"To get that recognition as a social scientist was huge and a real honour"

It came as little surprise to the DCU community when Dr Jane Suiter was named the Irish Research Council’s ‘2020 Researcher of the Year’. An expert in disinformation and democracy - and that’s just for starters - Dr Suiter is renowned both inside and outside of academic circles. Her research, interpretation and commentary often graces the pages and platforms of major news outlets, including RTE and the Irish Times.

The Irish Research Council awarded her the prestigious accolade for her “research on the public sphere and information environment in referendums and elections”.

This includes analysing populist messaging and the political communication characteristics and systems that support or hinder it, as well as the impacts of citizens’ participation and the role of citizens

in renewing democracy.

“To have the recognition of your peers is really important. It’s one thing to have recognition among your colleagues in the university, but to get the recognition of your peers by the Irish Research Council - and it’s across all domains and would have had people from the sciences as well as the arts, humanities

and social sciences - so to get that recognition as a social scientist was huge. I was absolutely delighted, it was a real honour,” she said.

Born in Montreal in Canada, but reared in Rathmines where she now lives, Dr Suiter is an Associate Professor at the School of Communications and Director of the DCU Institute of Future Media, Democracy & Society (FUJO).

A married mother-of-three, she is also a senior research fellow on the Irish Citizens’ Assembly on gender equality, and is recognised as a national and international leader in citizen engagement and deliberation.

When she manages to ‘switch off’ from her many roles, Dr Suiter is a frequent visitor to Co Mayo, engaging in water sports and walking.

So where did it all begin? After graduating from UCD with a degree in Economics and Politics, she moved into journalism where she enjoyed a 15-year career working for the Financial Times in London, before becoming Economic Correspondent, and later Economics Editor, with the Irish Times. In 2005, she decided to return to the world of research and began a PhD in Trinity College. “As Economics Editor, I was talking to a lot of academics about their research, and interpreting other people’s research. And I just thought there could be an opportunity to conduct some research myself, and have the time and space to think about things for research,” she said.

Indeed, her previous career as a journalist was highlighted by the Chair of the Irish Research Council Professor Jane Ohlmeyer who said it allowed Dr Suiter bring “real-life experience back into the classroom”.

The award from the Irish Research Council followed Penn State jointly awarding Dr Suiter and Prof David Farrell from UCD the prestigious Brown Democracy Medal for their work on the Citizens’ Assembly. Both awards are attracting much attention. “I do get approached by more international

students asking about studying in DCU and other projects that they can work with us on in the Institute (FUJO) and that kind of thing. It definitely opens doors,” added Dr Suiter.