January 2010 NUI Galway announce 2010 Alumni Award Winners

NUI Galway has announced the winners of the 2010 Alumni Awards to be presented at the tenth annual Alumni Awards Gala Banquet on Saturday, 6 March, 2010 in the newly opened Bailey Allen Wing on campus. The Alumni Awards recognise individual excellence and achievements among the University's more than 70,000 graduates worldwide. The awards programme boasts an impressive roll call of 61 outstanding graduates who have gone on to honour their alma mater, including, for example, Michael D. Higgins, Ciarán FitzGerald, Sean O'Rourke, Professor Frank Gannon, Dr Luke Clancy and Gráinne Seoige. The winners of the eight alumni awards to be presented at Gala 2010: AIB Award for Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies Gerard Donovan BA 1983, MA 1988, Novelist. Bank of Ireland Award for Business, Public Policy and Law Margaret Sweeney BComm 1981, Chief Executive, Postbank Ireland Ltd. Bank of Ireland Award for Engineering and Informatics Professor Brian Moran BE1980, MEngSc.1982. Acting Provost and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. Duais Hewlett-Packard don Ghaeilge Pádraig Ó hAoláin LLB 1985, Príomhfheidhmeannach, Údarás na Gaeltachta. Medtronic Award for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Professor Rose Anne Kenny MB, BCh, BAO 1977, MD 1986, Head of Department of Clinical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin and Consultant Physician in Medicine at St James' Hospital. Seavite Award for Science Dr J. Paul Duffy BSc 1986, PhD 1992, Vice President Operations, Primary Care/Oncology Operating Unit for Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals. Speaking on the announcement of the Awards recipients, President of NUI Galway, Dr James J. Browne said: "Our Alumni Awards programme recognises the many Galway alumni who are leaders in their professions and excel in their pursuits at national and international levels. These awards celebrate the life-long value of an NUI Galway education and recognise individual achievements among the University's more than 70,000 graduates worldwide. I congratulate each of the Award winners and look forward to welcoming them back to their alma mater for the Gala Banquet in March". The new Gala Banquet venue, The Bailey Allen Wing in the newly refurbished Áras na Mac Léinn, is dedicated to the arts and societies and will include performance facilities, exhibition space and an auditorium for University, civic and public events. Through a generous bequest of the late Angela Allen the spirit of her son, Frank Bailey, will be immortalised at NUI Galway with the development of the new venue. Francis J. Bailey is fondly remembered for his theatre productions on campus in the 1960s. The University is proud to honour this remarkable man who died tragically in 1972. The Bailey Allen Hall will provide the University with a prime theatre space to be used by students for performance as well as by the University for conferrings and other significant events. For booking information contact Catherine Conroy at 091 492972 or catherine.conroy@nuigalway.ie For further information and online booking, click here. -Ends-