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Professor Peter McHugh

Professor Peter McHugh is Interim President of University of Galway, where his term commenced on 7 September 2024.

A native of Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, Peter holds a first-class honours BE in Mechanical Engineering from University of Galway and an ScM and PhD in Engineering from Brown University, Rhode Island, USA. He also holds a Doctor of Science (DSc) on published work from the National University of Ireland.

Peter joined the University faculty in 1991 as a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering. He was appointed as the University’s first Established Professor of Biomedical Engineering in 2007 and he served as Head of Biomedical Engineering within the School of Engineering from 2013 to 2023. He served as Dean of College and Head of School of Engineering and Informatics from 2016 to 2019, and Head of School of Engineering from 2019 to 2021. Under his leadership as Head of School, the School of Engineering developed its gender equality action plan, and building on this groundwork, the school went on to achieve the Athena SWAN Silver Award in 2022, the first School of Engineering in Ireland to achieve the recognition.

Peter is an internationally recognised research leader in biomedical engineering and his research has been focused on fundamental developments and applications of computational and experimental methods in biomechanics, tissue mechanics and in the analysis and design of medical implants and devices, and he has published widely on these topics. He has been a pioneer in the development of biomedical engineering in Ireland and internationally, and he was the founding Director of the Biomechanics Research Centre (BioMEC) at University of Galway. In addition to research, Peter is deeply committed to undergraduate and postgraduate education.

He has received numerous awards, including membership of the Royal Irish Academy (2011), the Silver Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland - Section of Bioengineering (2011), Fellowship of the Irish Academy of Engineering (2019), the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (1995), the Presidential Nominee Fellowship of Engineers Ireland (2009), and he is a Chartered Engineer of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland since 1996. He has also served in officer roles in the Royal Irish Academy, as Secretary for Science and as Secretary for Policy and International Relations where he was the Irish representative to several international academy organisations, including the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC).

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Uachtarán Eatramhach Ollscoil na Gaillimhe is ea an tOllamh Peter McHugh, áit ar chuir sé tús lena théarma an 7 Meán Fómhair 2024.

Tá BE Céadonóracha san Innealtóireacht Mheicniúil ó Ollscoil na Gaillimhe bainte amach ag Peter, ar de bhunadh Bhéal Átha hAmhnais, Co. Mhaigh Eo é, mar aon le ScM agus PhD san Innealtóireacht ó Ollscoil Brown, Rhode Island, SAM. Tá Dochtúireacht san Eolaíocht (DSc) as Obair Fhoilsithe faighte aige ó Ollscoil na hÉireann chomh maith.

Thosaigh Peter le foireann teagaisc na hOllscoile sa bhliain 1991 mar Léachtóir le hInnealtóireacht Mheicniúil. Ceapadh ina chéad Ollamh Bunaithe le hInnealtóireacht Bhithleighis san Ollscoil é sa bhliain 2007, agus bhí sé ina Cheann ar Innealtóireacht Bhithleighis laistigh de Scoil na hInnealtóireachta ó 2013 go 2023. Bhí sé ina Dhéan Coláiste agus ina Cheann Scoile ar Scoil na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice ó 2016 go 2019 agus ina Cheann Scoile ar Scoil na hInnealtóireachta ó 2019 go 2021. Faoina stiúir mar Cheann Scoile, d’fhorbair Scoil na hInnealtóireachta a plean gnímh don chomhionannas inscne, agus de bharr na réamhoibre seo, bhain an scoil Gradam Airgid Athena SWAN amach in 2022, arb í an chéad Scoil Innealtóireachta in Éirinn ar éirigh léi an t-aitheantas sin a bhaint amach.

Tá aitheantas idirnáisiúnta tuillte ag Peter mar cheannaire taighde san innealtóireacht bhithleighis agus cuid mhór taighde déanta aige ar bhunfhorbairtí agus ar fheidhmeanna modhanna ríomhaireachtúla agus turgnamhacha sa bhithmheicnic, i meicnic fíochán, agus in anailís agus dearadh ionchlannán agus feistí leighis. Tá iliomad saothar foilsithe aige ar na hábhair seo. Bhí sé ina cheannródaí i bhforbairt na hinnealtóireachta bithleighis in Éirinn agus go hidirnáisiúnta, agus ba é Stiúrthóir bunaidh an Ionaid Taighde Bithmheicnice (BioMEC) in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe é. I dteannta lena chuid taighde, tá Peter an-tiomanta don oideachas fochéime agus iarchéime.

Tá lear mór gradam bronnta air, agus san áireamh leo sin tá ballraíocht d’Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann (2011), Bonn Airgid Acadamh Ríoga an Leighis in Éirinn – an Rannóg Bithinnealtóireachta (2011), Comhaltacht Acadamh Innealtóireachta na hÉireann (2019), Comhaltacht Alexander von Humboldt (1995), Ainmní an Uachtaráin do Chomhaltacht Innealtóirí na hÉireann (2009), agus is Innealtóir Cairte le hInstitiúid Innealtóirí na hÉireann é ón mbliain 1996. Tá tréimhsí caite aige chomh maith i róil oifigigh in Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann, mar Rúnaí Eolaíochta agus Rúnaí Polasaí agus Caidrimh Idirnáisiúnta, áit a raibh sé ina ionadaí Éireannach do roinnt eagraíochtaí acadúla idirnáisiúnta, lena n-áirítear Comhairle Chomhairleach Eolaíochta Acadaimh na hEorpa (EASAC).