Monday, 4 April 2011

A team of students from NUI Galway have won a Health and Safety Authority run competition aimed at undergraduate teams from construction related degree programmes in third level institutions. At the final held recently in the Ashling Hotel in Dublin, six short-listed teams battled it out to win the first prize of €3,000 with Sligo Institute of Technology awarded the runner-up prize of €1,000. Other teams which made the final included students from UCC, GMIT and Carlow IT. The NUI Galway winning team was made up by Kevin Carney from Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon, Grant Deeney from Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, and Shane McHale from Ballina, Co. Mayo. The students from different disciplines worked together to take on the role of giving expert advice on remedial repairs, traffic management and long-term maintenance of a bridge that suffered structural damage as result of a bridge strike. Various challenges had to be addressed including examining the impact of design on after-care maintenance, site-specific risk assessments and preparing traffic management plans. Dr Jamie Goggins, Chartered Engineer and Programme Director for BSc in Project and Construction Management at NUI Galway, said: "We would like to congratulate Kevin, Grant and Shane on winning this competition organised by the Third Level Initiative Group of the Health and Safety Authority. The aim of the competition fits very well with the ethos of our undergraduate degree programmes in construction related programmes – to provide an environment where undergraduate students can collaborate and work together to enhance, develop and embed their knowledge and understanding of various aspects of engineering and construction. Furthermore, this competition provides a platform for students to work in multidisciplinary groups, which is an experience that we value and promote in our undergraduate degree programmes." Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority's Third Level Initiative Group (TLIG), Dr Anne Drummond, said, "In the world of work, collaboration and working with colleagues from other disciplines is essential to problem solving as well as being the safest approach. This competition has clearly illustrated to both students and judges that engagement and teamwork with their colleagues is a rewarding experience for students, and one that can deliver a safe and effective product." -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

Secondary school students interested in NUI Galway are invited to an information evening in Tipperary on Thursday, 14 April. Parents and guardians are also particularly welcome to the event which runs from 7 to 9pm in the Anner Hotel, Thurles. The evening will begin with short talks about NUI Galway and some of the 60 courses it offers. Afterward, current students and NUI Galway staff will be on hand at information stands to answer any individual questions visitors may have. Seamus Hennessy, from Cloughjordan, is currently studying Commerce with Accounting at NUI Galway and will be there on the night to answer questions: "I decided upon NUI Galway as it has an extremely high teaching quality, a great social aspect to both the college and city, and an excellent sporting structure for various sports. It also has a very reputable reputation among employers both nationally and internationally. I would highly recommend it to any prospective student". The ever-increasing popularity of NUI Galway is in part due to a whole suite of innovative new programmes, developed in response to the changing needs of the employment market, including an Energy Engineering degree and a Maths and Education degree aimed at training Maths teachers. "Our own students tell us our lecturers are inspirational and challenge them to achieve their full potential. The student experience in Galway is second to none, and we want to bring a taste of that to Tipperary, while also providing all the practical information on accommodation, CAO points, fees, scholarships and courses", says Caroline Loughnane, Director of Marketing and Communications at NUI Galway. The University recently developed a popular four-year Arts degree called BA Connect, which allows specialisation in certain areas and a year of placement in Ireland or abroad. There are eight to choose from, including Human Rights, Creative Writing, and Theatre and Performance, all areas where NUI Galway leads the field. NUI Galway is Ireland's leading University for Biomedical Science, so students have access to top researchers and the very latest facilities. As the University is at the heart of the medical device industry hub in Galway, graduates have excellent opportunities for ongoing employment in the field. Caroline Loughnane continued: "With so many courses on offer, this event in Thurles is a perfect opportunity to meet current students and our lecturers to see what degree might be the right fit". To find out more about the Information Evening in Tipperary, contact NUI Galway's Schools Liaison Office, Siobhan Dorman, Schools Liaison Office on 086 042 1591 or siobhan.dorman@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

Almost 3,000 prospective students and their parents from across the country visited NUI Galway's campus for the Spring Open Day on Saturday, 2 April. Tailored toward Leaving Certificate and mature students who are interested in studying at NUI Galway, the Open Day featured hands-on interactive Science Experience workshops and tours of the campus. With some 60 degree programmes, NUI Galway offers a wide range of traditional courses but also a whole suite of innovative new courses. The Open Day offered prospective students information on practical issues such as University accommodation, scholarships, and general support services available to students. Student ambassadors were on hand to assist with all queries about specific courses and student life at NUI Galway and current students were there to discuss the vibrant societies and sports clubs on campus. Lecturers and support staff were also available at 80 stands to deal with any queries about degrees, accommodation, finances and much more. Caroline Loughnane, Director of Marketing and Communications at NUI Galway said "The Spring Open Day was a great success with many prospective students, their parents and guardians sampling life at University. Everyone got an opportunity to ask questions about courses of interest and get a feel for the campus. Spring Open Day has proved invaluable to many students, particularly those considering their options before the CAO change of mind deadline of 1 July." -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

A spin-out company of NUI Galway's Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) – Peracton Ltd. features in a new book by SOGETI which offers guidelines to successful cloud computing. The book 'Seize the Cloud' is aimed at business professionals in finance and introduces them to cloud based technologies. The book also illustrates how various companies have made use of cloud computing. As a start-up, Peracton provides a unique insight to the challenges as well as angles it has to address the financial services needs and legal requirements of a company through the use of MAARS technology. The technology used by Peracton was initially developed within DERI at NUI Galway and through Peracton, the MAARS technology is being offered to the finance/business world. The original MAARS technology development research has been funded by Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland. MAARS is a platform that provides complex analytics decision support for most common equities selection (stocks, funds, ETF etc.), audit and compliance as well as forensic capabilities. A report by Forrester in 2010 claimed that Peracton s MAARS was the Hot Technology to Watch for 2010. A Forrester excerpt says: "Focusing on solving the core industry-specific business problems is the next big wave in the tech industry. Nowhere is it more evident of technology s unique role in solving business problems than in the highly tech-dependent banking market." For further information contact: info@peracton.com -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

Building on its introduction and success last year, the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway continues to partner with local businesses to challenge its students through its Bachelor of Commerce and B.Sc. in Business Information Systems 'Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise(ICE)' module. For their final year of studies, all students of the School are given the opportunity to innovate in all aspects of business and community enterprise. Michael Campion, ICE Module Director at the School stated: "The overall objective of the Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise course is to encourage self-confidence in students of business in their ability to be creative and innovative in whatever future business and/or community settings that they are working in." With the support this year of an expanded number of 33 local business and community leaders who have mentored the students since January, this module provides opportunities for over 360 students to engage in group-based projects requiring them to innovate with the community in a variety of interest areas. The Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise module is part of a wider initiative within the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, supported by funding from the NUI Galway Students Projects Fund, to focus on student personal development planning, and employability skill development. As a competitive part of the module, groups of students from the class were required to present their innovation projects to mentors through a number of stages of judging, resulting in the selection of five finalist groups to compete for a prize fund of €6,000, sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants(CIMA). On Friday, 1st April, these groups presented to the final judging panel consisting of Denis McCarthy, Regional Director CIMA, Michael Corless, Chairman of Galway Airport and Judy Greene, Managing Director Judy Greene Pottery. The overall winners were James Kenny from Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Patrick Flanagan and Mark Ruane, both from Sligo. Their project was 'Pipe Protect' – a new product which makes use of mobile phone technology to monitor and control pipes during freezing weather. Denis McCarthy, Divisional Director, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) said: "CIMA is forging strong linkages with NUI Galway and in particular the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics. This bursary is designed to support students in a practical way that underpins the importance of bringing real time expertise to learning which is at the core of the CIMA qualification. I am delighted to congratulate all the finalists who demonstrated their entrepreneurial skills in what was a competitively contested final." Michael O'Keane, Industry Mentor of the winning group commented: "I was delighted to be involved as a mentor on this year s ICE programme. Michael Campion and his colleagues in NUI Galway offer a very unique programme and their drive and enthusiasm is much appreciated by the students. The quality of ideas which emerged is clear evidence that entrepreneurship is alive and well and now more than ever this needs to be exploited to help get our economy back on it s feet." -Ends-

Monday, 4 April 2011

The James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway is the venue for an exhibition of 48 photographs that illustrates the early history of An Garda Síochána, including its precursors: The Royal Irish Constabulary and The Dublin Metropolitan Police. This fascinating collection of photographs is on loan from An Garda Síochána Historical Society. There are scenes of Gardaí on duty in Dublin and important occasions such as the funeral of Kevin O'Higgins in 1927. There are several photographs showing the scenes of crimes, including the discovery of a ton of salmon in a derelict house in Blackrock in 1927. The salmon are laid out for all to see. Photographs of Gardaí from the Library's Ritchie-Pickow Collection also feature in a slide show. The exhibition will be launched by Chief Superintendent Dónal Ó Cualáin, An Garda Síochána, Galway Division, at 5.30 pm on Thursday, 7 April at the Library. Dr. Mary Harris, Senior Lecturer in History at NUI Galway, comments: "This intriguing exhibition provides insights into various aspects of police work and prompts interesting questions about crime in early twentieth-century Ireland." John Cox, University Librarian, adds: "The James Hardiman Library is delighted to host this exhibition, and is extremely grateful to the Garda Síochána Historical Society for affording us the opportunity to make it accessible in Galway. Members of the public are very welcome to come and view it." The exhibition will be located in the Library Foyer until 6 May. Admission is free, and the Library is open until 10pm weekdays and 5.30 on weekends. Please check the Library website for opening hours over Easter www.library.nuigalway.ie -Ends-

Friday, 1 April 2011

President Mary McAleese officially opens the new Prostate Cancer Institute at NUI Galway today. The Institute, of which President McAleese is a Patron, is directed by Professor Frank Sullivan, Consultant Radiation Oncologist. The Institute, which is primarily focused on developing better therapies for patients with prostate cancer, will benefit from a close association with the extensive clinical services already offered to these patients at Galway University Hospitals and other regional hospitals. The Institute will also collaborate with the wide-ranging biomedical research programmes of the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Sciences (NCBES) at NUI Galway and with a number of research institutes in Ireland and internationally. Cancer Biology and Developmental Therapeutics are strategic research priorities at NUI Galway. Over the last number of years, NUI Galway and Galway University Hospital have built a strong team of internationally recognised pre-clinical, translational, and clinical cancer scientists. Galway University Hospital is the major academic-medical centre in the West of Ireland, and is one of the eight specialist cancer centres established under the National Cancer Control Plan. As such it offers the full range of prostate cancer diagnostics and treatments, and is one of the country's leading centres for treatment of this form of cancer. Prostate cancer still claims around 550 lives a year in Ireland, rivalling the number of deaths due to breast cancer. The Prostate Cancer Institute will draw on the expertise of clinicians and scientists from the University and Hospital in its commitment to develop effective new therapies for patients with prostate cancer. While many advances have been made in the management of early stage patients, a subset of these men will relapse and die of the disease. New and more effective therapies are urgently needed for patients with relapsed disease or disease which is relatively resistant to current standard therapies. Initial funding for the Institute has been provided by Galway University Foundation. This has enabled the Institute to appoint Dr Sharon Glynn as Director of Laboratory Research. Early work at the Institute will involve the collection and bioprocurement of prostate tissue which will provide the base for its primary and collaborative research programme. The aim is to investigate (as is already being done with breast cancer) which molecular or genetic markers can predict those patients who are likely to relapse, so that they can be targeted with more advanced and novel treatments. The Institute will commit its research to the development of new therapies which will address the challenge in treating those relapsed cancer patients who are unresponsive to currently available treatments. The Galway HRB Clinical Research Facility provides the environment in which patients with prostate cancer will receive novel therapies. The CRF is led by the NUI Galway/Trinity College Dublin Professor of Cancer Therapeutics, Frank Giles, who also serves as the Prostate Institute's Scientific Director, thus optimising the integration of NUI Galway's resources devoted to improving therapy for patients with cancer and to giving patients access to new approaches within their own local community. NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne said: "This is an important development for NUI Galway as it marks a new direction for translational research at the University. Our research achievements in cancer biology and therapeutics will be given added impetus by the establishment of the Prostate Cancer Institute, which we believe will have a significant impact on both the quality of life of sufferers and on our knowledge of this common disease." Director of the Prostate Cancer Institute, Professor Frank Sullivan, said: "This represents an important milestone in collaboration on prostate cancer in Ireland. Bringing together the breadth of clinical and basic science experience in our region, and linking it with national and international research groups, can only be good for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, now and into the future. We intend to add to the treatment options for men with the most difficult prostate cancers. A tough but hugely important challenge." -Ends-

Thursday, 31 March 2011

After a year in operation on the NUI Galway campus, the New Tech Post – a daily publisher of articles on innovative and emerging technologies – has announced that it will open a second office in Silicon Valley in partnership with the Irish Innovation Center in San Jose. New Tech Post aims to create a 'news bridge' between its headquarters in Galway and its new office in the US. New Tech Post s coverage of innovative and emerging technologies is reflected in its five main newsfeeds: Video; Mobile; Business; Technology; and Social Media. According to founder John Breslin, who is a lecturer in electronic engineering at NUI Galway: "The main aim of the New Tech Post is to cover emergent technologies and share new, innovative ideas with an audience interested in learning what future trends to think about and how they might be affected by them. We're very excited to work with the Irish Innovation Center in San Jose since they are ideally placed in Silicon Valley and are extremely well connected to the heart of the tech universe." New Tech Post writer Tom Murphy says: "Technologies that are sometimes obscure and difficult to decipher are explained in such a manner that an average reader can explain the essential ideas with ease to a third party not familiar with the area: to their boss, co-worker, friend, and so on. Natural areas of activity are innovations and ideas emerging from large companies such as Cisco and HP, as well as the bubbling undercurrents of start-ups and early-stage ventures." John Hartnett, the founder of the Irish Innovation Center (IIC) and also of the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG), says: "We are delighted that the New Tech Post will launch its US base in the IIC on 5 April at our yearly ITLG/Irish Times Silicon Valley Awards. We have been working with the New Tech Post in the run up to the awards on the Irish America 'Silicon Valley 50' magazine, recognising the top Irish American tech executives in the Valley and also profiling various Irish technology companies of note." With its origins in Ireland, one goal of New Tech Post is to promote Irish technology wherever possible, in the belief that Irish companies and entrepreneurs are on the same footing as other international contributors when it comes to technology, business and innovation. Some of the tech leaders interviewed on New Tech Post during its first six months include: Carlos Dominguez (Cisco); Dylan Collins (Jolt Online); Andrew Parish (Wavebob); Nova Spivack (Live Matrix); Bernardo Huberman (HP Labs); and Iain MacDonald (SkillPages). A varied set of topics are covered on New Tech Post, including: pervasive computing and mobile networking; how to measure influence on Twitter; similarities between neurons and social networks; robots learning from their environments; and solar technologies for harvesting light. -Ends-

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

One of the world's leading international web science research institutes will showcase its research at NUI Galway on 6 April. The Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), based at the University, is a key player in the Irish government's plan of transforming Ireland into a competitive knowledge economy. Minister for Research & Innovation, Mr Sean Sherlock T.D., will give the keynote address at the event. The day-long event will reflect the work undertaken by DERI's 120 researchers who, with key partners from Multinational companies and Small and Medium Enterprises are shaping the next generation of the web know as the Semantic Web and developing new products and technologies in this area. In the past seven years DERI has developed into an internationally leading research centre, as documented by its large number of high-quality publications in core conferences, outnumbering any other research organisation world-wide in its field of research. The Institute's focus is on education and technology transfer, which directly contributes to the Irish government's plan of transforming Ireland into a competitive knowledge economy. Professor Stefan Decker of DERI: "The discovery, integration, and exploitation of the humongous amount of the web's information have become important challenges. DERI is taking on these challenges by defining and executing a research agenda and outreach activities targeted at enabling and supporting people, organisations, and systems to collaborate and interoperate on a global scale using semantic web technologies." A selection of DERI technologies will be presented through a series of lecture sessions and participants can engage with researchers through demonstration and posters sessions. Industry partners including Cisco, Storm, Alcatel-Lucent, Celtrak and Avaya will also participate on the day. Michael Turley, CEO of DERI added: "By helping to create critical new jobs, products, services and commercial opportunities, our centre is an integral part of the national strategy of transforming Ireland into a competitive knowledge economy. Our event on 6 April gives us a chance to network with existing partners and open up our research to potential new collaborations and influences." DERI is a Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) established in 2003 with funding from Science Foundation Ireland. As a CSET, DERI brings together academic and industrial partners to boost innovation in science and technology, with its research focused on the Semantic Web. DERI has leveraged its SFI CSET funding to add significant additional research funding from the European Union, Enterprise Ireland, and industry sources giving it a total funding to date of over €62 million. The DERI Open day takes place from 10:30am to 5.30pm on Wednesday 6 April. For registration and a full programme visit http://www.deri.ie/about/deri-open-day/. -ends-

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

This year marks the 50th anniversary since graduation for all who were conferred with degrees in 1961 from NUI Galway, or University College Galway (UCG) as it was known then. As well as the Class of 1961, all those who graduated prior to 1961 will be welcomed back to their alma mater on Friday, 15 April, to celebrate this special milestone. The reunion programme includes a bus tour of a vastly changed campus, a presentation of Cumann Caoga Bliain (50 Year Club) commemorative certificates by University President, Dr James J. Browne, and a reunion dinner in the Meyrick Hotel. J.B. Terrins, Director of Alumni Relations at NUI Galway, encourages graduates to come along "Reunion is a perfect opportunity to take a walk down memory lane, renew old acquaintances and see how the University has developed over the years. Over 60 guests have signed up so far. I encourage all of the classmates to get out their address books and call around. Reunion attendees never regret making the effort." For a detailed schedule of events or to book tickets please contact Colm O'Dwyer in the Alumni Office on 00 353 (0)91 493750 or email alumni -Ends-

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Second-level students from across Connaught who received an A in Junior Certificate Honours Business Studies, were presented with Certificates of Achievement from the NUI Galway J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics. The presentations, in association with the Business Studies Teachers Association of Ireland (BSTAI), were made at a special ceremony at the University which included teachers and parents on Wednesday, 23 March. This is the first year NUI Galway has presented these awards. Over 270 students received recognition for their achievement at the ceremony. The certificates were awarded to students from over 55 individual schools throughout the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. Dr Willie Golden, Dean of the College of Business Public Policy and Law, NUI Galway, who presented the certificates to each individual winner, said: "NUI Galway's international success is built on a strong and enduring relationship with its hinterland, and a commitment to working with all stakeholders in the community. We are continuously updating our suite of business programmes to ensure we stay ahead of market changes and industry demands. I congratulate all the students on their achievement and also the work of teachers in helping students achieve their potential." Mary O'Sullivan, President, BSTAI said "The BSTAI are delighted to partner with NUI Galway to host this ceremony which celebrates and recognises academic excellence in Business Studies at a young age. I have no doubt that many of today's award recipients will embark on successful careers in the business world." -Ends-

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Research suggests that intelligence in humans is controlled by the part of the brain known as the 'cortex', and most theories of age-related cognitive decline focus on cortical dysfunction. However, a new study carried out by NUI Galway's Dr Michael Hogan from the School of Psychology which involved older Scottish adults suggests that grey matter volume in the 'cerebellum' at the back of the brain predicts cognitive ability, and keeping those cerebellar networks active may be the key to keeping cognitive decline at bay. The study looked at 228 older adults living independently in the Aberdeen area, who had been part of the Scottish Mental Survey of 1947. This survey had tested Scottish children born in 1936 and at school on 4 June 1947 using the Moray House intelligence test. The cognitive abilities of the participants were tested again, now at age 63 to 65 years, and their brains were also scanned, using a neuroimaging technique called voxel-based morphometry (VBM), to determine the volumes of grey and white matter in frontal areas and the cerebellum. The most interesting finding from this study is that grey matter volume in the cerebellum predicts general intelligence. However, results differ for men and women, with men showing a stronger relationship between brain volume in the cerebellum and general intelligence. It has long been recognised that the cerebellum is involved in sensory-motor functions, including balance and timing of movements, but it is now believed that the cerebellum also plays an important role in higher-level cognitive abilities. Dr Michael Hogan says: "General intelligence is correlated with many basic aspects of information processing efficiency which I believe depend upon the functioning of the cerebellum, including the speed and consistency of our perceptions and decisions, and the speed with which we learn new skills. This is exciting research, as it suggests that there may be a backdoor route into maintaining higher cortical functions in old age, that is, through the sustained activation of cerebellar networks via novel sensory-motor and cognitive activities, all of which I believe the cerebellum seeks to regulate and automate, working in concert with the cortex." -ends-

Monday, 28 March 2011

An online business simulation tool is allowing NUI Galway students compete against students in University of Texas to learn about the trials and tribulations of running a business. As part of the Bachelor of Commerce with Accounting degree programme at NUI Galway, an interactive game called Globalsym is being used in the classroom. This game involves students managing a company by producing and selling products, and competing against other virtual companies in a virtual business world. Thorough collaboration with University of Texas, the third-year students at NUI Galway have extended the competition beyond their classmates to compete with their US peers. While the students in University of Texas are postgraduate business students, the undergraduates in NUI Galway are undaunted by the competition. On a recent visit to NUI Galway, Professor Stephen Salter from University of Texas commented on the high performance of a number of NUI Galway teams who are giving the Texans a run for their money. Just as in the real world, students face decisions on how to handle the problems, opportunities, and challenges facing the modern company. They are involved in developing a strategy for their company each week in response to economic and political information and aligning marketing, finance, production, and sales decisions with their choosen strategy. "Students appreciate the opportunity to apply the skills they have learned across their subjects in managing a company and the competitive element with University of Texas has been very enjoyable for students", commented Dr Breda Sweeney, Head of Accountancy and Finance Discipline at NUI Galway. The Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) course combines a broad-based business education with an accounting specialism providing a gateway to careers in accounting, taxation, corporate finance and related professions. As with the general Commerce degree, the subjects cover a balance of theoretical and practical learning experiences in accounting, business and related areas. Graduates benefit from considerable exemptions from examinations of professional accounting bodies, such as Chartered Accountants Ireland, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. -Ends-

Monday, 28 March 2011

Students from all disciplines in NUI Galway were recently given the challenge of taking €10 and using their wits to make as much money as possible over three days. The SEEN €10 competition's aim was to show that any student could create an enterprise from a small initial investment, in this case just €10. SEEN is the Student Enterprise Exchange Network which is NUI Galway's student run and focused enterprise support service. The competition was won by Philip Ryan, a Commerce student from Donnybrook, Co Dublin, who made a profit of €202 after three days by selling confectionary and soft drinks door to door in the NUI Galway student villages. Philip explains how the competition has awoken his entrepreneurial spirit: "The €10 challenge allowed me to take what I knew in the lecture theatre out into the real world. The competition showed me just how easy it is to start up a business. It is due to the €10 challenge that I plan to start up my own business in the near future." Other awards included the most innovative product award which was won by Saffron Brady from Galway City for her Tayto sandwiches idea. The dell boy award for best sales person went to Kevin Donoghue, from Doocastle, Co Mayo, a third-year arts student, for his salesmanship in selling fruit cups on campus. Paddy Melia, from the SEEN team adds: "A competition such as the €10 challenge highlights the fact that emigration after college is not the only option open to students. With a small investment and a little support students can create their own employment and decide their own future." Competitors had to have receipts for their purchases but had to also gain a contact detail from their customers in order to back up their sales figures. Anyone who wishes to get involved in future events should email them at seen.nuigalway@gmail.com or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/seen.nuigalway/. -Ends-

Monday, 28 March 2011

The School of Psychology at NUI Galway has announced details of the 8th Annual Psychology, Health and Medicine Conference, which will take place in the Arts Millennium Building, NUI Galway on Monday, 4 April. The aim of the conference is to promote high quality research at the interface of psychology, health and medicine, as well as to facilitate social and professional networks among people working in this area. The conference will be of interest to a variety of health professionals, as well as to health psychologists. This year the conference will feature presentations on all aspects of health psychology, from laboratory studies of cardiovascular health to cognitive behavioural interventions to improve health outcomes in clinical settings. Keynote speakers will include: Professor Derek Johnston, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, who will deliver a talk on stress in health professions; Dr Catherine Woods, Dublin City University will address the field of physical activity and health; and Dr Val Morrison, Bangor University, Wales, who will discuss chronic disease and psycho-oncology. Conference co-chair, Dr Jane Walsh from the School of Psychology at NUI Galway, said: "We are delighted and honoured to be hosting this year's Psychology, Health and Medicine Conference here in NUI Galway. The conference has grown from strength to strength over the past eight years and has become a truly international and multidisciplinary event. This year we are expecting over 100 delegates from a variety of backgrounds such as nursing, medicine, occupational therapy, psychology and health promotion." The conference is hosted by the Division of Health Psychology of the Psychological Society of Ireland in association with the Division of Health Psychology of the British Psychological Society, Northern Ireland Branch. Dr Molly Byrne, School of Psychology at NUI Galway and conference co-chair, said: "Year on year Psychology proves to be one of the most popular courses at NUI Galway. Psychology is of interest as it touches on so many aspects of our lives, from health to child development to the clinical psychology." For further information, or to register for the conference, visit http://phm2011.wordpress.com. -Ends-

Friday, 25 March 2011

The NUI Galway 2011 Sports Awards were announced and presented at a special ceremony in the Ardilaun Hotel last night. The Awards highlighted the broad diversity of success both on and off the field of play that is the strength of sport at NUI Galway. The award winners were nominated by the members of the 46 clubs in the University and reward the outstanding individual and team performances and those who contribute to the development of clubs and the participation of all. During a successful year for sport at NUI Galway, the University's Men's Basketball team won the Intervarsity title after 25 years while the rowers won their second Men's 8 title in a row at the National Rowing Championships. Other team highlights included the Collingwood Soccer team reaching a remarkable third final in a row to lose out in extra time, the Gaelic Football team taking the scalps of Galway and Sligo county teams on the way to the Final of the FBD league and the Camogie team winning the Ashbourne Shield competition. Students such as Diarmuid Nash in Handball, Ciaran McDonald in Gaelic Football, Evan Preston Kelly and Nuala Marshall in Soccer and Michaela Morkan from Camogie were among those that continued their successful year with an individual sports award. Gary Ryan Development Officer for Elite Sports remarked that "We have a remarkably high calibre of student athlete at NUI Galway who are successfully combining their performances in sport with earning an excellent education. We have seen an ever increasing number of students gain International recognition and at the same time contribute to their NUI Galway club." The awards have been extended to recognise the huge contribution students make to the running and development of their clubs and the opportunities for participation they give to others. Amongst the winners were Dee O'Dwyer, who was an outstanding club captain for the Athletics Club and epitomises what students can contribute to University life. Also Nithin Bindal for his massive contribution to the NUI Galway Cricket Club over a number of years. He was recognised with a Special Achievement Award. The Women's Rugby Club were awarded the most improved club award. The Boxing Club beat off the stiff competition of 17 other clubs to win the Alumni Leadership Sports Connect Award. Kathy Hynes the Development Officer for Clubs and Participation commented that "This has been an extremely successful programme that has seen the clubs develop excellent plans and programmes for their future development and we must thank the fantastic support of their Mentors and the Alumni Office in this." The awards which have been in existence since 1983 and have proven to be hugely significant to the student body and have in the past included such leading names as Paul Hession and Olive Loughnane (Athletics) Eadoin Ní Challarain (kayaking) Alan Martin, Cormac Folan and James Wall (rowing) and former Irish Rugby captain Ciaran Fitzgerald. This year's Sports Awards recipients are: Archery: Aisling Finn, Ballimacourty, Clarinbridge, Co Galway Boxing: John Ridge, Rusheenamanagh, Carna, Co Galway Darts: Stiofán De Lundres Ó Dálaigh, Dangerville, Tuam, Co Galway Ladies Gaelic Football: Eilish Ward, Ballybrillaghan, Mountcharles, Co Donegal Men's Gaelic Football: Ciaran McDonald, Newtown, Aherlow, Co Tipperary Camogie: Michaela Morkan, Shinrone, Birr, Co Offally Handball: Diarmaid Nash, Tobarnagoth, Scarrif, Co Clare Hockey: Aoife Smyth, Upper Salthill, Galway Judo: Fiona Keating, Lower Salthill, Galway Mountaineering: Joan Mulloy, The Quay, Westport, Co Mayo Women's Rugby: Heather Cary, Toronto, Canada Ladies Soccer: Nuala Marshall, London, Ontario, Canada Men's Soccer: Evan Preston Kelly, Dr. Mannix Road, Galway Team Award: Men's Basketball: Men's Senior Basketball Team 2010 – 2011 Team Award: Rowing: Men's Senior Rowing 2010 – 2011 Most Improved Club: Ladies Rugby: Women's Rugby 2010 -2011 Club Captains Award: Athletics Club: Dee O'Dwyer Special Achievement Award: Cricket Club: Nithin Bindal Participation Award: Athletics Club: Fun Run Committee Recreational Award: Futsal: Men on Bikes Alumni Leadership Award: Boxing Club -Ends-

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Over 70 students were recognised by NUI Galway today (Thursday, 24 March) at a special ceremony when they were conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne. All Colleges of the University were represented at the ceremony, with graduands from the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, the College of Business, Public Policy and Law; the College of Engineering and Informatics; the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences; and the College of Science. NUI Galway President Dr. James J. Browne said: "I would like to congratulate each graduate on their achievement in earning their PhD degree. We in NUI Galway are determined that this University will play its full part in producing the graduates and the leaders who will create the future. We have more than doubled our PhD output in recent years to almost 150 in the calendar year 2010. Today we are conferring the largest number of PhD's ever in a single University conferring in Galway." Dean of Graduate Studies at NUI Galway Pat Morgan says: "We are delighted to have a special PhD conferring which highlights our growth in numbers but more importantly celebrates the parallel increase in research publications and recognises the participation of academic staff that mentored and supported these graduates in their significant research achievements." Over 91,000 graduates have benefited from higher education at NUI Galway since it opened its doors in 1849. The next conferrings to take place at NUI Galway will be the summer conferring on Thursday, 23 June and the conferring of Honorary Degrees on Friday, 24 June. -Ends-

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

As part of their BA CONNECT degree programme, a group of NUI Galway students are bringing a special production of a Vincent Woods play to the stage. At the Black Pig's Dyke will perform at Nuns' Island Theatre at 8pm, from Monday, 28 March to Sunday, 4 April. All ten students involved are studying the BA CONNECT with Theatre and Performance at NUI Galway. The programme is currently in its third year, with the production marking the end of a semester of training at the Galway Arts Centre under the direction of Andrew Flynn. At the Black Pig's Dyke is a story of murder, mystery, fairy enchantment and tragic love. It is set on the border of Northern and Southern Ireland where family feuds are passed down through generations. The story is told using the pagan ritual of the mummers' play as a metaphor for Ireland at a time when people laughed at a wake and cried when a child was born. The student group has been involved in every aspect of the production, from costume, lighting and set to actually performing all the parts. NUI Galway's popular four-year Arts degree, BA CONNECT, allows students to specialise in certain areas and includes a year of placement in Ireland or abroad. There are eight programmes to choose from, including Theatre and Performance, Human Rights, Creative Writing, Film Studies, Children's Studies, Latin American Studies, Global Women's Rights Studies, and Irish Studies. Dr Irina Ruppo Malone is Acting Director of the BA CONNECT with Theatre and Performance at NUI Galway: "Over a period of four years, the course introduces students to aspects of theatre history, different approaches to making theatre, and nurtures their interest in and talents for performance". Much of the teaching on the BA CONNECT with Theatre and Performance is in practical workshops by members of the university staff and also by professional theatre practitioners. NUI Galway and the well-known Galway-based Druid Theatre Company have formed a partnership to develop a range of practice-led workshops and seminars. Dr Malone added: "The workshops introduce students to different styles of and approaches to the art of acting, as well as developing their skills in textual and performance analysis. Bringing a play through the whole process to opening night on the stage will be an enviable experience for this talented group of students. We hope the theatre-goers of Galway will turn out to enjoy this production." For booking information call 091 565886. -ends-

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

RTÉ news correspondent Tommie Gorman presented two awards to NUI Galway journalism graduates at the University yesterday. The Fourth Annual Donna Ferguson Memorial Award and the Connacht Tribune Medal were presented to the top achieving students in the MA Journalism class of 2010. Lorraine O'Hanlon received the Donna Ferguson Award for achieving the highest mark in the broadcasting module of the MA programme. The Connacht Tribune Medal was presented to Antoinette Giblin who achieved the highest overall mark in the MA in Journalism at NUI Galway. Donna Ferguson was posthumously conferred with an MA in Journalism at NUI Galway, following her untimely death in a car accident in December 2006. The Donna Ferguson Memorial Award was initiated by her family and community in Belleek, Co. Fermanagh, and commemorates Donna's achievements while she was a student on the journalism programme in 2006. Tommie Gorman, Northern Editor for RTÉ News, was conferred with an Honorary Degree from NUI Galway in 2009 for his dedication and accomplishment in the profession of Journalism. He began his career at the Western Journal based in Ballina, Co Mayo and has since become a household name having been RTÉ Europe Editor and carried out many high profile television interviews including one with Roy Keane in 2002. He has also reported extensively on issues pertaining to Northern Ireland. Claregalway native Lorraine O Hanlon graduated from the MA in Journalism with first class honours and now works as a journalist with the Galway Independent Newspaper. Antoinette Giblin from Elphin in Co Roscommon also graduated with first class honours from the MA in Journalism and now freelances with Shannonside Radio. -Ends-

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

An NUI Galway master's student is to become the first female judge in the history of Seychelles. Mrs Mathilda Twomey is currently undertaking an LL.M. in Public Law at NUI Galway. James Michel, President of the Seychelles, has approved the appointment of Mrs Twomey as a Justice of the Court of Appeal, following the recommendation of the Constitutional Appointments Authority. The President said he hoped that other young women will look to her for inspiration for a career in the judiciary. Marie McGonagle is Director of the LL.M. in Public Law at NUI Galway: "I am delighted at Mathilda's appointment. She is a very skilled lawyer, who has participated fully in, and contributed immensely to, the LL.M. programme. I wish her every success in this important new role." Mrs Twomey (née Butler-Payette) is a Seychellois Barrister-at Law, who practiced law in Seychelles between 1987 and 1995 as a Senior State Counsel and Official Notary, as well as a Barrister/Attorney undertaking Criminal and Civil Litigation in courts and tribunals. From 1992 to 1993, Mathilda Twomey was a member of the Seychelles Constitutional Commission that drafted the Constitution of the Third Republic. Since 1995, Mrs. Twomey has been living and working in Ireland. In 1996 she was a regional coordinator for Multiple Sclerosis Ireland, a non-governmental organisation working in advocacy, policy development and legal advice for people with disabilities. Mathilda Twomey is completing a Masters in Law at NUI Galway, and also has a Degree in French Law from the University of Paris Sud, France, as well a Bachelor's Degree in English and French Law from the University of Kent, UK. -ends-

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

From the Ireland of the 1960s arose a generation of writers that created a cultural revival that compares with, and perhaps exceeds, the 'Irish Renaissance' of the early 1900s. This second flowering contributed to Ireland's current reputation as a uniquely creative nation. The papers of all its major creators are in public archives, bar one - those of Thomas Kilroy. To mark the acquisition of the Thomas Kilroy Archive by the James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway, a public interview with one of Ireland's most important living writers was held on campus earlier today. Thomas Kilroy is world-renowned both as a dramatist and as a novelist. His novel, The Big Chapel (1971), received a Booker Prize nomination, and his plays include The Death and Resurrection of Mr. Roche (1968), Double Cross (1986), The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde (1997) and Christ Deliver Us! (2010). The Archive contains research notes, drafts and scripts of his novels and of his plays. All creative work is complemented by correspondence from agents, theatre practitioners, publishers, and members of the public, as well as production material from the stage plays. The Archive contains a collection of correspondence from literary friends and associates, as well as Kilroy's own private correspondence with other members of The Field Day Theatre Company. There are also papers relating to the Abbey Theatre of which Kilroy is a longstanding board member. The Archive complements other purely literary Archives at the Library, such as the John McGahern and Eoghan Ó Tuairisc Collections, as well as theatre Archives pertaining to the Druid Theatre, the Lyric Players' Theatre, and Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe. A live stream of the public interview was relayed to students of the Drama Department of Queen's University Belfast and will be made available as a podcast on the School of Humanities website (http://www.nuigalway.ie/humanities/). NUI Galway's Professor Adrian Frazier, who conducted the public interview, says it was a great opportunity to delve into the mind of one of Ireland's greatest contemporary authors. In congratulating the Library on this acquisition, Frazier remarked that "the Kilroy Archive was the last remaining unhoused treasure of a great generation of writers. It will be a mine of scholarly inquiry for many years to come". Dr. Lionel Pilkington, Chairperson of the University's Archives Group and Head of the School of Humanities, added that "The distinctiveness of Kilroy's papers relates to their scope in time and achievement (a writing career from late 1950s to the present), their range in terms of the material involved (drafts of plays, essays, early versions of published canonical plays) and extensive correspondences and the detail and depth of the material contained in the Archive." University Librarian John Cox, adds; "I can see us welcoming scholars from all over the world to the Library at NUI Galway in order to consult this magnificent archive. Its cataloguing is well advanced and it will be open to researchers from August this year." In welcoming the announcement, NUI Galway President Dr James J. Browne said: "We celebrate today the accomplished writings of Thomas Kilroy and we acknowledge with pride our longstanding relationship with the writer, who was Professor of English here for a period in the late 1980s. As a University we also celebrate the benefit to literary scholarship in the humanities which having these papers in the James Hardiman Library will bring. As a research-focused institution, NUI Galway is constantly striving to support scholars and to build centres of research excellence in specific disciplines. We are fortunate to have enjoyed considerable success in recent years. The Thomas Kilroy Archive will become an incredibly significant attraction to many such international scholars, making Galway a world-leading centre of literary research and study. We look forward to the many new research possibilities that have been made possible as a result of this acquisition." An exhibition of a selection of materials will be on display in the James Hardiman Library and will be open to the public from Wednesday, 23 March to Sunday, 27 March inclusive. The James Hardiman Library is open until 10 pm Monday to Friday, and until 5.30pm at weekends. Admission to the exhibition is free. -ends-

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

In 2005, Harvard Business Review reported that of 30,000 products launched in the USA, 90 percent failed because of poor marketing. The other 10 percent went on to become successful brands. This stark fact introduces the new edition of the bestselling text 'Creating Powerful Brands', by brand gurus Professor Leslie de Chernatony of Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano and Aston Business School UK; Professor Malcolm McDonald Emeritus Professor at Cranfield University and Honorary Professor at Warwick Business School and by Dr Elaine Wallace of the J. E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, NUI Galway. Speaking to world leading branding academics and practitioners at the Thought Leaders International Conference for Brand Management Lugano, Switzerland, Professor McDonald illustrated the value of brands with the book's example of Gillette. In 2006 Proctor and Gamble paid £31 billion for the brand, of which only £4 billion was accounted by tangible assets. The remainder reflected the intangible value of the brand. Providing a road map for brand managers, brand novices, and students of branding, this fully revised edition of the bestselling text explores branding across industry sectors. It tackles the issue of own branding versus manufacturer branding in retailing, and explains the role of the front line employee in services branding. It considers the effect of counterfeiting on world-leading brands, and charts the role of the consumer as brand ambassador in online brand communities such as Facebook and Twitter. Published by Butterworth-Heinemann, the book is available in retailers and online at Amazon.co.uk. -Ends-

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Over 15 companies, all actively recruiting third-level graduates, will visit NUI Galway on Wednesday, 30 March. The Graduate Recruitment and Opportunities in the West Careers Fair (GROW), will feature employers based in the West of Ireland. Some of Ireland's leading recruiters of university graduates will be in attendance, including Fidelity Investments, Medtronic, Cisco and Mazars. However, unique to this event, is the range of local and newly established businesses actively seeking talented and qualified graduates, including Bioware (a division of EA Games), Cambus Medical, CSN Stores and Lumension. All exhibitors are particularly keen to meet and recruit NUI Galway graduates from a wide range of disciplines including business, science, engineering, languages and IT. "With all the doom and gloom it is refreshing to know that in the West of Ireland organisations are actively recruiting", says Deirdre Sheridan of the NUI Galway Career Development Centre. "This is the perfect opportunity for alumni and current students to meet with local employers to explore graduate opportunities available on our doorstep, and hopefully kick-start a career in the West of Ireland. My advice for all visitors is to come prepared, with a CV in hand and be ready to network with potential employers". The event is being organised by the NUI Galway Career Development Centre, in conjunction with the NUI Galway Alumni Association. GROW takes place on Wednesday, 30 March from 5pm to 7pm in the Orbsen Building, accessible via Distillery Road. Visitors on the evening can also get useful hints and advice to develop their CVs from NUI Galway Alumni, whilst the NUI Galway Alumni Association will also be present throughout the evening to help 'match' individuals with a mentor in their chosen career area. Information on volunteering and postgraduate opportunities will also be available. GROW is supported by Galway Chamber and IDA Ireland and is an exciting addition to NUI Galway's programme of events for current students and alumni of the University. Further information and details, including a full list of exhibitors are available from the Career Development Centre website www.nuigalway.ie/careers/events.html. -ends-

Monday, 21 March 2011

A new approach in the field of child and youth research, which involves working positively with teenagers, rather than focussing on negative connotations, will be discussed during a public lecture at NUI Galway on Wednesday, 23 March. According to Professor Richard Lerner, guest speaker at the event, we should reject the prevailing negative view of adolescents, which focuses on what they lack. Professor Lerner, who is Bergstrom Chair and Director of the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University in the US, claims most young people enjoy an affirmative experience of adolescence, are engaged positively with like minded peers, and supported in caring families with parents who they respect and love. With this in mind, he believes we need to change ways of thinking about adolescence and shift practice with them and our research about them to a strengths-based and assets-based approach. Challenging years of negative stereotyping of youth in the media and deficit thinking on young people in academic research, Professor Lerner has created an enormous body of research over the last four decades. His recent book, The Good Teen, offers a programme of Positive Youth Development. According to Dr Caroline Heary of the School of Psychology at NUI Galway: "Professor Lerner has really taken a fresh look at teenagers and takes a positive approach, rather than trying to 'fix' negative behaviour. In his book The Good Teen, he says positive outcomes can be had when the strengths of young people are aligned with resources for healthy development, such as families, schools and communities. He also puts great emphasis on the importance of sustained positive adult-youth relations, skill building activities, youth partnership and youth leadership." The lecture is sponsored by the PhD in Child and Youth Research which is a collaboration between NUI Galway and TCD, and is supported by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.  All are welcome to the event which takes place in Room MY243, Áras Moyola, NUI Galway at 6pm on Wednesday, 23 March. -Ends-

Monday, 21 March 2011

The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC) and Management Discipline, NUI Galway, recently led a leadership capability study, funded by the IRCHSS, at senior management level in the Irish Civil Service. The study, led by Dr Alma McCarthy, was carried out between May and August 2010. Over 140 senior managers participated in the study from 12 Government Departments and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners with over 1,200 leadership surveys completed in total. The research report from this study will be launched and the findings showcased at a Public Service Leadership Conference, hosted by NUI Galway on Friday, 8 April 2011. This report will represent the most extensive study of its kind to-date in Ireland. Keynote speakers will include Dr Maria Maguire, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and Independent Consultant, who will provide insights from international best practice in the area having worked on leadership, human resource management, and human resource development projects in a range of public sector organisations across the world over the past ten years; Philip Kelly, Assistant Secretary General, Department of An Taoiseach with responsibility for Transforming Public Services will give a presentation on Strengthening Leadership in the Irish Public Service; and Brian Cawley, Director General of the Institute of Public Administration will review leadership development policy to date and present a framework for effective public sector human resource development. At the conference, Dr Alma McCarthy, CISC and J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, NUI Galway will present the findings of the 2010 NUI Galway senior management leadership capability study. Speaking about the upcoming conference, Dr Alma McCarthy, said: "This conference will focus specifically on the area of senior management leadership capability in the Irish public service. The conference will debate the important areas of human resource management, talent management, and leadership development that merit attention in the drive for public service modernisation and reform. The conference is extremely timely given the new Government's express focus on reform and the establishment of the new Public Expenditure and Reform Department under Minister Brendan Howlin." The conference is open to the public and will be of particular interest to senior management in the public and civil service, practitioners, consultants and professionals working in the human resource management, human resource development, and leadership development fields as well as those with an interest in public service modernisation and new public management. For further information, or to register, visit www.conference.ie. Please note that registration closes on Friday, 1 April. -Ends-

Monday, 21 March 2011

The NUI Galway Centre for Irish Studies will host a free public lecture on Tuesday, 29 March, in the Joseph Larmor Lecture Theatre, NUI Galway at 8pm. The lecture, 'Hanna and Her Sisters: The lives of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington and Margaret Sheehy Culhane Casey, as told by their granddaughters', will be a joint presentation delivered by NUI Galway Lecturer, Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, and Professor Dara Culhane, Simon Fraser University, Canada. While studying in the then Royal University in Dublin, Hanna became very aware of the lack of power given to women, specifically in relation to the vote. Joining various campaigns for votes for women, she finally co-founded the Irish Women's Franchise League with Margaret Cousins in 1908. She was imprisoned for suffrage activities and then, when her husband, Francis Sheehy Skeffington, was murdered in 1916, she was elected to tour the US to expose the truth behind this and campaign for Irish freedom. She returned in 1918 to serve on the Sinn Féin Executive. In the first presentation, Dr Sheehy Skeffington will give an account on aspects of Hanna Sheehy Skeffington's life, using archive photos and material housed in the National Library, Dublin. The second presentation, by Professor Culhane, is based on a reading of Margaret Sheehy Culhane Casey's letters to her sister, Hanna. An actress and elocutionist, Margaret lived in Montreal, Canada from 1922 to1939. Her letters home offer insights into Margaret herself, her life in Ireland and in Canada, and into the relationship between these two sisters. Speaking about the upcoming lecture, Mary Clancy of NUI Galway noted, "The personal and political lives of Hanna and Margaret Sheehy show in fascinating detail how early twentieth century Ireland tried to construct itself, in public and in private, as it strived to determine and to define a democratic and progressive national state." -ends-

Monday, 21 March 2011

The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC) at NUI Galway will host the 3rd Annual Social Marketing Conference. Entitled 'Enabling Sustainable Behaviour: The Environment, Communities, Health & Well Being', the Conference will take place on Friday, 15 April at NUI Galway. Social marketing is the application of marketing concepts and techniques to achieve specific behavioural goals for a social good. Social marketing as already had considerable success in tackling issues such as water conservation, waste reduction, obesity, smoking, cancer screening, recycling and road safety in countries including the USA, Canada, Britain, France, New Zealand and Australia. The 3rd Annual Social Marketing Conference will bring together two world renowned sustainable behavioural change experts, Dr Doug McKenzie-Mohr and Dr Craig Lefebvre. For over two decades Dr McKenzie-Mohr, President, McKenzie-Mohr & Associates, has been working to incorporate scientific knowledge on behaviour change into the design and delivery of environmental programmes. He is the founder of Community-Based Social Marketing, has delivered workshops internationally for over 50,000 environmental programme managers and his best-selling book, 'Fostering Sustainable Behaviour: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing' has become requisite reading for those who deliver environmental programmes. Dr McKenzie-Mohr is also the founder of the Fostering Sustainable Behaviour website, journal and listserv and is a former Professor of Psychology at St Thomas University, Canada. Dr Craig Lefebvre is an architect and designer of public health and social change programmes and is an internationally recognised expert in social marketing. Dr Lefebvre s work on several hundred social marketing projects has addressed a multitude of health risks for a broad array of audiences in global, national, state and community contexts. He is chief maven of SocialShifting, a social design, marketing and media consultancy and holds faculty appointments in the George Washington University, University of Maryland and University of South Florida College of Public Health. His current work focuses on integrating design thinking, social media and mobile technologies into social marketing and organisational change programmes. He has also been coordinating a global effort to establish a digital platform and professional association for social marketers. Dr Lefebvre also produces and writes the blog 'On Social Marketing and Social Change' available at socialmarketing.blogs.com. Other practitioners and leaders in the public and voluntary sector will also be on hand to answer questions. Speaking about the upcoming Conference, Dr Christine Domegan, Conference Organiser and Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the School of Business and Economics, NUI Galway, said: "For those concerned with community based initiatives and environmental issues, the Conference brings two renowned world experts to Galway for a unique, comprehensive introduction to Sustainable Community-Based Social Marketing. The Conference will enable participants to consider the scope for using marketing principles and techniques to effect environmental change and fundamentally alter the way we live for the better. It will demonstrate how professionals, seeking to bring about behavioural and social change, can apply it to practical situations in Ireland." For more information or to register online, visit the conference website at www.conference.ie. An Early Bird fee will apply to those who register before Friday, 25 March. -Ends-

Monday, 21 March 2011

Information and Communication Technology The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is one of the most important export-oriented economic sectors in Ireland, with great opportunities for economic development and contributing to the recovery. Innovations made in Ireland, based on research, are creating these opportunities. The Annual All-Ireland ICT Dissertation Award of the Royal Irish Academy aims to make more visible the significant scientific contribution made by Ireland, in particular by post-graduate students, to Information and Communication Technology. This award also aims at initiating knowledge transfer from the Universities and Institutes of Technology into society and the economy. As some of the largest research efforts in ICT in Ireland, this thesis award is organised and sponsored by the Science Foundation Ireland funded Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSETs) in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector (DERI, CLARITY, CTVR, CNGL, and LERO) under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy. The award is combined with a cash prize of €1500, sponsored by the CSETs. The President of the Royal Irish Academy, Professor Luke Drury, said: "This award reflects the importance of ICT research as an integral part of the academic landscape in Ireland. Digital tools and electronic communications are now indispensable in all areas of research as well as more generally in civic society and commerce. Excellence in this area in our Universities and Institutes of Technology is a necessary prerequisite for economic growth and prosperity." The Director of ICT Research in Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Fionn Murtagh, said: "Our ever-changing ICT industry will play a pivotal role in Ireland s economic recovery. With a large number of ICT multinational companies based in Ireland collaborating with ICT-focused research bodies, it is crucially important that we continue to position Ireland at the leading edge of technological innovation. Science Foundation Ireland has been instrumental in facilitating this, and is committed to continuing such a role in partnership with a diverse range of agency, commercial and academic partners." Chairperson of the evaluation committee and Director of DERI, NUI Galway, Professor Stefan Decker said: "ICT has a critical economic role in Ireland. Thanks to the foresight of Science Foundation Ireland, Irish ICT research is internationally competitive, with many areas in a world-leading position. This award is showing the ingenuity of Irish based ICT research to the public. " The closing date for submissions is Saturday, 7 May, 2011. The winner will be announced in June, 2011. For more details about the award please go to :http://ria.ie/our-work/grants---awards/national-prizes-awards.aspx -Ends-

Friday, 18 March 2011

The winners of the newly launched UCG Spirit of 78/80 Socs Bursary were announced at a special ceremony at NUI Galway this week. The NUI Galway Societies Office, in conjunction with the Graduates of 1978 – 1980 awarded bursaries, each worth €1,000, in six different categories. Funding for five of the prizes are provided by NUI Galway graduates from the class of 1978 – 1980 with the Societies Office at NUI Galway funding the sixth prize. The bursaries are a project which fosters cooperation and vision from the past and present to promote student creativity and empowerment within NUI Galway. The bursaries aim to aid the students to pursue their field of interest. The recipients of the bursaries were: Soloist Category: Isaac Burke from Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Groups Category: Orna Ní Bhroin from Foxrock, Dublin and Diarmuid Scahill from Coolough Road, Galway. Performance Category: Dave Rock from Kinvara, Galway Civic Engagement/Charity Volunteering: Julie D lima from Tirellan Heights, Galway. Audience Choice: Adam Guinane from Limerick City; Borja Catellan-Valladolid, Spain; Joe Junker from Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, James Frawley from Mervue, Galway; and Meaghan LaGrandeur from Ottawa, Canada. Judges Choice: Joint winners: Aron Hegarty from Inniscaragh, Co. Cork and Teresa Brennan from Barrow House, Co. Laois. Speaking after the final Riona Hughes, Societies Officer at NUI Galway, said "The evening was a huge success with an amazing array of talent. We are delighted that the NUI Galway Alumni are supporting and helping to nurture our future artists and activists." To find out more about the Societies Bursary visit www.socs.nuigalway.ie. For more information on the Graduates of 1978-1980 visit http://www.ucggrads7879ers.blogspot.com -Ends-

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Secondary school students interested in NUI Galway are invited to an information evening in Naas on Thursday, 24 March. Parents and guardians are also particularly welcome to the event which runs from 7 to 9pm in the Conference Centre of the Osprey Hotel. The evening will begin with short talks about NUI Galway and some of the 60 courses it offers. Afterward, current students and NUI Galway staff will be on hand at information stands to answer any individual questions visitors may have. One of the student ambassadors on the night will be Emmet Creighton from Cellbridge, Co. Kildare. According to the second year Law student: "In Galway, the lecturers are as interesting as they are educational and every effort is made to provide each student with the necessary tools to excel in their careers. With NUI Galway's comprehensive and up to date law library, insightful tutorials and plenty of extracurricular activities, my degree has been thoroughly enjoyable." The ever-increasing popularity of NUI Galway is in part due to a whole suite of innovative new programmes, developed in response to the changing needs of the employment market, including an Energy Engineering degree and a Maths and Education degree aimed at training Maths teachers. "Our own students tell us our lecturers are inspirational and challenge them to achieve their full potential. The student experience in Galway is second to none, and we want to bring a taste of that to Kildare, while also providing all the practical information on accommodation, CAO points, fees, scholarships and courses", says Caroline Loughnane, Director of Marketing and Communications at NUI Galway. The University recently developed a popular four-year Arts degree called BA Connect, which allows specialisation in certain areas and a year of placement in Ireland or abroad. There are eight to choose from, including Human Rights, Creative Writing, and Theatre and Performance, all areas where NUI Galway leads the field. NUI Galway is Ireland's leading university for Biomedical Science, so students have access to top researchers and the very latest facilities. As the University is at the heart of the medical device industry hub in Galway, graduates have excellent opportunities for ongoing employment in the field. Caroline Loughnane continued: "With so many courses on offer, this event in Naas is a perfect opportunity to meet current students and our lecturers to see what degree might be the right fit." To find out more about the information evening in Kildare, contact NUI Galway's Schools Liaison Office, Siobhán Dorman, Schools Liaison Office on 086 042 1591 or siobhan.dorman@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-