Welcome
This portfolio captures some of my professional activities in leadership, research and teaching in higher education. It provides examples of the impact of my work, and of the collaboration and outreach activities in which I have engaged.
About Me
I was appointed President of University College Cork in September 2021. Prior to taking up that role I had been Interim President for one year and, prior to that, Deputy President and Registrar since 2018. I am passionate about learning, research and student-centred education. I am inspired by students, by their questions and by their thirst for knowledge. I enjoy working with people: developing ideas, generating evidence, seeking out best practice, sharing ambition and leading change through collaboration. I am inspired to connect the different elements of the educational ecosystem: society; schools; industry; and governments, to enable high quality education. I am passionate about growing support for students, staff and researchers through motivation, provision of development opportunities and enhanced accessibility.
My philosophy is that a university must be student and researcher focussed, inclusive, supportive and globally informed.
My Background
A proud alumnus of University College Cork, I graduated with a degree in Zoology in 1984, a PhD in 1987 and was awarded a DSc for my published works in 2009. I have published over 250 research papers and a number of books, details of which are set out in my publication list, and was elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2024.
Academic Leadership
In September 2021 I was appointed President of University College Cork. Prior to taking up that role I had served as Interim President for one year and, prior to that, as Deputy President & Registrar since 2018. As Registrar, I had the privilege to lead a team of passionate people with responsibility for academic affairs and strategy of the university. You can read about the activities of that office on the website. I am Chair of the University Leadership Team and also chair a range of other UCC committees including the Athena SWAN Steering Group. In 2022 I completed the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.
Service to the Community
I was the founding Director of UCC’s Quercus Talented Students’ Programme. I am co-chair of the Green Campus Forum which has received many awards in recognition of its efforts to promote the Green Agenda at UCC, including the first green flag ever awarded to a university and our recent placing at 6th in the world and first in Ireland in the prestigious IU GreenMetric World Rankings. One of the annual highlights for me is to chair the judging panel for Biology and Ecology at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. For ten years I was also a judge for the prestigious UNESCO-L’Oréal-Royal Society Women Science Scholarship. I was also honoured to be awarded honorary membership of the Students’ Union of Ireland in 2005 for my contributions to graduate education and policies. I am very active in the local community and am a member and former Chair of the Board of Fota Wildlife Park in Cork.
I was previously Vice-President for Teaching and Learning at UCC where I led a team that supported the provision of high quality teaching and learning, adult and continuing education, online learning and staff development at UCC.
Prior to that, I was founding Head of School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences at UCC, where I still hold the Chair in Zoology. I am also a former Vice-Head of the College of Science, Engineering & Food Science and have previously held academic posts in Cardiff, Wales and Maine, USA. I have delivered lectures widely in Ireland and across Europe and North America.
Research Activity
My discipline is biology, and my main area of research is ornithology with a particular interest in both swans and dippers. I have also undertaken a significant body of research on forest ecology and forest biodiversity and have led a number of research projects with considerable input to local and EU policy and practice in the area of human influences on environmental change. I am the Chair or Ireland’s Countryside Bird Survey Steering Committee, former Vice-President of the British Trust for Ornithology, and an advisor to the European Environment Agency. I greatly enjoy outreach and collaboration with industry, government agencies and non-government organisations, locally, nationally and internationally, and have undertaken a large body of work on research translation through conferences and workshops.