2023 Teaching Excellence Award Winners
2023 Winners of DCU President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching

2023 Winners

At a ceremony on May 17th 2023, staff gathered to recognise and celebrate the outstanding

contributions to DCU's teaching and learning environment of all those who were nominated

for the 2023 awards. The citations on the day reflected innovation, enthusiasm, inclusivity

and care as hallmarks of DCU teaching and learning. We congratulate the recipients of

the awards in the various categories.

 

Teaching Support 

The Teaching Support award, which recognises those who make an outstanding contribution to the support of teaching without being ‘frontline’ teaching staff, was awarded to Michele Somers, IoE School of STEM Education Innovation; Global Studies.



"Michele is a partner in collaboration around designing and developing practical

work on our campus. This is such a highly valued quality because it means that

practical work becomes a team effort, providing a mixture of content and

pedagogical knowledge that is essential to teach any practical work and is a great example to the future teachers who take our laboratory module."

 



New Lecturer

The New Lecturer Category recognises relatively new lecturers and tutors for achieving excellence in teaching. This award was presented to Martin Venker, School of Mathematics.



"He goes above and beyond in his teaching and lectures and really cares about us and our issues outside of the module. A polite man, with a brilliant genius in his teaching methods, his people skills are top class."

 



Team Teaching

In the Team Category, which provides an opportunity to recognise core staff teams that provide an exceptional, innovative, or transformational contribution to the student experience, the award went to the Law & Government Lecturing Team, School of Law & Government.



"The law lecturers recognised that many of their students had never prepared for or sat an in-person State or university exam due to COVID. The lecturers adopted a collective approach to reduce student anxiety. In response to the student needs the lecturers held a Zoom meeting in early November to discuss revision, answering problem-based questions, and writing essays. 300 students jumped onto the Zoom meeting. It proves that the lecturers share a common approach to problem-based questions and essay writing."

 

Distinctive Approaches to Teaching

James Lovatt, School of STEM Education received the ‘Distinctive Approaches to Innovation in Teaching’ award. 



"James is a wonderful teacher and a great colleague. He has left a lasting impression on hundreds of science teachers who are out in the secondary school system, who recall his innovative approach to science teaching as inspirational."

 



Distinctive Approaches to Assessment & Feedback

Siobhán  Russell, School of Nursing, Psychotherapy & Community Health was awarded in the Distinctive Approaches to Assessment and Feedback category. 



"Siobhán is an excellent lecturer and very supportive for all the students in the class. Her passion for mental health nursing is demonstrated through how she teaches students in her class, she makes the topics very enjoyable and interesting."

 



Distinctive Approaches to Innovation in Teaching 

Marta Rocchi DCU Business School was the recipient of the Distinctive Approaches to Teaching Award. 

"She loves what she teaches. She’s a very kind person and made it clear that she cares about her students. Marta is interactive and engaging with the class.  I feel that she has gone above and beyond to engage and allow her students to develop and grow not only individual but also in our development of ethics."

 

 

Overall Academic Award  

This category recognises all the nominees who have excelled in their teaching and practice at DCU and was presented to Dónal Mulligan, School of Communications.



"Overall, Dónal's innovative approach to organising and communicating lecture material to this diverse class and his outstanding willingness to provide support and accommodation greatly influenced my and my class's learning and success during the module.  Dónal, as a lecturer, was highly effective in facilitating my learning, providing continuous support throughout the module."

 

 

Award Nominees

We also congratulate all those who were shortlisted and nominated.

 

Teaching Support Category Nominees

Emma Mitchell  Enterprise and Innovation Group, DCUBS

Lisa Dunne  Disability and learning support services

Lucy Deacon  School of Mathematical Sciences, FSH

Michele Somers  School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies, IoE

Rob Lowney  Teaching Enhancement Unit, OVPAA

 

New Lecturer Category Nominees

Aideen O'Dochartaigh      Financial and Operational Performance Group, DCUBS

Áine Travers  School of Psychology, FSH

Alice O'Sullivan  School of Communications, FHSS

Amanda Drury  School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, FSH

Baidyanath Biswas  Enterprise and Innovation Group, DCUBS

Darren Clarke  School of History and Geography, FHSS

David O'Connor  School of Chemical Sciences, FSH

Edoardo Celeste  School of Law and Government, FHSS

Elena López Cuenca  School of Applied Language & Intercultural Studies, FHSS

J. Clark Powers  School of Communications, FHSS

Janine Silga  School of Law and Government, FHSS     

Jimmy O'Keeffe  School of History and Geography, FHSS

John Cusack  Enterprise and Innovation Group, DCUBS

Leanne Connolly  School of Inclusive and Special Education, IoE

Martin Venker  School of Mathematical Sciences, FSH

Moign Khawaja  School of Law and Government, FHSS

Natalie O'Neill  School of Policy and Practice, IoE

Niamh Cullen  School of History and Geography, FHSS

Nigel Mulligan  School of Psychology, FSH

Patrick Burke  School of Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education, IoE

Paul Razafimandimby  School of Mathematical Sciences, FSH

Paula Lehane  School of Inclusive and Special Education, IoE

 

Overall Academic Category Nominees

Angela Leahy       School of Languages and Intercultural Studies, FHSS

Anne Kirwan     School of Nursing, Psychotherapy & Community Health, FSH

Aoife Brennan     School of Inclusive and Special Education, IoE

Claire Gubbins     Work, Psychology and Strategy Group, DCUBS

Colleen O'Neill     School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, FSH

Darragh McCashin     School of Psychology, FSH

David McGovern     School of Psychology, FSH

Deirdre Nic Mhathúna     Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge, FHSS

Dónal Mulligan     School of Communications, FHSS

Donnacha Ó Beacháin     School of Law and Government, FHSS

Éadaoin Mhuircheartaigh  School of Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, FHSS

Elaine Mullins      School of Human Development, IoE

Elizabeth Mathews      School of Inclusive and Special Education, IoE

Ellen Reynor      School of Inclusive and Special Education, IoE

Eugene Hickland      Work, Psychology and Strategy Group, DCUBS

Evan Kirwan      School of Human Development, IoE

Francesca Lorenzi      School of Policy and Practice, IoE

Gearóid Ó Cleircín      School of Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, FHSS

Gerry Conyngham      Enterprise and Innovation Group, DCUBS

Grainne McKenna      School of Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education, IoE

Irene White  School of Human Development, IoE

James Lovatt  School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies, IoE

Janine Bosak  Work, Psychology and Strategy Group, DCUBS

Jivanta Schottli  School of Law and Government, FHSS

John Appleby  School of Mathematical Sciences, FSH

John Moran  School of Communications, FHSS

Jonathan Arlow  School of Law and Government, FHSS

Karen Devine  School of Law and Government, FHSS

Kathryn O Mahony  School of Inclusive and Special Education, IoE

Ken McDonagh  School of Law and Government, FHSS

Khaled Benyounis  School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, FEC

Kwok Chuen Wong  School of Mathematical Sciences, FSH

Madeline Boughton  School of Communications, FHSS

Marie Flynn  School of Human Development, IoE

Marta Rocchi  Financial and Operational Performance Group, DCUBS

Martin Molony  School of Communications, FHSS

Maura McAdam  Enterprise and Innovation Group, DCUBS

Neil Kenny  School of Inclusive and Special Education, IoE

Neil O'Boyle  School of Communications, FHSS

Orna Farrell  School of Policy and Practice, IoE

Paola Rivetti  School of Law and Government, FHS

Patrick Cadwell  School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies, FHSS

Prince Anandarajah  School of Electronic Engineering, FEC

Sean Duffy  School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, FSH

Shivaun O'Brien  School of Policy and Practice, IoE

Síle Denvir  School of Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, FHSS

Simon Dunne  School of Psychology, FHS

Siobhan Russell  School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, FSH

Therese McPhillips  School of Special and Inclusive Education, IoE

Walt Kilroy  School of Law and Government, FHSS

Yseult Freeney  Work, Psychology and Strategy Group, DCUBS

Zita Lysaght  School of Policy and Practice, IoE