January STEM students at University of Galway receive scholarships as part of Johnson & Johnson’s WISTEM2D Awards Programme

Johnson & Johnson announced today its prestigious Women in STEM²D (WiSTEM²D) Undergraduate Award recipients from University of Galway. The Award recognises outstanding female students in STEM²D disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design.

Each recipient will receive a student award, industry mentoring and leadership training, along with the opportunity to attend careers workshops, visit Johnson & Johnson sites and participate in WiSTEM²D events designed to support them with pursuing future STEM careers.

The Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM²D programme fuels the development of the female STEM²D talent pipeline by awarding and sponsoring girls and women at critical points in their educational experience and their careers, in STEM disciplines. The Undergraduate programme was first introduced at University of Limerick in 2016. Since then, it has expanded to include University College Cork in 2018, University of Galway in 2021, and Munster Technological University in 2022, supporting more than 400 female students over the last 6 years.

The University of Galway students selected to receive the scholarships are:

• Emer Nic Roibín; Bachelor of Science; Belfast; Co. Antrim
• Gemma O'Brien Hehir; Biomedical Engineering; Galway
• Laura Burke; Biomedical Engineering, Moycullen; Galway
• Laura Quinn; Bachelor of Arts (Mathematical Studies and Information Technology); Renmore, Galway
• Mairéad Rowland; Biomedical Science; Rossport, Ballina, Co. Mayo
• Niamh Corcoran; Biomedical Engineering; Leacarrow, Co. Roscommon
• Rebeccca Norris; Bachelor of Science; Athlone, Co. Westmeath
• Sarah Daves; Marine Science; Austin, Texas; USA
• Sophie Spellissy; Computer Science and Information Technology; Ennis, Co. Clare
• Syakira Amani Khairul Nazri; Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology); Waterford City

Michael Gilvarry, General Manager at Cerenovus said:“I would like to congratulate the students who have been chosen as recipients of the WiSTEM²D award. I am sure that they will enjoy the benefits that the programme has them to offer in supporting career development, including visits to our facilities, and the opportunity to engage with a mentor. Johnson & Johnson recognises the importance of supporting women early in their careers, to aid the development of female STEM leaders for the future. We believe in the power of diversity and inclusion to drive innovation and progress. That's why we are committed to supporting women in STEM, and providing them with the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed and thrive in their careers. Programmes like WiSTEM²D help allow us to partner with academic institutions to develop high-impact strategies, which can inspire and support the STEM workforce of the future.”

University of Galway President, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnerships with industry and especially with Johnson & Johnson through initiatives such as the WiSTEM2D programme. We can achieve more together as the Irish term Meitheal suggests - describing how neighbours would come together to achieve a mutually better harvest. As access to tertiary education expands, we recognise that support for underrepresented students while they are part of our community is critical. Industry support for our underrepresented students in STEM can act as a catalyst to level the playing field, which is increasingly important against the backdrop of growing diversity in Ireland and the need to recognise and design for intersectionality in education.

“The industry mentorship, provided as part of the programme, is a significant boon to our female student scientists, mathematicians and engineers and it is an essential ingredient, which energises them to address the world’s most pressing challenges, as framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to innovate for our society, our people and our planet. We care about our students and their ambitions and we are guided by our values of openness, excellence, sustainability and respect in our role in shaping our students as the leaders of the future.”

The awards ceremony was held in Áras Na Mac Léinn, University of Galway, and was also attended by Anna Rafferty, Director of Strategy, Johnson & Johnson Campus Ireland; Anna Lisa Smullin, Senior R&D Engineer and WiSTEM2D Lead at CERENOVUS; and Cara Feely, Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist at CERENOVUS. Recipients of the Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D Award scholarship were also presented with bespoke framed glass artwork created by Fermoy-based artist, Suzanne O’Sullivan.

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