2013 Press Releases
PhD students make national impact
Sarah Jo Sinnott and Mary Galvin are two of the 1200 UCC PhD students carrying out vital research. They enjoyed success recently at the HEA’s ‘Making an Impact’ competition.
The diverse research being undertaken by this group is of considerable importance to stakeholders in academic circles and far beyond. The ability to translate what are frequently complex topics into a language non-specialist audiences can appreciate is increasingly recognised as an important skill for PhD students to nurture.
Sarah Jo and Mary recently got the chance to show exactly how well UCC PhD students can do this, as they shared their research into how digital devices can help us retain our memories and the impact of the introduction of the Irish prescription levy. This insight touches on pressing challenges in modern Ireland and further afield, such as the care of patients with dementia and the Irish Government's health policy. They were selected from hundreds of entrants to be among only five finalists in the competition, held at the Helix in DCU recently, in which PhD students are judged specifically on their ability to communicate their research in this way.
Sarah Jo won the audience prize, as voted for by the audience of school children.
The two video presentations can be viewed at the links below:
http://media.heanet.ie/page/0fc9c175ba2b4631a7827652150abf9f
http://media.heanet.ie/page/142a541280ba4d498abb050fc5759df0
This achievement builds on a number of recent innovations in graduate education in UCC designed to encourage students to develop these much sought after skills, such as the Doctoral Research Showcase and the Boolean Journal. This year's Doctoral Research Showcase has been set for 11 June and all doctoral students in UCC are encouraged and very welcome to participate.