SPRING/SUMMER 2018, NO 42 IRISH FULBRIGHT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Solas an Léinn The IFAA Newsletter

DCU Fulbright Alumni at the DCU-hosted 2017 Thanksgiving Event

2017 IFAA Thanksgiving Dinner

IFAA Thanksgiving Event at DCU Albert College building that houses it. Albert College is by Teresa Lynn the oldest building in DCU, dating back to 1851. Yet, the college itself started life as Glasnevin Model Farm in 1838. This beautiful building boasts the wonderful Long On Friday 24th November, the IFAA hosted their annual Room, which was a perfect venue for a midwinter feast. Thanksgiving Event. This year, the event was hosted by Dublin City University in the wonderful 1838 Club on The evening kicked off with a wine reception in the campus. The club gets its name from the origins of the Retirees’ lounge and guests were welcomed by Prof.

Page 1 Darach Turley of DCU’s Business School. Guests were he envied many in the room, as not being a Fulbright treated to a showcase of several DCU Fulbright Alumni alum himself, he could see that there was something – namely Prof. Gary Murphy, Dr. Claire Gubbins, Dr. special about being part of the Fulbright family. He also Teresa Lynn, Dr. Karen Devine and Dr. Mairéad Nic Gi- acknowledged the great research that has arisen from olla Mhicíl. Local organisers, along with the aid of fel- DCU Fulbrighter experiences and paid tribute to the way low Fulbright Alum, Dr. Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichílput in which the video had captured this work so well. together a short video to highlight the research of these Guests also heard from Mícheál Ó Conaire of the De- DCU alumni, showing how Fulbright has impacted their partment of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, who career to date. The video can be found on YouTube1 fund the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant under the title "Celebrating DCU’s Fulbright Alumni". (FLTA) programme each year. The department is also Not only was the video an enjoyable creative display of a funding body for a number of projects that are being DCU’s link to Fulbright, but will also be used as promo- carried out in DCU with respect to the Irish language – tional material for any potential future Fulbright candi- for example the GaeltTech project overseen by Dr. Teresa dates within DCU. Lynn and the Fáilte Ar Líne (online Irish language learn- Prof. Brian Mac Craith opened the night by addressing ing) project recently launched by Dr. Mairéad Nic Giolla all present and welcoming them to DCU. He noted that Mhichíl.

IFAA Alumni on Gender Studies

Our contributors are: range from sexuality studies, sex- For my Fulbright experience, I took ual consent, abuse, abortion, female an M.A. in Sexuality Studies in San Roe McDermott, The Open Univer- sity (Dublin City University alum), gender and transgender discrimina- Francisco State University, where I Irish Fulbright Scholar 2014-2015 tion, women’s rights in armed con- learned about the historical and cul- (San Francisco State University) flict – all highlighting the ways in tural formulations of sexuality, as which the advancement of research well as the intersections of sexual- Aoife Cartwright, Maynooth Uni- versity, Irish Fulbright Scholar in these areas are helping to shape ity and gender, race, class, disability 2017-2018 (Indiana University, a more informed and progressive and queerness. Bloomington) society for all. My two year M.A. was an incredi- Dr. Karen Devine, Dublin City Uni- versity, Irish Scholar 2012-2013 ble experience, and I also had the (Columbia University, New York) opportunity to teach two graduate Progressing Ireland’s dis- courses in S.F.S.U as part of my Dr. Ciarán McFadden, Edinburgh course around gender, sexu- Teaching Experience. I designed Napier University (Maynooth Uni- versity alum), Irish Scholar 2015- ality and abortion and led courses in Qualitative Inter- 2016 (University of California, Los by Roe McDermott viewing and Non-Academic Writing, Angeles) where I taught graduate students how to turn their research into ac- Dr. Catherine O’Rourke, Ulster University, Irish Fulbright Scholar cessible journalistic, expressive or 2016-2017 (University of Min- artistic work so that their knowl- nesota) edge could be shared and appre- ciated outside of academic insti- tutions. This was important to me In this edition of the IFAA newslet- as I believe knowledge should not ter, we are highlighting the impact be confined to the privileged world our Fulbright alumni have had in of academia, particularly when it their research in the area of gender- comes to Sexuality Studies, which related studies. We invited some of is often overlooked and stigmatised our experts to share their knowl- - even within academic communi- edge and experiences with us. Topics ties. I also had the opportunity to be 1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA6lwSWe-k4

Page 2 a guest speaker in Stanford Univer- exploration of Irish women’s expe- men will experience a rape or sex- sity where I spoke to students about rience of abortion, and how it in- ual assault in their lifetime. While qualitative interviewing and the role tersects with queer ideas of failure, in many ways society is making sub- of empathy in qualitative research. where failing to adhere to oppressive stantial improvements in both rec- For my M.A. thesis, I did a qualita- heteronormative standards can be a ognizing and healing the trauma tive study of Irish women’s experi- form of empowerment. I have also of sexual abuse, working with sur- ences of abortion, interviewing ten been using the education I received vivors is only part of the solution. women who had travelled abroad during my Fulbright in my journal- In order to properly prevent such to terminate a pregnancy. My in- istic work. Since returning home, I abuse occurring, greater insight is terviews allowed me to focus on have become a weekly columnist for needed into why, when, and how recurring themes within these ex- The Irish Times, writing about sexu- it occurs. Central to this discussion periences, which included feelings of ality and feminism, and I have also are developments made in recent rejection from personal communities written feature articles about con- years around the definition of sex- as well as from Ireland the State; the sent, pornography and the future of ual abuse and rape. No longer de- pressure to feel guilty about having sex education for young people. I’ve fined exclusively by the presence had an abortion and the complex been a frequent contributor to tele- of forced penetration, sexual abuse emotions that pressure inspired; my vision and radio shows such at The now typically refers to any sexual participants’ relationship with the Last Word, Prime Time and The Pat activity that occurs in the absence of concept of motherhood and their Kenny Show, where I discussed sex- consent. This socio-legal shift in our own mothers; and the role ambi- ual education, rape culture, misog- understanding has led to a growing guity played in their narrative – in- yny, Ireland’s historical attitudes awareness of and appreciation for cluding a self-reflexive exploration and laws around sexuality, as well the role of affirmative (i.e., clear and of how my participants responded as the need for reform in how the present) consent in sexual encoun- to me as an interviewer, academic Irish justice system addresses sexual ters, and has spawned numerous and activist. There is shockingly lit- violence. new initiatives and policies around tle qualitative research on abortion, I’m deeply grateful for my Fulbright consent education. Many of these particularly research that addresses experience and am excited to see aim to prevent abuse by improving women’s experience of abortion how I can build upon the education I and explicating sexual communica- since other referenda on contracep- received there, and use it to progress tion, such as the popular “no means tion, divorce and marriage equality, Ireland’s discourse around gender no” and “yes means yes”-style cam- and I was proud to contribute to this and sexuality. paigns. field of knowledge. While such campaigns are an im- As a professional film critic, I also portant first step towards fostering was particularly interested in explor- a national dialogue on consent and ing the representations of gender healthy sexual relationships, it is and sexuality in popular culture, and important to appreciate that abuse presented papers of the portrayal is more than simple miscommuni- of abortion in film and television. I cation and does not arise simply presented papers on these topics at because someone failed to protest conferences in U.C.L.A, examining loudly enough. Abuse is the result onscreen portrayals of women enter- of imbalances of power when one ing abortion clinics only to change person’s right to sex is prioritized their minds and literally run from over another’s right to bodily au- the clinics, and what these tropes tonomy, integrity, and respect. Con- signify. I also wrote about why direc- textual risk factors such as alcohol tors shy away from depicting abor- intake and location are important, tions onscreen, even in medical dra- but to understand and prevent sex- mas where other types of surgery ual abuse we need to interrogate our and medical procedures are repeat- broader cultural practices around edly shown, and how this absence of sex and, critically, gender. In our so- depiction and narrative stigmatises ciety, there remain considerable dif- abortion. The Question of Consent ferences in the sexual standards and Since returning home from San by Aoife Cartwright expectations placed on women and Francisco, I have been awarded an Sexual abuse remains a prevalent men. Within the traditional sexual E.S.R.C. funded PhD to expand upon global problem. In Ireland alone, the “script” – that is, the way in which my thesis topic in The Open Univer- most recent statistics estimate that men and women are conditioned to sity. I am undertaking an empirical one in five women and one in ten behave in heterosexual encounters –

Page 3 men are generally positioned as the to consider refusals illegitimate if sexual “initiator” who should desire, they came from a man rather than a persist, and seek out sexual activity woman, suggesting that societal ex- wherever possible. Women, by con- pectations around male sexual desire trast, are framed as the sexual “gate- undermine men’s sexual safety as keepers” responsible for managing, well as women’s. In addition to the responding to, or refusing their part- impact of gender, our studies clearly ner’s advances. Because traditional highlighted the difficulty young peo- gender norms require women to bal- ple have in identifying consent and ance being sexually willing with not distinguishing between consensual appearing overly promiscuous, and and non-consensual sex. There was also that they communicate their re- considerable variation among the fusals in subtle or inoffensive ways, behaviours participants considered women’s refusals are not always acceptable signs of consent (from considered legitimate. Rather, re- non-verbal cues to signs of physical search suggests it is somewhat nor- sexual arousal), and importantly in mal for young men to interpret dis- the behaviours participants said they Warrior Women and the interest as mere “token reticence” would feel “awkward” engaging in Power of the “can do" Atti- rather than a sign to stop sexual ac- (e.g., verbal consent communication tude tivity. prior to sexual activity). by Dr. Karen Devine Gaining greater insight into these In sum, my Fulbright research has We are all told at the Fulbright ori- issues was the goal of my Fulbright added to the growing body of re- entation, before we take off and scholarship, which I began in July search exploring how young people head West, that exposure to the ’can 2017. Based at Indiana University define, interpret, and negotiate sex- do’ attitude Americans are so famous Bloomington, I worked with Pro- ual consent. It highlights the need for, can be one of the most transfor- fessor Julia Heiman, fellow and for clearer guidance and workable mative aspects of a Fulbright visit. ex-Director of the Kinsey Institute strategies around consent commu- It’s hard to envisage, sitting in a and a leading global researcher on nication, as well as the importance Dublin office, unknowingly weighed sexual health and abuse. Our re- of incorporating discussions of gen- down with the baggage of Irish soci- search sought to learn more about dered power dynamics into aware- etal patriarchy. I thought, ’really?’ ’A how young people define, interpret, ness programmes. Ireland still lacks can-do attitude?’ ’Will that rub off on and evaluate sexual consent across a comprehensive, national sex and me, let alone manage to transform a range of fictional scenarios, and to relationship education programme, me?’ Five years later, I can affirm in examine in detail the role played by and the pressing need for this has the following account, just how right gender. We explored if refusals were become even clearer to me since the Fulbright Commission turned out interpreted differently depending on I returned home and commenced to be. whether the person refusing sex was work at the Dublin Rape Crisis Cen- I went to Columbia University for female or male, and also the sorts of tre. Consent is a complex issue that a year, 2012-2013, to study mass behaviours that were considered “le- transcends the prevention of abuse: public opinion on foreign policy gitimate” indicators of non-consent ultimately, consent is about the right and patriotism - measured through and consent. In a separate study, to pleasurable, respectful, and safe the question "how proud are you we analysed young men’s sensitiv- intimate relationships. Thankfully, to be American?" - and to find out ity to both direct and indirect cues the conversation is beginning to whether the strongest feelings are of sexual disinterest, and explored change. linked to dispositions to use violence the factors that might influence their against others. In finding the an- decision to pursue sex even after a swer (in the affirmative) I also found clear refusal. parallels with violent dispositions Perhaps unsurprisingly, our research towards others in a domestic pol- demonstrated that gender and gen- icy context, and that these dynamics dered expectations significantly im- intersected with gender, race, and pact upon consent. Men were more class in both contexts. likely to assume consent, to consider Looking back, it’s clear that I arrived a broader range of behaviours in- in New York City during a tipping dicative of consent, and to recog- point in US political history: the nize but disregard cues of disinterest "War on Women" started in 2010 in a partner. However, all partici- (through legislative efforts to roll pants in our studies were more likely back on the prosecution of domes-

Page 4 tic violence, women’s access to re- tion to women’s rights. where I encountered students in productive healthcare, changing "Warrior Women" emerged to resist abusive relationships, self-harming, definitions of rape, and workplace the "War on Women", as actors and and struggling with mental health discrimination against women) was performers took opportunities to issues. In Ireland, as a Director of coming to a head in the 2012 elec- speak out for women’s rights, pow- a degree programme with 150 stu- tions. During my first few weeks, I erfully from their own experiences, dents, many of the cases I dealt with heard Republican US Senate candi- supported by feminist stalwarts such were also trauma-related and deeply dates in Missouri, Indiana and Wash- as Oprah Winfrey. New York Sena- gendered. As a direct result of my ington, talk about "legitimate rape" tor Kirsten Gillibrand was particu- Fulbright experience, I started to be- (Todd Akin, 19 August 2012), how larly inspirational after her success- lieve that I could do something in a rape-induced conception (there ful re-election campaign in 2012 in this area. are 32,000 such pregnancies each pushing for reform legislation on US In 2013, I teamed up with two PhD year in the US) "is something that military handling of sexual assault students to work on ‘Project Hypa- God intended to happen" (Richard cases, and sponsoring the Campus tia’ to challenge the long-standing Mourdock, 23 October 2012) and Accountability & Safety Act to de- patriarchal knowledge-paradigm "the rape thing" (John Koster, 29 Oc- crease incidents of sexual assault and practices in Ireland and to cre- tober 2012) in relation to abortion, and provide more thorough regula- ate gender support structures within amid Republican attempts to erad- tions for how cases are handled at Irish universities. Through this re- icate women’s rights established by colleges and universities. The work search I came to understand how Roe v. Wade (Governor Rick Perry of the Warrior Women during my we got to where we are today and (R-TX) 11 December 2012). These time in the USA has, I believe, laid identified the causes of Ireland hav- politicians were mirroring societal the foundations for the marches by ing the second highest glass ceiling cultural attitudes and norms that de- hundreds of thousands of women index (3.8) in the EU for women in termine the status of women in the on Capitol Hill and in other major higher education (European Com- USA, which had direct parallels in cities in the US in January 2017, mission, 2009: 78). This gender Ireland. and hashtag viral campaigns such as discrimination is seen outside the I was fortunate to audit classes at #MeToo. education sector in politics, public Columbia, among them "Issues that At a local level within Columbia, I service and business: with a figure of Divide Americans" that examined witnessed confident, fluent, strong, 15.1% of parliamentary seats occu- social movements and abortion, slav- and striving students sitting side pied by women, Ireland ranks 89th ery, prohibition, and gay/lesbian by side in a peer-convened panel, out of 139 states measured in 2013; rights. Savita Halappanavar’s hor- speaking in-depth about minutia of Ireland ranks in 22nd place of 28 rific death for want of a termination sexual and domestic violence and EU member states in public service (Arulkumaran, 19 October 2017) how to deal with it on campus. I and business leadership - women had made news headlines around attended a talk by the editors of occupy just 13% of level one posi- the world, prompting the profes- "Presumed Incompetent", a book of tions within the state civil service, sor’s decision to switch topics for powerful personal accounts of aca- and taking chairs of boards together that week’s class and focus on abor- demics at intersections of gender, with CEO positions, an average of tion. I found myself explaining that race, class, sexual identity and ori- 4.4% of companies in the EU have the myriad rights under threat in entation, subjected to and resisting women in those roles but Ireland has the US "War on Women" were rights the system of white male privilege. 0%. (European Commission, March that have never ever been achieved Through a vegan ‘meet-up’ group, I 2014) for Irish women. Shocked silence met political activists who told me In 2014, I started a "Critical and descended in the room as my class- of their time campaigning for Pres- Feminist Methodologies and Beyond" mates realised that the influence ident Obama. I was inspired by the support group to help PhD students of the Religious Right in the USA volunteerism of Martin Luther King struggling within the system, as a paled in comparison to the Catholic Day: for example, I learned from spin-off from teaching PhD students Church’s historical control over the my fellow Hurricane Katrina yard- research methods. I dedicate signifi- Irish state’s political culture and leg- clearance workers in Far Rockaway cant time to this service because 1) I islation. The difference between in January 2013 how helping others, want to ‘pay it forward’, given the fe- Ireland and the USA was that the is a core element of many Ameri- male mentors I have benefited from conservative US politicians’ public cans’ concept of patriotism. over the years through sports clubs articulations allowed the issues to be On my return to Ireland, I reflected and private sector companies; 2) addressed, whereas in Ireland, politi- on my experiences in several uni- because you have to be the change cians simply remain silent, thereby versities in the UK and Ireland, es- you want to see in the world, and maintaining systemic misogyny and pecially the pastoral aspect of sub- 3) as Senator Fulbright himself put the associated legal vacuum in rela- wardening in a British university, it: "Our future is not in the stars but

Page 5 in our own minds and hearts. Cre- ests and a radical feminist agenda, While topical at the time, the subject ative leadership and liberal educa- I will continue to refuse to learn of transgender employees became tion, which in fact go together, are the rules of the game, and instead even more relevant in the interven- the first requirements for a hopeful demand that the rules be changed ing years since my project, because future for humankind." because as Senator Fulbright said of President Trump’s and many in In 2016, having benefited from himself “In a democracy dissent is an the Republican Party’s continuous at- Women for Election training, I en- act of faith. Like medicine, the test tacks on the transgender community, tered into the race for one of three of its value is not in its taste, but in including the so-called ‘Bathroom NUI independent panel seats in its effects”. I know it’s what Sena- Bills’ and the attempts to ban trans- Seanad Éireann, standing on my Ful- tor Fulbright himself would do, if he gender people from serving in the bright experience-inspired agenda were a Woman Warrior of our time. military. of equality in education, reproduc- My study consisted of a pilot résumé tive rights, and legislating to out- experiment – a way of measuring law sexual violence and domestic discrimination against job applicants abuse. With no name recognition, using real-world job postings. I cre- or resources and time, and lacking ated two identical résumés, each the advantages of a political party with identical experience and qual- support structure, I knew I had no ifications. The only difference be- chance of election. Futile? Not for tween the two was the name, one me, because my purpose is to pub- of whom had an additional for- licly stand on and speak to those mer name of the opposite gender in crucial feminist issues precisely be- brackets, to signify that the applicant cause they have had so little political was transgender. So, two résumés, traction. Because, again, to quote similar in experience, except one Senator Fulbright, “To criticize one’s belonged to (for example) “Mary country is to do it a service.... Criti- Jones” and the other belonged to cism, in short, is more than a right; “Lucy Smith (formerly John Smith)”. it is an act of patriotism-a higher Examining hiring discrimi- In addition, experience in a trans- form of patriotism. . . .” nation against transgender gender college society was assigned people On the basis of further research pre- to the latter job applicant to really sented at the ECPR European Con- by Dr. Ciarán McFadden signal that this person was transgen- ference on Politics and Gender, in For my Fulbright – NUI award, I der. I then measured the amount of 2017 I collaborated with three staff moved to sunny Los Angeles in 2016 ‘call-backs’ for interview the appli- colleagues to deliver "Smart Con- to conduct research in UCLA. I was cants received. sent" workshops (based on NUIG’s based at the Williams Institute, the In reality, this is a situation that SMART research project (McNeela largest organization in the world many transgender job applicants et al, 2017)) to hundreds of incom- dedicated to researching policy and face: should I include the experience ing first year students in DCU. The law related to gender identity and I gained pre-transition? What about report shows that nearly all partic- sexual orientation. It was the ideal job references from back then? ipants (99%) left the workshops in place to base my research, which Should I say I’m transgender? The agreement that they had the skills was an exploration of hiring discrim- choices are restricted to mentioning, to deal with sexual consent (Devine ination against transgender job ap- either in the résumé or in the inter- and McGrath, April 2018). These plicants in the USA. view, that one is transgender and students are the change-makers Across the world, transgender peo- therefore risking discrimination, or in their community, constituting a ple face discrimination at alarm- trying to hide it and having previous generational culture shift that will ing rates. In Ireland, a 2012 study work experience under a different hopefully reverberate through and showed that 78% of transgender name. transform wider society in the years people had thought about ending Although the study was a pilot to ahead. their lives, and 40% had attempted perfect the method, some incidents In conclusion, I feel that Fulbright’s suicide. Transgender people face a of discrimination were recorded, ‘can-do’ attitude did not so much lot of issues and challenges at work where cisgender job applicants were rub off on me in 2012-2013, rather that cisgender (non-transgender) favoured over transgender job appli- it became tattooed onto me. As an people do not, including hiring and cants. Clearly, there is a lot of work academic for nearly twenty years, I promotion discrimination, marginal- to be done in supporting our trans- am privileged to be continually in- ization and exclusion, transition- gender brothers and sisters. spired by students and colleagues ing from one gender to another, and Easy ways to support transgender around me. In pursuit of their inter- transphobia. colleagues include:

Page 6 1. Be respectful of the pro- tivate the monograph research that I nouns your colleague is using pursued during my period as an Irish (he/she/they) and if in doubt, Fulbright Scholar at the University of clarify; Minnesota Human Rights Program from July-December 2016. A lawyer or gender justice advocate interested in women’s rights in con- 2. If you are unsure about termi- flict typically needs to engage with nology or concepts, be open four different regimes of interna- with your colleague and ask tional law: international humanitar- them; ian law, which establishes a series of protections for female civilians in conflict; international criminal law, 3. Talk to your colleague and lis- which enables the prosecution of the ten to their story, if they are most serious crimes against women comfortable sharing, and ac- in conflict; international human knowledge your support; rights law, which continues to op- Women’s Rights in Armed erate during conflict, though in mod- Conflict under International ified ways; and the United Nations Law Security Council, which has unique 4. If a colleague transitions, talk by Dr. Catherine O’Rourke enforcement powers to respond to to them and treat them the Widespread impunity for sexual vio- threats to international peace and same after transition as before; lence in armed conflict has brought security, including a series of com- increased attention to the deficien- mitments around women’s protec- cies of international law in its pro- tion in conflict and participation in tection of women’s rights in conflict. peace-building. Developments to 5. Call out any inappropriate There are two important further con- enhance women’s rights in conflict or transphobic behavior your textual factors, however, to the reg- have proceeded under each of these other colleagues/management ulation of sexual violence in armed regimes since the 1990s, giving rise may be engaging in; conflict. The first important contex- to a number of challenges for both tual factor is that international law understanding and engaging the has experienced, since the 1990s, law: the first challenge is that not all significant strengthening in the doc- states have committed to all norms 6. Ensure your transgender trinal and institutional response to and obligations – consider for exam- colleague is included in so- sexual violence. The second con- ple the US refusal to ratify the Rome cial events and informal get- textual factor is that these legal Statute of the International Criminal togethers outside of work developments have not been con- Court – thus women in different con- hours. fined to sexual violence, but rather flict settings may have very varying address a much broader swathe of protections under international law; women’s rights adversely impacted the second challenge is that each Since returning home from the USA, by conflict. These developments un- regime operates with a different I completed my PhD on the work ex- der international law are deservedly definition of both ‘women’s rights’ periences of LGBT people in Ireland. welcomed for establishing and rein- and ‘conflict’, also creating the po- I then moved to Edinburgh where forcing norms about the protection tential for inconsistency and norm I lecture in Human Resources and and promotion of women’s rights, conflict; the third challenge is that Organizational Behavior, and am even in conflict-affected settings. the monitoring and enforcement continuing study on transgender em- Further, changes in law have given powers attached to each regime can ployees. I am immensely grateful for rise to very significant activity at the vary widely – consider for example the professional opportunities that international level to substantively the United Nations Security Coun- my Fulbright scholarship allowed enhance the experience of women cil capacity to impose sanctions and me. However, it’s the life-changing and girls. Nevertheless, the prolifer- authorise the use of force, versus personal experiences that I will re- ation of international laws, norms the authority of most human rights member most fondly. During my and institutional activities aimed at treaty bodies to issue an adverse time in Los Angeles, I met my now- regulating women’s rights in conflict report; the fourth challenge is that fiancé Kyle, who I will be marrying presents also a number of legal and each of the regimes offer different in 2020. How’s that for cultural ex- practical dilemmas and challenges. degrees of opportunity to women to change? These dilemmas and challenges mo- participate in developing, monitor-

Page 7 ing and enforcing the law. The most coming 2018) seeks to bring greater conflict under international law. The inclusive and participative regime, clarity to this complex legal tapestry book proposes ways in which differ- with potentially the most progres- of norms and obligations. The book ent regime strengths can comple- sive definition of women’s rights in also looks practically at what these ment one another, the most impor- conflict, may not be the regime that overlapping, sometimes conflict- tant norms to reinforce across each brings robust enforcement poten- ing, tapestry of obligations means of the regime, and how the diversity tial for violations of women’s rights. in practice for the institutions of of legal norms and obligations can Together this complex tapestry of le- international law monitoring com- enable the maximum influence of gal protections creates confusion for pliance in specific conflict-affected the most progressive articulation of those seeking to study and engage settings: to what extent is effective women’s rights in armed conflict. the law, for belligerent actors bound legal scrutiny being brought to the I am very grateful to the Irish Ful- by the law, and for gender justice ad- treatment of women’s rights in the bright Commission for its critical vocates seeking to maximise and im- case study contexts of the Demo- support in advancing the research prove protections of women’s rights cratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal and monograph-writing. The mono- in conflict. and Colombia. Finally, the book graph is an output of the Political My research and forthcoming mono- looks forward to how this tapestry of Settlements Research Programme, graph Women’s Rights in Armed norms, obligations, and institutional funded by UK Aid and the Depart- Conflict under International Law activities might be maximised for ment for International Development (Cambridge University Press, forth- the protection of women’s rights in (UK).

My Fulbright Experience in Arizona (2017-2018)

experience and I would recommend everybody to apply to this fantastic program! Since I arrived at the airport in Phoenix, back in September 2017, I felt I was almost at home. That is thanks to one of my sponsors here, John Rome, and his family who welcomed me with open arms and made me feel part of their family (I even go to their birthdays and graduations!). Coming to the US with the Fulbright pro- gram is already a recognition for many people here, not only in Academia. It always sparks an interest and I get asked many questions around the program, Ireland and why I chose to come to Arizona! My year here has been indescribable but I am going to give it a go! by David Azcona I have been collaborating with Prof. Sharon Hsiao and their team in ASU’s School of Computing in terms of I am a PhD student in the Insight Centre for Data An- Educational Data Mining projects. We published and alytics at Dublin City University. I was very lucky to presented in top conferences in the field and are now be selected as one of the 39 Fulbright awardees for organising a joint workshop in NY in July2. Having ac- 2017/2018! I am now at Arizona State University con- cess to data from a 100,000 student population univer- ducting research in Computer Science Education and sity has allowed me to develop more complex predictive personalized learning leveraging Artificial Intelligence models. ASU’s main tech shop is building an infrastruc- (AI) techniques. It has been a tremendously rewarding ture to allow researchers like me access a lake of student 2https://sites.google.com/asu.edu/csedm-ws-edm-2018

Page 8 data to extract insights. I think it’s brilliant! using AI and drones. We were shortlisted to the US fi- Higher Education in the US is unfortunately only ac- nals and travelled to San Francisco where we made it to cessible to a minority. I volunteer in a local low-income the world finals and won the best use of AI award.3 middle-school in the area where we teach students tech- In addition, one of the best experiences has been attend- nology with Raspberry Pis and small robots to motivate ing the Fulbright Enrichment seminar in Philadelphia them to follow a career in STEM. I am just trying to con- around Big Data for the Public Good. It was amazing to vince them it’s something they can achieve if they put meet so many Fulbrighters from around the world. Ev- their minds into it! We even got awarded funding by erybody was trying to make an impact in their respective ASU and are now enabling collaboration to apply state- areas to make the world a better place being data on of of-the-art EdTech research using Sharon’s team’s Aug- our means! mented Reality technology in those classrooms. The experience I lived here has been hugely rewarding I did my bit of travelling too! I attended conferences (even though the summer is very hot and being in a dif- in San Francisco (ODSC), Las Vegas (Amazon’s ReIn- ferent timezone with your family is a challenge!). I can vent), Corvallis in Oregon (HEDW) and even Sydney only be grateful for my time here. I love talking about (LAK). Recently, I teamed up with two friends (one is Irish culture and its people as well as recommending the an Argentinian Fulbrighter) and submitted a project to Fulbright program! See you all soon! Microsoft 2018 Imagine’s Cup to detect early-stage fires David

My Fulbright experience in Ireland (2017-2018)

by Sean O’Rourke Hello from Cork! For those of you whom I haven’t met, I’m an American Fulbright grant recipient from Rhode Is- land studying Irish writing and Film at University College Cork. As the semester has just finished, I’ll now be work- ing full-time on my research, examining the role of conversation in the colonial setting of Maria Edgeworth’s Irish novels. Admittedly, if you don’t know who Edgeworth is, or perhaps even if you do, that project probably doesn’t sound terribly interesting. Still, it lets me explore how an 18th and 19th century female writer experimented with and modeled a future for a fragmented, colonial Ireland. Edgeworth used the best means available to her, novel writing, to mark out the ways in which Ireland could achieve something like an amicable peace in a period of revolution, Union, and Enlightenment and that is (or at least I think it is) really cool. It’s one of those many intersections be- tween lived experience in Ireland and the literature that rises from and shapes that experience. When I spent a year in Dublin in 2014-15, I remember writing about the intersections between Irish experience and literature, being aware, even then, that I was reciting cliché after cliché in the process. An American saying “Ireland is so literary” is both hardly novel and a bit reductive. So, I won’t bore you by repeating what you already know, but rather I’d like to share an experience I had recently where I was allowed not just to study one of these intersections, but actually be a part of it. This year, I’ve started volunteering at the Cork chapter of Fighting Words. Fighting Words is a charity started by Roddy Doyle and Sean Love that puts on creative writing classes in English and Irish for school children all around Ireland. In each session the children communally create characters, settings, and conflicts before writing a begin- ning together and writing a conclusion individually. All the while, Fighting Words workers and volunteers make il- lustrations and put together booklets so that the children can take their stories home with them. The kids routinely, after a few moments of timid silence, let loose a flood of exceptionally creative ideas and take stories in directions you would never have imagined. I highly encourage you to take a look at some of their stories on this webpage and get caught up on sausage revolutions and holy spaghetti bowls: https://www.fightingwords.ie/our-stories A few weeks ago, I was asked to, for the first time, take on the role of storyteller: the person who gets up in front of the children to prompt them for ideas and help them to put together the first part of their story. I was terrified. I ac- cepted because I wanted to be useful, but I was terrified. Just the day before, I had given a lecture on my research

3https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/microsoftimagine/2018/05/06/2018-u-s-imagine-cup-winners-announced/

Page 9 to a group of doctoral candidates, yet the prospect of managing a group of children scared me much more than any gathering of academics ever could. Nevertheless, I bravely faced down a group of people no more than half my size and started asking them for ideas. To my surprise (though, having seen this all happen before – I should have not been at all surprised), the children started forming a tense story about a pug named Pudgles, Pudgles’ best friend Lucy, and their attempts to escape the police (you can read the beginning of the gripping tale at the link provided above). I, of course, had to reign in certain ideas, making sure no one put Harry Potter or Donald Trump in the sto- ries, for example, but with just a little help from me, these students built up a world around Pudgles. They engaged in a creative act that they shape and that, even in small ways, shapes them. They were excited about their story and so proud of their work when given the chance to read it back to each other and to us volunteers. Fighting Words helps children to find or at least to cultivate that creative part of themselves that they might not always get to exer- cise. Being a part of that creative process was one of the greatest joys I have experienced being in Cork. I’ll be taking on that role again soon and I’m excited. Until then, you can find me in the UCC library, pouring over old Irish novels and trying to make this whole dissertation thing come together.

Mairtín Ó Díreán Exhibition in NUI Galway

NUI Galway is currently running a special exhibition on iconic Irish language poet, Máirtín Ó Direáin, thirty years after his death in March 1988. The exhibition ‘Máirtín Ó Direáin – Fathach File / Reluctant Modernist’ is curated by Síobhra Aiken, Fulbright Alum and PhD researcher in the Centre for Irish Studies. The exhibition was launched by NUI Galway President, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh and will be on view until July 2018. In this newsletter, Síobhra generously gives us an insight into the works of Ireland’s renowned poet, both in English and ‘as Gaeilge’.

Máirtín Ó Direáin – Reluctant Modernist Irish writer since Samuel Beckett was awarded the No- bel Prize in 1969. However, Ó Direáin has possibly been by Síobhra Aiken overlooked in more recent years and his biography is yet to be written. As we approached the thirty-year an- Máirtín Ó Direáin is perhaps one of our most famous niversary of Ó Direáin’s death, I was approached by the Irish language poets. His poetry has been on the school Hardiman Exhibitions Committee in NUI Galway to con- syllabus for years and many people will be familiar with sider curating an exhibition on ‘the father of modernist poems such as ‘Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa’ or ‘An tEarrach Irish language poetry’. Given the dynamic, interactive Thiar’: Spring in the west exhibition on W. B. Yeats in the National Library of Ire- land and the much-anticipated exhibition on Séamus A man scraping clay Heaney on College Green, I felt it was important that from the tread of a spade poetry in the Irish language was similarly celebrated. in the mild calm I had a big task ahead of me. Students studying Ó Di- of a warm day: reáin’s poetry are often attracted to his strong images sweet the sound and his rhythms of his short lines (‘línte gonta’). Much of Spring in the west. of his well-known poems speak to the stark dichotomy between his revered island childhood and his wretched A man slinging existence as an exile in Dublin city. However, my aim a creel from his back, was to enable a more complex reading of his poetry and the red seaweed draw on archival sources and family lore in order to of- glittering fer an insight in Ó Direáin not only as a poet, but also as in the light a family man, a civil servant, and a literary activist. One on a stone beach: of the strangest paradoxes in Ó Direáin’s work is that he beautiful the sight is simultaneously revolutionary and conservative. His of Spring in the west. radicalism is most reflected in his much-criticised move to set aside the traditional metres of the Irish language Ó Direáin gained national and international recogni- and endorse free verse. While he drew on modernist tion during his own life and published twelve volumes poets such as T. S. Eliot and Erza Pound, he was some- of poetry. In 1977 he was awarded the Ossian-Preis in what of a modernist by default by the very fact that he poetry from the Freiherr Von Stein Foundation, which was force, through economic circumstances, to leave his was possibly the most important awarded received by an native place and ‘emigrate’ to Galway city at the tender

Page 10 age of seventeen. However, his poetry also articulates the corporate brands of Dior and Max Factor. the concerns of a deeply conservative individual who ‘Máirtín Ó Direáin: Fathach File/ Reluctant Modernist’ is laments the erosion of the values of Patrick Pearse in on display in the Hardiman Building in NUI Galway un- the face of globalisation and sneers at the spirited inde- til July 2018. It will be touring the country over the next pendent women on Grafton Street who have repudiated few months and will be displayed in Poetry Ireland’s of- their reproductive duties in favour of becoming slaves to fices on Parnell Sq., Dublin.

President of NUIG, Prof. Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh; Síobhra Aerial view of the exhibition in the library of NUI Gal- Aiken (curator/NUIG/IFAA); Niamh Sheridan (Mairtín way Ó Díreáin’s daughter) & Dr. Louis de Paor (NUIG).

Máirtín Ó Direáin: Fathach File a bhí ar an duais ba thábhachtaí a bronnadh ar scríb- hneoir Éireannach ar bith ó bronnadh an Duais Nobel ar Samuel Beckett i 1969. Ach d’fhéadfaí a rá go bh- Seans go bhfuil Máirtín Ó Direáin ar an bhfile Gaeilge is fuil neamhaird tugtha ar an Direánach le tamall beag mó clú dá bhfuil againn, agus tá saothar leis ar chlár na de bhlianta anuas agus, go deimhin, níor scríobhadh a scoile le blianta fada anois. Is dóigh go mbeidh cuimhne bheathaisnéis riamh. ag daoine ar dhánta leis ar nós ‘Faoiseamh a Gheob- Agus muid ag druidim le comóradh tríocha bliain bháis hadsa’ nó ‘An tEarrach Thiar’: Fear ag glanadh cré Uí Dhireáin, d’iarr Coiste na dTaispeántas in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, orm an taispeántas ar athair na nu- De ghimseán spáide, afhilíochta a chur le chéile. Tá mórthaispeántas sa Leab- Sa gciúnas shéimh harlann Náisiúnta ar W. B. Yeats agus taispeántas eile I mbrothall lae. ar Shéamus Heaney ar na bacáin, agus bhraith mé, dá Binn an fhuaim bhrí sin, gur cheart agus gur ghá filíocht na Gaeilge a San Earrach Thiar. chur i mbéal an phobail ar an gcaoi chéanna. Bhí dúsh- lán mór romham. Nuair a dhéantar staidéar ar fhilíocht Fear ag caitheamh Uí Dhireáin ar scoil, bíonn na mic léinn meallta go minic Cliabh dá dhroim ag na línte gonta aige, ag na híomhánna láidre den saol Is an fheamainn dhearg in Árainn, agus ag an gcodarsnacht ghéar idir an léiriú a Ag lonrú dhéanann sé ar a óige oileánda féin agus a shaol duairc I dtaitneamh gréine mar dheoraí i gcathair dhoicheallach Átha Cliath. Ar dhuirling bhán. Ach chuir mé romham na contrárthachtaí atá de dhlúth Niamhrach a radharc agus d’inneach a chuid filíochta a léiriú, agus chomh San Earrach Thiar. maith leis sin, le tarraingt ar ábhar cartlainne nua agus eolas óna mhuintir féin le solas úr a chaitheamh ar an Le linn a shaoil féin, thuill an Direánach aitheantas Direánach ní mar fhile amháin, ach mar fhear teagh- náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta agus chuir amach dhá chnu- laigh, mar státseirbhíseach agus mar ghníomhaire asach filíochta déag. Bronnadh an Ossian-Preis san litríochta. Ach ba dhuine casta é an Direáin, agus bhí, Fhilíocht air ó Fhondúireacht Freiherr Von Stein i 1977 i bhfocail Alan Titley, ar ‘an réabhlóidí ba choimeádaí

Page 11 riamh.’ ar luachanna an Phiarsaigh de bharr fhórsaí an nua- Go deimhin, bhí an Direánach réabhlóideach sa gcaoi aoiseachais agus an domhandaithe, agus faigheann sé is gur thug sé droim láimhe le seanmheadarachtaí na locht ar na mná ardintinneacha ar Shráid Grafton a Gaeilge, rud a tharraing cáineadh na gcriticeoirí air. bhfuil a gcuid cúraimí giniúna á séanadh acu, dar leis, Tharraing sé go mór ar fhilí nua-aoiseacha ar nós T. S. agus iad ina sclábhaithe ag brandaí corparáideacha ar Eliot agus Erza Pound, ach ar bhealach ba nua-aoisí é nós Dior agus Max Factor. mar gheall ar na cúinsí ina rugadh é agus a d’fhág go Beidh ‘Máirtín Ó Direáin: Fathach File/ Reluctant Mod- mb’éigean dó aghaidh a thabhairt ar chathair na Gail- ernist’ ar siúl in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh go dtí limhe agus gan é ag seacht mbliana déag. mí Iúil. Beidh sé ag dul ar camchuairt ina dhiaidh sin Ach léiríonn a shaothar an dearcadh fíorchoimeádach a go hÁrainn, agus taispeánfar é i lárionad filíochta Éigse bhí aige freisin: caoineann sé an creimeadh atá tagtha Éireann ar Chearnóg Parnell i mBaile Átha Cliath.

IFAA Spring Trip to Inis Mór

by Jimmy O’Brien Moran I’m never one to miss a chance to visit my Alma Mater and old stamping ground Galway so when Fulbrighter Síobhra Aiken was organising a Fulbright event there I had to go. The Friday night rendezvous was a meet and greet in the exhibition space in the foyer of the Hardiman Library which coincided, appropriately, with a presentation called “Máirtín Ó Direáin: Reluctant Modernist/ Fathach File” featuring photos and copies of his works. The university li- brary was named after James Hardiman who was the first to hold the post of Librarian in Queen’s College Galway in the late 1840s and was known as ‘the historian of Galway’. Wine and stabilising fingerfood welcomed us as we arrived in different cohorts. Our president Anne Cleary was there to greet everyone as were many of the Galway Fulbright contingent including Síobhra, Frances Fahy and Liam Carr. Several US Fulbrighters and Fulbright associates were there too, as well as Sonya McGuinness and Emma Loughney of the Irish Fulbright Commission who had been doing a Fulbright Roadshow presentation at NUIG that day. Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh, Teresa Lynn, Rita Melia and Gráinne Cuffe also attended, and stories and news were exchanged. Unfortunately I was unable to join the younger group as they headed out to explore the Galway nightlife so I donned my slippers and made myself a cup of cocoa before heading to bed early. The plan for Saturday morning was to take a bus to Ros a Mhíl and catch the ferry to Inish Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands. As I had been staying in Spiddal with a friend, I opted to drive directly to the ferry where I met the others. For various reasons the Aran expedition was confined to eleven people. I was impressed with the crowds at the ferry port, a surprising number of Gardaí and a huge group of athletes in sports gear lugging suitcases, bikes and duffel bags with them. Happily they were headed for J.M. Synge’s island, Inis Meáin, the middle of the three Aran Islands where the annual Inis Iron Meáin competition (not to be confused with the Connemarathon!) was to take place. Our ferry dropped us at Kilronan where artist, archaeologist and folk music collector George Petrie and a group of illustrious friends (including Frederic William Burton) had landed in 1857 to explore the island and to collect songs. That was 111 years ago and we had little such intentions. We began our day with teas and coffees in one of the local hostelries and, despite the light rain, some of us determined to walk to Poll a’ Phéist or the Worm Hole as it is also called. The GPS suggested it would take about an hour’s stroll so we shunned all kind offers of minibus drivers and set off. It was a good walk which brought us past a memorial to the Inis Mór writer Liam O’Flaherty. It is a beautiful bronze sculpture set in a little rock garden. By this time the drizzle had abated so we used the setting as a photo oppor- tunity and gathered everyone around it. We continued along the undulating route and eventually reached the Poll a’Phéist (see photo). It is a spectacular natural pool which is huge. It is almost perfectly rectangular in shape and very deep. It lies under a vertical, cliff-like rock formation and was the setting for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2017. The cliff diving is made more difficult as this is a blowhole where the tide is constantly sinking and swelling. We sat around for a while, resting and admiring the beautiful setting. Unfortunately we could persuade no one to dive so we set off on our return journey. Aside from seeing Poll a’Phéist, I was slightly obsessed with watching the all-important (at the time) rugby match between Ireland and France. However, our misleading GPS meant that we were much behind schedule and the hopes of seeing the match had all but disappeared. Not having fully anticipated the exertion of the walk, we were feeling a bit tired and hungry

Page 12 and so, when a friendly minibus driver passed us, we flagged him down and took his kind offer of a lift as well as a guided tour of every rock and ruin along the scenic return journey. We went back to the pub for a sandwich and, to my surprise and delight, managed to see the last ten minutes of our victory against France. A celebratory pint was in order as we exchanged stories of our days exploits with others on the trip before taking the ferry back to Ireland. Another evening’s entertainment exploring the pubs of Galway was promised and, again, I cried off. The reports were very good however and part of me was sorry to miss it. Our thanks to Fulbrighter Síobhra Aiken for organis- ing this really enjoyable Fulbright adventure in Galway. The bar has been raised yet again!

Poll a’ Pheist ‘The Worm Hole’ - natural rock formation beneath the cliffs, south of Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór. Lonely cottage on Inis Mór

Link in with the IFAA on Social Media!

by Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh

The IFAA has been connecting to Fulbright alumni far aththuíteáil agus ag roinnt póstálacha as Gaeilge freisin, and wide through social media to keep up with the go- déan teagmháil linn! ings on of our current awardees and alumni scattered Connect with us on social media to share your stories across the globe. We are linking in more and more with with us and Fulbright communities around the world! other Fulbright alumni associations and Fulbright chap- You’ll find us on Twitter at @IFAA_eire or on Facebook ters and are noticing a growing Fulbright alum network at @IrishFulbrightAlumni Tag your tweets using the online. To date the IFAA has almost 700 followers on hashtag #IFAA Twitter! We continue to connect with alumni on Face- book (200 followers!) and share photos and stories from Here’s a snapshot of what’s been happening in the past our events throughout the year. Bímid ag tuíteáil, ag few months!

Page 13 2017 IFAA Thanksgiving Event Photo Gallery

Prof. Gary Murphy and Prof. Darach Thurley (DCU) Dr. Karen Devine and Dr. Claire Gubbins (DCU)

Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh (IFAA) with Dr Nicole Muller, (L-R) Áine Ní Shuilleabháin, Rosa Shine, Tadhg Ryan 2014/15 US Fulbrighter to Ireland and her husband. Charleton, John Ahern

IFAA Board members: Dr. Teresa Lynn, Sinéad Mur- DCU’s president, Prof. Brian Mac Craith addresses the nane, Réamonn Mac Réamoinn. Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh, IFAA guests Síobhra Aiken

Page 14 Some of the DCU Fulbright Alumni whose work was Sinéad Murnane (IFAA Vice-President) chatting to Prof. showcased on the night. Brian Mac Craith (President of DCU)

Dr. Maireád Nic Giolla Mhicíl (DCU) with Mícheál Ó Current US Visiting Fulbrighters to Ireland with Conaire from the Department of Culture, Heritage and Dr. Dara Fitzgerald of the Irish Fulbright Commission. the Gaeltacht.

Coming soon...

The Annual IFAA Scholar’s Dinner will be held on Friday 8th June in the Portrait Gallery, Dublin Castle. The evening will start with a reception @ 6.30pm followed by dinner @7.30. Please check your inbox for your invitation and booking form. The hashtag #IFAAScholars18 will point to all social media related announcements!

The 2018 IFAA Welcome Home Event! Another great night planned for September 2018 to welcome back re- cently returned Fulbright alumni, to bring together all of our alumni and to welcome the new cohort of US Ful- bright awardees to Ireland! More details to follow later in the summer. Keep an eye on #WelcomeHome18 on Twit- ter and Facebook and via our channels at the links above to keep up to speed!

Page 15 2017-2018 IFAA Board members

President Dr. Anne Cleary (UCD) [email protected] Vice President & Sinéad Murnane (NUIM) Web Editor [email protected] Treasurer Dr. Frances Fahy (NUIG) [email protected] Membership Secretary Dr. Anne Graham Cagney (WIT) [email protected] Hon. Secretary Oisín Lyons [email protected] Communications Officer Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh (NUI) [email protected] Newsletter Editor Dr. Teresa Lynn (DCU) Event Co-ordinator Gráinne Cuffe (IADT) Members Síobhra Aiken (NUIG) Reamonn Mac Reamoinn (ARUP) Dr. Emer Mulligan (NUIG) Dr. Liam Carr (NUIG) Dr. Anthony Quinn (TCD) Ex-Officio Dr. Jimmy O’Brien Moran (WIT)

IFAA Sponsors

We would like to thank this year’s IFAA sponsors: Athlone Institute of Technology University College Cork Dublin City University University College Dublin Dublin Institute of Technology University of Limerick Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Waterford Institute of Technology Limerick Institute of Technology Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Maynooth University Fulbright Commission National University of Ireland, Galway US Embassy Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland ADAPT Centre

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