Our recent AGM saw 2015 was a
year of consolidation for UCD EGA. Most of the objectives in the EGA Strategy
2013 - 2016 had been achieved or under way so we spent 2015
building on the progress made particularly on profile building and as a
consequence a value added proposition for Corporate Membership.
The Strategy objectives were
to assist UCD in the mission of excellence as Ireland's global university. To
do this we had to raise the profile of UCD Engineering through our graduates
and act as a host to discuss critical issues affecting the Irish
economy i.e. Jobs, Economic Recovery, Water, Food, Energy and Engineering
Education. By having these events led by national and international leaders in
their respective fields, we raised the EGA and indirectly the UCD profile as
thought leaders in these important subjects.
As we look back on a busy and
successful year, we recall a number of memorable events - the Annual Spring
Lecture by UCD President Andrew Deeks on Engineering Education, the Autumn
Panel Discussion on Ireland's Digital Future fronted by leading industry figures.
At out Annual Dinner we presented the EGA Distinguished Graduate Award to UCD Vice President Orla
Feely and a Lifetime Achievement Award to EGA Founder Professor John Kelly.
We also had further
significant growth by 35% in Corporate Membership no doubt helped by our
increased public profile. President Deeks also kindly hosted a Reception for
EGA Corporate Members in Ardmore House on campus.
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Group photo at NovaUCD (from L to R back
row):
Prof. David Fitzpatrick, Prof. John Kelly, Prof. Orla Feely, Prof. Andrew
Deeks, PJ Rudden, Dr. Liam Connellan, Dr. Vincent Hargaden,
(from L to R front row): Sean Murphy, Clodagh O'Donnell, Dr Pat Frain, Dr John
Bourke, Dr Tom Hardiman, Eoin O'Cathain
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We celebrated the 30th
anniversary of the founding of NovaUCD research and incubation centre in the
University Industry Centre (UIC). This building was funded and built by UCD EGA
founded by then Dean of Engineering Professor John Kelly to create an important
link between the university and industry. From early seeds then, NovaUCD went
from strength to strength transferring to its current campus on Fosters Avenue
from where it is facilitating very significant research and innovation success
in terms of funding and job creation for the Irish Economy. Only last month one
of the companies there Logentries was sold to a US firm for $68.
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First EGA Secretary Clodagh O'Donnell and EGA Founder
Professor John Kelly at EGA Annual Dinner in National Concert Hall |
The EGA support for the new
3+2 Masters Programme was recognised in two very tangible ways -transfer of the EGA Gold
Medals from the BE to the ME programmes and secondly an intensification of Mock
Interviews for students applying for internships on the Masters programmes. The
EGA are indebted to the UCD Careers Office under Acting Deputy Director Dr
Aisling Harkin for the professional assistance with these interviews.
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EGA Graduate Board Members Louise McGuinness and
Killian McKenna at Annual Lecture by President Deeks |
The year was also marked with
sadness after the Berkeley UCD and other students tragically lost their lives
in June while in the U.S. working for the
summer on J1 visas. This evoked the nation's grief as they were brought
home to be buried in Ireland. Tributes were led by UCD President Deeks who recalled
that they died on Bloomsday and quoting
from James Joyce's Finegan's Wake that they 'had lived and laughed and loved
and left ..... we will not forget them'.
The AGM elected new Board
Member Harriet Walsh an ME graduate in Energy Systems who currently is Transmission Access Planning
Engineer in Eirgrid. We also reelected the current Hon Treasurer Donal Wyse who
is Airworthiness Officer with the Irish Aviation Authority for a further 3
years.
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| New EGA Board Member, Harriet Walsh |
We recorded with regret the
recent resignations of Robyn Kelly and Louise McGuinness both of whom stepped
down from the Board for business reasons. We sincerely thank both of them for
their contribution to Board activities over the past number of years. Both were
active on various EGA Subcommittees.
We heard reports on the work
of two existing Subcommittees - from Michael Loughnane who leads the Gender
Balance group and Aisling Harkin who leads the Corporate Membership group. A
new Social Media Subcommittee was set up under Chairman Killian McKenna
assisted by Katie O 'Neill and Harriet Walsh.
I conclude this yearly review
by recapping with photographs on the success of our Annual Spring Lecture on
Engineering in the 21st Century and our Annual Autumn Panel Discussion on Ireland's Digital Future.
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UCD President Professor Andrew Deeks at EGA Corporate Member
Reception in Ardmore House prior to Annual Lecture. |
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At Annual Spring Lecture by UCD Professor Andrew Deeks Engineers Ireland Vice President Kieran Feighan,
Engineers Ireland Finance Committee Chairman Murt Coleman, Engineers Ireland Council and Executive
Board Member Cormac Bradley, UCD Engineering Vice Principal Teaching and Learning Dr Amanda Gibney and PJ Rudden |
And our Annual Panel
Discussion
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At the Autumn Panel Discussion were EGA President PJ Rudden, CEO Vodafone Anne O'Leary,
Vice President Google EMEA Ronan Harris & UCD Vice President Professor Orla Feely.
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Q&A at Autumn Panel Discussion CEO Vodafone Anne O'Leary
and CEO Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Dr Brain Motherway |
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Autumn Panel Discussion Q&A: Dr Helen McBreen, Dr Eleni Pratsini,
Ronan Harris, Anne O'Leary, Dr Brian Motherway and P.J. Rudden |
