Opening doors for women in STEM

For Myra O’Donoghue, supporting women in STEM at UCC is about helping students overcome financial barriers and giving them the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

A first-generation university graduate, Myra knows the difference that access to education can make. Her parents grew up on farms in Kerry, but they understood the value of education and encouraged her throughout her studies. Now, through her support for bursaries for women students from disadvantaged backgrounds through the Access UCC programme, she hopes to offer that same sense of opportunity and encouragement to the next generation.

“I wanted to find a way to help relieve some of the financial burden on today’s students,” she says. “Funding the bursaries is a way to do that and I hope it will lead a few students to a career in STEM.”

For Myra, the impact of an Access UCC bursary goes beyond financial assistance. She hopes it will make the journey through university easier, while giving women students the confidence to see themselves as belonging in STEM.

“I hope that it eases their path to a degree and thus opens more doors for them.”

• Read the Access Impact Report 2026

Coming Home to Give Back

Myra graduated from UCC with a degree in chemistry in 1988 before leaving Ireland for Boston on a J1 visa. What began as a summer adventure became 37 years living abroad, primarily in the United States. Her career took her from clinical chemistry and a PhD at MIT into a range of roles in industry, eventually moving into senior human resources and leadership in talent management and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The foundations of that journey were laid at UCC, where she remembers the chemistry department and its academics with particular gratitude.

“Dr Fergus Lalor first exposed me to transition metal chemistry which I loved,” she recalls. Professor McKervey also stands out as “a great lecturer and mentor.”

“I got a great education at UCC,” she says. “I made lifelong friends and have fond memories of many hours in the Campus Kitchen.”

Those experiences, along with the American tradition of alumni supporting their alma mater, inspired Myra to give back. Her gift is also made in honour and memory of her mother, whom she describes as her “earliest champion.”

Having returned to Ireland after many years abroad, Myra has enjoyed reconnecting with Cork and UCC.

“Ireland today is very different from the country I left in 1988 and I would say it is for the better,” she reflects. “UCC has also transformed and it’s wonderful to see how it has grown and developed into a world-class institution.”

A Seat at the Table

Myra hopes her support will help today’s UCC students make the most of the opportunities that education can provide. Her message to young women considering a career in STEM is simple:

“Don’t let self-doubt or Imposter Syndrome hold you back. You are on a journey. You belong at the table and in the rooms where decisions are made. You are a leader.”

Ultimately, Myra is confident that the bursaries will create a lasting cycle of opportunity.

“When they are ready and able, they help someone else along the way.”

To learn more about supporting Access UCC Plus students, contact foundation@ucc.ie.