DCU Alumni header
DCU Alumni

DCU Alumni Awards 2022

This year, we are celebrating the wonderful contribution and impact of our graduates across the world. With almost 100,000 alumni, our community continues to grow and we have so much to celebrate.

DCU Alumni Awards Paula Melvin

Paula Melvin

Paula Melvin  
BA Irish Language and Literature and History, 2012

President Conradh na Gaelige 

Paula is President of Conradh na Gaeilge, the first female to hold that office since 1995. Professionally, Paula is Senior Manager of the Fulbright Commission in Ireland and over the past decade has worked in a number of different contexts across the arts, media, education, youth work and with professional bodies. 

Read more..

DCU Alumni Awards Brian Walsh

Brian Walsh

Brian Walsh 
BSc Financial and Actuarial Maths, 2005; MSc Software Engineering, 2010 

CEO, Réitigh  

Brian is a software engineering thought leader who is now leading an Irish based business bringing order to complexity for the providers of advanced financial services and banking products across Europe. Brian began his career in a consulting environment where his focus was on the development of enterprise software in the life insurance and investment funds spaces. 

Read more...

DCU Alumni Awards 2022 Catherine Keogh

Catherine Keogh

Catherine Keogh 
BA International Marketing and Languages, 1991 

Chief Corporate Affairs and Brand Officer at Kerry Group

Catherine is an accomplished and proven international leader in Business and Marketing now serving as Chief Corporate Affairs and Brand Officer at Kerry Group. Having graduated from DCU and the University of Cologne with fluency in German and French, Catherine spent many years living and working outside Ireland in Germany, France, Canada and the US before returning in 2016.

Read more...

DCU Alumni Awards 2022 Cleona Ní Chrualaoi

Cleona Ní Chrualaoi

Cleona Ní Chrualaoi 
BA in Journalism, 2001 

Award Winning Film and Television Producer, Inscéal 

Cleona is an award winning film and television producer. She graduated from the BA in Journalism in 2001 and received an RTÉ Award for an “outstanding undergraduate thesis” on missing persons which was later nominated for a PPI Radio Award. Her media career began as a reporter and presenter on CKRFM and Newstalk before migrating to television to work as a freelance researcher and later a producer.

Read more...

DCU Alumni Award Dearbháil Lawless

Dearbháil Lawless

Dearbháil Lawless 
BSc Education and Training, 2009 

Chief Executive of Aontas

Dearbháil is Chief Executive of AONTAS, a non-government organisation advocating for the right of all adults to quality learning throughout their lives, and promoting its value and benefits. Having graduated with a degree in Education and Training she completed a Master’s in Education in Trinity College Dublin in 2011 where she was also President of the Graduate Students Union.

Read more...

DCU Alumni Awards Derek Cleary

Derek Cleary

Derek Cleary 
BSc Education and Training, 2004

Director, Localise National Youth Volunteers

Derek Cleary is the director of Localise National Youth Volunteers, an organisation which engages young people all over Ireland in community volunteer projects through their primary school, secondary school and local community groups.  Derek’s work focuses on engaging young people in meaningful grassroot volunteering enabling the creation of the civic and philanthropic leaders of our time.  Localise Youth Volunteers is passionate about enabling young people to fulfil their potential while positively contributing to the community and society as a whole.

Read more...

DCU Alumni Awards Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy
BSc Physical Education with Biology, 2013 

Head of Sport, Atlantic Technological University

Michael Murphy is Head of Sport at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Donegal and late last year retired as an intercounty gaelic footballer after 17 years’ representing Donegal. During that time he won three GAA All Star awards - in 2012, 2014 and 2019 - and was nominated for an All Star on four further occasions. Michael was already a national star in his sport during his time as a DCU student where he played a central role in the University winning the Sigerson Cup in 2012.

Read more...

DCU Alumni Awards 2022 Rory Assandey

Rory Assandey

Rory Assanday
BSc in Enterprise Computing,2014 

Founder, La Ruche Health 

Rory began his professional career at SAP Ireland following his participation in DCU’s third year internship programme there. In a decade with SAP,  firstly in Dublin and then in Chicago and later Palo Alto, Rory delivered over 40 services as a subject matter expert for customers within many sectors of industry, traveling to and working across 26 countries. Rory has long been committed to supporting social enterprise and community projects through sharing of his knowledge and skills in technology for the benefit of sports clubs, church groups and senior citizens.

Read more...

DCU Alumni Awards 2022 Suzanne Lindsay

Suzanne Lindsay

Suzanne Lindsay 
BA Communication Studies, 1994

Senior Intelligence Analyst, An Garda Síochána

Suzanne’s expertise has been vital in tackling serious and organised crime. She is a Senior Intelligence Analyst at An Garda Síochána, and in 2022 she was named Criminal Analyst of the Year by Europol. She received this honour for her analytical work on a Garda operation that dismantled a transnational Organised Crime Group who were facilitating illegal immigration into Ireland, the UK and across Europe.

Read more...