21 Dec 2006

Governing Body of UCC appoints incoming UCC President

The Governing Body of University College Cork has today (21st December 2006) appointed Professor Michael B Murphy (53), currently Head of the College of Medicine and Health at UCC, as President of the University with effect from 1st February 2007.
The Chairman of the Governing Body of UCC, Enda McDonagh, said; "Professor Michael Murphy is an outstanding academic and proven leader who brings ambition, an inclusive vision, and management expertise to the key role of University President. UCC has a record of remarkable success in recent years and the Governing Body is confident that, under the leadership of Professor Michael Murphy, the university will continue to play a lead role in third and fourth level education".
Professor Murphy, who is a graduate of UCC's Medical School, was appointed Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at UCC in 1992, he became Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health in 2000 and Head of the College of Medicine and Health in 2006. He previously held senior positions at the University of Chicago and at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School London, and worked at St Vincent's University Hospital Dublin and St Finbarr's Hospital Cork. As Head of UCC's College of Medicine and Health Professor Murphy has overseen the development of new undergraduate degree programmes, a significant expansion of research activities, as well as successful capital development programmes amounting to approximately €120m at the Brookfield Health Sciences Complex and the Cavanagh School of Pharmacy.
Professor Murphy's external leadership roles include: Board Member of the Irish Health Service Executive; Irish Medical Faculties Council of Deans; Member of CRI; and the Irish Universities Medical Consortium Board.
Professor Murphy has also published extensively in medical research fields, has led large-scale  international research projects, and has been widely cited in the literature of medical research.

Professor Michael B Murphy
Professor Murphy said that he greatly appreciates the trust which the Governing Body had placed in him and he looks forward to the task of leading UCC. He aims to build on UCC's tremendous success in recent years, to continue to progress UCC's teaching and research achievements, and to lead UCC in its continuing development.  Professor Murphy is a native of Cork and is married with three children.

UCC Today
UCC is one of Ireland's most successful universities with almost 16,000 students; an annual budget of €210m; and annual research income of over €65m which is the highest in the State.

The Appointment Process
Professor Murphy was appointed from an international field of candidates. The process for this appointment involved UCC Governing Body Search and Selection Committees comprising staff and external members. The Committees were aided by Saxton Bampfylde Hever plc, an international recruitment company with a record of supporting the appointment processes at the highest levels in Universities.

Professor Enda McDonagh, Chairman Governing Body UCC


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