Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast, with Global Engagement Award winners, Cliona Hannon, Karen Mortell (accepting on behalf of Prof Brian Foley), Jennifer Taaffe, Dr John Gormley and Vice-President for Global Relations, Prof Juliette Hussey
The Global Engagement Awards were presented by the Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast, in recognition of contributions by staff to global education and research, cultural understanding and global experiences that directly benefit the Trinity community. The awardees were Professor Brian Foley, School of Engineering, Cliona Hannon, Director of the Trinity Access Programmes and Dr John Gormley, Head of Physiotherapy. A joint award went to Doris Alexander, Research Development Manager, Trinity Research & Innovation Jennifer Taaffe, Director, Office of the Provost to recognise their work on LERU.
In addition to the award winners, two academics received a Certificate of Excellence to mark their significant contribution to Trinity’s Global Engagement activities – Professor Ian Robertson, School of Psychology and Associate Professor Mary Keating, School of Business.
The Vice President for Global Relations, Professor Juliette Hussey, commented: “This is the third year of the Global Engagement Awards and as VPGR I was delighted to see another very strong field. It is wonderful to see the amount of global engagement activities that are in train throughout Trinity. It was particularly difficult to select the winners due to the excellence observed across all area.”
The winners were chosen following a detailed assessment by the adjudication panel, comprising representatives of academic and administrative staff and an external reviewer. The panel examined each candidate across four categories that included global engagement, international education and outreach activities, international relationship building and leadership in global fundraising.
The range of Trinity’s Global Engagement activities cover areas such as: development of Trinity’s academic partnerships; contributing significantly to Global research areas – working to solve real world problems; supporting international students’ integration on campus; expanding the range of study areas available to students; developing exchange programmes and raising Trinity’s global awareness.
The annual Provost’s Teaching Award were presented separately last month to five members of staff in recognition of their enthusiasm and commitment to ensuring students receive quality teaching and learning. Now in their 17th year, the Awards are Trinity’s principal means of celebrating academic staff who have made an outstanding contribution in the pursuit of teaching excellence in the University and who promote teaching as a scholarly activity.
This year a total of 41 staff members were nominated. Of those that went forward to the Review Panel, eight were shortlisted, eventually resulting in five winners. To be shortlisted in such a competitive field is a great honour. The three shortlisted candidates – Professor Mauro Ferreira, School of Physics, Professor Celia Holland, School of Natural Sciences and Professor Ronan Lyons, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy – were presented with a certificate of commendation by the Provost at the awards ceremony. Warmly congratulating the winners and shortlisted candidates, the Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast said: “I congratulate and thank each of you. Your commitment and dedication to teaching and learning, your innovation in creating learning environments which both support and challenge individual students, and your contribution to the College’s high reputation for teaching are greatly appreciated”.
“With these Awards, the university affirms its commitment to teaching, and we avow our equal and indivisible mission in education and research”, the Provost noted.
The candidates were selected through a rigorous process involving their nomination by their students or their peers in the University. The candidates were then assessed by the Provost’s Teaching Award Review Panel chaired by Professor Neville Cox, Dean of Graduate Studies with representatives of academic staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and an external reviewer, Dr Martyn Kingsbury from Imperial College London. The panel examined each candidate’s teaching philosophy, their practice and scholarship, and assessed supporting evidence provided by the candidates.
SOURCE: Trinity College Dublin
