Winners of DCU’s Tell It Straight competition 2021 announced
The competition enables DCU’s research students to showcase their research in a concise and succinct way, with its main objective to communicate their research, and its potential impact, to a non-specialist audience.
The competition challenges research students to communicate their research, and its potential impact, to a non-specialist audience in a concise, dynamic and innovative way. It also provides a forum for staff and students to hear about research taking place across the University, not just in a particular discipline.
This year’s winners and runners-up were selected in the following three categories, adapted this year for a virtual delivery.
Category 1: Oral Presentations (from Year 1 only)
Christina O'Keeffe
Winner: Christina O'Keeffe School of Inclusive and Special Education for here research ‘Unlocking the potential of play for social relationships and learning for young children on the Autism Spectrum’ (Supervisors: Dr Sinéad McNally and Dr Anna Logan)
Craig Smith
Runner-Up: Craig Smith School of Health and Human Performance, for his research ‘Empowering Adolescents to Take Control of Their Health’ (Supervisors: Dr Sarahjane Belton and Dr Johann Issartel)
Category 2: Oral Presentations (from Year 2 onwards)
Sarah Dillon
Winner: Sarah Dillon School of Health and Human Performance, for her research ‘Running…Towards Injury? Uncovering Why Runners Get Injured’ (Supervisors: Prof Kieran Moran, Dr Enda Whyte and Dr Siobhán O'Connor)
Cliona McParland
Runner-Up: Cliona McParland DCU Business School for her research ‘Electronic Monitoring Within an Garda Síochána’ (Supervisor: Prof Regina Connolly)
Category 3: Video Presentations (from all Years)
Taylor-Jade Allen-Coyle
Taylor-Jade Allen-Coyle School of Biotechnology, for her research ‘Chemotherapy Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer’ (Supervisor: Dr Finbarr O’Sullivan)
Devika Dass
Runner-Up: Devika Dass School of Electronic Engineering for her research ‘Radio Over Fiber Enabling Futuristic High Speed Technologies’ (Supervisors: Dr Colm Browning and Prof Liam Barry)
Speaking about the importance of the competition and congratulating all of this year’s finalists, Professor Joseph Stokes, Dean of Graduate Studies, said:
"Following the highest number of entries ever received, it was great to see the fourteen finalists present their research at the 8th Tell It Straight Final competition today. Congratulations to all winners and runner-ups from across the three categories, and a heartfelt thank you to all finalists, you made the event very diverse and highly competitive. Many thanks to all those who attended, we had record numbers watching the event. It is very rewarding to see that the Tell It Straight competition is growing in popularity from year to year, and more importantly - that our DCU research students get to present their research in such an impactful way.''
Professor Stokes also thanked the judging panel involved this year including DCU’s Professor Regina Connolly and Dr Padraig Murphy, who shortlisted the finalists from the large volume of applications, and external judges Anthony McCaulley (Skillnet Ireland), Maria Delaney (Noteworthy) and Nora Trench Bowles (Irish Universities Association).
You can watch footage from the final here