Full Time MSc Programme Team

Dr. Olivia McDermott is a Quality Engineer (NUIG MSc. 1999) with a doctorate in Quality in the Supply Chain (University of Middlesex 2009). Dr. McDermott has worked in industry as a Senior Quality Manager in numerous roles including Operations Quality, Supplier Quality, Customer Complaints and Lean Six Sigma Quality across various multinationals including Ingersoll-Rand, Dell Inc., and Boston Scientific. She also has completed post-doctoral research in UL on Lean & Quality in Healthcare. 

Dr. McDermott has also worked as a self-employed consultant and trainer in Lean Six Sigma Quality as well as a part time lecturer since leaving industry in 2012.

She has an interest in learners based in industry or looking to reskill. Her main subject areas have covered Quality Management, Quality Science, Lean Six Sigma Projects, Regulatory Compliance, Operations Engineering, Supply Chain Value Stream Optimisation and Risk Management.

She has developed and designed both classroom and online training courses and modules for various organisations (public sector and private) including the University of Limerick, Limerick Institute of Technology and NUI Galway.

Olivia’s research interests are in Work Based Learning (WBL), online learning and course design, blended and Problem Based Learning (PBL). 

Since joining the Dept. of Natural Sciences in NUI Galway as a lecturer in the M. Sc in Medical Device Regulatory Affairs, Olivia has worked on designing and developing modules with a practical application to the medical device industry. Olivia has written and developed modules in Quality Management Systems and Post Market Vigilance. She also currently teaches EU and US Regulatory Affairs Introduction modules.