Prof Orla Feely appointed as the primary lady president of UCD | Tech Do

Minister Simon Harris mentioned the appointment just isn’t solely a “nice private achievement” for Feely, but in addition “an essential milestone” for the college.

College School Dublin (UCD) has turn out to be the most recent third-tier Irish establishment to have a feminine president after the appointment of Professor Orla Feely to the function right now (21 February).

Having served as Vice President of Analysis, Innovation and Impression at UCD for practically a decade, Feely succeeds Professor Mark Rogers, who has been Appearing President since March 2022. He’ll take up his new function on Might 1.

Feely has been a professor at UCD since 1992. She has a BS in Digital Engineering from UCD, after which she earned an MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the College of California, Berkeley.

Whereas at Berkeley, he acquired the Excellent Graduate Pupil Teacher Award. His doctoral dissertation within the space of ​​nonlinear circuits and programs additionally gained the DJ Sakrison Memorial Award for “excellent and modern analysis.”

Permanence within the UCD

Feely’s innovation management at UCD has overseen a big enhance in house at NovaUCD, the college’s hub for start-ups and entrepreneurs, the launch of a College Bridge Fund to assist early-stage corporations, and the event of a AgTech Innovation Heart at UCD Lyons Farm.

Throughout her tenure, she has additionally championed the development of girls at UCD by way of the event and supply of two successive Gender Equality Motion Plans, which secured two Athena SWAN Bronze Awards for the college.

As UCD’s first feminine president, Feely mentioned she is “very honored” to steer the college “into the following section of its outstanding growth.”

“My very own research at UCD, beginning on the age of sixteen, remodeled my life and I witness the College’s ongoing transformative influence on daily basis,” she mentioned on being appointed by the governing authority right now,” she mentioned.

“I need to lead a UCD that makes a transparent constructive distinction within the lives of our college students by way of the academic expertise we offer. I need to enhance our influence in Eire and the remainder of the world by way of our work in areas like sustainability, well being and protected societies.”

‘Vital milestone’

Marie O’Connor, who chairs UCD’s governing authority, praised Feely as an “excellent college chief” with a “distinguished tutorial file” in analysis and instructing that has contributed vastly to UCD’s popularity.

“Professor Orla Feely is an distinctive particular person who has the drive and ambition to steer UCD as a public college that values ​​its group, units requirements and embraces broader engagement to make an actual influence on society,” she mentioned. O’Connor.

The Minister for Persevering with and Increased Training, Analysis, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, additionally congratulated Feely on her appointment, describing it not solely as a “nice private achievement” for her, but in addition as “a big milestone” for UCD.

“Professor Orla Feely turns into the primary feminine rector of the college. She additionally turns into our seventh president of a better training college. Two and a half years in the past we did not have feminine presidents,” she mentioned.

“I hope it sends a robust message to everybody concerned within the greater training sector and past – a message of inclusion, equality and alternative for all.”

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