All Year 2010

NUI Galway host 1960 Sigerson Cup Champions Reunion

Tuesday, 9 November 2010

NUI Galway Gaelic Games will celebrate the 50th anniversary reunion of the 1960 NUI Galway Sigerson Cup Champions at a special event in the University on 19 November. This group of men, who captured the coveted crown, possessed a large number of players who later went on to become household names in the GAA world of the 1960s. This reunion aims to honour those men who in their tenure within the college brought honour and distinction to the college jersey. In the 1960 final UCG, as it was known at that time, defeated the stern challenge of UCD as Galway native George Glynn, who later captured All Ireland honours with his adopted Down in 1968, lifted the famed Sigerson Cup. This UCG side was littered with some famous names none more so than Pat Donnellan, who won three in a row All Ireland s with Galway alongside another three in a row team mate Martin Newell. Martin later became one of the leading Professors of Mathematics in Ireland and lectured for many years in NUI Galway. Hugh McGonigle (Sligo), Mike Laide (Kerry and Galway), John S Kelly (Roscommon), Des Feely (Roscommon), Joe Langan (Mayo), Sean Donnelly (Longford), and Tony Kenny (Roscommon) were others who starred with UCG and later at inter-county level. The Chairman of the Club who did much to develop Gaelic games in the college and was involved in preparing this team was Professor Owen McKenna who was father to the late actress Siobhan McKenna. Gaelic Games Officer at NUI Galway Michael O Connor says "It is an honour for the football club of the college and the GAA organisation with the university to honour these legends of the game who in their tenure within the college brought honour and distinction to the college jersey and continued to do so in sport and their professional lives over the last 50 years. We welcome them back to their Alma Mater and we hope the happy memories garnered around the college quad and the fields of Galway and beyond preparing for Sigerson 1960 will be rekindled. "These men along with many other successful football and hurling sides in this period helped lay the template for future successes that the college enjoyed in the 60s and 70s and NUI Galway GAA would like to welcome them back for this deserved reunion." The reunion will be held in the boardroom in the Quadrangle, NUI Galway on 19 November followed by lunch in the college bar. -Ends-

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NUI Galway to Hold Information Evening in Sligo

Monday, 8 November 2010

NUI Galway, in conjunction with partner college St. Angela's College, Sligo, will hold an Information Evening from 7-9pm on Thursday, 11 November, in the Sligo Park Hotel, Pearse Road, Sligo. This event is for students who are considering applying to NUI Galway and St. Angela's College, Sligo, and for their parents or guardians. The Information Evening will commence with a series of short talks about NUI Galway and St. Angela's College and the courses on offer. Current students and representatives from the five colleges of the University will be on hand at information stands to answer any questions visitors may have. "This is an excellent opportunity to talk to representatives from all of NUI Galway's Colleges and St. Angela's College, Sligo about the subjects of interest. It is also a chance to find out about practical issues like accommodation, fees, scholarships, and new programmes on offer at both institutes", said Caroline Loughnane, Director of Marketing and Communications at NUI Galway. Ms Loughnane added: "Choosing a University is one of the most important decisions in a young person's life, and we offer a University with a strong reputation for top quality teaching and a proven track record in producing graduates with the right mix of skills and knowledge to succeed in an increasingly uncertain job market." NUI Galway continues to increase its number of undergraduate applications with an increase in the order of 18% in CAO first preference applications over the last two years. NUI Galway's increased popularity 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, eight BA CONNECT programmes and a Math and Education degree aimed at training Maths teachers. To find out more about the Information Evening in Sligo, contact NUI Galway's Schools Liaison Officer, Gráinne Dunne at: grainne.dunne@nuigalway.ie or 087- 2440858. -Ends-

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Major Boost for Regenerative Medicine Research

Monday, 8 November 2010

In a major boost for Regenerative Medicine research in Ireland, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Mr Batt O'Keeffe T.D. today announced funding of almost €10 million for the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at NUI Galway. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), REMEDI is Ireland's leading biomedical research institute focusing on translating stem cell biology to regenerative therapeutics. Today's announcement will allow REMEDI to take research findings from the first phase of its operation and move towards clinical trials for new therapies and treatments for degenerative diseases. Minister O Keeffe said the €9.69 million Government investment would help scientists to develop practical medical applications for their research. "For six years, leading scientists, engineers, clinicians and industry partners in REMEDI have worked towards new therapies to help organ and tissue repair and regeneration. The emphasis in recent years has been on commercialising ground-breaking work undertaken in the REMEDI laboratories. The support of the Government through an award of over €9 million from Science Foundation Ireland will help REMEDI to move their research to the next stage of clinical trials which could produce new therapies for human health, said Minister O Keeffe, who reiterated the Government s commitment to investment in research and innovation. Regenerative Medicine is an evolving and exciting area of medical science, which aims to regenerate tissue thus avoiding the need for organ replacement and the associated problems with sourcing of donor organs. Developments in the field hold enormous potential for the treatment of currently untreatable degenerative diseases. In a partnership involving scientists, engineers, clinicians, and industry partners, researchers at REMEDI aim to develop novel therapies to achieve organ and tissue repair and regeneration. The Regenerative Medicine Institute is particularly focused on developing new therapies and treatments for diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis. Today's funding announcement comes on the back of additional support for regenerative medicine research at NUI Galway with a recent Higher Education Authority award of PRTLI funding to the value of €37 million for a Biosciences Research building and a Translational Research Facility. These two new buildings for medical science research will enable NUI Galway to build on its existing strength in the biomedical sciences area, established through its National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science (NCBES). The Biosciences Research Building, which is currently under construction and due for completion in 2011, is located on the main campus, while the Translational Research Facility will house basic, translational and clinical research teams on the site of University Hospital Galway and will open in 2012. The development of the Translational Research Facility at the hospital will promote the international standing of both the University and University Hospital Galway as a leading centre for translational research and cancer care. In a third development in the biomedical sciences area, a new Clinical Research Facility on the grounds of University Hospital Galway will open in 2012. The HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway is a joint venture between Galway University Hospitals and NUI Galway, with funding from the Health Research Board and Health Service Executive. This third facility will serve as the translational arm of REMEDI and will allow findings from basic research in stem cells, gene therapy, biomaterials and immunology to be brought to the clinical trial stage. NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne added: "We in NUI Galway are very proud of the work of REMEDI. In the six years since its establishment, the Institute has developed a critical mass of scientific research and industry partnerships with multi-national and indigenous companies. As it moves into the next exciting phase of development, REMEDI will bring new therapies and treatments for degenerative diseases to clinical trial here in Galway. This is ground breaking work and will support Ireland's position at the forefront of the medical technology sector globally." As REMEDI's focus shifts towards translating research into human therapies, its partnerships with industry will take on a new significance. Advances in regenerative medicine will have important advantages for the progression of research and development in the medical device industry, which is critical to the economy of the West of Ireland. The Institute's already successful collaborative relationship with Medtronic, a global leader in medical device technologies, will continue to grow; while new partnerships have been established with indigenous SME companies including Creganna-Tactyx Medical, Procure, Ovagen, Proxy Biomedical, Ziel Biopharma and EnBIO. Speaking about his vision for the Regenerative Medicine Institute, Director of REMEDI, Professor Tim O'Brien said: "REMEDI's vision is to develop a new and realisable paradigm for medicine in the future utilising minimally invasive therapeutic approaches to promote organ and tissue repair and regeneration. Our goal is to undertake basic research in stem cell biology and to translate the outputs into new regenerative therapies. To achieve this, REMEDI will work with partners in hospitals which are members of the Irish Clinical Research Infrastructure Network, in Irish and overseas universities, and in industry, to translate and commercialise research outputs by developing regenerative medicine therapies for diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis." In addition to today's funding from Science Foundation Ireland, REMEDI has also had recent success in securing EU research funding for two projects to develop new methods for the treatment of osteoarthritis using stem cell biology. -Ends-

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CANCELLED: Public Lecture on Violence and Abuse Against People with Disabilities

Monday, 8 November 2010

CANCELLED Professor Hilary Brown of Canterbury Christ Church University will deliver the second lecture in the NUI Galway Centre for Disability Law and Policy s Annual Public Lecture Series. The topic of the evening s discussion will be 'Violence and Abuse Against People with Disabilities' and Professor Brown s lecture will be followed by an open question and answer session. The event will take place on Thursday, 11 November, at 6pm in Room MY129, Áras Moyola. Professor Hilary Brown has a background in learning disability services with a particular focus on issues of abuse and disability rights. During the late 80 s and early 90 s, she was employed by South East Thames Regional Health Authority as part of the team responsible for supporting the transition from institutions to community based models of care. During this time she also developed training on sexuality for people working in learning disability services and became alert to issues of sexual abuse and abusing which later became the focus of her research. She has produced several important pieces of research in this area in recent years, including a literature review on abuse of disabled people for the National Disability Authority of Ireland in 2006. The Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, Professor Gerard Quinn, said, "In the wake of a number reports in recent years, such as the Ryan Report, which highlighted the extent of abuse of people with disabilities, it is important to think constructively about ways forward which can prevent similar abuse from reoccurring. This public lecture will highlight how law and policy can address these issues in an effective manner." This lecture will be an opportunity to reflect on current issues facing people with disabilities, families and carers, service providers and policy-makers in Ireland and abroad and should be of interest to all those who wish to promote the rights of people with disabilities and other marginalised communities in Ireland. The 2010-2011 Centre for Disability Law and Policy s Annual Public Lecture Series is a sequence of four lectures taking place throughout the academic year which focus on topics of interest to people with disabilities, families and carers. The lecture is open to all members of the public. Refreshments will be served following the lecture. To attend please contact Eileen Glynn in the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at eileen.glynn@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

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Applied Maths Teachers' Conference at NUI Galway

Monday, 8 November 2010

NUI Galway will host the 2010 Applied Maths Teachers' Association (IAMTA) Conference and Annual General Meeting on Saturday, 13 November. The conference is particularly timely considering the significant changes underway in school mathematics due to the introduction of the new project Maths curriculum. The conference will consist of a series of panel discussions and keynote addresses, giving teachers of applied maths the opportunity to explore current issues and future directions of the subject in schools. Bill Lynch, the Director of the National Council of Curriculum and Assessment, who has overseen the introduction of Project Maths will be on a panel, together with P J Rudden, a highly distinguished engineer with a very real stake and insight into how maths is used by people who want to improve Irish society. Other panellists include Dean of Science, Professor Tom Sherry, an applied mathematician in NUI Galway, Piaras ó hEachteirn, the head of Civil Engineering in NUI Galway and Peter Doyle from Actuaries Ireland. "Applied mathematics, the school subject, is not so well understood by the general public. Although only 1500 students take the exam in applied maths, there is no subject on the current Irish curriculum which better equips students to think like mathematical problem solvers. Students who have taken applied maths have a head start adapting to third level", says Dr Kevin Jennings, mathematician and Co-Director of BA in Mathematics and Education at NUI Galway. The new maths curriculum will bring challenges to applied maths teachers, who will have to adapt their teaching to the students' new skillsets. However, the maths reform will hopefully encourage more and more students to take this fascinating subject. Many students study the subject outside of regular class time; in Galway City only St Patrick's Patrician School (the Bish) offers the subject within regular class hours. Mr Brendan Doheny from the Bish was awarded the Victor Graham trophy in 2009 for excellence in teaching applied maths. The conference will give teachers the space and time to reflect on applied maths and the concerns and challenges surrounding teaching it as well as the opportunities for the development of the subject into the future. Dr Jennings adds: "This conference is very important to promote applied mathematics and to plan for its future. Teachers from all over Ireland will be on campus that weekend to work on this. For us in the University it's a wonderful opportunity to work with our colleagues in the schools and to advise them of the diverse and interesting third and fourth level options available to their applied maths students." -Ends-

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