Professor John O'Halloran MRIA was appointed 16th President of UCC in August 2021.

Prior to that he served as Interim President since 2020 and as Deputy President & Registrar since 2018. Also having previously served as Vice-President for Learning & Teaching, John O’Halloran has made an important contribution to shaping the Irish educational and research landscape as it adapts to changing conditions and works to support the twin green and digital transitions.

Academic Leadership

As Registrar from 2018 to 2020, John O'Halloran led the delivery of UCC's first Academic Strategy which focussed on reimagining the curriculum, transforming assessment and nurturing graduate attributes to position UCC students for their future world of work. Having formerly served as Vice-President for Teaching & Learning, and as Vice-Head of the College of Science, Engineering & Food Science, he is an academic leader with an ambitious vision for the future of Higher Education.

He has provided strategic leadership for a university-wide programme of transformation in both student services and capital development through the Connected University Programme between 2016 and 2014. This delivered UCC’s new Hub building, a bespoke digital-first centralised student and academic services facility, and an engaging digital hub for students. He also led the digital transformation of teaching and learning at UCC, establishing the Centre for Digital Education in 2015, supporting the use of technology to enhance teaching. 

He is committed to developing an inclusive culture for all students and staff at UCC - one where equality is upheld, and diversity is respected. He was chair of the Athena SWAN Steering Group that secured the first bronze institutional award for UCC in 2016 and several departmental level awards. He is a member of the Top Management Programme Professional Reference Group of AdvanceHE, UK and was recently appointed Chair of Advance HE Ireland Strategic Advisory Board. He is founding Director of UCC’s Quercus Talented Students’ Programme, designed to recruit, support and motivate high performing students and has attracted considerable philanthropic funding and strong support both within UCC and externally.

He is dedicated to placing sustainability at centre stage in UCC, in the community and beyond. Under his leadership, and support for the student-led green agenda, UCC became the first third level institution worldwide to be awarded a Green Flag in 2010 and is now ranked as one of the most sustainable universities in the world (UI GreenMetric World Rankings 2023), holding more than 40 accolades including Global Sustainability Institute (International Green Gown Awards 2023). In 2016 UCC became the first university to grow its own vegetables and in 2023 became Ireland’s first plastic free university campus. 

Service to the Community

Professor O'Halloran previously served as both member and former Chair of the Board of Fota Wildlife Park and a board member of the Central Applications Office. He currently is a member of the NUI Senate, the Ludgate Hub, and UCC's Glucksman Gallery, amongst others. For more than 20 years he has been a judge for the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, where he is Chair of the Biology and Ecology individual panel. For ten years he was also a member of jury for the L'Oréal-UNESCO UK and Ireland For Women in Science promoting the greater participation of women in science.

Research Activity

Professor O’Halloran has had a substantial and sustained impact on research and education and was elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2024. He holds the Chair in Zoology at UCC and previously held academic posts at Colby College in the USA and at the University of Wales. He is one of Ireland’s leading ornithologists, recognised internationally for his leadership in ecological research. The focus of his research has been on natural resource management and the impacts of land-use change, climate change and environmental contaminants on biodiversity and ecosystems. The direction of his research has been shaped by societal needs, and he has won research grants totalling more than €10 million for his work and has published widely in the areas of ecology, ornithology, ecotoxicology and biodiversity.