AGM Reflects on Successful Year

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.



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



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.

 

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.

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.

 

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 21^st Century and our Annual Autumn Panel Discussion on Ireland's Digital Future.

 

UCD President Professor Andrew Deeks at EGA Corporate Member
Reception in Ardmore House prior to Annual Lecture.

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



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.
 

Q&A at Autumn Panel Discussion CEO Vodafone Anne O'Leary
and CEO Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Dr Brain Motherway

 

Autumn Panel Discussion Q&A: Dr Helen McBreen, Dr Eleni Pratsini,
Ronan Harris, Anne O'Leary, Dr Brian Motherway and P.J. Rudden