Name: Aileen Sweeney
Degree Programme: Zoology
Year of Graduation: 2012
Country of Birth: Ireland

• Why did you choose to study your programme?

From a young age, I always had a fascination with the natural world. I remember the excitement (and relief!) of discovering that “loving animals” didn’t automatically mean that you should try to become a vet – there are so many more options out there than that! When I found out that UCC offered Zoology, there was no question that it was going to be my first choice on my CAO application. Cork is such a wonderful city and I had visited the UCC campus before and loved it. I wanted to study Zoology through Environmental and Earth Systems Sciences (as opposed to Biological and Chemical Sciences) as I loved that there was a stronger focus on the natural world through the subjects offered in that degree.

• How does/has your programme and the university help(ed) you fulfil your career aspirations?

There is no doubt that my BSc degree from UCC propelled me into my career. I have a very strong interest in animal behaviour (ethology) as well as conservation, and I was lucky enough to spend each summer break volunteering at wildlife rehabilitation centres in South Africa. This in turn evolved into me exploring the option of developing my own thesis (FYP) topic in 4^th year, rather than picking from a pre-determined list. I was also able to use this time for another module, Biological Work Placement. As such, the summer between 3^rd and 4^th year doubled up as my work placement and my data collection. The lecturers were extremely supportive of me pursuing my personal interests during my degree, which I am so grateful for. Furthermore, my experience in South Africa during my degree was pivotal in securing a job after graduation. I spent two years working as an ecologist for a baboon research project in Zambia. This role involved managing the research camp which was in the middle of a national park and completely off-the-grid (think no electricity or running water, surrounded by wildlife and Miombo woodland). My main responsibility was collecting the project’s biological data, which focused primarily on baboon behaviour. Essentially my job was to live as part of the baboon troop and record their daily behaviour. I look back on that time with such fondness and gratitude, and I know the experience, knowledge and skills I gained during my time in BEES allowed my dream job to become a reality.

• What is/was your favourite thing about studying in UCC?

I loved the freedom I was given to pursue my interests. While of course there are core subjects within every degree that are essential, I believe there should also be at least a little “wiggle room” for students to explore what inspires and excites them the most. This freedom - and support - really allowed me to reach my full potential during my degree. This was very evident in my exams results; I improved each year and peaked in 4^th year, in large because 4^th year was the year that I was able to focus on my interests the most due to the FYP and work placement modules. I also love the beautiful campus; it is such a wonderful place to spend time in between classes. In fact, I have such a soft spot for the campus that when we returned to Ireland two years ago to get married, we took some our wedding photos around the grounds. It is filled with lovely green areas, stunning trees, and plenty of wildlife despite being in a city. A haven for an ecologist!

• What do you miss (or will you miss for current students) the most about the university?

I miss the amazing group of friends I made there. We are spread out all over the world at this stage. I don’t think the acronym is used anymore, but we were ZEPS back then (Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science), and we formed such a supportive group of friends, which made labs and field trips all that more fun and interesting! Field trips are by far my fondest memories from my time at UCC; you learn so much over such a relatively short period of time, you get to try things out “hands on” (rather than just reading about them in lecture notes) and you get to spend time away with a fantastic group of people.

• What is your current role and what are your future plans?

I recently submitted my PhD thesis after almost 4 years of research at The University of Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand. I continued with my strong interest in animal behaviour, and my research was centred on aspects which make certain species so successful, particularly when they invade (or are introduced to) a new region. I am currently waiting to complete my thesis defence, which is the oral examination of a PhD. In the meantime, I am working on publications from my research, as well as starting a new role working as an ecologist for an ecological restoration project which focusses on reintroducing native forest to marginal land within New Zealand. I plan to centre my career around conservation, sustainability, and science communication/outreach as these are integral parts of combating climate change and biodiversity loss.

• What advice would you give to future students looking to study at UCC?

My advice would be, if possible, to visit the campus. I remember feeling excited and knowing it felt right when I visited UCC before applying. If they offer a course that you are keen to study, then checking out the space you will spend a lot of your time over the next few years is a great way to gauge how it will be for you. If you are an international student all I can say is this: any international student I met during my degree only ever expressed how much they were enjoying their experience in UCC, Cork and Ireland in general. I can’t recommend UCC enough, it’s a fantastic place!

Name: Cian Shelly
Degree Programme: Geology
Year of Graduation: 2012
Country of Birth: Ireland
 

• Why did you choose to study your programme?

I’ve always had a keen interest in geography and earth sciences over the years. During my first year in BEES, I had quite a bit of exposure to all the varying disciplines offered by the department which really gave me a greater understanding of what path I wanted to go down. The defining moment for me was the 1st year Geology field trip which was great experience and gave me a good understanding / appreciation of what geology was all about. From there, I chose Geology as my preferred course for my final 3 years.

• How does/has your programme and the university help(ed) you fulfil your career aspirations?

First and foremost, the course gave me a great foundation in Geology, but also allowed me to develop other skills such as critical thinking, attention to detail and problem solving, all things which have proved invaluable in my career to date.

• What is/was your favourite thing about studying in UCC?

The friends I made during my time studying at UCC, many of which I still see on a weekly basis even here in Australia. The camaraderie between the lecturers and students was also second to none. The BEES geology department was just a relaxed fun place to be.

• What do you miss (or will you miss for current students) the most about the university?

As mentioned before, the overall “craic” and camaraderie in the Geology department. Field trips were always the highlights for me, everyone getting out in the field, putting learnings into practice and just enjoying ourselves - without doubt the best way to learn.

• What is your current role and what are your future plans?

Currently working as an underground Project Geologist for a gold company in Western Australia. Been in Australia nearly 9 years now, so safe to say I’ve enjoyed my time here. As for my future plans, who knows, but I’ll be sticking with mining for the foreseeable future.   

• What advice would you give to future students looking to study at UCC?

Although easier said than done, but just try to find something you really enjoy doing. For me, it was always about finding something with an outdoor fieldwork element, a discipline where you’re always learning and something with an earth science background  – a BSc in Geology ticked all those boxes for me.

Name: Christine Roche
Degree Programme: Geology
Year of Graduation: 2012
Country of Birth: Ireland
 

• Why did you choose to study your programme?

I joined Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences in first year to benefit from the foundation first year to be exposed to all of the different degree options. I really enjoyed the introduction to the key aspects of geography and geology at school and as I learned more it was great to study geology with genuine interest.

• How does/has your programme and the university help(ed) you fulfil your career aspirations?

As I left UCC, hydrocarbon exploration was in high demand.  I continued with an MSc in petroleum exploration and immediately joined a seismic company. Strong geological skills are the foundation to any career in the energy industry no matter which company you join. I’ve benefitted from working in a number of different business units and regions from a background of key skills and competencies. I’ve moved from a geoscience roll, but rely on an integration of geological skills to ensure confidence in commercial decision using relevant expertise to identify and understand possible opportunities to expand the portfolio.

• What is/was your favourite thing about studying in UCC?

Close relationship with lecturers and fellow students. Not limited to only doing geology modules but options to maintain knowledge in other interesting subjects like zoology and environmental science.

• What do you miss (or will you miss for current students) the most about the university?

Valuable time spent learning and developing among a friendly staff and student community. Lots of good facilities, social and practical, and fun on campus.

• What is your current role and what are your future plans?

I currently work in the oil and gas industry – a combination of exploration and diversifying towards new energy as part of the  global energy transition. Geoscience skills will remain key as the energy industry changes and a big contribution to securing a low carbon future.

• What advice would you give to future students looking to study at UCC?

A solid degree is the foundation everyone needs to progress career – Wether you stay strictly to the subject studied  or expand your career from learning your skills with a positive experience. The reliability of education in UCC is perfect for this. A wide range of skills, not just academic but social, developmental and cultural interactions.

• Is there anything further/in particular you would like to mention or highlight about your study/programme/time in UCC?

Field trips! Some time away from presentations and seeing what we have been studying in lectures in real life! The times spent with everyone are so many happy memories - a rainy day on the giant’s causeway and sunny beach days in Greece. Lifelong friends and really interesting to see how we have all perused varied careers.

Name: Jiaxiang Zhu
Degree Programme: PhD Mechanical Engineering
Year of Graduation: 2023
Country of Birth: China
 

• Why did you choose to study your programme?

My desire to become an expert in mechanical engineering comes from my satisfaction when I solve an engineering problem. I discovered after I completed my master's degree that I have a specific interest in compliant mechanisms. Therefore, I continued doing in Mechanical Engineering with the research title “Design of compliant mechanisms based on force characteristics”.

• How does/has your programme and the university help(ed) you fulfil your career aspirations?

The master programme in mechanical engineering strengthened my mathematics and problem-solving skills by providing a variety of training courses and well-equipped mechanical labs. This programme also provides opportunities to visit cutting-edge manufacturing factories including Stryker, Apple, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, which provide students a chance to meet engineers and industrial leaders who share their experiences and wisdom.

• What is/was your favourite thing about studying in UCC?

Equality and Diversity. People from all over the world gathered here to teach and learn. I just feel excited to embrace different cultures. Faculties and students in UCC are always being harmonious and respectful to peoples.

• What is/was it like studying in Cork?

Cork is an ideal place to live and study because its calm and warm ambiance.

• What do you miss (or will you miss for current students) the most about the university?

I miss the days I spent with my classmates working on assignments. Just feel united.

• What is your current role and what are your future plans?

I am currently a PhD student. Whether I work in academia or in business, I'll stay with the profession I learned.

• What advice would you give to future students looking to study at UCC?

Although UCC provides a perfect environment for you to be a well-rounded person. It is more about how you resiliently grab every opportunity to learn.

• Is there anything further/in particular you would like to mention or highlight about your study/programme/time in UCC?

I personally like playing sports like basketball and Ping-Pong, and instruments like piano and guitar. UCC offers large range of facilities and clubs to cultivate my interests. And I have made life-long friends in the basketball club.

Name: Aideen McCabe
Degree Programme: MSc Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Year of Graduation: 2021
Country of Birth: Ireland
 

• Why did you choose to study your programme?

During my undergraduate studies, I was introduced to the value of genomics in research. I completed a largely bioinformatics-based final year project in plant genetics, and was eager to continue down this avenue of study. The MSc programme in UCC really appealed to me because of the modules they offered, as well as the opportunity to complete a summer research project.

• How does/has your programme and the university help(ed) you fulfil your career aspirations?

The MSc programme has allowed me to develop my skills in a number of areas. We were taught coding (in Python, R and SQL), mathematics (statistics and discrete maths) and genomic data analysis. It was a steep learning curve at times, but we learned a lot. I’d like to complete a PhD in bioinformatics, and the skills that I’ve learned in UCC will be an invaluable resource to help me fulfil this goal. It has also provided me with the opportunity to get to know some lecturers in UCC, who I will hopefully get a chance to work with in future.

• What is/was your favourite thing about studying in UCC?

My favourite thing about studying in UCC was the interaction with the staff. Due to COVID-19, I completed the first two semesters remotely, never having to come to campus. This was challenging at times but the lecturers were always on hand to offer support. From virtual office hours to zoom calls, you never felt like you had to deal with any problems by yourself. I’m currently really enjoying working in a research lab. We have weekly meetings as a group, where we present research, discuss papers and watch conference talks, so you really feel like you’re part of the lab.

• What is your current role and what are your future plans?

I am two weeks into the summer research project, working with Dr Kellie Dean on lncRNAs in ovarian cancer. I absolutely love this project so far, and would love to keep working in this area even after the MSc ends. If I hadn’t applied for the MSc programme, I would have never discovered how passionate I am about this area of study. This coming September, I’ll be starting a PhD with the CRT in Genomics Data Science, hopefully in Dr Dean’s lab.

• What advice would you give to future students looking to study at UCC?

If you’re looking to study at UCC, make sure you really research the course you’re thinking of applying to. Look at whether the modules offered line up with what you’d like to get out of your degree. Also keep an eye out for whether there is an opportunity to a placement/project, especially in science programmes, as research experience is invaluable.

• Is there anything further/in particular you would like to mention or highlight about your study/programme/time in UCC?

During the first semester, we were split into two streams based on our background. In my case, I have a background in biology, so I took mainly mathematics and coding modules. This ensured we were all up to speed on the basics before we took more bioinformatics-focussed modules in semester 2. By the time our research project came around, we had a strong foundation of computational skills to help us.

Name: Dara Meehan
Degree Programme: MRes Plant Biology
Year of Graduation: 2020
Country of Birth: Ireland
 

• Why did you choose to study your programme?

I chose to study a Masters by Research in Plant Science for a few reasons. Namely, during my time in UCC as an undergraduate in Genetics, I became very fond of the topic of plant genetics, and molecular science. I was lucky enough to secure a literature project in 3rd year around the topic, which I followed on with my final year project, involving genetic modification of potatoes. I decided I wanted to pursue the field of research in my 4th year, and applied for a Masters by Research in BEES, with a project that would follow on from my final year project. I felt like there was more I wished to achieve in this area, and I wanted to get deeper into research as a whole, and learn new skills. Most importantly, I realised that working in industry was not for me, and that I always wanted to be trying new experiments and concepts, and I feel like this Masters suited that train of thought.

• How does/has your programme and the university help(ed) you fulfil your career aspirations?

Thanks to the degree I took, I was able to work as a Research Assistant immediately after I qualified. I spent a year working in a start-up company, which was immensely beneficial and interesting. I feel like I would not have had this opportunity had I not chosen the degree I did.

• What is/was your favourite thing about studying in UCC?

The sense of close-knit community and collaborative research. At no point did I feel like I was overwhelmed with problems. I always found I had someone I could go to to ask for advice or help, and this made my Masters much easier to cope with, and overcome any hurdles which came up.

• What do you miss (or will you miss for current students) the most about the university?

The people and the lab. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in BEES, it felt like a small community down there, and everyone was always happy to have a chat. I’ll really miss going in everyday to check on my plants in the growth room, or see if my bacterial cultures had grown or not. At the time, it certainly felt stressful, but in hindsight, it really was an amazing and fun time full of unexpected challenges, but incredibly rewarding all the same.

• What is your current role and what are your future plans?

Currently, I am working as a clerical officer in the City Hall Vaccination Centre. Naturally, this is not a long term plan for myself, and I intend to get back into research as soon as possible. Ideally, I would like to continue my studies by enrolling in a PhD in the fields of either Microbiology or Molecular Biology, and eventually work back into sustainable agriculture.

• What advice would you give to future students looking to study at UCC?

Talk to people. Either to those who have graduated from a course you’re interested in, or the co-ordinators or lecturers. I think people are too hesitant and nervous to reach out, but they should. The best advice will be given by those directly involved with a programme, and I think to make the best decision about your choice of study, you need to talk to these people. That’s what I did, and that was what made me realise I wanted to make a career out of research.

Name: Luke Power
Degree Programme: MSc Biochemistry
Year of Graduation: 2021
Country of Birth: Ireland
 

• Why did you choose to study your programme?

I became interested in the field of Omic sciences during a module in my fourth year of my undergraduate, and I searched for opportunities to study this field further. The Master of Research program was the perfect choice as it was 100% lab based from the get-go, rather than a structured classroom taught degree, which allowed me to learn about translatomics and develop my lab skills at the same time. Coupled with the fact that I got to work in a lab full of experts in this area, it helped ease the learning curve involved.

• How does/has your programme and the university help(ed) you fulfil your career aspirations?

The Master of Research programme essentially kickstarted my career in research by giving me a strong foundation in my lab skills, presenting novel data, as well as connecting me to experts in the field of translatomics. The focus of my master’s degree was to utilise a translational biology technique known as ribosome profiling to investigate protein expression in a  strain of yeast. I was fortunate enough to get a research position within a company that perform ribosome profiling on customer samples on a daily basis through working in the Lapti lab.

• What is/was your favourite thing about studying in UCC?

My favourite thing about studying in UCC were the Lapti lab seminars every Friday and the Biochemistry seminars that happened periodically through out the year. They were the perfect opportunity to learn about different aspects of science research that was being done as they were explained by experts in the field and were made much more assessable than if I were to try learn about a particular topic through reading scientific papers alone by myself.

• What do you miss (or will you miss for current students) the most about the university?

The main thing I miss is the natural buzz generated from everyone in the lab, spending time with them both inside the lab during the day working, and on weekends or nights out enjoying some downtime.

• What is your current role and what are your future plans?

Currently, I work as a Research Scientist in a company called Ribomaps. In Ribomaps we utilise a technique known as ribosome profiling in conjunction with RNA-seq and bioinformatic analysis to provide a complete gene expression analysis service combining translatomics and transcriptomics. My day to day involves prepping and performing ribosome profiling and RNA-seq on customer samples as well as trying to optimise and develop these methods so that they become faster and more robust.

• What advice would you give to future students looking to study at UCC?

Be open minded in every aspect of college, in terms of areas to study and clubs/societies to join. College is the best place to get into new things. Some of my fondest memories from college and my closest friends were a result from joining the UCC Orchestra and performing with them every year.

• Is there anything further/in particular you would like to mention or highlight about your study/programme/time in UCC?

I think the highlight of the program itself is the fact that it is very self-driven, you get a wide range of topics to choose from and the freedom to work on your project whenever you want. That being said, it is vital to put in the work as the project will only be as good as the work you put into it. The Master of Research can be a hard degree to complete, but it offers skills and insight into an area you would be interested in that you wouldn’t get in any other master’s degree. It can be a long year of hard work, but the reward is completely proportional to the work put in.

Name: Cian Greene
Degree Programme: MSc Marine Biology
Year of Graduation: 2021
Country of Birth: Ireland
 

• Why did you choose to study your programme?

I chose this programme at UCC because it had a wide array of practical elements, as well as in-depth academic content. This course offers hands-on practical experience in fieldwork, data collection on research vessels, labs, and marine workplace skills such as sea survival and VHF/powerboat licences.

• How does/has your programme and the university help(ed) you fulfil your career aspirations?

This course has far exceeded my expectations and given me a solid understanding in the principles of marine biology and practical skills allowing me to pursue a career in research as a PhD student.

• What is/was your favourite thing about studying in UCC?

The support given to me by academic staff and supervisors. They helped support my search for a PhD and gave helpful advice.

• What do you miss (or will you miss for current students) the most about the university?

I will miss the location of the university, and how easy it was to access the first-class facilities required for this degree. The university was close to Cork Harbour and the National Maritime College of Ireland, which allowed for easy access during practical parts of the course.

• What is your current role and what are your future plans?

I am currently a PhD researcher at the University of the West of Scotland, studying shrimp aquaculture.

• What advice would you give to future students looking to study at UCC?

Time management during an MSc or any degree is essential to minimise stress and increase the enjoyment you gain out of doing a degree. Accomplishing small parts of an assignment over a long period of time makes deadlines less stressful and assignments go faster.