2013 Press Releases
Awards celebrate UCC staff

UCC has honoured staff members for their outstanding contributions to university life. The Awards Ceremony held on 10 October 2013 announced the winners of three award schemes: Teaching & Learning, Staff Recognition and Research.
Under the Teaching & Learning Awards segment, 17 members of staff received eight Awards for Research into Innovative Forms of Teaching. Four Teaching Fellows were also appointed to support the work of the University’s Centre for Teaching and Learning - Ionad Barrie – and to imbed best teaching practices in each of the four Colleges.
The Staff Recognition Awards provide a formal process for acknowledging outstanding achievements of staff and for publicly recognising such achievements to the University and the wider community. This year, 10 Awards were made across the categories of ‘Leadership’, ‘Exceptional Citizenship’, and ‘Enhancing the Student Experience’.
The Research Awards were introduced in 2012 and are highly competitive. Sponsored by Gilead, they acknowledge excellence in research activity across four categories: ‘Early Career Achievement’, ‘Research Supervision’, ‘Research Support’, and ‘Research Team of the Year’. Five PhD Scholarships were also awarded through the Strategic Research Fund, supporting the stimulation of new research areas whilst also maintaining existing areas of Research strength.
The winners in each Award Scheme are as follows:
Teaching and Learning Awards
Awards for Research into Innovative Forms of Teaching
· Dr Tom Andrews (Nursing and Midwifery) and Ms Siobhan O’Connor (BIS)
· Dr Zelda Di Blasi (Applied Psychology)
· Dr David Fitzgerald (History)
· Dr JJ Keating, Dr Eileen O’Leary and Dr Tim O’Sullivan (School of Pharmacy and Department of Chemistry)
· Dr Olive McCarthy and Ms Bridget Carroll and (Food Business and Development)
· Dr Pat Meere and Mr Eoin Lettice (Geology)
· Dr Liam Fanning (Medicine), Dr John O’Mullane (Computer Science), Dr David O’Sullivan (Applied Psychology) and Ms Kathleen O’Sullivan (Statistics)
· Dr Theresa Reidy and Ms Fiona Buckley (Government)
2013/14 Teaching Fellowships
· College of Arts Celtic Studies and Social Sciences: Dr Manfred Schewe, German
· College of Business and Law: Dr Mary C Murphy, Government
· College of Medicine and Health: Dr Fiona MacLeod, Epidemiology & Public Health
· College of Science, Engineering and Food Science: Professor Gavin Burnell, BEES
Staff Recognition Awards
Leadership Award
· Dr John Crowley, Department of Geography
· Professor John O’Halloran, Head of School of BEES
· Professor Barry O’Sullivan, Head of Department, Computer Science & Director, Cork Constraint Computation Centre (4C)
Early Career Leadership Award
· Dr Gordon Dalton, Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre & Chair, Association of Research Contract Staff (ARCS)
· Dr Conor O’Mahony, Department of Law
· Dr Vikram Pakrashi, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Exceptional Citizen Award
· Ms Cindy O’Shea, School of Applied Social Studies
· Dr Sabin Tabirca, Department of Computer Science
Enhancing the Student Experience Award
· Ms Mary O’Sullivan, Mature Student Office
· UCC Works Steering Committee:
- Mr Seamus McEvoy - Career Service
- Ms Mary McNulty - Career Service
- Mr Kieran Hurley - Acting Station Manager Campus Radio
- Mr Tony McCleane Fay - Granary Theatre
- Mr Christopher Clarke - Glucksman Gallery
- Br Richard Hendrick – Chaplaincy
- Mr Eoghan Healy - Students Union
- Ms Emer O'Driscoll - Office of Head of Student Experience
Reseach Awards
Research Award Awardee
Early Stage Researcher of the Year Dr John O’Donoghue (HISRC)
Research Supervisor of the Year Dr Patricia Kearney (Epidemiology and Public Health)
Research Support Person of the Year Dr Anthony Morrissey (INFANT)
Research Team of the Year Dr Michelle Cronin (representing the Marine Ecology Group, CMRC)
2013 UCC Strategic Research Fund (SRF) PhD Studentships
Awardee Primary supervisor – Department
Ms Ashling Murphy Professor Josephine Hegarty – Nursing & Midwifery
Ms Chloe Falvey Dr Sharon McKenna, Cork Cancer Research Centre
Ms Mary Catherine Gallagher Dr Ruth Ramsay – Zoology, Ecology & Plant Science
Mr Mark Kennedy Professor Paul Callanan – Physics
Ms Julia Jensen Dr Martin Howard – French
Also receiving a President’s Special Award for the exemplary execution of his duties as UCC Radiation Protection Officer was Dr Andy Ruth.
It was a marvellous occasion for all and an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding contributions of colleagues across the University. Congratulations to each and every one of you!