July Environmental geographer appointed to lead Ryan Institute

University of Galway has announced the appointment of leading environmental geographer Professor Frances Fahy as the new Director of the Ryan Institute.

A Fulbright Scholar, Frances Fahy was previously Head of Geography at the University and is the past President of the Geographical Society of Ireland.  

Professor Fahy currently leads several international research teams on sustainable consumption and energy citizenship research.

President of University of Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Fahy, an accomplished researcher in her field and an exemplary colleague, to lead the Ryan Institute at the University, building on the work of Professor Charles Spillane. University of Galway is ranked #1 in Ireland, top 5 in the EU and among the Top 50 in the world by the THE for our impact in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This work carries a particular resonance in Galway, given our location and the Ryan Institute is a fulcrum of this work.  We look forward to a deepening of the interdisciplinary research that happens at the institute thanks to our academics and the postdoctoral fellows, PhD students and research assistants and the stories of their impact on the world.”

Professor Frances Fahy, Director of the Ryan Institute, said: “It is a great privilege to lead the largest research institute at University of Galway, supporting all our colleagues from the natural and social sciences who pursue cutting edge interdisciplinary research that provides knowledge for transformations to environmental, social and economic sustainability for people and our planet."

Professor Frances Fahy Bio

Frances is a leading environmental geographer and has more than 100 publications to her name, including four books (Methods of Sustainability Research in the Social Sciences published by Sage, 2013, Challenging Consumption Routledge, 2014, Energy Demand Challenges in Europe Palgrave 2019 and Energy Citizenship across Europe, Palgrave Macmillan forthcoming in 2024).

Professor Fahy has coordinated more than 20 funded research projects and obtained competitive research funding, totalling more than €36 million, including from Horizon Europe, H2020, JPI-Climate, Interreg, the Marine Institute, National Economic and Social Council and the Environmental Protection Agency.  She has supervised 10 PhD students to completion, 11 Postdoctoral Research Fellows and Master’s students, many of whom have gone on to hold key roles in policy and academia.

Professor Fahy has also won numerous awards for her research and academic life, including the President’s Award for Research Excellence (2017); Societal Impact (2017); Teaching Excellence (Team Award 2020); and the Irish Research Council’s National Ally Award for Mentoring and Supervision (2023). 

Professor Fahy joined University of Galway as a postdoctoral research fellow in 2005 and lives with her family in Corcullen.

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