoil amach áit sa 200 ollscoil is fearr san Eoraip in 2016 i Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid Times Higher Education rud a léiríonn an chaoi a bhfuilimid ag iarraidh ár gcáil idirnáisiúnta a fhorbairt i réimsí an teagaisc agus an taighde.  Deimhníonn an dul chun cinn seo i meadarachtaí mar seo go bhfuil ár staid dhomhanda ag feabhsú leis.” Is é seo an séú heagrán de Ranguithe Ollscoile QS World an Domhain de réir Ábhair, a foilsíodh inniu ar TopUniversities.com, tá 42 disciplín ann den chéad uair riamh, an rangú is mó riamh dá leithéid. Cuireadh tuairim saineolaíoch 76,798 duine acadúil agus 44,426 fostóir san áireamh sna torthaí mar aon le hanailís ar 28.5 milliún páipéar taighde agus breis is 113 milliún tagairt as bunachar sonraí bibliméadrachta Scopus/Elsevier. Is iad ollscoileanna Mheiriceá atá chun cinn ó thaobh líon na n-ábhar a bhfuil siad chun tosaigh iontu, agus is iad atá chun cinn sna ranguithe institiúide ar fad ar domhan. Is iad Harvard agus an Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) atá chun cinn agus iad chun tosaigh in 24 ábhar eatarthu. Tá gach aon ollscoil chun cinn in dhá áit déag. CRÍOCH

NUI Galway is delighted to announce the appointment of Aengus Parsons as Director of Research. The newly established post underpins NUI Galway's commitment to further strengthening its position as a research-led university with global reach. As Director of Research Mr Parsons will play a leading role in the strategic management of research activity, aligned with the University’s ambition to develop internationally-recognised research excellence in a range of priority areas and to supporting the delivery of NUI Galway’s Strategic Plan in becoming a Top 200 ranked research-led university by 2020. Commenting on the appointment, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said: “Research and research-led teaching is central to our mission at NUI Galway. With the appointment of Aengus Parsons as Director of Research, we will further build our research capability, enabling us to achieve the ambitious goals we have set ourselves. I’m delighted to welcome Aengus to NUI Galway and I look forward to working with him to ensure the continued development of NUI Galway’s research profile and outputs.” Crucial to the support of NUI Galway’s Research and Innovation strategy is the attraction and retention of emerging research leaders across the University’s key research priority areas, building on significant international successes to date. The priority research areas include: Biomedical Science and Engineering; Marine, Energy and Environmental Science; Data Analytics and Informatics; Physical and Computational Sciences; Applied Public Policy and Social Sciences, Digital Humanities and Drama and Theatre Studies. NUI Galway has significantly grown its research activity and output over the last ten years. The identification of priority research areas and subsequent investments in these areas have enabled the University to develop a critical mass of expertise which has led to significant success in securing competitive research grants, nationally and internationally. Currently home to two national Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres, in Medical Device Technologies and Data Analytics, NUI Galway has had to date the highest Irish university success rate in the European Horizon 2020 research funding programme. Congratulating Aengus Parsons on his appointment, the Vice President for Research at NUI Galway, Professor Lokesh Joshi said: “The University has set out a bold and ambitious target to support research excellence. We are very pleased to announce that Aengus Parsons has joined the leadership team to strengthen our research performance and develop its reputation. We welcome Aengus and under his stewardship, we look forward to ensuring that our strengths and achievements in research will continue to grow and prosper.” Originally from Spiddal in Co. Galway, Aengus Parsons joins NUI Galway following 10 years with the Marine Institute, where, most recently, he held the role of Director of Marine Environment and Food Safety Services. He led a team of scientific and support staff in the delivery to Government of technical and advisory services, backed up by multi-disciplinary research. Previously, as the Research Programme Manager at the Marine Institute, his focus was on implementation of the national marine research strategy and management of the national marine research funding programme. He brings to NUI Galway a broad knowledge of the research policy and funding landscape. Prior to this, Aengus worked for 10 years as a marine consultant, undertaking work for both public and private sector clients, and also spent time in an international research environment. Aengus undertook his undergraduate studies in Science in GMIT and postgraduate studies in Environmental Science at Trinity College Dublin. Speaking of his appointment, Aengus Parsons said: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to play a leading role in the development of high-performance research activity within NUI Galway. Our ambition is to produce research that is recognised as excellent, transformative, and relevant to societal and economic needs, while continuing to attract and retain the highest-calibre of emerging researchers in the University’s priority research areas.” Mr Parsons added, "I am especially looking forward to working with the University’s researchers to enable them to produce research outcomes at the highest level on both the international and national stage. With the commitment and leadership shown by the University, I am confident that NUI Galway will consolidate its position as one of the leading research centres on the island of Ireland and become a central player in both Irish and international research.” ENDS

#Blitzit2016 is part of national ‘Get Going… Get Rowing’ programme which gives students opportunity to engage in a new sport Over 140 secondary school students and 18 volunteers from Galway City attended the first Connacht #Blitzit2016 Challenge which took place at NUI Galway recently. #Blitzit2016 Challenge, a curriculum within the  Get Going… Get Rowing programme, saw students competing in a series of physical challenges, culminating in an epic indoor rowing challenge covering a total of 90,000m to symbolise the distance from Galway to Rio.  The Get Going… Get Rowing programme in Connacht gives secondary school pupils the opportunity to actively engage with a new sport on NUI Galway’s campus or within the students’ own schools. The programme is run by Rowing Ireland who received funding from The Irish Sports Council (ISC) Women in Sport initiative in 2014. In November 2014, Rowing Ireland joined forces with NUI Galway to to jointly fund the Get Going… Get Rowing programme in Connacht. Mike Heskin, recently appointed Director of Sport and Physical Activity at NUI Galway, said: “NUI Galway, as one of the major rowing universities in Ireland, are delighted to be involved with Rowing Ireland in this very exciting project. As 2016 will be a very exciting year for rowing with Ireland been represented by two crews in Rio, I hope events such as this will inspire those taking part to have aspirations to be the best they can be and possibly compete in an Olympic game in the future. ” The NUI Galway Schools’ Challenge commenced with a flurry of activity where groups of 25 students in five separate groups rotated from one activity to the next at high speed and finishing out the challenge by completing 40 minutess of racing on indoor rowing machines. This was then followed by a series of talks on nutrition, mindful movements and the positive effects of physical activity on academic results.  The Get Going… Get Rowing programme also offers schools a training course called TrY rowing to Transition Year students and provides coaching sessions within these schools upon completion of the course. To date, over 50 TrY students have become coaches and the programme provided ergometer, indoor rowing machines, to schools who have completed the TrY rowing and who have fully engaged with the programme. For further details on the Get Going... Get Rowing programme contact Connacht Development Officer, Jen Cunningham at jen.cunningham@rowingireland.ie or 087 7660818. -Ends-

Major exhibition exploring W.B. Yeats’ connections with the West in The Model, Sligo A major NUI Galway exhibition celebrating the many connections W.B. Yeats had with the west of Ireland opens at The Model in Sligo next week. NUI Galway, in association with Yeats2015, will present ‘Yeats & the West’, an exhibition exploring Yeats’s life, work, legacy and deep connections to the west of Ireland in Sligo from 24 March to continue throughout the spring. Alongside the exhibition, every Thursday NUI Galway and The Model will present an exciting series of public talks, tours, and schools events. Highlights of the Yeats & the West exhibition include original artworks by Jack B. Yeats and his father John Butler Yeats, and a wealth of visual material from artists like Norah McGuinness and photographers from Fergus Bourke to Nicolas Fève, alongside rarely seen images, manuscripts, and books from archive collections in NUI Galway such as the Lady Gregory Collection, the Abbey Theatre Digital Archive, and the Lyric Theatre Belfast. The exhibition is part of NUI Galway’s contribution to Ireland’s decade of commemorations and the worldwide Yeats2015 series of cultural events marking his 150th birthday. President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne explained: “As a civic university we enjoy a strong relationship with our region. Sligo and the north-west are especially important to us as witnessed by our longstanding relationship with St Angela’s College and our recently opened Sligo Medical Academy. With Yeats & the West we have developed a 6-week programme of public talks, tours and schools events around this popular exhibition so that we can engage with our alumni, with prospective students and the general public in the north-west. We are delighted to partner with The Model in this initiative and I hope that many visitors will get a chance to enjoy the exhibition and connect with NUI Galway over the coming weeks.” William Butler Yeats, poet, playwright, politician, and Nobel prize-winner for literature always looked west. For Yeats the west was the wellspring of songs, stories, folklore, artwork, drama, crafts; the foundation of the Irish imagination. It was also the landscape of his poetry and plays. Significant events of his life took place here; collaborations that formed his work were forged here. ‘Yeats & the West’ tells this remarkable story and considers what the west meant to him. “I think people sometimes forget that Yeats was not just a poet: he was a cultural revolutionary. To put it differently you might say he was a collaborator, an entrepreneur, an artist and a man who made things happen,” said Dr Adrian Paterson, of NUI Galway and curator of the exhibition. “The west was the landscape of Yeats’s poetry. It was also a wellspring of songs, stories, folklore, artwork, drama, crafts. The talks we are presenting look at his life and loves, his poetry, his influences. But they also feature his collaborations, and the songs and plays and artwork and the politics of those around him that shaped modern Ireland. It’s a western revolution.” “There’s a western tradition of art and making that continues right up to the present day, which is why we’re so pleased scholars like Margaret Mills Harper, Adrian Frazier, and Hilary Pyle, will be speaking not only about W.B. Yeats and his poetry but also the wider cultural sphere, including his own family of makers,” added Dr Adrian Paterson. Yeats & the West is an exhibition of collaborations. The exhibition highlights the gifted artists of Yeats’s own family, in books from the Cuala Press and images of the Dun Emer embroideries from St. Brendan’s Cathedral Loughrea. A complete collection of the Cuala Press Broadsides designed by Jack B. Yeats and recently acquired by The Model will also be on show. The Broadsides feature colloquial poetry and song as well as original, hand coloured illustrations by Jack Yeats. The exhibition also features material from the Arthur Shields Collection, a spectacular resource of letters, photographs, and first editions. The Model’s Acting Director, Emer McGarry, said “The Model is delighted to partner with NUI Galway on this fascinating exhibition. Yeats & the West not only illuminates the influence of western culture on the Yeats Family, but also shines a light on the network of ideas and artistic endeavours that existed between the family and the wider Yeats circle. We are particularly excited to present the accompanying academic lecture series to audiences in the Northwest throughout the duration of the show.” Yeats & the West tells a story of going west to find those places, real and imaginative, that change our sense of where and who we are. The Yeats & the West exhibition runs from 24 March at The Model in Sligo. The exhibition is presented in association with NUI Galway, and supported by the University’s Moore Institute and James Hardiman Library, as well as the National Library of Ireland, St Brendan’s Cathedral Loughrea, Yeats Thoor Ballylee Society, and Yeats2015. In parallel with the public programme of events NUI Galway has a school liaison initiative with targeted workshops for Leaving Certificate and Transition Year students. If your school would like further information or to visit the exhibition contact Grainne Dunne at schoolvisits@nuigalway.ie For further information please visit yeatsandthewest.org and themodel.ie. ENDS

An NUI Galway study discovers how the protein USP9X contributes to the duplication of genetic information and protects from the development of cancer A young team of researchers led by Professor Corrado Santocanale from the Centre for Chromosome Biology at NUI Galway, in collaboration with the prestigious IFOM Research Institute in Milan, Italy, have discovered that a protein named USP9X contributes to the efficient duplication of the DNA in cells. The study has been published in the international journal Cancer Research. The main feature of all cancer cells is uncontrolled growth and duplication. Many drugs used in treating cancer prevent DNA replication thereby stopping the cancer cell from dividing. At the same time, in normal cells, the coordination of the multiple processes that allow DNA replication to be extremely accurate, is key for maintaining genome stability and preventing cancer. At the molecular level, the research scientists found that USP9X binds to a key replication protein and prevents it from being destroyed. The study found that when the function of USP9X is compromised, the machinery (a large number of proteins and enzymes that work together) that duplicates the DNA becomes unstable. And for this reason, the cells accumulate DNA damage and are more sensitive to genotoxic stress (the property of chemical agents that damages the genetic information within a cell causing mutations, which may lead to cancer) including anti-cancer drugs that act by impairing DNA synthesis. USP9X is a well-known player in the cancer arena and previous research has indicated its involvement in multiple cancer-relevant signaling and survival pathways. Intriguingly, and in a context dependent manner, USP9X can be considered either as a factor that protects from the development of the disease or, when the disease is already established, as a potential point of intervention for novel anti-cancer drugs. CLASPIN, a protein that is important during the process of the duplication of the DNA, must be tightly regulated during the cell cycle to prevent the accumulation of DNA damage. In this study, the NUI Galway and IFOM research team used a sophisticated technology to detect molecular associations and identified USP9X as a novel CLASPIN binding protein. Professor Corrado Santocanale from the School of Natural Sciences at NUI Galway, and lead author of the study said: “We found that USP9X regulated the expression and stability of CLASPIN when cells duplicate their DNA. Our PhD student, Edel McGarry carried out most of the laboratory experiments and found USP9X depletion profoundly impairs the progression of DNA replication forks, causing unscheduled termination events with a frequency similar to CLASPIN depletion, resulting in excessive DNA damage.” Professor Corrado added, “Importantly, restoration of CLASPIN expression in USP9X-depleted cells partially suppressed the accumulation of DNA damage. Furthermore, USP9X depletion compromised the normal signals that occur in the cells when they are exposed to DNA replication inhibitors or UV radiation, promoting hypersensitivity to drug-induced replication stress. Taken together, our results reveal a novel role for USP9X in the maintenance of genomic stability during DNA replication, and provide potential mechanistic insights into its tumor suppressor role in certain malignancies.” To read the full Cancer Research paper visit: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2016/03/02/0008-5472.CAN-15-2890.abstract ENDS

NUI Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies will host a series of interviews with public figures exploring the contemporary relevance of the ideas and ideals that led to the formation of the Irish state. Questions addressed during the interviews will include: What is a republic? Is Ireland a republic? Is the Republic of Ireland the kind of republic imagined by those involved in the Irish revolution and proclaimed in 1916? What is the role of religion, art, literature, and politics in creating an Irish civic society of the kind envisaged in that proclamation? The interviews will be conducted by playwright Vincent Woods, presenter of Arts Tonight on RTÉ Radio and will feature public figures who have committed their working lives to realising their own vision of an Irish republic. The first interview will take place on Wednesday, 6 April with socialist and republican activist and community worker Bernadette McAliskey, the youngest woman ever in the British House of Commons on her election in 1969. Other interviews in the series include: Wednesday, 13 April with Thomas Kilroy Wednesday, 20 April with Fr Peter McVerry Wednesday, 27 April with Robert Ballagh The interviews will take place in the Ó hEocha Theatre, Arts Millennium Building, NUI Galway from 6.30-8pm All of these events are open to the public and free to attend. -Ends-

• Irish children report a lack of family and peer support • Cyberbullying increasing with age in Ireland • Drinking behaviours and tobacco use improving among Ireland’s young people A new pan-European World Health Organisation (WHO) survey of schoolchildren reveals that the proportion of 15-year-olds who first smoked at the age of 13 has fallen significantly since 2010. The main findings of the ‘International Health Behaviour in School-aged Children’ (HBSC) 2014 study was launched today in Brussels, with The Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway carrying out the Irish survey. The WHO report entitled Growing up unequal: gender and socioeconomic differences in young people’s health and well-beingcovers 42 countries and regions across Europe and North America who participated in the study, collaborating with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Findings in the report are based on almost 220,000 school students. Cross national comparisons are made for young people aged 11, 13 and 15 years. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, which is updated every four years, reveals that the proportion of 15-year-old Europeans who reported having a first cigarette at the age of 13 or younger fell from 24% to 17% between 2009/2010 when the last survey was conducted and 2013/2014. The reduction reported among girls (22% to 13%) was larger than that among boys (26% to 22%), and the data shows no consistent association with family affluence, suggesting that smoking behaviour is only partially determined by socioeconomic factors. This positive news on smoking is tempered by other aspects of the report, which goes on to warn that while 80% of the schoolchildren report generally high rates of life satisfaction, differences between genders and socioeconomic status are adversely affecting many young people’s health, well-being and lifestyle choices at a critical stage in their development. The Irish Study The Irish survey was carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway and it was the fifth round of data collection in Ireland. The overall study aims to gain new insight into, and increase our understanding of young people’s health and wellbeing, health behaviours and their social context. As well as serving as a monitoring and a knowledge-generating function, one of the key objectives of HBSC has been to inform policy and practice, with the Irish section of the study being funded by the Department of Health. The latest HBSC report, which presents data from the 2013/2014 surveys, has a special focus on the effects of gender and socioeconomic differences on the way that young people grow and develop. The cross-national survey covers diverse aspects of adolescent health and social behaviour, including self-assessment of mental health; obesity and body image; dietary habits; engagement in physical activity; support from families and peers; tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use; and bullying. Dr Saoirse Nic Gabhainn from the Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway, and the Principal Investigator of the Irish HBSC study, commented on the Irish findings within the report: “This study provides valuable insight into the health and wellbeing of children in Ireland. It also provides us with the opportunity to compare the health and health behaviours of Irish children with children from other countries. We have seen improvements in some health enhancing behaviours such as daily fruit consumption and reductions in risk taking behaviours such as alcohol consumption and tobacco use over time. However, there are also some areas of concern. For example, compared to other countries, Irish children report lower levels of feeling high family and peer support when compared to other countries. Cyberbullying increases with age in Ireland, more so than in other countries. Also of concern was the large gender difference between the proportion of girls and boys meeting physical activity recommendations.” Key Irish findings when compared to other participating countries: On health and health behaviours: Life satisfaction: Irish 15-year olds ranked within the bottom 10 countries for the proportion of children reporting high life satisfaction. Daily fruit consumption: Irish children ranked within the top 12 countries for the proportion of children reporting daily fruit consumption. Watch Television (2+ hours on weekdays): Irish children ranked within the bottom 10 countries for the proportion of children reporting two or more hours of TV viewing on weekdays. Meeting physical activity recommendations of at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily: When compared to other countries, Ireland has large gender differences for the proportion of boys and girls meeting physical activity recommendations. A larger proportion of boys report meeting the recommendations than girls. Risk- taking behaviour: Initiation of risk behaviours: In Ireland, there is a socio economic gradient in the proportion of children reporting initiation of cannabis use and first drunkenness. This pattern was not found for 15-year olds who report smoking at the age of 13 or younger. Drinking behaviours and tobacco use are improving in Ireland and when compared to other countries. Social interaction with family and peers: Perceived family support: Of the participating countries, Ireland ranked within the bottom four countries for the proportion of children reporting high family support. Perceived peer support: Of the participating countries, Irish 13 and 15 year olds ranked within the bottom one-third of countries for the proportion reporting high peer support. Daily electronic media contact with friends: Ireland ranked within the top 10 countries for the proportion of children who report daily electronic media contact with friends. Bullied others at school at least twice in the past couple of months: Ireland ranked within the bottom 10 countries for the proportion of children who report bullying others at school. Cyberbullying: have been cyberbullied by messages at least two or three times a month: Compared to other countries, there is a strong age effect in Ireland, with a higher proportion of older children reporting having been cyberbullied than younger children. Data collected for the study are based on surveys completed by thousands of adolescents, thereby ensuring that their voices and concerns can be taken fully into account when the WHO frames its European strategies, policies and actions for improving child and adolescent health and well-being. The study feeds into a growing body of evidence calling for more effective and targeted interventions by governments and policy-makers to tackle the effects of social, health and gender inequalities among young people in Europe. To access a full copy of Growing up unequal: gender and socioeconomic differences in young people’s health and well-being, visit: http://www.euro.who.int/en/hbsc-report-2016  ENDS  

NUI Galway’s second Undergraduate Research Conference, ‘The Brain Café’, will take place on Wednesday, 23 March, giving undergraduate students an opportunity to showcase their high calibre research in a supportive academic environment. Through this multidisciplinary platform, students get to share their research with peers, academic staff and the wider public. Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice-President for Research at NUI Galway, said: “Through NUI Galway’s commitment to excellence in research we have taken on the ambitious call to action that is to build the language, skills and love of research within our undergraduate student community. If we want to promote our undergraduates’ career, we must involve them as early and as much as possible in research, and we see up-and-coming undergraduates participating in creating the best research.” The world café style of presenting (moving from table to table) proved very popular in the highly successful inaugural conference last year. This format breaks down the traditional barriers associated with presenting research and makes it more accessible to students. It eliminates the anxiety often linked to the regular style of conference presentation and public speaking.  “Our students are hungry to showcase their work in this nationally unique conference. We are most impressed by the collegial atmosphere of science students listening and engaging with business student presentations and law students weighing in their thoughts with psychology projects. The cross-pollination leads to creative approaches and solutions,” said Conference Coordinator Lorraine Tansey, Institute for Lifecourse and Society. The conference will take place in between 11am and 2pm in the Lower Aula, Quadrangle Building on Wednesday, 23 March and is open to the public. Registration is encouraged at www.nuigalway.ie/undergrad-research to secure a place. -Ends-   

Over 200 people attended the first ever national Student Talks Conference which took place in Dublin last week. Student Talks is a student led initiative which won the NUI Galway Students’ Union Enterprise Award in 2014 to give students and other early career professionals the opportunity to share their passions and show their commitment to their careers in designated time slots. Student Talks, founded by Dr Brian Slattery, who now works in the School of Psychology at NUI Galway, first started with a one hour mini-conference with students of NUI Galway presenting to an audience of students and staff. This year, in a major development, Student Talks went national with support from student unions across the country The national event was a truly multidisciplinary affair, with talks on a multitude of topics including health, technology, careers, history, and entrepreneurship. Competing for the Student Talks 2016 Award 18 speakers gave a six minute talk with Sarah Tallon of Dublin City University taking home the first prize. The short talks were complemented by invited speakers including: Lynn Ruane, Trinity College Student’s Union President and Seanad candidate; Dr Brendan Rooney, Cyberpsychology Researcher; Tracy Keogh, Bank of Ireland StartLabHQ Community Manager; Alex Musgrave, Dog Day Media founder; Dr Áine Mangaoang, Postdoctoral Researcher in music at the University of Liverpool; and Brian Kennan, Google Director of People Operations. Institutes all over Ireland were also represented, giving attendees an opportunity to network with people from other disciplines and backgrounds. Student Talks aims to support people in the early stages of their career and have partnered with a number of startups. This year, Howling Hamster, a Galway-based games company, and Suas, a youth and education focused organisation, exhibited at the event, while Lemonade, a graphic design company, designed a once-off digital art print to form part of the Student Talks 2016 Award. Galway video production company Slipjig Media, Student Talks’ media partners, were present to document the day, and will be creating videos of all the talks to be made available shortly. Student Talks founder, Dr Brian Slattery, said: “I would like to thank all the speakers and attendees for making the event a success. It is difficult to demonstrate your burgeoning expertise at an early stage in your career, this doesn’t happen till much later on, but so much exceptional and exciting work goes on by students and early career people and it is important to recognise this work and showcase what talent we have in Ireland. Student Talks is a great stepping stone for people starting out. Student Talks is a unique and important event and we hope to develop it into a large scale annual event that becomes a pillar of the early career calendar.” More information on Student Talks can be found on studenttalks.ie, with regular updates on Student Talks shared on Facebook at facebook.com/StudentTalks1 and Twitter @Student_Talks. -END- 

Michelle Moran from Foxford, Co. Mayo has been awarded the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Excellence in Human Resources Award. Michelle is a final year student of the Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resources at NUI Galway. For over eight years, GSK has sponsored the annual Excellence in Human Resources Award at NUI Galway. Every year the top performing students in the Human Resources stream of the Bachelor of Commerce programme are invited to compete for this prestigious prize which includes a financial award and a three-month internship in the Human Resources department of GSK. Many of the previous prize-winners have been retained by GSK which has proven to be an excellent start to their professional career. Dr Deirdre Curran, who manages the award for NUI Galway, said: “This internship represents a wonderful opportunity for our high performing students. A team of GSK managers and NUI Galway staff put all of the candidates through a rigorous assessment process which proves an invaluable learning experience to all of the students regardless of the outcome.” Brian O’Driscoll, Head of Leadership and Talent Development at GSK believes that this award marks a valued partnership between GSK and NUI Galway. “Through this Award we are able to source excellent talent into our HR Department and for many of them this marks the start of an on-going and successful employment relationship.” -Ends-

NUI Galway is ranked in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings for ‘Best Universities in Europe 2016’ NUI Galway is ranked in the Top 200 of The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for ‘Best Universities in Europe 2016’, ranking within the 131-140 range. Twenty-two different countries in Europe were represented in the Top 200 ranking, with NUI Galway ranking third out of six Irish universities that contributed to Ireland’s convincing performance in the list of the Top 200 Universities in Europe in 2016. The ranking is based on the data and methodology used to compile the THE World University Rankings 2015-16. Institutions are measured on their teaching environment, research environment, citations (research influence), industry income and international outlook. The Republic of Ireland is described by THE World University Rankings as punching above its weight and a strong performer along with Denmark and Switzerland, given all three countries are smaller nation sizes per head of population. When assessed on the number of universities in the top 200 in relation to GDP per capita, which reflects spending power, the UK and Germany ranked the highest. The continuous improvement has been attributed to a concerted approach by the University in developing world-class teaching, research and citations in specific fields, NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne explained: “This is a major achievement for NUI Galway and reflects a consistent upward trend in these very competitive European rankings. This sustained improvement in NUI Galway’s THE World University Rankings is an affirmation of our very focused approach to developing our international reputation in a select set of teaching and research areas, and reaffirms that our position globally is on the rise. It is a great tribute to the efforts of many colleagues at a time of financial pressure in the Irish higher education sector that NUI Galway continues to perform well and enhance our standing in these international metrics.” The Times Higher Education World University Rankings are the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. THE use 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments. To view The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for ‘Best Universities in Europe 2016 visit: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/best-universities-in-europe-2016 ENDS OÉ Gaillimh ar cheann den 200 Ollscoil is fearr san Eoraip 2016 OÉ Gaillimh sa 134ú háit sna hOllscoileanna is Fearr san Eoraip 2016 i Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid Times Higher Education Tá OÉ Gaillimh i measc an 200 ollscoil is fearr san Eoraip in 2016 i Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid Times Higher Education (THE). Bhain sí áit amach sa réimse 131-140. Bhain ollscoileanna as dhá thír is fiche san Eoraip áit amach sna Ranguithe don 200 ollscoil is fearr, agus tháinig OÉ Gaillimh sa tríú háit as sé ollscoil in Éirinn a rinne thar barr sa liosta den 200 Ollscoil is fearr san Eoraip in 2016. Tá an rangú bunaithe ar na sonraí agus ar an modheolaíocht a úsáideadh chun Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain 2015-16 de chuid THE a chur le chéile. Meastar institiúidí bunaithe ar a dtimpeallacht teagaisc, timpeallacht taighde, tagairtí (tionchar taighde), ioncam ó thionscal agus dearcadh idirnáisiúnta. Rinne Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid THE cur síos ar Phoblacht na hÉireann mar thír a bhí ag déanamh éachtaí thar a hacmhainn cosúil leis an Danmhairg agus an Eilvéis, ó tharla go bhfuil na trí thír beag ó thaobh daonra de. Is iad an Ríocht Aontaithe agus an Ghearmáin is fearr a rinne sa 200 ollscoil is fearr nuair a cuireadh olltáirgeacht intíre in aghaidh an duine san áireamh, rud a léiríonn cumhacht caithimh. Mhínigh Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne, go ndearnadh an dul chun cinn seo mar gheall ar chur chuige comhaontaithe na hOllscoile teagasc, taighde agus tagairtí den scoth a fhorbairt i réimsí sonraithe: “Is éacht ollmhór é seo do OÉ Gaillimh agus léiríonn sé ardú seasta sna ranguithe Eorpacha seo atá thar a bheith iomaíoch. Is dearbhú é an t-ardú seasta ar sheasamh OÉ Gaillimh i Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid THE ar an gcur chuige thar a bheith dírithe atá againn i leith ár gcáil idirnáisiúnta a fhorbairt i réimsí áirithe teagaisc agus taighde agus léiríonn sé go bhfuil ár stádas domhanda ag dul ó neart go neart. Is léargas iontach ar iarrachtaí ár gcomhghleacaithe ar fad agus brú airgeadais orainn in earnáil an ardoideachais in Éirinn go bhfuil OÉ Gaillimh fós ag déanamh go maith agus ag cur lenár seasamh sna meadarachtaí idirnáisiúnta seo.” Is iad Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid Times Higher Education an t-aon tábla feidhmíochta domhanda a thomhaiseann ollscoileanna a chuireann béim ar thaighde ó thaobh a gcroímhisin ar fad: teagasc, taighde, aistriú eolais agus dearcadh idirnáisiúnta. Úsáideann THE 13 tháscaire feidhmíochta a cuireadh le chéile go cúramach chun an chomparáid is cuimsithí agus is cothroime a dhéanamh a mbeadh iontaoibh ag mic léinn, lucht acadúil, ceannairí ollscoile, tionscal agus rialtais astu. Chun na hOllscoileanna is Fearr san Eoraip 2016 i Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid Times Higher Education (THE) a fheiceáil téigh chuig: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/best-universities-in-europe-2016 CRÍOCH  

Montclair State University Professor to give public lecture on: Fairies, Rebels, Mothers: Lady Gregory and 1916 NUI Galway will host the 2016 Monsignor Pádraig De Brún Lecture entitled Fairies, Rebels, Mothers: Lady Gregory and 1916, to be given by Professor Lucy McDiarmid, Marie Frazee-Baldassarre Professor of English at Montclair State University in the US on Tuesday, 22 March. The biennial public lecture is held in honour of Monsignor de Brún who served as University President from 1945 until 1959. The memorial lectures have been running since the 1960’s with Professor Stephen Hawking giving a lecture in 1994 on “Life in the Universe”. Professor McDiarmid’s lecture will focus on the career of Lady Gregory, whose writings and life are so closely connected with County Galway. Professor Lucy McDiarmid is the author and editor of seven books, including At Home in the Revolution: what women said and did in 1916 and The Irish Art of Controversy. Her work on the cultural history of Irish modernism, published in her numerous books, essays and edited volumes, has led to a deeper understanding of one of Ireland's greatest literary periods. Professor McDiarmid’s groundbreaking edition of Lady Gregory's selected writings (edited with Maureen Waters) did a great deal to draw critical attention to Lady Gregory’s work and Professor McDiarmid’s De Brún Lecture will focus on many aspects of Lady Gregory’s achievements. Professor McDiarmid will also discuss the formative moment of 1916 in this commemorative year, which relates to her recent publication, At Home in the Revolution: what women said and did in 1916. The public lecture will be followed by a questions and answers session moderated by Professor Daniel Carey, Director of the Moore Institute at NUI Galway. The Monsignor De Brún Lecture will take place on Tuesday, 22 March at 7.30pm in the Aula Maxima (Lower). To book a place at this free public lecture, please register at www.conference.ie. Advance booking is essential. ENDS

NUI Galway’s Arts in Action 2016 Grand Finale will take place at the upper Aula Maxima on campus on Thursday, 24 March at 7pm. This event, which is entitled ‘War, Freedom, Love and Loss’, is a collaboration between the University’s discipline of English, School of Medicine, and the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance. This Gala evening is also part of the ‘A Nation Rising/Éire á Muscailt’ programme, which is programmed and directed by NUI Galway’s Dr Mary Harris and runs throughout the academic year. This special event will feature actors from NUI Galway Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance in a dramatised production researched and narrated by Professor Sean Ryder, Head of English, and directed by actress, writer and theatre director Caroline lynch. The music and songs are researched and directed by Carl Hession. Over 40 medical students will perform music and song from the period 1900 – 1920 as part of the overall presentation. The NUI Galway Medical Orchestra has been in existence since 2011 and has already established itself as a very positive initiative with a number of high profile public performances. It has not only developed into a primary source of positive activity for the medical students at NUI Galway but is also a Special Study Module, a credit bearing module led by Dr Gerard Flaherty in the School of Medicine, which allows at least 20 medical students per year to have a rich and creative experience as well as fulfilling an academic rating. This semester the Arts in Action programme has focused on a year of commemoration, looking at the 1916 Rising through the various arts forms of music, literature, theatre, and photography. Three of the 1916 leaders were accomplished poets: Pádraic Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh and Joseph Mary Plunkett. This event gives voice to the poetry of these three men, setting their work alongside other creative voices of the period. Three actors will perform selections from Pearse, MacDonagh and Plunkett, and their work will be counterpointed with representative music and song from the period 1914-1916, and with the work of other poets, such as Eva Gore-Booth, who also responded to the events of the time. This event is free to attend and open to the public. For more information on the Arts in Action programme visit www.nuigalway.ie/artsinaction, or follow on Facebook at ArtsinActionNUIGalway. -Ends- 

83 students graduate from Shannon College of Hotel Management to join 6.9 trillion euro global tourism industry. Tourism makes up 9% of the worlds GDP and secures 1 in 11 jobs globally. It is for this and many other reasons that the graduating class of 2016 are sure they made a wise career decision when they joined Shannon College of Hotel Management. This generation of students are highly motivated by career opportunities and potential for growth within their fields. This year’s Shannon class have watched many of their peers in other careers struggling to find jobs after graduation and realise the wisdom of choosing a career in tourism. Shannon College of Hotel Management has been developing world class hotel managers and industry leaders since 1951 and since then has an unrivalled record of 100 % graduate employment. “This full employment is, of course, a result of our educational ethos: a unique mix of practical training, industry placement at operative and trainee management levels and a rigorous business education. It is also, however, due to the extraordinarily effective Shannon College alumni network , affectionately known as the Shannon Family: alumni, students, staff and friends all working together to maximise our reputation for producing exceptional hotel managers”, said Dr Phillip J Smyth, Head of College. One person who is well versed in the workings of the Shannon Family is graduate and patron to this year’s graduating class; Paul Carty, CEO of the Guinness Storehouse. Paul has been an outstanding mentor to his class and has shared his vast knowledge and experience with them upon every meeting. The Paul Carty Class of 2016 have been lucky enough to experience a masterclass in brewing at the Guinness Storehouse and engaged in workshops with some of the top executives at Diageo. Mr Paul Carty has been CEO of the Guinness Storehouse since it opened its doors in 2000, since then, visitor numbers have grown from 300,000 to 1.5 million in 2015. The Storehouse has become an iconic, must see, attraction and last year was voted Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction, beating the Eiffel Tower and Colosseum, at the World Travel Awards. Mr Carty himself was recently awarded the prestigious Irish Hotel Federation Presidents Award for his outstanding contribution to tourism in Ireland. He has also served recently as President of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation. Despite all these accolades, Paul has not forgotten his days in Shannon College “I am so proud to be a graduate of Shannon College, I wore my blazer with pride at Shannon College and to this day I am grateful to Shannon College for shaping my career and providing me with the tools and confidence to be successful in this industry.” Tourism has been growing steadily over the past five years and is estimated to deliver €4.4 billion to the Irish economy in 2016. These positive forecasts provide concrete support for the government’s commitment to Hospitality Education. In November 2015, Shannon College of Hotel Management was officially incorporated into NUI Galway at a ceremony marked by then Minister for Education. The integration means for the first time an Irish university will have a school devoted to the tourism sector. This is appropriate given the importance and scale of the tourism sector both nationally and particularly in the West of Ireland. Already NUI Galway and Shannon College have, together, secured research funding from Fáilte Ireland to examine the economic impact of the Wild Atlantic Way. The College is now firmly placed within the mainstream education system in Ireland creating huge possibility for growth and development. There is now a hospitality stream within the MBA programme offered at NUI Galway. Shannon College is also eager to continue developing its research capability to further enhance understanding of the sector. Speaking at the conferring ceremony, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne, said: “On behalf of NUI Galway, I congratulate each of today’s graduates. It is very encouraging to see the number of graduate degrees which we are conferring today. In the year that marked our official integration with Shannon College of Hotel Management I look forward to working towards a future where the study of hospitality and tourism management is firmly embedded into the work of the University. President Browne added words of encouragement to graduates conferred at the ceremony: “You are following in a distinguished line of Shannon graduates who have made, and indeed continue to make, a tremendous impact on the hotel industry worldwide. As you graduate today, you can look forward to better, exciting times. Our economy has clearly turned a corner. There is a real sense of change and optimism out there. I am confident that there are opportunities for you to shape your own future here in Ireland, or internationally. You have what it takes to make the difference to our society. You are energetic, enthusiastic, and well educated and the opportunities you have to create your own environment and to shape your own futures are enormous.” Students have travelled from all over the globe to attend their Graduation Ceremony and gala ball in Dromoland. This class are now working in hotels in Ireland, London, New York, China, India and Seychelles Islands, to name but a few destinations. Graduate Alan O’Connell returned from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York for today’s ceremony; “after over four years it’s an incredible honour to travel home from New York to graduate from Shannon College. I’m grateful for everything the lecturers and staff of the college have done and proud to be part of the Shannon family.” The diverse group of students that graduated from Shannon College this year are both qualified and eager to grab the many opportunities that lie ahead. ENDS

Bank of Ireland today announced a programme of support for the development of Sports Clubs and Societies at NUI Galway. The significant investment from Bank of Ireland will help fund the development of the Clubs and Societies and help improve the overall quality of the student experience at the University. Speaking at the event, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said “I am delighted to announce this exciting partnership with Bank of Ireland which aims to support the development of Sports Clubs and Societies at NUI Galway. Clubs and Societies are central to life at NUI Galway and the University’s excellent facilities offer our students a chance to balance academic study with a wide range of sporting and cultural activities. The new partnership with Bank of Ireland will allow the University’s students to develop their sporting and cultural interests in new and enriching ways. NUI Galway has had a long and beneficial relationship with Bank of Ireland and I am certain that this development will strengthen our relationship even further.” NUI Galway has recently announced a series of Wellness and Mindfulness initiatives aimed at students and staff within the University’s culture and the wider community. As a part of the development programme unveiled today, Bank of Ireland will also be involved in a number of these Wellness and Mindfulness programmes throughout the campus starting with the inaugural Wellness Week from 7-10 March 2016. Mr Liam McLoughlin, Chief Executive, Retail Ireland, Bank of Ireland, said “Going to university can be a big life adjustment for students. Sports clubs and societies are an important part of the college experience, presenting students with the opportunity to further their growth in other ways, to gain new experiences, and to make friends for life. We are therefore delighted to support the development of clubs and societies at NUI Galway. Wellness and Mindfulness is also a big part of the programme being announced today, and one that my colleagues from the on-campus branch will be taking an active part in. Some of Ireland’s sports stars, actors, artists and public representatives have come through the doors of NUI Galway and have been active participants in clubs and societies at the University, and we are delighted to be supporting the development of the next generation at NUI Galway. Sport is central to life at NUI Galway and the University’s excellent facilities offer students a chance to balance academic study with a wide range of sporting activities. The University also offers a generous package of Sports Scholarships to elite athletes. Director of Sport and Physical Activity at NUI Galway, Mike Heskin said: “I very much welcome the wonderful news of Bank of Ireland’s new investment in the sporting life of the students of NUI Galway. Bank of Ireland has, over the years, been a wonderful supporter of the sports programmes within NUI Galway, and this new relationship will bring sport within the University to a new and exciting level. NUI Galway Sport has ambitious plans across the sporting spectrum, from developing high performance for world champions to encouragement of mass participation in everyday fun physical activities.” With over 110 student-led societies, all tastes and interest groups are catered for at NUI Galway. NUI Galway’s societies have continuously topped the leader board for society wins at the Board of Irish College Societies, National Society Awards. In welcoming the new initiative with Bank of Ireland, NUI Galway Societies’ Officer, Riona Hughes said “The Societies’ Office joins with students in welcoming this announcement which will greatly assist Societies in expanding participation in cultural, educational and charitable activities for the benefit of students. This support builds on the annual Bank of Ireland Society Bursary which promotes the valuable work of student societies in enhancing the student experience and enriching the wider community.” NUI Galway and Bank of Ireland have had a strong partnership since the establishment of the University in 1845 and the Bank are involved in numerous activities and activations on campus such as the annual alumni awards, Student Scholarship Programme, support of the on campus Bank of Ireland Theatre, Wellness Week, financial planning seminars and now the programme of support for the Sports Clubs and Societies. ENDS

The Irish Student Drama Association (ISDA) Festival, hosted by NUI Galway’s Drama Society, will run in Galway from 14-23 March. The ten-day festival will hold 18 productions in five venues throughout the city including The Mick Lally Theatre, An Taibhdhearc and The Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUI Galway. Over the years ISDA has acted as the starting point in the careers of such theatre heavyweights as Michael Colgan, Conor McPherson, Fiona Shaw, Alan Stanford, Barry McGovern, Cian O’Brien and Tom Creed from Rough Magic, and Garry Hynes from Druid, as well as other well-known names like actress Pauline McLynn and comedian Chris O’Dowd to name but a few. The programme features a variety of productions from new works to acclaimed classics, including such classics as Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and The Beauty Queen of Leenane from the NUI Galway Drama Society and Misterman from Queens University’s QU Players. Trinity College’s DU Players will present Mercury Fur and Freak, with both plays exploring sexuality and life in a ravaged world where humanity is the bargaining chip. Queens QU Players bring us back to 1953 America where everything is about to change in Dinner without Joe, and in Delkany Ploy one man's pursuit of true love may mean his death. Maynooth University Drama Society present Doubt in which the characters must confront their own faith and doubt as everything they know is challenged. UCC’s Butterfly Kiss brings the audience into the world of Lily in her jail cell where she is incarcerated for matricide. In Exit the King, DIT’s Drama Society will present the absurdist world of Eugene Lonesco. DCU Dramsoc will present two plays on the themes of youth and Nothing to Declare, a devised piece based on interviews of people who have migrated to a new city, country or continent. Festival Director Oryana Farrell Hickey said: “NUI Galway Dramsoc is delighted to host the national awards and we hope that Galway, with its international reputation for excellent theatre, will join is a feast of drama over the duration of the festival where enthusiasts will get the opportunity to see future dramatists in the making.” The week will also include panel discussions, movie screenings workshops, murder mystery and a host of drama related entertainment all wrapping up with the gala awards ceremony on Wednesday, 23 March, where the much coveted awards will be announced. NUI Galway’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance is one of the leading international centres for the study of Irish theatre and offers students and researchers a range of courses in the area of drama and theatre at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The University has partnerships with the Abbey Theatre and Druid Theatre Company and has particular expertise in Irish theatre, theatre archives, playwriting, and much more. For full details and the timetable of events visit www.theisdafestival.com. -END-

NUI Galway to host public talk titled ‘Leeches upon our tax payers: The Deportation of Irish Migrants from America and Statelessness in Irish Diaspora 1840-1880’  Dr Hidetaka Hirota of Columbia University in NewYork will give a public talk titled ‘Leeches upon our tax payers’: The Deportation of Irish Migrants from America and Statelessness in Irish Diaspora 1840-1880’ at NUI Galway on Monday, 14 March. The story of Irish emigration to America in the nineteenth century is well known, before, during and after the Famine. What is less known is the fate of destitute Irish migrants who were deported from the United States back to Ireland and Britain in the period from the 1840s to the 1880s. In this public talk, Dr Hidetaka Hirota will discuss the state policy of Massachusetts in arranging these deportations. Anti-Irish attitudes in nineteenth-century America were stronger than we have realised, leading to harsh practices of physical removal. This policy formed part of a broader system of making poor Irish migrants stateless people in the nineteenth-century north Atlantic World. Professor Daniel Carey of the Moore Institute at NUI Galway, commented: “The hardship faced by Irish immigrants to America did not end on their arrival in the New World. For some, the ordeal continued in subsequent deportation when their meagre funds ran out.” Dr Hidetaka Hirota is a postdoctoral researcher in the Society of Fellows at Columbia University. He took his first degree in Japan and developed his interest in Irish migration as a PhD student at Boston College. His book Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Origins of American Immigration Policy will be published in 2017. The talk will take place on Monday, 14 March at 4.15pm in the Seminar Room of the Moore Institute, Room G010 of the Hardiman Research Building. All are welcome and admission is free. ENDS

NUI Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies and Comhrá Ceoil have announced details of the next talk in the Martin Reilly Lecture Series for 2016. Taking place on Tuesday, 22 March at 6.30pm in the Galway City Library, the talk will be delivered by Dr Seán McElwain. ‘Our Dear Dark Mountain with the Sky Over it: Retracing the musical imprints of the Sliabh Beagh region of Monaghan/Fermanagh’ draws on PhD research into the traditional musical heritage of the north Monaghan/east Fermanagh region conducted by Dr McElwain at Dundalk Institute of Technology. The album ‘Our Dear Dark Mountain with the Sky Over it’ is the culmination of this academic research and was recently awarded the prestigious TG4 Comharcheol Gradam Cheoil. Uncovering a wealth of previously neglected material, this lecture will present an overview of the research findings behind the recording project, illuminating some of the major musical figures in that region’s musical history. From Co. Monaghan and now resident in Dublin, Seán is an academic researcher and member of the traditional group Téada, with whom he has toured and recorded extensively. He is centrally involved in the Scoil Cheoil na Botha traditional festival in Scotstown, Co. Monaghan. This series of talks is dedicated to Martin Reilly, the celebrated Galway uilleann piper, and gives an opportunity to researcher-practitioners in Irish traditional music and dance to present their work in a public forum. The success of the series thus far confirms the interest in research of this kind in Galway, where traditional music and dance are part of the cultural fabric of the city. Everyone welcome and free admission to all talks. -ENDS-

First time an event of this type has been held in Ireland NUI Galway will host a Masterclass in Health Economics from 21-24 March. This is the first time an event of this type has been held in Ireland and offers a rare opportunity for early career researchers to gain access to preeminent researchers at a critical juncture of their career and in the case of Ireland in the development of our healthcare system. Health care systems have and will come under increasing pressure as demand for care rises, more new and expensive technologies become available and the expectations of the public for services continue to rise. Within this context, it is more important than ever that there exists in Ireland people with the skills to critically assess the challenges that face the system, the claims and counter claims made in respect of it and; who can help provide evidence based solutions to the challenges faced. The class will expose early career researchers from Ireland, the USA, the UK and continental Europe to the work of preeminent economists working in the area of health. The faculty contributing to the class include internationally recognised experts who have provided advice to government and industry in the US, UK and Ireland, as well as pioneering the use and teaching of economics to address issues and problems in health and health care. Delegates will be exposed to the latest research in lectures, laboratories and smaller informal discussion sessions, share their experiences and given hands-on experience in the use of data in laboratory sessions. They will also have the opportunity to meet and discuss with editors of leading academic journals publication strategies and with policy advisors on ensuring the effective translation of research into policy design and practice. Professor Ciaran O’Neill, NUI Galway’s discipline of Economics, said: “The class is being provided with support from AbbVie Limited and NUI Galway that has allowed us to heavily subsidise attendance by delegates. The event is being run on a strictly non-profit basis and we hope will help develop a group of individuals with critical skills to meet the growing challenges for healthcare in Ireland and beyond.” Speakers and topics covered at the Masterclass will include: John Cawley, Cornell University – The Economics of Obesity Dave Madden, UCD – Health Transitions: Applications in Adolescent Obesity Mark McClellan, Duke University – Recent developments and expected trends in healthcare finance and delivery reforms John Mullahy, University of Wisconsin – Health outcomes in economic analysis Anne Nolan, The Economic and Social Research Institute – Access to and use of healthcare: studies in primary care Ciaran O'Neill, NUI Galway – Uptake of preventive services: studies in cancer Eamon O'Shea, NUI Galway – The economics of dementia Mark Pauly, University of Pennsylvania – The Future of Health Insurance: Will Lower Income People Be Allowed to Choose Plans with Cost Sharing? Jody Sindelar, Yale University – Economic issues in addiction Jonathan Skinner, The Dartmouth Institute – Publishing economics in medical journals -Ends-

The final lecture in the Lectures in the Library series curated by the Centre for Irish Studies to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising will take place on Tuesday, 15 March. The lecture will focus on the contribution of Craughwell blacksmith, Tom Kenny (1877-1947) to revolutionary politics in Galway in the decade before the rebellion. Dr Tony Varley will deliver the lecture and explore the tension between Kenny and Liam Mellows, ‘captain’ of the Galway rebels who told the blacksmith later that year that he ‘had taken no part in the Rising’ and the extent to which the Galway rebels were let down by incompetent leadership. The lecture will begin at 6.30pm at Galway City Library in Augustine Street.  -ENDS-

NUI Galway will host the third International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference from 10-11 March. Co-organised and supported by NUI Galway, Institute of Technology, Sligo and Maynooth University, this unique gathering of Irish and international scholars, practitioners, artists and creative inquirers will focus on the use of stories and how the stories we tell about our own and other people’s lives can be deployed in research and practice. The focus of the conference is how to use story and narrative in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The conference will look at what it means ‘to do’ narrative inquiry and this question will guide the explorations, discussions, reflections and exchanges during the conference. Keynote speaker is Ann Phoenix, Professor of Psychosocial Studies at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Department of Social Sciences, UCL Institute of Education, University of London and a Fellow of the British Academy. Professor Phoenix co-directed the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre and is the Principal Investigator on NOVELLA (Narratives of Varied Everyday Lives and Linked Approaches), an ESRC National Centre for Research Methods node. Her research is mainly about social identities and the ways in which psychological experiences and social processes are linked. It includes work on racialised and gendered identities and experiences; mixed-parentage, masculinities, consumption, young people and their parents and the transition to motherhood.  Much of her research draws on mixed methods and includes narrative approaches. Dr Anne Byrne, co-organiser and Head of NUI Galway’s School of Political Science and Sociology, said: “Stories bring power to narrative and are used to make sense of the complex world we live in across a multitude of research settings. We debate and critique the power of the stories we live by in this conference as well as celebrating the pleasure of listening to and telling stories.” -Ends-

As part of the international Brain Awareness Week, staff and students of NUI Galway’s Neuroscience Centre will hold a public information exhibit from 9.30am-3.30pm on 15-16 March in the Aula Maxima, NUI Galway. Members of the public and children from local schools will have the opportunity to visit the exhibit to learn more about how the brain and nervous system work. The exhibit will consist of interactive displays where visitors can learn more about the nervous system in a hands-on way. There will be various puzzles and tests of hand-eye coordination, visual perception, left/right handedness, creativity and many others. Approximately 180 million Europeans are thought to suffer from a brain disorder, at a total cost of almost €800 billion per annum and visitors will have the chance to learn more about the brain and related disorders through a series of large information posters prepared by the staff and postgraduate students of NUI Galway Neuroscience Centre. The posters will cover a variety of illnesses including: epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, pain, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, brain injury and spinal cord injury. Information leaflets from brain-related charities and organisations such as MS Ireland, Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, Parkinson’s Association of Ireland, Aware, Chronic Pain Ireland, Shine, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland and Brainwave, will be available for the public to take away. Plastic models of the nervous system and microscopes, which can be used to view brain cells and brain tissue sections, will be available for those interested in seeing what a brain cell and brain tissue really looks like. The Galway Neuroscience Centre acknowledges funding from the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering and Science in NUI Galway. -Ends-

Andrea Mahon, a PhD student in the Discipline of Podiatric Medicine at NUI Galway was recently awarded a prestigious Journal of Wound Care Award for The Best Laboratory/Pre-Clinical Study. This achievement was in recognition of research undertaken in fulfillment of her Masters by Research degree and was presented at a special ceremony in London. To address the need for advanced wound therapies; Andrea designed a preclinical study to assess topical stem cell therapy in a diabetic wound model. A stem cell clinical trial in diabetic foot ulcers will be planned by the outcome of this research. From Oranmore, Co. Galway, Andrea’s research was supervised by Professor Caroline McIntosh, Head of Discipline of Podiatric Medicine, Professor Timothy O’Brien, Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and Dr Claire MacGilchrist, Lecturer in Podiatric Medicine. The Journal of Wound Care Awards recognises innovation and excellence in research and practice within the field of wound care. The aim is to recognise individuals and teams who have improved, implemented or excelled in some field of wound care. Professor Caroline McIntosh said: “This is a fabulous achievement which highlights the high quality of research being undertaken in wound healing and tissue repair at NUI Galway. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of lower limb ulceration and amputation. Diabetes related foot ulcers are challenging to manage with many failing to respond to standard wound therapies. There is a need to research advanced therapies for application on non-healing wounds. The findings of Andrea’s research will help in the design of first in human studies of Mesenchymal stem cell application for non-healing neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers.” -Ends-

Senator Sean Barrett, Independent Senator in Seanad Éireann and member of the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry, will deliver a talk in NUI Galway on the banking inquiry. Organised by NUI Galway’s Whitaker Institute and the University’s Finance Society, ‘Learning the Hard Lessons from the Banking Inquiry’ will take place on Wednesday, 9 March from 2.30-4pm in the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics. The Irish Banking Guarantee of 2008 and subsequent 2010-2013 Troika Bailout was a national trauma. The Oireachtas Inquiry into the Banking Crisis was to outline the causes of banking crisis and subsequent bailout and provide guidance for future policy formation so as to prevent a re-occurrence. The analytical framework used by the Inquiry was termed the Bank-State-Property Nexus. Senator Barrett was the only independent member of the Inquiry. During the panel discussion he will outline what lessons he learnt during the process of the Inquiry, what needs to be done in the future to prevent it and how students can use the materials published and collected by the Inquiry for future scholarship and research.  The panel will be chaired by NUI Galway student and member of the Finance Society, Brendan O'Driscoll, with NUI Galway’s Professor Alan Ahearne, Head of Economics, and Professor John McHale, Director of the Whitaker Institute, participating. Brendan O'Driscoll, of NUI Galway’s Finance Society said: “The 2014 Oireachtas Banking Inquiry was established to investigate factors contributing to a systemic failure in Irish banks. The enduring legacy of this inquiry will not be as a punitive reaction, neither can it mitigate the hardship born by Irish society in the dark years that followed. Its true success will be measured in how well it educated and admonished the next generation so as to prevent such a crisis ever re-occurring. As the inheritors of not only a recovering economy, but the government and financial system at the heart of the crisis, millennials must heed the lessons learned in fiscal prudence, corporate and political integrity and social responsibility.”     -Ends-

NUI Galway’s Discipline of Management in the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics will host an open information evening for its three highly regarded Masters programmes from 6pm Thursday, 10 March. The information evening will provide an opportunity to meet the Programme Directors, faculty and successful graduates now working in senior roles with companies such as Google, Accenture and Volkswagen. The MSc in Human Resource Management (HRM) is a one year full-time programme accredited by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). The MSc HRM is designed to develop a thorough knowledge and applied competence in the fundamentals of human resource management and employment relations. Students learn the nature of work and explore human resource policy and practice in national and multinational organisations. The programme includes an international study visit to Toulouse Business School in France. The one year full-time award winning MSc in International Management (IM) provides students with in-depth knowledge and expertise in the principles and application of international business and management. The degree provides a solid foundation for a career in international management with multinational corporations, internationally-focused and newly internationalising domestic firms. The MSc IM includes an international study visit to Hong Kong. The MSc in Strategy, Innovation and People Management (SIPM) focuses on critical determinants of enterprise success and their interfaces. The MSc SIPM is an innovative programme designed and developed to meet graduate and employer needs in the globalised Smart Economy. It is one of only a small number of programmes accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is unique in focusing on critical areas of management in addition to HRM. Dr Alma McCarthy, Head of the Management Discipline, NUI Galway, said: “The MSc programmes in HRM, IM and SIPM have been running for a number of years and we are very proud of the achievements of our graduates. Many of our graduates hold senior roles in leading international companies including Accenture, Google, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Intel and Amazon. Graduates also play key roles in national organisations including IBEC, Enterprise Ireland, the Civil Service and The Irish Times.” The information evening will take place in room CA118 in the Cairnes Building on campus. Full details about each programme are available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/business-public-policy-law/cairnes/courses/taught/ or by contacting Gerry Campbell at 091 493771 or gerry.campbell@nuigalway.ie -Ends-

Déanfar Comhdháil Chumann Idirnáisiúnta na gCoimisinéirí Teanga a reáchtáil i nGaillimh idir Dé Luain 7 Márta agus Dé Céadaoin 9 Márta.Is é Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D Higgins, a dhéanfaidh imeachtaí na Comhdhála a sheoladh go hoifigiúil oíche Dé Luain 7 Márta san Aula Maxima in OÉ Gaillimh. Is é an tOnórach an Breitheamh Adrian Hardiman, Cúirt Uachtarach na hÉireann, a thabharfaidh Léacht na Comhdhála. Beidh teacht ar bheoshruth idirlín de Sheoladh Oifigiúil agus de Léacht na Comhdhála ar chainéal Youtube OÉ Gaillimh oíche Dé Luain. Is é An Coimisinéir Teanga, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, agus Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga atá i mbun na Comhdhála seo a eagrú i gcomhpháirt le hOÉ Gaillimh. Beidh Coimisinéirí Teanga ó na tíortha seo a leanas ag freastal ar imeachtaí na Comhdhála: Ceanada, An Bhreatain Bheag, An Chosaiv, An Chatalóin, Tír na mBascach agus An Bheilg. Beidh cuairteoirí gradamúla eile ag freastal ar an gComhdháil ón Nua-Shéalainn, Albain agus an Fhionlainn. Dúirt an Dr John Walsh agus Dónall Ó Braonáin ó OÉ Gaillimh: ‘Beartas suntasach a bhí in Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla don phobal teanga sa stát seo. Léiríonn clár na comhdhála seo cén tábhacht idirnáisiúnta a bhaineann le cearta, stádas agus úsáid teangacha sa saol poiblí i ndlinsí agus i stáit éagsúla. Ceisteanna iad seo a bhfuil aird phobal na Gaeilge orthu ó rinneadh athbhreithniú ar an Acht le deireanas agus tá áthas ar OÉ Gaillimh a bheith ag obair i gcomhpháirt leis an gCoimisinéir Teanga, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, agus an chomhdháil seo á reáchtáil i nGaillimh den chéad uair.’ Is in Óstán Chuan na Gaillimhe a dhéanfar seisiúin phoiblí na comhdhála a reáchtáil Dé Máirt 8 agus Dé Céadaoin 9 Márta. Tá clár iomlán na Comhdhála le fáil ar shuíomh idirlín an Choimisinéara Teanga ag www.coimisineir.ie I measc na n-ábhar a phléifear le linn na comhdhála, beidh: Fás agus Forás: Éabhlóid an Dlí Teanga: Meri Huws, Coimisinéir Teanga, An Bhreatain Bheag; Bart Weekers, Ombudsman na bPléimeannach; Katherine D’Entremont, Coimisinéir na dTeangacha Oifigiúla,New Brunswick; Rafael Ribó, Ombudsman na Catalóine. Glór mo Mhuintire: Teanga & Féiniúlacht: Slaviša Mladenović, Coimisinéir Teanga, An Chosaiv; François Boileau, Coimisinéir do Sheirbhísí Teanga nanFraincise, Ontario; Manuel Lezertua, Ararteko - Ombudsman Thír na mBascach. Cearta Mionteangacha in Aois na Móréagsúlachta Teangeolaíche:Stephen May, Ollscoil Auckland, An Nua-Shéalainn. Ról na Reachtaíochta i gCosaint Cearta Teanga: John Walsh, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh; Tadhg Ó hIfearnáin, Ollscoil Luimnigh. Beart de Réir ár mBriathair: Feidhmiú Reachtaíocht Teanga: Deirdre Ní Loingsigh, Ollscoil Luimnigh; Máire Seó Breathnach, Comhairle Cathrach agus Contae Phort Láirge; Dyfan Sion, Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga, An Bhreatain Bheag. Ról na Féiniúlachta i Saothar Robert Flaherty: Sandra Inutiq, Coimisinéir Teanga, Nunavut Tuaisceart Éireann; Cearta Teanga & Acht Teanga: Robert Dunbar, Ollscoil Dhún Éideann, Albain Oideachas Trí Ghaeilge; sa Ghaeltacht, Taobh Amuigh den Ghaeltacht & i dTuaisceart Éireann: Muireann Ní Mhóráin, An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta; Bláthnaid Ní Ghréacháin, Gaelscoileanna Teoranta; Liam Ó Flannagáin, Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta. An Tábhacht le Teanga i Luath-Oideachas – Dearcadh ón Fhionlainn: Pär Stenbäck, Aire Stáit, An Fhionlainn Críoch

CÚRAM PhD student wins best paper award for her research to develop polymeric neural probes, which measure the electrical activity of neurons in our brains, for deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson’s disease Catalina Vallejo Giraldo, a PhD student at CÚRAM, the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices at NUI Galway, has just received the Best Paper Award at ‘Biodevices 2016’, the 9th International Conference on Biomedical Electronics and Devices in Rome. Ms Vallejo Giraldo’s paper titled ‘Electrochemical Analysis of Accelerated Aging of PEDOT-PTS Coated Screen-printed Electrodes’ (authors, Nathalia Peixoto, Tjerignimin Silue, Catalina Vallejo-Giraldo and Manus Biggs), was selected from a set of outstanding papers, based on the quantitative and qualitative classifications assessed by the distinguished program committee reviewers. At CÚRAM, under the supervision of Dr Manus Biggs, Professor Abhay Pandit and Dr Eilis Dowd, Catalina’s research aims to develop polymeric neural probes (which measure the electrical activity of neurons in our brains) for deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s, as well as reducing the development of scarring at the probe interface in the brain. Originally from Colombia, Ms Vallejo Giraldo’s research interests are focused on the area of biomaterials, with applications for tissue engineering and drug delivery, bio-interfaces, nerve regeneration and Parkinson’s disease. Commenting on her work, Ms Vallejo Giraldo said: “Studies on using materials that conduct electricity to coat electrodes used in deep brain stimulation have been shown to enhance tissue/electrode integration and electrode performance. Current treatment strategies using electrodes for deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s patients have focused on reducing the complex ratio of the voltage to the current in an alternating current (AC) circuit, and the use of proteins to enhance the integration of the electrodes in the brain. We hope to develop biomaterial coatings for these electrodes so that they are accepted more readily by the body, perform more efficiently and for longer, thereby creating a much better therapy option for the patient.” Congratulating Ms Vallejo Giraldo on her success, Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM at NUI Galway, said: “I am delighted to see more of our researcher’s successes at international conferences. It really reflects the high quality of research being carried out here at CÚRAM and in the Med Tech industry in Ireland in finding solutions for patients suffering from chronic illness.” Over 200 renowned experts in biomaterials, drug delivery, cell therapy, glycoscience and device design are working on blue sky research and industry projects associated with CÚRAM, which aims to radically improve the quality of life for patients with chronic illness, by developing the next generation of smart, implantable medical devices. CÚRAM is a Science Foundation Ireland centre for research in medical devices, bringing together experts from Ireland’s leading universities and research institutes. Its academic partners, led by NUI Galway, include UCD, UCC, TCD, UL, The Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and Molecular Medicine Ireland. ENDS

New consortium appointed to run Ireland’s National Rural Network with NUI Galway leading the research to achieve better outcomes under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 The School of Geography and Archaeology at NUI Galway, led by Dr Maura Farrell has been appointed as lead researchers of a new consortium to run Ireland's National Rural Network (NRN), as announced by the Department of Agriculture. The new consortium will be responsible for facilitating all stakeholders and interested groups in achieving better outcomes across all the measures under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (RDP). The National Rural Network, which is being led by Irish Rural Link, is part of the implementation architecture for Rural Development Programmes across the European Union. Its primary aims are to increase stakeholder involvement, improve quality of implementation, inform the public and potential beneficiaries, and foster innovation in agriculture, food production, forestry and rural areas. Commenting on the announcement, Dr Maura Farrell, Director MA in Rural Sustainability in the School of Geography and Archaeology and Project Leader for NUI Galway, said: “The National Rural Network consortium will endeavour to create strong linkages between the administrative structures and organisations delivering Rural Development in Ireland. Through a resilient and systematic communications structure, the Network aims to increase stakeholder participation, expand the quality of rural development programmes and advance and disseminate innovative practices that can positively influence individuals and societies throughout rural Ireland. Such practices will be drawn from projects funded under the LEADER programme, and also from best practices in agriculture, biodiversity and small town development and rejuvenation.” The School of Geography and Archaeology at NUI Galway, through its Rural Research Cluster and the Whitaker Institute for Innovation and Societal Change, is a leading body with the strongest rural development credentials. Its alumni in agriculture and rural development occupy prestigious positions throughout the sector. It has unrivalled credentials in the fields of rural research and innovation. The NUI Galway team undertake research projects, co-ordinate innovation initiatives, and undertake monitoring and evaluation initiatives. Seamus Boland, Chief Executive of Irish Rural Link added, “The ambition of the new consortium is to maximise the impact of the Rural Development Programme by bringing it into the lives of as many people and communities as possible. We aim to transform levels of engagement with the programme, and by building participation in its implementation, and a sense of ownership of the programme amongst stakeholders, to maximise the positive impact in the lives of people and communities across rural Ireland.” Additional members of the consortium include The Wheel and Philip Farrelly & Co. For more information about the programme visit: www.nationalruralnetwork.ie or email info@nationalruralnetwork.ie. ENDS   

NUI Galway’s Mystics Ladies Basketball team recently captured the Basketball Ireland Women’s Division 1 national league title. The deciding game against Father Matthews of Cork ended in 67-64. NUI Galway Mystics have ended their regular season on 16 wins and 1 loss. The winning team was included Marritta Gillcrease, Hannah Coen, Ailish O’Reilly, Lauren Murray, Deirdre O’Shea, Rebecca Hansberry, Emer Smyth and Aoibhin O’Neill. Pictured are the NUI Galway Mystics Basketball team. >>> Read a report on the Mystics in The Irish Daily Star

NUI Galway recently celebrated five years of the Hardiman and the Dr Tony Ryan Research Scholarships schemes with a special ceremony in the University. The Hardiman PhD Scholarship scheme was established in 2011 with the objective of attracting the best Irish and international students to NUI Galway. The fully-funded scholarships support students who undertake four-year Structured PhD and are focused on five key areas of research: Applied Social Sciences and Public Policy; Biomedical Science and Engineering; Environment, Marine and Energy; Humanities in Context, including Digital Humanities; and Informatics, Data Analytics, Physical and Computational Sciences. To date the scheme has provided financial support for over 100 PhD students to undertake research in the University’s priority research themes and has been strongly supported by the Galway University Foundation and its donors, most notably the Broderick and Glynn endowments, Cancer Care West and the Ryan Foundation. Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, congratulated the Hardiman scholars on their research achievements. Speaking at the event Dr Browne said: “In Vision 2020, NUI Galway’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020, the goal for research and innovation is to produce research that is recognised as being excellent, transformative, and relevant to societal and economic needs, while we train the next generation of researchers. The Hardiman Scholarship scheme is a key component of the University’s support for PhD students.” Posters at the event demonstrated the Hardiman and Dr Tony Ryan scholars’ research achievements including: Sally McHugh, 2014 Hardiman scholar, who showcased the CampusCreate project; and Mary McGill, 2015 Hardiman scholar, fresh from her recent Galway TEDx talk, who gave a talk on how to adapt academic ideas and presentation styles for events. Professor Lucy Byrnes, Dean of Graduate Studies at NUI Galway, said: “The Hardiman PhD scholarship scheme is the most prestigious scholarship scheme at NUI Galway and has a significant international reach, with over half of the scholars coming from other universities across the globe to complete their PhDs. A third of Hardiman scholars’ initial funding came from the Hardiman scholarship scheme but they then competed successfully for national scholarships, such as those from the Irish Research Council, further augmenting the support for PhD students at NUI Galway.” 28 new Hardiman scholars, and one new Dr Tony Ryan scholar, will begin their PhDs in September 2016 and shortly thereafter the 2017 competition will be launched. For further information on the Hardiman PhD Scholarship scheme visit www.nuigalway.ie/hardiman-scholarships. -Ends-

First programme of its kind to be offered in Ireland NUI Galway has launched a new Masters programme in Biomedical Genomics, the first of its kind to be offered in Ireland. This programme places NUI Galway at the forefront of training the next generation of scientists and clinicians in the use of cutting-edge DNA sequencing technologies, both within fundamental scientific discovery and in clinical applications. Based at the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, this Masters is an inter-disciplinary programme drawing on expertise from across the University. The programme has been specifically designed to address the growing need for scientists with the quantitative skills necessary to help realise the enormous potential of sequencing-based technologies to deliver on the promise of personalised medicine in order to better understand, diagnose, and treat disease. Keynote speaker at the launch, Dr John Greally, an NUI Galway graduate, Professor of Genetics and Medicine and Director of the Center for Epigenomics at the Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said: “As both a clinician and director of a research laboratory, I see on a daily basis how contributions from genomics scientists in areas such as drug discovery and diagnosis of rare genetic diseases are transforming the field of medicine. I am really excited by this new programme because it provides the unique combination of molecular and analytical skills that are critical in order to take advantage of the current wave of innovation in genomics-based technologies. With this programme, I can see NUI Galway establishing itself as a major centre for biomedical genomics training and research in Europe.” Professor Cathal Seoighe, Director of the NUI Galway programme added: “This exciting new programme will bring together students from diverse academic backgrounds who share the common goal of learning how to apply newly-developed genomics technologies to biomedical problems. I'm delighted that NUI Galway and the College of Science are leading the way in recognising the transformative potential of genomics science both in human health and in basic research.” Graduates of the programme will have a highly marketable and transferable combination of computational and analytical skills as well as specialist knowledge of the application of these skills in the analysis of genomics data. They will be well placed to seek employment in the new field of precision medicine, in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies making use of genomics technologies, or in research roles in both industry and academic settings. This programme will have its first intake of students in the academic year 2016/17. For further information on the MSc in Biomedical Genomics visit http://bioinf.nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

NUI Galway’s Student Services will hold its inaugural Wellness Week from 7-10 March. The aim of the initiative is to show students and staff that getting active and eating healthy are essential contributions to your general wellbeing. As part of Wellness Week, the Societies Office are running a new programme called ‘Good Morning NUI Galway’, a series of early morning dance classes, fitness and meditation workshops designed to start the day off in a positive mood. From 8am, societies will be leading salsa, zumba, capoeira, and mindfulness classes, and silent discos. The Climate Change and Food Safety (CCAFS) and Baking Societies will team up with the Societies Office to bring the ‘The Great Chef Challenge’ competition to campus. During the week, four campus chefs will battle it out to see who can create the healthiest week worth of dinners for a shopping basket of €20. Students can taste their creations in An Bialann, College Bar, Friars and Clinical Science Cafe every day and vote for their favourite with the grand final in Áras na Mac Léinn on Thursday, 10 March from 3-5pm. On Wednesday, NUI Galway’s Dance Society will hold a ‘Strictly Come Dansoc’ night in the Bailey Allen Hall from 7.30pm. And on Thursday, the Baking Society will hold a Baketastic Bash, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, in the Bailey Allen Hall from 11am-6pm, which will include a Food Fair with healthy and delicious food ideas, as well as the launch of their new cookbook. Riona Hughes, Societies Officer at NUI Galway, said: “With music, art, a sleep hygiene workshop, Malaysian food, a positive mental health exhibition and the launch of Botany Societies’ ‘Grow it Yourself’ initiative, the week promises to be full of tips on how to increase your wellness and have fun in the process.” The Wellness Week also coincides with Refugee Awareness Week, organised by the Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières and Gender Awareness week organised by Feminist Society. For more information on Wellness Week and other society events in NUI Galway visit www.nuigstudents.ie and www.socs.nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

NUI Galway has announced that RTÉ 2FM broadcaster Will Leahy will host this year’s Gala Banquet featuring the 2016 Alumni Awards ceremony. Will Leahy, is an NUI Galway graduate BA (1992) LLB (1994) who is a Limerick based solicitor specialising in Local Authority and Family Law. He is also an award winning broadcaster with both RTÉ Radio and Television presenting primarily on RTÉ 2FM and RTÉ Radio One. The 2016 Alumni Award winners will be presented with their awards at the Gala Banquet on Saturday, 5 March, 2016 in the Bailey Allen Wing located in Áras na Mac Léinn on campus. The winners of the six alumni awards to be presented at Gala 2016: Award for Arts, Literature and Celtic Studies - sponsored by AIB - Siobhán Ní Ghadhra, Owner/Producer at Danú Media. Alumni Award for Business and Commerce – sponsored by Bank of Ireland - Ruth Curran, Managing Partner in MERC Partners and Global Chair IIC Partners. Alumni Award for Law, Public Policy and Government – sponsored by Galway University Foundation - Dr Mathilda Twomey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Seychelles. Alumni Award for Engineering, Science and Technology – sponsored by Aramark - Gearóid Faherty, Former CEO and Chairman of Eurand NV. Alumni Award for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences – sponsored by Medtronic - Dr Joe Murray, Professor of Medicine and Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic. Alumni Award for Contribution to Sport – sponsored by Bank of Ireland - Dr Paul Hession, Olympic and world champion sprinter and junior doctor in Tallaght Hospital. ENDS