People 2022-2023
Honorary conferrings are key dates in the University calendar. In November 2022, the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) was conferred on Dr Kenneth Milne, a highly respected historian with particular expertise in the history of Ireland from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. In particular, he has made a very significant contribution to the history of Irish education and to the history of the Church of Ireland. In March 2023, DCU conferred the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) on former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Professor Monica McWilliams, campaigner for peace and a signatory of the Good Friday Agreement on behalf of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition. The special ceremony took place in The Helix and marked the 25th anniversary of the 1998 signing of the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement. In September 2023, Rosaleen Blair CBE was conferred in recognition of her contribution to entrepreneurship, education and gender equality. She was the founder and CEO for 23 years of Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS), revolutionising the way organisations approach workforce management and building a company that became a global leader in talent acquisition and business solutions.
In January 2023, the winners of DCU’s annual Alumni Awards were honoured at a celebration in The Helix, joined by friends and family. The DCU Alumni Awards are presented annually to graduates who have made substantial achievements in their chosen fields, or who have contributed in a significant way to the social, artistic or economic development of Ireland. The nine recipients are the DCU Alumni Awards 2022 are: Catherine Keogh, Chief Corporate Affairs & Brand Officer at Kerry Food Group; Rory Assandey, founder of La Ruche Health; Suzanne Lindsay, Senior Intelligence Analyst with An Garda Síochána; Paula Melvin, President of Conradh na Gaeilge, Cleona Ní Chrualaoi, award-winning producer An Cailín Ciúin; Derek Cleary, Director of Localise National Youth Volunteers; Dearbháil Lawless, Chief Executive of AONTAS; Michael Murphy, Head of Sport at Atlantic Technical University Donegal, and Brian Walsh founder of Réitigh.
Carlow footballer Jordan Morrissey was presented with Dublin City University’s highest student award, the Chancellor’s Medal for his academic excellence and his commitment and dedication to non-academic aspects of higher education. He graduated with a first class MEng in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. Four DCU students were chosen to represent Ireland in Washington DC as part of the prestigious Washington Ireland Program (WIP). Caoimhe Cummins, BCL (Law and Society); Emma Hayes, Religious Education and History; Katie Molihan, Business Studies and Róisín O'Gara, Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) secured places on the programme following a rigorous selection process.
DCU Educational Trust’s annual Leadership Circle Dinner brings together DCU’s leading friends and supporters to celebrate their collective contribution to DCU’s mission to transform lives and societies. In 2023, the Corporate Leadership Award was presented to leading building materials business CRH, in recognition of their longstanding support for DCU over the last 35 years. The Individual Leadership Award was presented to husband and wife Siobhán Fay and Edward McGivney in recognition of the DCU alumni’s support for DCU’s Access Programme spanning almost two decades. The Staff Leadership Award was presented to Prof Anne Looney, Executive Dean of DCU Institute of Education in recognition of her leadership in working with the university’s philanthropic partners to drive innovation and research that has helped to establish the Institute as Ireland’s leading centre for educational research and educational studies.
In June, Dr Edoardo Celeste was named Irish Research Council Early Stage Researcher of the Year 2022. Dr Celeste is Assistant Professor of Law, Technology and Innovation at DCU and his research expertise is in the burgeoning field of data law, with a special focus on the impact of the digital revolution on legal systems. Dr Eilish McLoughlin, School of the School of Physical Sciences was awarded the 2022 Institute of Physics (IOP) Lawrence Bragg medal and prize. Dr McLoughlin received her award for outstanding leadership in physics teacher education and significant impact on the learning and teaching of physics in Ireland. Prof Kevin Rafter, School of Communications, was selected to receive a prestigious Fulbright award. Prof Rafter received the award in order to conduct research at Boston College for a new book about Ireland in the 1980s. The project includes an examination of US influence on Irish economic policy and the conflict in Northern Ireland. Prof Blánaid White was appointed Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Health, to succeed Prof Michelle Butler. Prof White was previously the Dean of Strategic Learning Innovation, where she led and coordinated the development and rollout of DCU Futures, a €19.9 million project funded by the Human Capital Initiative, and the largest curriculum innovation project in DCU’s history.
The annual President’s Awards give recognition to the excellence and achievement in the DCU community. The winners of the 2023 President's Awards for Engagement includedThe Irish Refugee Integration Network, CTYI and a unique university Access society. Commitment, enthusiasm and enjoyment were the hallmarks of the 2023 President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Research concerning fields ranging from revolutionary laser technology to in-depth research of online misogyny was honoured at the President’s Awards for Research and Impact Awards 2023.