Exceptional Minds

Together with former UCD Presidents Dr Patrick Masterson and Dr Art Cosgrove, President Andrew Deeks welcomed over 160 Fellows, academic mentors and donors who have been involved with the programme over the years. During the evening, Dr Patrick Masterson spoke of how the programme was founded to attract and retain high-potential, early-career researchers in the midst of a deep economic recession. Since 1989, over 193 Fellowships have been awarded, €12.5 million has been raised in philanthropic funding and our Fellows have achieved phenomenal career successes. The programme continues apace with the award of a number of new Fellowships in creative writing, education, medieval history and plant sciences.

Following dinner, Professor Patrick Wall facilitated a very entertaining panel discussion with current and former Fellows and mentors: Professor Glen Doherty, Professor Ursula Fearon, Professor Brigid Laffan and Dr Christine Liran Shan. The evening also saw the launch of ‘Exceptional Minds’, a book commemorating the first thirty years of the programme.

Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
UCD President, Professor Andrew J. Deeks and former UCD President and founder of the Newman Fellowship Programme, Dr Patrick Masterson
Dr Peter Hession (Newman Fellow in Irish History), Joyce Padbury, Professor John McCafferty and Professor Andrew J. Deeks
Deputy President and Registrar, Professor Mark Rogers, Dr Margaret Downes, Professor Brigid Laffan and former UCD Registrar and President of NUI Maynooth, Professor Philip Nolan
Orla Gallagher, UCD Foundation, Professor Sarah Prescott, College Principal, UCD College of Arts and Humanities, and Paul Farrell, IBM
Dr Christine Shan, Kerry Group Newman Fellow in Food Safety
AbbVie Newman Fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Dr Elizabeth Ryan, Dr Vanessa Zaiatz Bittencourt (Newman Fellow in Inflammatory Bowel Disease), Professor Andrew J. Deeks and Professor Glen Doherty
John Pollard Newman Fellowship Creativity: Stephen Vernon (John Pollard Foundation), Professor Danielle Clarke, Dr Julie Morrissy (John Pollard Newman Fellow) and Professor Andrew J. Deeks
Dr Patrick Masterson
Nano Nagle Newman Fellowship in Education: Professor Deirdre Raftery, Dr Mags Liddy (Newman Fellow in Education), Professor Andrew Deeks and Sr. Anne Codd, Presentation Sisters
Kerry Group Newman Fellowship in Food Safety: Frank O’Mara, Teagasc, Dr Christine Shan (Newman Fellow in Food Safety), Professor Andrew Deeks and Professor Patrick Wall
Panel discussion with Professor Glen Doherty, Professor Ursula Fearon, Professor Brigid Laffan and Dr Christine Shan