Atlantic Technological University Magazine, Issue 3

Cover photo: Vicky Matthews and her son, Luca, both ATU students who sailed from England to Ireland over the summer to highlight and raise funds for spinal injuries.

Editor: Anne Donnelly

Design: The Foundation

Research, Innovation and Engagement

- ATU Researchers Join Prestigious Biorbic Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre

- Blockchain Ireland Week 2022 at ATU

- Research Spotlight: Dr Trevor Clohessy

- Atlantic TU Research the Impact of Tourism on Six Islands

- Manufacturing Industry in the Border Region Work Together to Compete on International Market

- Empowering Digital Creatives in the West of Ireland

Student News

- International Students Attend Sustainable Futures Summer University Course at ATU Sligo

- Swedish Student Cycles from Sweden to Ireland

- ATU Donegal Student Winners at the International Society of Typographic Designers Student Assessment Scheme

- ATU Furniture Design Student Wins Irish Furniture Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation Prize

- ATU Students Sail from England to Ireland to Highlight Spinal Injuries

- New Free Online Foundation Course for Students

Recent ATU Conferences

- ATU Mountbellew Hosts Conference to Celebrate Ireland’s First Female Vet

- Third International Education with Sustainability (EwS) Conference.

- The AER Summer Academy - a Europe for the Next Generation

- Re-imagining Assessment and Feedback for Student Success Symposium

Other Activities

- ATU Staff Navigate the Twelve Bens Mountains

- ATU Pride Highlights 2022

Welcome from the editor, Anne Donnelly

Dear Reader,

I hope you had a lovely summer and I am delighted to welcome you to the third issue of our new Atlantic TU Magazine.

We have been busy continuing to integrate our three colleges, Donegal, Galway-Mayo and Sligo so that we function as one unified technological university. Our technical departments have been working hard transitioning all staff and students over to our new ATU IT platforms. The strategic planning process for our new university has also started. We bring you more news on these and on the integration of St Angela’s College into Atlantic TU in this issue.

Dr Brendan McCormack, Head of College at ATU Sligo recently retired and we wish him the very best for the years ahead. We congratulate Úna Parsons, Head of Faculty of Engineering and Design at ATU Sligo, who has replaced Brendan as Head of College at ATU Sligo. On page 6 we say goodbye to Brendan with an interesting exit interview and we say hello to Úna with a special profile on her career to date on page 8.

On the international front our President, Dr Orla Flynn and ATU colleagues have been travelling abroad to build on our international partnerships. In this issue we report on our engagement with universities, third-level educational institutions, and alumni in Canada.

A defining characteristic of Atlantic TU is the scope and depth of our research, innovation and engagement activities. We are delighted to bring you news of some exciting developments over the summer months in these areas.

Even though it was summer we still had some students on campus with international students attending a Sustainable Futures Summer University Course at ATU Sligo. There have also been some very interesting conferences held at various ATU campuses in recent months and this issue will give you a flavour of these.

Atlantic TU staff and students also attended many Pride parades over the summer months and judging by the photos on pages 39 and 40, much fun was had by all.

The purpose of this magazine is to keep you updated on our activities and initiatives. So, whether you are a member of our student or staff body, or are one of our regional, national or international stakeholders, we hope you find something of interest here.

If there is anything you would like to see in future issues of this magazine, please email me at anne.donnelly@atu.ie.

Best Wishes

Anne Donnelly

Atlantic TU Sunflowers in Full Bloom

To celebrate the launch of Atlantic TU in April of this year we gave staff, students, and guests a free pack of Sunflower seeds, which they dutifully sowed and here are the results.

Photos by Paul Nolan, Lecturer in Clinical Measurement Physiology & Cardiac Physiologist, ATU Sligo.

University Updates

Atlantic TU Integration

Colleagues across Galway-Mayo, Sligo and Donegal continue to work together to integrate three separate ATU colleges into one unified technological university serving the west and north-west region and beyond. With colleagues from each functional area now meeting regularly we have made significant progress across all areas including:

• Academic Affairs and Registrars

• EDI and Online Development

• Finance and Corporate Services

• Marketing and Communication

• Research, Innovation and Engagement

• Cross-border and International Activities

• Faculty Formation

Reviewing business processes and aligning systems along with addressing duplication and in many cases triplication of efforts is progressing with interim structures being discussed across all campuses.

The Heads of School/Faculty have formed Faculty Formation groups and meet regularly to discuss potential university wide faculty structures.

Academic Council

Central Services

Faculties Students

Governing Body

President +

University Management Team

St. Angela’s College Sligo

At the July meeting of the Board of St. Angela’s College Sligo (STACS) and the August meeting of ATU’s Governing Body, the draft document detailing the application for the integration of STACS with ATU was approved. It is expected that the application document will be submitted to the Department of Education in the coming weeks. A review by an international advisory panel will follow as part of the process of incorporation. ATU and STACS Steering Committee meet on a fortnightly basis to address ongoing integration issues and plans for the full integration of the College in the coming months.

Atlantic TU Strategic Planning Process

Senior management colleagues met on June 21 to begin the process of creating a new strategic plan for Atlantic TU. Preparatory work commenced over the summer. Vision formation and consultation with all stakeholders both internal and external will commence in October/November. The university is working towards the completion and approval of the new plan by May 2023.

Atlantic TU to receive €3,979,631 for a Greener and more Accessible University

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris recently announced an extra €40 million for higher education institutions for this academic year.

ATU have been allocated nearly €4 million from this fund. The university will use the funding for key capital investment priorities, including:

• Investments to support universal access

• Energy efficiency and decarbonisation upgrades

• General ICT and equipment-related upgrades

• Health and safety works, and other building upgrades

• Minor works and equipment

Minister Harris said:

Previous allocations under the devolved capital grant have delivered tangible benefits for students and staff and complements other Project Ireland 2040 capital investments in the higher education sector.

I am delighted to announce a significant devolved capital grant for the higher education sector to support a range of capital priorities. The funding forms part of ongoing investment in the higher education sector under Project Ireland 2040 and reaffirms a strong commitment to public investment in higher education infrastructure.”

“Our third level sector faces significant challenges in responding to climate objectives and this fund will assist with making energy upgrades. It will also ensure our campuses are inclusive and accessible. The funding can be used to make the necessary upgrades to make campuses accessible for people with disabilities, but it can also be used to help students to access laptops or other ICT requirements.”

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris

Minister Simon Harris pictured with ATU Students at the launch of Atlantic TU in April 2022.

Head of ATU Sligo College Dr Brendan McCormack Retires

Brendan was President of IT Sligo from September 2016 until March 2022 before the formation of ATU in April this year when he then served as Head of College for ATU Sligo. He has worked in IT Sligo since 1998 and held key senior roles during that time, including Head of School of Engineering (2001-2006) and Head of Academic Affairs (2006-2014).

1. Do you remember your first day at ATU Sligo (formally IT Sligo)?

Yes, Ursula Cox and Grace Johnston were there to greet me. When I said I was joining the Department of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering Grace asked me what course was I doing… I have aged since then!

2. When you were a college student, what or who made a lasting impression on you?

The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at UCD, Vincent McCabe, had a flamboyant and strong personality and instilled the core competence for an engineer as being to use common sense and to think outside the box.

3. You stayed in ATU Sligo (formerly IT Sligo) for over 20 years. What has kept you here?

The commitment and competence of staff who year following year come up with new and better ways of teaching and supporting students and enhancing the reputation of higher education in Sligo.

4. Looking back, what has been the proudest moment of your presidency?

There have been many highlights over the years, but the proudest moment has to be the designation as a technological university which is a game changer for the institution and for the region. Contined on next page...

It was truly a pleasure to work with you all. I very much enjoyed my 24 years here and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to lead this organisation for part of its life as an educational institution. As I hand over the Sligo baton, I really believe ATU will grow and flourish in many new directions over the next decade and more. ”

5. What role do you think ATU can play on the national stage?

Providing leadership in educating the current and future workforce in ways that are accessible and flexible to accommodate people with commitments outside of their learning.

6. What is your definition of leadership? Listen, reflect, decide, and follow through.

7. What is the best advice you were ever given?

To respect others no matter who they are and in what context you meet them.

8. What advice do you have for new and returning ATU students?

This is your opportunity to give yourself time to learn about what you are interested in and to develop friendships that will be there for your lifetime.

9. If you could snap your fingers and make one thing happen for ATU Sligo, what would it be?

To join forces with the ETB to establish a Sligo Educational Quarter with seamless education progression opportunities across further and higher education, thereby responding to the wide-ranging needs for knowledge, skills and competences across all levels.

10. Do you have a favourite quote or a motto? Keep your eye on the ball!

11. What will you miss the most from your time working in ATU Sligo?

The collegiality and the achievement together of ambitious objectives to provide better education.

12. How do you like to wind down after a day’s work?

A bit of gardening…but to be honest watching TV is a real temptation, a way to relax and switch off.

13. What are your post-retirement plans?

To have no schedule and deadlines, to be free to decide what we want to do each day.

Dr Brendan McCormack at his retirement party.

Meet Úna Parsons, ATU Sligo’s New Head of College

Úna Parsons, Head of Faculty of Engineering and Design at ATU Sligo, has replaced Dr Brendan McCormack as Head of College at ATU Sligo.

Úna did her apprenticeship block release in Sligo forty-five years ago studying the trade of toolmaking at what was then called Sligo Regional Technical College. Braun AG awarded her a scholarship to continue her studies in Northeastern University in Boston where she graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1984.

She later did her Masters Degree in Advanced Manufacturing Systems with Brunel University in the UK. Since then, Úna has travelled the world in various global management positions working in the manufacturing industry across Europe, the USA, Mexico, Hong Kong and China.

An award-winning Chartered Engineer, Úna has worked as Industry Director for Engineers Ireland and was CEO of the Crafts Council of Ireland before taking up an academic management position in ATU Sligo in 2012. She is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and in the last year was conferred with the distinction of Fellowship of the Irish Academy of Engineering.

Úna is deeply passionate about education and has been instrumental in the growth of the Faculty of Engineering and Design in ATU Sligo over the last decade.

Dr Orla Flynn, ATU President said:

“I wish Úna the very best as ATU Sligo’s Head of College. She is a highly respected engineer and academic who has experienced ATU Sligo initially as a tool-making apprentice in the 1970’s, then later as a Head of Department and most recently as Head of Faculty. I am grateful to Úna for now accepting the additional duties of Head of College for an interim transitional period.”

I very much look forward to this role and working with everyone over the coming months. I really want to help make the ATU integration a most positive experience for staff, students and the community in the Sligo region.”

Úna Parsons, ATU Sligo’s new Head of College

Dr Orla Flynn and Úna Parsons at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus in June 2022.

International Activities

Atlantic TU Visit to Canada

In June 2022, Atlantic TU took part in the first in-person British Columbia Colleges International Education Week (BCCIE) in western Canada since the global pandemic interrupted international travel. At the previous BCCIE event in March 2019, Education in Ireland sponsored part of the conference and provided opportunities for Irish Institutes of Technology to meet potential Canadian partners. During the pandemic, ATU used this opportunity to further develop these relationships.

During the BCCIE event ATU signed agreements with Vancouver Community College, Selkirk College and Douglas College, in the presence of Minister for State for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

Mr Niall Collins and Consul General at the Irish Consulate in Vancouver, Mr. Frank Flood. In addition, colleagues from across ATU visited several other potential new partners including Royal Roads University, Emily Carr University, Vancouver Film School and Simon Fraser University.

The ATU team included Ms. Nollaig Crombie, Head of Department, ATU Donegal, Ms. Úna Parsons, Head of Faculty ATU Sligo, Mr. Paul Lynch, ATU Sligo, Mr. John Joe O’Farrell, Director for International Engagement, ATU Galway-Mayo and Ms. Cáit Noone, Head of the Galway International Hotel School and VP for International Engagement at ATU Galway-Mayo. Team members used this visit meet new and existing partners in the region as the university plans to broaden engagement across Canada.

Future ATU International Strategies

Visits such as these will inform future international strategies in

ATU and will provide opportunities for staff and students across campuses and disciplines. The International Working Group, comprising International Officers from ATU’s three legacy institutes, worked with two global Internationalisation experts last year – Hans de Witt and Elspeth Jones. The experts developed a proposed international framework for ATU, and this was presented to the CUA Steering Group last winter. The three outgoing executive teams adopted the report, and it continues to be shared across campuses.

ATU Alumni

Alumni are key stakeholders in our new university, and we recognise their significant contribution to many aspects of our work. ATU

hosted its first ever alumni event on June 26 in Vancouver at Smiths of Gastown. The venue is owned by Galway man William Donnelly and his team looked after everyone on the night. We welcomed twenty alumni from across Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal and we were joined by the team from Education in Ireland and Consul General at the Irish Consulate in Vancouver, Mr. Frank Flood. Over two hundred alumni are working in Vancouver across the engineering, science, business and hospitality industries. The university plans to further develop a global network of alumni connecting ATU graduates all over the world.

Pictured left to right: Mr. Ajay Patel, Vancouver Community College President, Minister Niall Collins and Dr Orla Flynn, ATU President.

“Internationalisation is not solely focused on international recruitment or revenue generation at ATU. Schools and faculties have a key role to play in developing international pathways as do other functions including Research, Finance, Academic Affairs and Student Services. As the new organisation evolves it is critically important, we include all stakeholders on this journey and not just international office staff. BCCIE was the first ATU international event where we worked as one and we planned diligently in advance of the trip to ensure we were prepared and organised. The ATU President’s keynote address at BCCIE was important not only for ATU but also for technological universities across Ireland. This presentation set the tone and type of engagement we offer, and it was very well received by attendees including government officials.”

“Our recent trip to British Columbia in Canada was a great success for a number of reasons. We hosted our first ever alumni event, and it was brilliant to see former students from Galway, Mayo, Sligo, and Donegal coming together and making new connections far from home. We signed MOU’s with Canadian colleges, and I’m particularly pleased to see those relationships developing even further since we arrived home. But perhaps the most pleasing aspect was the presence in Canada, as one university, of colleagues from Donegal, Sligo, and Galway-Mayo. We also had a presence later in the week in Toronto, so I look forward to seeing the connections between ATU and Canada going from strength to strength in the future.”

Dr Orla Flynn, ATU President

ATU colleagues pictured with Consul General at the Irish Consulate in Vancouver, Mr. Frank Flood at the alumni event in Vancouver.

Dr Orla Flynn and Cáit Noone pictured with ATU alumni in Vancouver.

Cáit Noone, VP International Engagement in ATU Galway-Mayo

ATU’s New Fulbright Campus

Ambassador - Dr Rita Melia

Dr Rita Melia has been appointed as Fulbright Alumni Ambassador for ATU. A lecturer in Early Childhood Education and Care at ATU Galway-Mayo, Dr Melia is a member of the Children’s Research Network Ireland (CRNI), ATU Taught Programmes Research Ethics Committee (TREC) Mayo Campus and Membership Secretary Irish Fulbright Alumni Association.

Fulbright Campus Ambassadors are Fulbright Alumni appointed by the Fulbright Commission in Ireland to increase the mission and visibility of the program, and to promote and interact with existing and future Fulbright Awardees. There are currently 21 Fulbright Irish Campus Ambassadors at Higher Education Institutions around Ireland.

Dr Rita Melia said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the Fulbright Ambassador to ATU. I will follow in the steps of those who have promoted the Fulbright programme to students and staff across the ATU campuses. My Fulbright experience was as a PhD student, but I have offered advice and support to numerous lecturers and students across different disciplines in various academic institutions nationally. I look forward to supporting ATU lecturers and students to apply for a Fulbright scholarship. My Fulbright experience was lifechanging on a personal and a professional level.”

In her ambassadorial role, Dr Melia will offer guidance to ATU staff and students who wish to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship to study, research or teach in the USA. She will also liaise with ATU faculty to grow new IrelandUSA networks and collaborations through hosting Fulbright US Scholars and Students. Dr Melia completed a Fulbright scholarship to Harvard Graduate School of Education under the sponsorship of Professor Howard Gardner (Multiple Intelligences Theory) in 2016-2017.

Pictured left to right: Dr Orla Flynn, ATU President, Dr Dara Fitzgerald, Executive Director Fulbright Commission Ireland and Dr Rita Melia at the 2022-2023 Fulbright Irish Awards Ceremony in Iveagh House.

I encourage ATU students and staff to consider applying for a Fulbright scholarship. A Fulbright scholarship offers opportunities for reciprocal learning, mutual understandings and exchange of academic and professional expertise and knowledge across a range of academic and cultural interests.”

Dr Rita Melia, ATU Fulbright Campus Ambassador

About the Fulbright programme

The Fulbright programme has served to strengthen international relations throughout turbulent times for over seventy years. Founded in 1946, it has enabled academic and cultural exchanges between more than 2,500 Irish and American citizens since 1957.

With an emphasis on cultural immersion and building long-term academic and professional connections, the Fulbright programme selects excellent candidates from all over Ireland to work with top U.S. Institutions across disciplines ranging from science, technology and business to the arts and culture.

The mission of the Ireland-United States Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange is to fortify Irish and American collaboration through exchanges of talent, knowledge and scholarship.

The Fulbright Programme in Ireland annually awards grants for Irish citizens to study, research, or teach in the U.S. and for Americans to do the same here.

The Commission is supported by the U.S. Department of State and the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht and several Irish and U.S. higher education institutions and organisations. It is also a registered charity.

The 2023-2024 Fulbright Irish Awards opened for application on 31 August 2022, please click here for more information. To learn more about the Fulbright Awards for Irish and EU citizens and find out how you can host US Scholars and students at ATU contact rita.melia@atu.ie

Click here to watch a video clip about the Fulbright programme.

The Fulbright programme offers an extraordinary opportunity to broaden horizons, develop relationships, and deepen knowledge. I would really like to encourage our staff and students right across ATU to engage with Fulbright. The possibilities are endless. A special word of thanks to The Fulbright Commission in Ireland for their support and encouragement!”

Dr Orla Flynn, ATU President

Visiting Fulbright US Scholars to Atlantic TU, 2022-23

Dr Tammie Bolling

Pellissippi State Community College

Dr. Tammie Bolling is a tenured professor and holds the Computer Information Technology Chair position at Pellissippi State Community College (PSCC) in Knoxville Tennessee. In ATU, she will guest lecture in Digital Healthcare. She will also consult with various organisations, conduct research, and guest speak at other universities in Ireland.

Dr George Dieberger

Augsburg University, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dr George Dierberger is an Associate Professor at Augsburg University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. George’s Fulbright research will focus on entrepreneurship and innovation at ATU Donegal Letterkenny. He will explore partnership opportunities with USA based medical companies. He will also guest lecture and help with internship opportunities for undergraduate students.

Dr Debra Lattanzi

University of Pennsylvania

Debra Lattanzi Shutika is a folklorist specialising in critical race, sense of place and Appalachian and Irish folklore. Debra will partner with Emma Fallon of Mayo North East to complete a folklore collection in the three Gaeltacht communities: Achill, Crossmolina, and Erris where she will explore women’s traditional agricultural practices. She will teach the Mayo and Galway campuses of ATU.

My Fulbright Experience - Dr Seamus Dowling

My Fulbright journey took me to the University of Texas (UT), Dallas. I worked with Professor Murat Kantarcioglu and his team, exploring federated machine learning as a method of securing communications for Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications.

Research at UT Dallas is closely linked with industry. Cisco, AT&T, Texas Instruments and US Military are just some of the collaborations providing funding to the computer science department. In addition to my active research, I attended meetings with industry representatives to see how the research dynamic operates. Specifically in the field of cybersecurity, industry relies on academia to pursue cutting edge research as graduates are employed out of college. For example, I attended meetings with the Army Research Office (ARO) who struggle to recruit people due to industry demand and salaries. They collaborate with UT Dallas and fund staff and faculty to pursue research on their behalf. By its own admission, ARO cedes some control over the research process, but dedicated research liaison personnel ensures that the outcome is beneficial to all involved.

The Fulbright experience also provided the opportunity to explore Texas and the surrounding states of Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Due to work and school commitments, my family joined me after two months and we took the opportunity to visit places that we otherwise would not have considered. We visited other UT campuses and cities taking in the entire Texas experience. Highlights include 4th of July celebrations, Houston NASA, the Alamo at San Antonio, New Orleans, rodeos in Oklahoma and the Ozarks in Arkansas.

The Fulbright Scholar application process is itself quite involved. The first step is to reach out to current contacts in academia in the US where collaboration exists. I had met with Professor Murat Kantarcioglu at the European Conference on Machine Learning in 2018 and we had collaborated over the next few years. His students had used my opensource software and I had worked with them on implementing my cybersecurity applications. When I suggested a Fulbright application,

Professor Murat was very supportive, and we scoped a collaborative research proposal on using machine learning for IoT secure communications. During my time at UT Dallas, we have further progressed this proposal and hope to publish our work soon. Aside from this, the links and connections that I have made with other international research groups and industry are amazing.

It was a fantastic academic opportunity for me and an amazing US experience for my family. I’d highly recommend anyone interested in a Fulbright application to start reaching out to US colleagues and go for it. Anyone interested in communicating with me on Fulbright, please contact me at: seamus.dowling@atu.ie

The UT structure is very similar to ATU with colleges at Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and research centres such as Marine Science at Port Aransas. UT Dallas Computer Science is one of the largest in the US with a strong focus on research in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Data Science, Networks, Systems, Theory, and Software Engineering.”

Dr Seamus Dowling

Pictured left to right: Professor Murat Kantarcioglu and Dr Seamus Dowling at the University of Texas.

Seamus and his family at the Alamo in San Antonio.

Research, Innovation and Engagement

ATU Researchers Join Prestigious Biorbic Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre

Four researchers from ATU have joined the prestigious BiOrbic, Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre, a national collaboration of over 100 researchers focused on the development of a sustainable circular bioeconomy.

The researchers include Professor Graham Heaslip, Head of the School of Engineering, ATU Operations and Supply Chain Research (OSCAR) group, ATU Galway-Mayo; Dr Edna Curley, Head of Centre, ATU Mountbellew; Dr James Moran, ATU Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC) and School of Science & Computing, and Dr Trevor Clohessy, School of Engineering, ATU Operations and Supply Chain Research (OSCAR) group, ATU Galway-Mayo.

Hosted by UCD, BiOrbic researchers work on selectively separating and extracting valued compounds from renewable materials, converting those resources into novel bio-based

products and processes, and delivering market and industryscalable sustainable resources. Academic partners include University College Dublin, TEAGASC, Trinity College Dublin, University of Galway, University of Limerick, Munster Technological University and now Atlantic Technological University.

Professor Graham Heaslip says: “Joining BiOrbic is a fantastic development, not alone for the individual researchers but for the university. The researchers joining BiOrbic are addressing societal challenges, particularly the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Focusing our research on the circular bioeconomy offers the opportunity to transform our land, food, health, and industrial systems.”

Click here to find out more about ATU Research and here to find out more BiORbic.

ATU researchers will work and contribute to the following projects:

Professor Graham Heaslip: “Creating a sustainable and efficient supply chain, using digital twin technology to enhance quality, sustainability, and traceability from farmers to end customers.”

Dr Edna Curley: “Sustainable production in agriculture, encompassing soil health, agronomy, animal health and welfare, agroforestry, remote sensing and GPS and bioremediation.”

Dr James Moran: “Understanding ecosystem health and developing integrated land use strategies to sustain and enhance the provision of multiple ecosystem services (e.g., food, fiber, carbon storage, water regulation, space for nature) across a range of land use intensities.”

Dr Trevor Clohessy: “Industry 4.0 supply chain blockchain applications.”

Pictured left to right: Professor Graham Heaslip, ATU Galway-Mayo, Derek O’Brien, Executive Director BiOrbic, Dr Edna Curley, Head of Centre, ATU Mountbellew, Dr Trevor Clohessy, ATU Galway-Mayo, Professor Kevin O’Connor, Director of BiOrbic, and Dr James Moran, ATU Galway-Mayo. Photo credit: David Walsh

Blockchain Ireland Week 2022 at ATU

To coincide with the start of Blockchain Ireland Week 2022 in May, ATU Galway City and its engineering department hosted Blockdaemon, one of the largest blockchain infrastructural companies in the world, for an educational networking event.

Blockchain is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat a system. It is one of the most significant technological breakthroughs of the 21st century. The technology is reshaping businesses across the globe, and the associated innovation is outpacing existing business models, ecosystems, policy and legislation.

Dr Trevor Clohessy (event organiser) said:

“The event at ATU highlighted the state of art with regards to blockchain staking, marketing and educational skills needed to enter the profession. Having a globally renowned company such as Blockdaemon deliver these cogent insights to kickstart Blockchain Ireland Week 2022, provided a compelling argument as to why blockchain will transform industry 4.0 supply chains and wider ecosystems.”

Blockchain Ireland Week 2022 explored the developing role of these technologies in Ireland and globally, examining their value, understanding their impact, and asking how Ireland can take full advantage.

Blockchain has gained significance in recent years as more organisations realise its potential and see how it can greatly improve supply chains by enabling faster and more cost-efficient delivery of products, enhancing products’ traceability, improving coordination between partners, and aiding access to financing.”

Professor Graham Heaslip, Head of School of Engineering, ATU Galway-Mayo

The Blockdaemon Team.

Pictured left to right: Dr Carine Gachon, Transcend ProjectManager, Dr Trevor Clohessy, Department of Engineeringand OSCAR Research Group and Andrew Howell, Blockdaemon, Senior Director of Engineering.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Dr Trevor Clohessy talks to us about Blockchain, Industry 4.0, collaboration with stakeholders and how Ireland is adapting to Blockchain.

Tell us about your blockchain technology research

My research into cloud computing provided me with a fundamental understanding of how new technologies can impact organisational supply chains. One technology that caught my eye was called blockchain technology, which I began researching in 2015. At the time not a lot was known about blockchain technologies, and it was mostly associated with the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.

For the past four years here in Atlantic TU we have been developing blockchain courses in conjunction with conducting blockchain research in the areas of digital transformation, Industry 4.0, agri-tech and the marine industry. We have worked extensively with organisations to help them adopt blockchain technologies. We have also worked with the Blockchain Ireland working group for education, skills and innovation for determining a strategy for enhancing blockchain awareness and education.

What role will blockchain play in Industry 4.0?

Supply chains create a natural set of business use cases for blockchain technologies. Industry 4.0 will create opportunities for blockchain technologies to be deployed as part of a technology stack. The word ‘technology stack’ is important as blockchain is a power technology when used with

other emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, automation/robotics and augmented reality.

Blockchain is currently being used for product/component/assembly identification which facilitates provenance authentication and enhanced product recalls. For instance, I conducted a study which examined how blockchain could be used by the pharmaceutical industry to track and trace medications. Blockchain will also enhance the security of data and information being shared along supply chains using sophisticated encryption methods.

Blockchain also enables the sharing of real-time data along supply chains which can make them more resilient to global supply chain disruptions that we have seen because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine. However, we are only at the embryonic stages of determining how and where it can be deployed in Industry 4.0 and bioeconomy settings.

How are you collaborating with key stakeholders?

I am one of four researchers from ATU who have joined the prestigious BiOrbic, Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre. BiOrbic gives researchers access to a thriving research community and opportunities to collaborate with key stakeholders within the bioeconomy.

Dr Trevor Clohessy is a lecturer in digitally transformative technologies at ATU Galway-Mayo School of Engineering. He is also an academic collaborator with BiOrbic, Science Foundation Ireland’s national bioeconomy research centre, and a member of the Blockchain Ireland working groups for education, innovation & skills, and startups.

For the past 10 years Trevor’s research and teaching has been focused on the concept of digital transformation. He completed his PhD at the University of Galway in conjunction with the SFI software research centre, Lero. His PhD research focused on the impact of cloud computing technologies on supply chains, and examined how that cloud computing impacted the business models of organisations providing and supplying cloud technologies to customers.

For more on Dr Trevor Clohessy you can visit his website by clicking here

or join him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ treabhairc/

I am looking forward to collaborating with BiOrbic researchers to explore how blockchain technologies can be used in Industry 4.0 settings to assist with the development of a sustainable, circular bioeconomy and to exploring how I can add value to their portfolio of flagship research projects.

How well is Ireland adapting to blockchain?

A lot has been done in the past four years to increase awareness and

educate about what blockchain technologies can do. As blockchain technology matures we are going to see more courses being developed to cater for the demand in technical and business skills which are needed to develop blockchain products and services.

We will see an enhanced adoption of blockchain technology as part of a technological stack which will incorporate other technologies such as cloud computing, IoT, artificial intelligence and business intelligence. The integration of all

these technologies will present individuals, businesses, and public sector organisations with many new value propositions.

One final aspect which will accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology here in Ireland is the decoupling of the technology from cryptocurrencies. Blockchain technologies were originally used to secure the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. However, the technology has a multitude of uses which can be deployed across Industry 4.0 supply chain settings.

The ability to collaborate with a research centre such as BiOrbic, who embody a national collaboration of more than 100 researchers, to investigate how blockchain can assist the bioeconomy is really an exciting prospect.”

Dr Trevor Clohessy

Blockchain is now accepted internationally as both an emerging technology and emerging skill set. This is reflected in the European Commission’s blockchain strategy.

”

CHAISE Blockchain Skills Report

Atlantic TU research the Impact of Tourism on Six Islands

Over the summer ATU conducted research with six island communities off the west and north-west coast of Ireland to measure the impact of tourism on the islands. The research looked at economic value, environmental impact, waste and water management, energy usage, access and transport, carbon footprint, and the social and cultural impact. Visitors to islands have become increasingly popular since the pandemic and while it has led to some economic benefits it has also added extra pressures on the islands resources.

The data collection of visitors to the islands used smart technologies and a set of indicators that were agreed at European level. ATU worked with six islands and the respective island community co-operative managers to coordinate the collection of the data. The islands involved in the project were Inis Oírr, Inis Meáin, Inis Mór, and Inishbofin in County Galway, and Arranmore and Tory in County Donegal.

The research project was sponsored by ATU and supported by Fáilte Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, along with Galway and Donegal County Councils. The project co-supervisors Dr James Hanrahan (ATU Sligo) and Diarmuid Ó Conghaile (ATU Galway-Mayo) conducted community consultation and briefing sessions on each of the islands to build awareness and develop collaborative partnerships for the project.

One can only determine the sustainability of tourism if it is measured effectively and accurately. The long-term benefit of conducting this research on an annual basis, and by including all the Irish islands, is that we will develop a rich bank of data to allow for comparative and longitudinal analysis. This type of rich data empowers policy and strategy relating to tourism development and management on the islands, and ultimately fosters better collaboration between all key stakeholders, with the island communities being at the centre of decision making.

Dr James Hanrahan

Aerial View of Inis Mór, Aran Islands, Co Galway.

Commenting on recent visits to the islands Diarmuid Ó Conghaile said:

It is evident that each of the islands relies heavily on tourism to sustain the island economies and communities. There was a great sense of enthusiasm for this project on each of the islands. The data collected will help to identify the best fit in terms of the most sustainable form of tourism for each island. Each island is different, and the data output of the research will allow the islands to compare with one another, learn from one another, and thus empower community decision making to develop tourism in a more sustainable and community centred way.

With the support of Fáilte Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta and the various County Councils, ATU intends to conduct this research on an annual basis and to extend the data collection to more islands off the Irish coast from 2023.

Discovery Point, Arranmore Island, Co Donegal.

Manufacturing Industry in the Border Region Work Together to Compete on International Market

Minister Frank Feighan, TD recently launched a new manufacturing cluster to enable the manufacturing industry in the border region to compete on a national and international level. The Border Region Manufacturing Cluster (BORMAC) is an industry led cluster comprising of 20 manufacturing companies spanning both the north and south of the border region in Ireland.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Frank Feighan TD, said the industry needed to work together to future proof itself and prepare for disruptions in the market, especially in light of Brexit and the on-going conflict in Europe.

About BORMAC

Digital transformation will affect future developments in the region’s Industry sector and there is a growing demand for automation, science, engineering and digital skills which are vital to sustaining and growing the region’s manufacturing sector and economy. Additionally with Brexit, the difficulties of disrupted supply chains, cross border workforce mobility and increasing customs/tariff complexities have become a reality, solutions to which, require different thinking.”

Minister Frank Feighan

BORMAC, funded through Enterprise Ireland’s Regional Technology Clustering Fund (RTCF), is supported by the Government of Ireland and hosted by ATU. It is one of 12 industry-led clusters funded under the same initiative with the Marine Cluster launched in ATU’s Killybegs campus in April. In addition to industry members, the cluster also includes agencies and academic institutions north and south of the border, namely Intertrade Ireland, DKIT, Southwest College and Queens University.

Finola Howe, Head of Enterprise and Engagement at ATU Sligo and manager of BORMAC, said:

“In Ireland we are behind the rest of the world in our adoption of Industry Clustering. We have learned from global cluster success stories that companies in clusters are more productive, innovative and have higher growth rates than companies that are not in clusters. I’m delighted that we are now recognising this, and supports are being put in place to encourage the development of clustering in Ireland.”

Ms Howe added the cluster has a plan of activity focussed around four workstreams of People, Innovation, Internationalisation & Business Development and Networking & Promotion.

Manufacturing is one of the border region’s largest employment sectors. In Northern Ireland, manufacturing accounts for a larger proportion of the economy than in the UK as a whole. Click here to find out more about the new manufacturing cluster and how to become a member.

Pictured left to right: Xavier Velay, ATU Sligo; Minister Frank Feighan; Dr Chris O’Malley, Una Parsons and Finola Howe, ATU Sligo; Aidan McKenna, Enterprise Ireland; Dr Orla Flynn, ATU President; Kieran Roone, Masonite Ireland, and Niall O’Donnellan and Dr Brendan McCormack, ATU Sligo.

Empowering Digital Creatives in the West of Ireland

Creative Enterprise West (CREW) provides valuable support to enterprises in areas such as design, film and TV production, animation, gaming, content development and AR/VR from its base at ATU Galway City Campus.

CREW CEED Incubator Programme

CREW recently offered a pilot postgraduate certificate in Creative Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development (CEED) in partnership with ATU Galway City. 14 students from the creative industries sector completed the programme. The students came from a range of businesses including a cybersecurity gamification start-up called GoDeep based in Galway, a fashion tech business in Bundoran called Emerald Vogue, a film production company called Wild Atlantic Productions in Gweedore and a mixed media events production firm Staunton Productions in Dingle. A second CEED programme will run from December 2022 – May 2023.

“We have 14 early-stage entrepreneurs on the programme. 50% Female, 50% regionally based in connected hubs from Donegal to Dingle,” said CREW CEO Niamh Costello.

New Centre of Excellence and Innovation Hub

Construction of a new centre of excellence and innovation hub for early-stage companies in the digital creative sector is due to start soon at ATU Galway City. The centre will house 150 entrepreneurs and freelancers. Niamh said: “Investment in innovation is critical to ensure the future competitiveness of the Creative Industries sector in the west of Ireland. The region already has a cluster of Creative Technology

and Digital entrepreneurs. CREW will bring those companies closer together to create an enterprise culture that encourages entrepreneurs to create new companies that will either become world players themselves or form the basis for expansion of existing companies. This early activation centre will play a critical role in delivering on this vision. The on-campus innovation hub will provide important collaboration space and opportunities for entrepreneurs, researchers, start-ups, and corporate innovation teams to develop new research and innovative approaches to developing the Creative Industries in the region and identifying new opportunities, for the benefit of society and the economy.”

CREW CEO Niamh Costello and Dr Paddy Tobin, CREW co-founder and Head of the School of Design and Creative Arts at ATU Galway-Mayo. Photo credit: Martina Regan

An Ecosystem for Digital Creatives

Speaking on what the new Centre of Excellence and Innovation Hub hopes to achieve, Niamh said: “What we are hoping to achieve for the creative industries is what has already been done for tech and MedTech. We’re creating an ecosystem. We’re creating a community. And yes, we will have a physical structure here for the creative industries. The plan is to use this to attract more talent and work with academia to have more graduates coming through and generate more indigenous start-ups.”

This project is supported under the Department of Business, Enterprise & Innovation’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund administered by Enterprise Ireland. To find out more about CREW click here.

Details on the CEED programme can be found here.

Our goal is that instead of creatives moving from project to project, by creating their own businesses it will give them continuity of employment that will enable them to have a life in the west of Ireland, so they can get a mortgage, put down roots, and ultimately we can create a critical mass of enterprise and people here and we can really make this Atlantic corridor become recognised globally as a hub for the creative industries.”

Niamh Costello, CEO of CREW

Members of the first cohort of students to emerge from the CREW CEED incubator programme.

CREW CEED Student Case Study

Aisling Kearney Burke runs a successful startup called Paintclub which offers social creative experiences both online and in-person.

Aisling signed up for the CREW Creative Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (CEED) postgraduate programme in 2022 to explore the potential of her new venture, Mea Manu. The venture aims to provide productivity tools and wellness through creativity.

Mea Manu will merge creativity and technology to give employees opportunities to engage in creative, therapeutic activities, improving their workday experience and developing their own creative capacity.

The entrepreneurial expertise, academic rigour and free access to the Portershed allowed Aisling to validate her new business idea, explore the market potential and network with the startup ecosystem in Galway.

Having completed the CEED programme, Aisling has since brought Mea Manu through the New Frontiers programme and has been selected to take part in the Break Fellowship in Spain - an immersive month long programme with an all-female group of entrepreneurs.

Aisling’s presentation at the CEED showcase won ‘Best Overall Pitch’.

Student News

International Students Attend Sustainable Futures Summer University Course at ATU Sligo

Over 40 undergraduate students, travelled from Sweden, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany to attend a course at ATU Sligo in August.

The students worked on specific group projects in coastal erosion and climate change, air pollution monitoring, invasive species, electric vehicles, games development, product design and sensor technology. All projects looked at how the world works and how we can embed sustainable thinking into all aspects of life.

In addition to classroom theory, students undertook project work, field trips and experimental design using Sligo and the north-west for the research. At the end of their two-week course, they presented their findings to an expert panel of sustainable professionals and academics.

The Summer University Course is now in its 10th year, having already taken place at ATU Sligo in 2018. Next year it returns to Amsterdam. This years’ Summer University was supported by the EU Erasmus+ funding opportunity. It was co-hosted by Mid Sweden University, Sweden.

The students will gain insight into sustainability challenges and better understand the need for cooperation and communication. We need to work across cultures and language barriers to achieve a sustainable goal. To help them overcome these challenges, the students will participate in field trips and meet local community representatives using County Sligo as their sustainability lab. Summer University also confirms the position of ATU as a world-leading education institute for sustainability.

Declan Feeney, Lecturer in Environmental Science and Sustainability at ATU Sligo

Summer University Course Students in Strandhill, Co Sligo discussing coastal erosion and climate change.

Swedish Student Cycles from Sweden to Ireland

to attend a Summer Course at ATU

Most people would take the journey by plane, but not Jonathan Welén. A Swedish environmental student, Jonathan cycled from Stockholm to Sligo, to attend the Sustainable Futures Summer University Course at ATU Sligo. He studies at Mid Sweden University in Sweden and he opted for a ‘greener’ travelling mode as cycling from Sweden to Sligo would drastically reduce his carbon footprint.

Most of you would fly from Sweden to Ireland; however, I decided to travel 2,000 km by bicycle! I intend to inspire you to be a part of a sustainable future by sharing with you some of the beautiful sites I will see along the way that we need to protect. Join me!”

Jonathan chose to cycle the 2,700 km journey, to raise awareness of climate change and sustainability. Choosing a non-polluting way of transportation allowed him to document his journey, promote sites along the way through social media and inspire and share knowledge about creating a sustainable future.

By cycling, Jonathan produced approximately 9 Kg of CO2e, 241 Kg of CO2e less than he’d make by taking a plane. This saving is equivalent to three return trips from Dublin to Sligo in an average-sized petrol car or the emissions of an average household tumble dryer every year.

Jonathan Welén

ATU Donegal Student Winners at the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) Student Assessment Scheme

ATU Donegal students, Áine Kelly, Robert Egan and Shannon Patton were all successful in their application to the annual International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) Student Assessment Scheme. As part of their prize, they have gained professional membership to the ISTD.

The ISTD assessment offers students opportunities to engage with challenging design briefs that can integrate their learning and express their typographic practice. It requires students to undertake a rigorous

investigation of a theme, develop a clear strategy, and produce a controlled and creative typographic design outcome.

ISTD is a professional body run by and for typographers, designers and educators. Across the world, their members are committed to raising the bar and inspiring a love for all forms of typography.

Here’s a sample of the winning projects.

My aim is to celebrate this title by taking the reader on a journey into the mind of Mary Shelley. The target audience consists of Sci-Fi and gothic horror fans. Feminists would find this document interesting because Mary Shelley and her mother helped pave the future for women’s education and literature. People with interest in Frankenstein and Shelley’s life would find this document interesting and educational.”

Aine Kelly

Mother of Sci Fi: How Mary Shelley Shaped the World by Áine Kelly

I chose to explore and interpret ‘A Colourful Story’ from the set of ISTD briefs. ‘The Colour of Fear’ is a critical analysis of how the colour of black is intertwined with modern America. The project aims to explore how media portrays an often negative outlook – stoking fear and anxiety in the reader.”

Rob Egan

In honour of Aldous Huxley’s book ‘Doors of Perception’, this book aims to change future generations perceptions of LSD and contribute to removing the taboo surrounding the use of psychedelics in some medical circumstances.”

Rob Egan

To find out more about Áine, Robert and Shannon’s winning ISTD projects click here.

The Colour of Fear by Rob Egan

Opening our doors of perception by Shannon Patton

ATU Furniture Design Student Wins Inaugural Irish

Furniture Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation Prize

Kevin O’Kennedy from Tubbercurry, Co Sligo, has won The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation Prize for his chair design titled “An Chathaoir Oidhreachta (Legacy Chair)”.

Kevin, who has just completed his final year on the Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Furniture Design and Manufacture programme at ATU’s Connemara campus, was presented with the award of £1,000 by trustee of the Foundation Mary V Mullin at the launch of Legacy, a special exhibition of graduate’s work at Interface Inagh, Connemara. It is the first time that The Foundation has awarded a prize for Furniture Design outside of the UK.

“We are delighted to award a prize to celebrate the success of this year’s Robin Day Furniture Project, a collaboration between ATU and the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation. My co-trustee Mary Mullin and distinguished furniture designer and tutor Alan Tilbury have generously dedicated their time and expertise to the project, and I am touched that my father’s design legacy has been celebrated this year at ATU Connemara, Ireland’s National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design and Technology,” said Paula Day, Founder and Chair, The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation.

The project was launched in November 2021 by lecturers Jeremy Madden and Dr Susan Rogers for final year students of the B Sc (Hons) in Furniture Design and

Manufacture programme. Students were tasked with designing a chair that would embody the values and ethos of the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation. Throughout the year Alan Tilbury, award-winning furniture designer and educator provided support to the students.

Head of Department, National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design & Technology, ATU Connemara, Paul Leamy said: “We were delighted and privileged to work with The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation on this engaging project. Our students were challenged to respond to a stimulating design brief and the final show of work is testament to their creativity and skill and to the team who directed them. Heartiest congratulation to Kevin and his winning design.”

The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation

Established in 2012, The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation preserves the legacy of the pioneering 20th century furniture and textile designers. It aims to promote appreciation and understanding of design and provides opportunities for the public and students to further their study of design. The prize is one way in which the foundation supports this endeavor by making awards to students of design.

Mary Mullin, Trustee of The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation presents Kevin O’Kennedy with his prize.

It was an honour to have my chair design recognised as award worthy amongst such a talented group of designers. Winning the award has been the highlight of my four years in ATU Connemara and I’d like to thank The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation for this opportunity.”

Kevin O’Kennedy, ATU Student

Kevin O’Kennedy’s winning chair design An Chathaoir Oidhreachat (Legacy Chair).

Student chairs on exhibition at Interface Inagh, Connemara.

ATU Students Sail from England to Ireland to Highlight Spinal Injuries

Every week in Ireland, three people sustain a spinal cord injury. To raise funds for support and services for people with life-changing injuries the SV Tenacious Forward Port Watch Tall Ship left Poole’s port town on the south coast of England in June. It veered south towards Jersey and the north coast of France to sail into Dublin as part of the Spinal Injuries Ireland Tall Ship Challenge.

The crew comprised eight people with a spinal cord injury, their assistants, and people from all backgrounds and abilities. Victoria Matthews, an accessibility activist from Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, and ATU Sligo Sport with Business student, was one of the crew members with her son Luca, a BA in Culinary Arts student on our Killybegs campus.

Victoria is a disability advocate working on key campaigns to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in Ireland. She is also a founding member and chair of ATU Sligo Disability and Inclusion Sports Club.

The Tenacious is the only wheelchair-accessible ship of its kind. It is fully accessible from bathrooms to lifts from upper mess to lower mess and accommodation, lifts from the main deck to upper decks.

I felt part of the voyage crew from the beginning. Captain Simon told us there were no passengers on this trip. Every person had a role, was an equal team member and contributed to the success of the voyage. Our group from Spinal Injuries Ireland became a team very quickly as we got to know each other. There was a great atmosphere of inclusion throughout, where abilities were seen, and everyone had important roles to fulfil. Eight wheelchair users were on board, and we all had a buddy to support us throughout the trip.”

ATU student

Victoria Matthews

ATU student Vicky Matthews, and her son Luca, also an ATU student.

Crew members aboard the SV Tenacious Forward Port Watch Tall Ship.

New Free Online Foundation Course for Students

A new free foundation course will enable students to access learning materials before they enter college, to help them hit the ground running and settle in quickly to the first semester. The course was developed as part of the Higher Education For All and iNOTE HEA projects.

Students can study all topics or pick the one they want, and digital badges are awarded on completion of each unit. The topics covered include:

• Literature Searching Skills

• Sources of Information

• Web Research

• Grey Literature

• Evaluating Information

• Digital Citizenship and Etiquette

• Learning and Support Technologies

• Careers and Confidence

• Introduction to Academic Writing

• Effective Reading and Notetaking

• Avoiding Plagiarism: citation, referencing and paraphrasing

• Writing an Assignment: a stepby-step approach

• Critical Analysis and Critical Writing

• Reporting Writing

• Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling.

Lecturers can also link or embed these resources in their courses. For further details please contact: louise.kearins@atu.ie

Computer Science student Matthew Gettins at our new student induction programme.

Recent ATU Conferences

ATU Mountbellew Hosts Conference to Celebrate Ireland’s First Female Vet

Aleen Cust Centenary Conference, August 11-12, 2022

Aleen Cust was the first woman to work as a veterinary surgeon in Ireland and Britain in the early 1900s. She held the post of Veterinary Inspector in Mountbellew district for Galway Co Council from 1905 – 1915. She is a leading example of a visionary in the sphere of animal welfare, overcoming many barriers to practise a profession she dedicated her life to, against many odds. In addition to working with the farming community in Co Roscommon and Co Galway she also volunteered in the treatment and care of horses on the Western Front; not the typical life path for a woman of her aristocratic background.

The idea for the Aleen Cust Centenary Conference was first mooted by vets Ascinta Kilroy, Donal Connolly and Brendan Gardiner who said: “Aleen Cust has been forgotten. Her legacy needed to be remembered and her name kept in perpetuity. Her resting place was unrecorded and only discovered in December 2021.”

The two-day conference was organised by Galway, Roscommon and Tipperary County Council Heritage Officers and the local Aleen Cust Memorial Society and was supported by Atlantic TU.

At the conference academics, veterinarians and historians examined the life, times, pioneering work and death of the Tipperaryborn Anglo Saxon aristocrat who was admitted to the Royal College register one hundred years ago (1922) two decades after she first commenced practice in Athleague, Co Roscommon.

MEP Maria Walsh opened the conference and speakers included Professor Siobhan Mullan, Chair of Animal Welfare and Ethics at the UCD Vet school; Meta Osborne, President of the Veterinary Council of Ireland and Dr Orla Flynn, President of Atlantic TU.

Celebrated American scientist, neurodiversity exponent and respected animal behaviourist Professor Temple Grandin delivered the keynote address entitled: ”Let’s look at it from their point of view.” Professor Grandin is a prominent proponent for the humane treatment of livestock for slaughter and the author of more than 60 scientific papers on animal behavior. She is a consultant to the livestock industry, and is also an autism spokesperson.

The conference and related projects would not have been possible without the funding and support of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under their Decade of Centenaries Local Authority Funding, the various project partners and local heritage groups in Galway, Roscommon and Tipperary.

As she left Ireland she remarked:

About Aleen Cust

Aleen Cust held the controversial post of Veterinary Inspector in the Mountbellew district for Galway County Council from 19051915. She practiced initially with William Augustine Byrne MRCVS from Castlestrange near Athleague, Co Roscommon, and took over his work after his untimely death in 1910. She drove her own car to France in 1915 to help colleagues treat wounded horses during the Great War 1914-1918. After the Rising in Ireland, the atmosphere changed with nationalism supporting very rigid ideas of one’s place, gender, and race and in 1924 (aged 56), Aleen sold her property and moved to southern England to an area of the New Forest near Southampton.

She continued her interest in veterinary, travelling widely talking to schools and visiting abattoirs on behalf of the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). She died while on a visit to Jamaica in 1937 and rested there, unrecorded, until Mountbellew veterinarian Brendan Gardiner, a member of the Aleen Cust Memorial Society, located the grave last December with the assistance of Brian Denning, the Irish Consul in Kingston.

‘I have known the world at its best, in what was the best country in the world, Ireland. I have also known the world at its worst, alas.’

Dr Temple Grandin pictured with attendees at the Aleen Cust Centenary Conference.

ATU President Dr Orla Flynn speaking at the Aleen Cust Centenary Conference.

Third International Education with Sustainability (EwS)

Conference hosted by ATU Sligo in conjunction with Mid Sweden University

August 15-17, 2022

The third EwS conference addressed not only the challenges but also the opportunities for educators, as we weave the golden thread of sustainability into all aspects of our ever-changing teaching curriculum.

The conference drew together educators and researchers who shared their experiences from different disciplines and teaching contexts. It included oral and poster sessions, as well as thought-provoking international keynote speakers, targeting Sustainability as a Pedagogical Tool, and Sustainability in Higher Education and Outreach.

Among the topics covered were the following:

• “Hungry Times. How secure is the food on your plate?”

• The pedagogy of sustainability in higher education, the international perspective

• Systems learning and sustainability: how to go beyond problems

• Education and outreach with communities: culture and conflict resolution

• Effective communication: the sustainable conversation!

The conference was jointly hosted with Mid Sweden University and the fourth Education with Sustainability conference will take place in Sweden 2024.

Attendees at the EwS Conference in ATU Sligo.

The AER Summer Academy - a Europe for the Next Generation

August 29-September 1, 2022

ATU Donegal Letterkenny opened its doors to the Assembly of European Regions (AER) on August 29 for their flagship Youth conference, the AER Summer Academy. AER is the largest independent network of regional authorities in wider Europe.

Co-hosted by Donegal County Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta at ATU Donegal Letterkenny, the Summer Academy brought together more than 150 politicians, youth delegates, politicians, and activists from 19 European regions with 18 different languages for a week of debate on how to shape a more democratic, peaceful, and sustainable future through real civic engagement of young people, starting in Europe’s regions. This edition of the Summer Academy was the first since the pandemic, and the first time this event came to Ireland.

The Summer Academy consisted of plenary debates on youth participation in regional politics, and workshops on rural entrepreneurship, the bioeconomy, the Ukrainian refugee crisis, the future of skills, of tourism and remote working. It also included study visits to Derry City to learn about the Peace Process, Glenveagh National Park, and Údarás na Gaeltachta’s ‘Gteic’ Gaeltacht remote working hub in Gweedore.

Speakers included, Andreas Kiefer, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and Joe McHugh TD, Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs. Delegations from AER member regions in Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Spain and Serbia attended the conference.

We are delighted to bring the Summer Academy to County Donegal during the European Year of Youth, and in a year of special anniversaries for Ireland. It has been a tremendously difficult couple of years for young Europeans. As we reshape Europe for the post-Covid era, it is imperative that policymakers work together to give young people a real say in shaping their future - starting in our regions. The Summer Academy in Donegal will be a unique opportunity for young people to tackle the common challenges facing all of Europe’s regions.”

About AER:

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe, with 130 members in 30 countries, from Norway to Turkey and from Ukraine to Portugal. AER has been the voice of regional authorities since 1985 and has played a pivotal role in recognising regions as key players in the European Project. The network is present everywhere on the European continent, inside and outside the European Union. Currently, the AER has three members in Ireland: Donegal County Council, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Mayo County Council.

AER President, Magnus Berntsson

Attendees at the AER Summer Academy Youth Conference.

Dr Orla Flynn, speaking at the AER Summer Academy Youth Conference.

Re-imagining Assessment and Feedback for Student Success Symposium

June 2, 2022

ATU Galway-Mayo hosted the ATU Re-imagining Assessment and Feedback Project Symposium on June 2. There was fantastic engagement from ATU colleagues with up to 100 participants engaging onsite and online. The project is a collaboration between ATU Teaching and Learning Centre and the Online Learning Centre in ATU Sligo. It is co-led by Dr Carina Ginty (ATU Galway-Mayo), Dr Niamh Plunkett and Gavin Clinch (ATU Sligo), and Dr Deirdre McClay (ATU Donegal). The project was supported by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching in Ireland under the Strategic Alignment Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) fund.

The symposium kicked off with an insightful keynote address from Professor Naomi Winstone. Naomi is a Professor of Educational Psychology and Director of the Surrey Institute of Education at the University of Surrey, UK plus an Honorary Associate Professor in the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE) at Deakin University, Australia. In her keynote presentation, Prof Winstone explored the potential future landscape of assessment and feedback in higher education, discussed the barriers and enablers to the development of practice.

Lecturers from the BA in Sociology and Politics programme in ATU Sligo delivered the second presentation. Dr Susan McDonnell, Dr Maire Hanniffy, and Sinead Barrins discussed the development of assessment and feedback practices for the Sociology and Politics programme that align with real-world learning outcomes as identified by an industry stakeholders focus group.

Dr Bronagh Heverin, lecturer on the BA in Law and Criminal Justice programme in ATU Donegal delivered the third presentation. She discussed the introduction of ABC Learning Design Framework to the project and programme team through the participation in the Re-imagining Assessment and Feedback project. The participating academic staff evaluated their experience of implementing the framework and this was shared by the presenter.

Four lecturers from the BSc in Medical Science at ATU GalwayMayo delivered the fourth presentation. Dr Debbie Corcoran discussed the re-imagining of a practical assessment carried out as part of the Year 1 Microbiology assessment and the value of re-imagining assessment for students. Dr Trish O’Connell discussed the application of the Moodle Workshop Activity in Year 1 of the programme and for Year 2 and 3 she showed how authenticity can be built into

the student experience. Brigid Hoban discussed the design and implementation of an assessment in a year 2 module that related to the ethical communication of patient results. Finally, Dr Eleanor Rainsford discussed re-imagining laboratory reports for a year 4 module on the Medical Science programme.

Re-imagining Assessment and Feedback project Research Assistant, Emma McDonald delivered the final presentation. Emma outlined the research activities and findings from phase 1 of the project. The collection of the symposium recordings and slide decks, along with outputs from previous Assessment Masterclass sessions can be accessed here

You can access the assessment resources developed during the project here

If you are interested in signing up to take part in phase 2 of this ATU

ATU Staff Navigate the Twelve Bens Mountains

One of the more popular ATU Staff Development Training days this year was the Navigation and Safety in the Mountains event in Connemara. Delivered by the Outdoor Education team from ATU Mayo, it involved a five-hour hill walk in the Twelve Bens Mountains. There were plenty of opportunities to get familiar with map reading, route planning and compass work.

The aim of the event was to encourage staff, who are already keen walkers on paths and trails, to get out on bigger mountains and explore safely those areas beyond the path. Twenty-seven participants from five ATU campuses attended and took the opportunity to meet up with new colleagues, create links and connections across the university. Plans are in place to deliver a similar event next year.

project please register your interest with Emma McDonald, Research Assistant to the project team at the ATU Teaching and Learning Centre, emma.mcdonald@atu.ie

Emma McDonald, Re-imagining Assessment and Feedback project Research Assistant speaking at the Re-imagining Assessment and Feedback for Student Success Symposium.

Atlantic TU Pride Highlights 2022

ATU staff and students participated in several Pride events over the summer in the west and north-west region. In June, we took part in Donegal’s first ever Pride event in Buncrana and in July we walked in the Mayo Pride Parade in Westport. In August, we unveiled two rainbow walkways at our Sligo campus and participated in the Sligo Pride Parade. We then celebrated Galway Pride Festival by raising the Pride Flag at ATU Galway City campus and participating in the Galway Pride parade. We finished the series of summer Pride events by attending the first ever Leitrim Pride in Carrick-on-Shannon.

1. Sligo Pride Parade

2. One of two new rainbow walkways at ATU Sligo

3. Galway Pride Parade

4. Mayo Pride Parade

5. Donegal Pride Parade

6. Letrim Pride Parade

At Atlantic TU we serve a diverse group of learners, staff, communities and organisations in the west and north-west and further afield. We offer a rich combination of academic and research excellence, quality of life and opportunity - all of which can be experienced in the most beautiful part of Ireland.