Dr Paul Bolger is Head of the UCC Sustainability Academy. He has worked across academia, industry and government for three decades developing long term research solutions for global sustainability challenges.  

He has a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast and an MBA from Open University. He is a US-Ireland Fulbright Scholar and has been principal investigator on a range of interdisciplinary research projects on climate change and the circular economy. He is a past member of Royal Irish Academy Climate Change and Environmental Sciences Committee (2018-2022) and European Environment Agency EIONET Foresight Group (2022-2025). He has pioneered a number of sustainability outreach programmes including the Saturday Science Club and Climate Action for Kids programmes.  

He has recently led the establishment of the UCC Sustainability Academy in response to the urgent need for sustainability upskilling and training across industry, public sector, local authorities and public. He is academic lead on a range of sustainability courses within the UCC Sustainability Academy and teaches on the UCC Sustainability Degree. 

Dr Bolger has received numerous research and teaching awards for his work including the UCC President’s Award for Research Impacting the Sustainable Development Goals, UCC President’s Award for Teaching Excellence, and UCC Staff Citizenship Award.  

A golden thread through Paul’s research and teaching has been to activate knowledge and leadership for a more rapid transition to a sustainable society. 

Email: p.bolger@ucc.ie  

Tanya has significant experience in training and education for sustainability particularly in the areas of programme development, business development, market research, and stakeholder engagement. As Manager of the UCC Sustainability Academy Tanya leads the development of innovative sustainability education and training initiatives, including micro-credentials, digital badges and e-learning programmes. She also contributed to the research, design and development of a new interdisciplinary degree in Sustainability at University College Cork. 

With a strong focus on enterprise engagement Tanya has developed strategic relationships with many organisations and has led workshops and stakeholder engagement initiatives to support organisations in developing their sustainability and Net Zero strategies, while also contributing to enterprise-informed curriculum development. 

Tanya brings extensive experience in business development and funding, having secured significant revenue for UCC training initiatives in addition to funding for sustainable development programmes supporting rural communities and food businesse. At SECAD partnership, Tanya assisted community groups and food businesses to secure €1.5 million funding from the LEADER development programme. 

Tanya holds a First Class Honours Bachelor of Commerce from UCC, a Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability from UCD, and an Education for Sustainable Development Digital Badge. 

E-mail: TFitzgerald@ucc.ie

Anna is Programmes Manager at UCC Sustainability Academy, where she develops
training and education programmes that equip leaders to drive the transition to
sustainability. She previously managed the Sustainable Futures project, Ireland's
largest sustainability education initiative, led by UCC.

Anna is passionate about programmes that bring about transformative change. She
brings a management, teaching and research background in responsible and
sustainable business, developed when Anna worked as a Research Fellow at the
Responsible and Sustainable Business Lab at Nottingham Business School.

She has extensive experience managing large, transdisciplinary EU and corporate
projects, knowledge of setting up and developing knowledge centres, and expertise
in co-designing and delivering sustainability programmes. Anna began her career in
Brussels at the Academy of Business in Society, and has built a strong track record
of developing international networks around sustainability-driven practice.

Email: aozolina@ucc.ie

Cara has worked in sustainability in both the private and public sector. After completing her master’s in environmental law, she worked as a research assistant in the School of Law in UCC, researching novel ways of delivering environmental legal education for experiential learning. She then worked in the private sector at the ALDI SOUTH Group, first as a climate specialist and then working in sustainable procurement. Cara now heads up the business engagement work for the Academy, in which she identifies the key skills needed in business to implement sustainably effectively. She both designs and delivers the courses for sustainable business. Cara has a bachelor’s degree in International Development and Food Policy, as well as a Master’s in Environmental and Natural Resources Law both from University College, Cork.

Email: CaraOmahony@ucc.ie

Mike is a Coordinator at the UCC Sustainability Academy, supporting the delivery and coordination of sustainability-focused initiatives across the university. He works closely with academic units, industry partners, and stakeholders to enable impactful programme delivery and advance sustainability education.

Mike brings over a decade of experience in higher education, project coordination, and stakeholder engagement, gained through a range of roles at University College Cork. His background spans international admissions, career services, and strategic projects, with a strong focus on process improvement, data-driven decision-making, and service enhancement.

Prior to his work in higher education, Mike held leadership roles in recruitment and HR, managing teams, client relationships, and performance frameworks across multiple sectors.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Science in Corporate Finance from University College Cork and has a strong passion for sustainability and sustainable business practices.

Email: mike.barry@ucc.ie