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Team UCC extends a warm welcome to the new joiners at UCC Academy
Seven new people have joined UCC Academy in recent months, reflecting the transformative shift that has occurred during the pandemic and demand for talented professionals with a proven background in innovation, creativity and communication.
Coming from an array of different professional environments, the knowledge that they bring to the company complements the talented that already exists within UCC’s in house consultancy.
Anthony Courtney, for example, joins UCC Academy as a videographer having successfully managed his own film production company - Courtney Kingdom – and worked with broadcasters such as TG4, BBC and RTE on programmes such as The Young Offenders, Let’s Find Out and Body Brothers.
Coming on board as a graphic designer, Jonathan Leahy Maharaj will work on a mix of client facing and internal strategic projects within UCC Academy.
Previously employed as the Creative director with Fuzion Communications, Jonathan brings a wealth of experience to campus having project managed a number of significant creative projects.
Meanwhile, astrophysicist, Dr Tamela Maciel, comes to UCC from the UK’s National Space Centre, where she managed the delivery of science communication, media engagement, and public engagement for nearly five years.
Tamela will manage the RADICAL project team, who are focusing on developing innovative new technology that will enable the detection of harmful free radicals in the atmosphere. In 2020, the project was awarded a prestigious FET-Open grant from the European Union’s Research and Innovation programme.
From a more entrepreneurial background, Linda O’Connell, a ACCA qualified accountant, comes to UCC Academy after managing her own consultancy business offering advice to Irish owned SME’s in the budgeting and cash management space.
As a business owner, Linda advised engineering, IT and media companies achieve their business goals, and joins the Finance Team.
With an academic background in regional and urban planning Sharlene Barry joins UCC Academy having worked for over seven years at the University of the West of England Bristol as an External Relations Project Development and People Manager within the careers, enterprise and employability sector.
As part of her role with UCC Academy, Sharlene will support project provision within the Office of Corporate and Legal Affairs. She is one of a number of project officers and project managers joining Team UCC this spring.
Finally, Lara Diez is the latest addition to the Project Centre. As the former Director of the Nyae Nyae Development Foundation, Lara worked with indigenous San communities in Namibia and will support Sport Ireland’s Global Design Challenge for Sport and Physical Activity 2021.