MAGAZINE OF CORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JUNE 2010 • VOLUME 12 ISSUE 1
CIT is the First Third Level Institution to Receive the Prestigious Green Hospitality Gold Award CIT honours Chinese Laureate CONTENTS
Tourism & Hospitality Studies wins Gold Award 3 Clean Technology Centre News 4 Research News 6 CIT CCAD News 12 Exploring Electronics 18 News in Brief 19 SIF News 20 CIT visits University of Pune 22 On 7th May, Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT, hosted at a reception to honour Ms Xiao Fang Zhang, CIT’s PhD Student, who was a recipient of SciFest 2010 25 a European Laureate for Innovation for her work on the development of a NMCI News 26 Bubble Extractor for Intravenous Infusion at Innovact 2010. The Chinese Crossword 30 Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency, Liu Biwei, was present to see his countrywoman honoured. Former Business Students’ Talk 31 Access Office News 32 Xiao, from Dalian City, in China, has been a student at CIT since 2004 and graduated with a BEng Honours in Mechanical Engineering. Prize for Innovation 2010 36
Cork School’s Enterprise Programme 38 The occasion also saw the Launch of CIT’s Promotional Video ‘Postcard CIT CSM News 40 from the Edge’ (designed by Raven Design, Cork) which is aimed to attract Chinese students to study at CIT. Innovact Student Laureates 2010 44 SOFE Paris 2009 44 24th Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & Biomedical Engineering 45 Innovative Student Engineering 2010 57 New Report on Entrepreneurship Education 58 Students strive towards Creative Entrepreneurship 59 Ireland Homecoming Study Programme 90 13th Annual Irish Academy of Management Conference 61 Gaisce Awards 61 Societies News 62 Dramathon 67 Brobdignag Exhibition 68 Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT; presenting a copy of CIT’s Media Communications 69 Promotional Video ‘Postcard from the Edge’ to H.E. Liu Biwei, Chinese Ambassador. Genesis Showcase & Awards 73 Reflections on a Haven House Build 76 Faculty of Business and Humanities Awards Ceremony 78 St Finbarr’s Centre for Education and Training 81 Article and photographs for the next issue of the magazine can Green Matters at CIT 82 be sent to Anne Twohig, CIT Press, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork. MEDIC News 84 E: [email protected] CAMMS News 86 Editor: Anne Twohig Engineering Awards Ceremony 88 Design: Raven Design CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory 92 Print: Allied Print
Paris in the Winter Time 93 Acknowledgements: Thank you to photographers: Barry O’Sullivan, Sports News 94 CIT; Neil Danton, News Digital; Viv Gough; John Lotty; Andy Ferreir; Gerard O’Donovan; Pascal Ungerer; and Kearney and Melia, PR.
Statements and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Cork Institute of Technology. department of tourism & hospitality studies wins a gold award in green hospitality awards ceremony
Awards Programme operates on a national Many projects have been undertaken in scale, is recognised as the national the fields of waste, water, and energy, environmental certification scheme for the and cost savings have been identified. The Department of Tourism and hospitality sector, and has 170 members The Department is continuing with its Hospitality Studies has achieved a which include hotels, contract caterers, programme and is currently implementing prestigious Gold Award in this year’s restaurants, and bar restaurants.” new initiatives on food waste and water Green Hospitality Awards (GHA). CIT is consumption. the first third level institution to receive Dr Murphy pointed out that, “The GHA the award, and the Gold standard justly has also made significant economic Green Hospitality rewards the commitment and effort put in savings for Irish business through reduced Award programme by everyone in the Department of Tourism utility costs over the years with many and Hospitality Studies. The Regional new member hotels saving an estimated € The Green Hospitality Award provides a awards ceremony was held at Hayfield 1000 per bedroom in the first year of step-by-step approach to environmental Manor, Cork, in February 2010, and a total joining the programme alone. Overall, management with awards given at Bronze, of sixteen hospitality businesses in Cork in 2009, the GHA members reduced € Silver and Gold levels and has swiftly received awards. As a Gold winner, CIT is their costs by a massive 4.6m, through become the standard for environmental in good company with the Clarion Hotel, the programme. Indeed CIT has also management within the hospitality Maryborough House Hotel, and Radisson benefited from the GHA, with cost sector in this country. It is the only Irish BLU Hotel & Spa also achieving Gold savings achieved by our Department of programme recognised internationally. standard. Tourism and Hospitality Studies, who have participated in the programme for the last The Green Hospitality Awards continue The awards ceremony was attended three years.” to be the most successful environmental by Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT, certification programme for the hospitality who was the keynote speaker. Adrian He said “While I congratulate ALL the sector in Europe, with 170 members Gregan, Head, Department of Tourism award winners here this evening, I hope and 11% penetration in the hotel sector and Hospitality Studies, Séamus Forde, you will allow me a small bit of partiality (European average, 2-3%). In 2010 the and Patricia Madden from the winning in giving a special congratulations to our programme is being funded through the Department, Dr Mary Purcell, CIT Green Department of Tourism and Hospitality Environmental Protection Agency. Go to Campus Facilitator, Dermot Cunningham Studies on their Gold Award this year.” www.ghaward.ie for more information. (Clean Technology Centre, CIT) and James Hogan (CTC and GHA Director) also Department of Tourism attended. and Hospitality Studies Pictured below (L-R) “Cork Institute of Technology is proud of The Department of Tourism and Adrian Gregan (Head, Department of the achievements of the Green Hospitality Hospitality Studies has been 100% Tourism and Hospitality Studies), Patricia Awards Programme which we have committed to the programme since 2008 Madden (Department of Tourism and developed through The Clean Technology and is now reaping the benefits of their Hospitality Studies), James Hogan Centre in conjunction with our partners, input. In particular, Patricia Madden has (Green Hospitality Award and Clean Hospitality Solution Consulting since driven the programme. A ‘green team’ Technology Centre), Dr Mary Purcell (CIT 2004. CTC has been at the forefront of has been formed and regular meetings Green Campus Facilitator), Dr Brendan promoting sustainability since as far back are held to discuss progress and plan Murphy (President, CIT), Séamus Forde as 1992 and we are very pleased with its new initiatives. The green team consisted (Department of Tourism and Hospitality continued success”, said Dr Murphy, in his of Patrica, Séamus Forde and Dr Mary Studies), Dermot Cunningham (Director, address. Purcell. Dermot Cunningham from CTC Clean Technology Centre). has also attended several meetings to “You may recall that this was originally discuss particular issues, as has Michael a regional programme based in Cork Coughlan from the Buildings and Estates County and focusing on solid waste in Department. hotels. Now the Green Hospitality
3 CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News
Clean Technology Centre produces Get a Copy
catering waste reduction guide Less Food Waste More Profit – A Guide to Minimising Food Waste in the Catering Sector has been distributed to more than 3,500 catering The Clean Technology Centre has produced and CIT Press outlets through the sectoral publication Hotel & Catering Review, has published the Less Food Waste More Profit – A Guide to and also sent to a number of local authorities. The Guide can be Minimising Food Waste in the Catering Sector. CTC developed downloaded from several sites, as follows: the guide as part of the Green Hospitality Award (GHA) programme, funded by the Environmental protection Agency Clean Technology Centre: http://www.ctc-cork.ie/ under the National Waste Prevention Programme. Green Hospitality Award: http://www.ghaward.ie/ Enterprise Ireland, EnviroCentre: http://www.envirocentre.ie/ The 32 page guide is packed with tips for becoming more efficient in the kitchen, as well as containing pointers for A limited number of hardcopies are available from CTC. calculating how much food waste costs a business per annum. The Less Food Waste - More Profit Guide provides a step by step approach on how to eliminate, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover and dispose of food waste. The True Costs of Wasting Food Among many other things, the tips within the guide deal with over-ordering, portion control, checking of deliveries, buying The Guide presents caterers with the options to divert food waste local, and correct storage. Some examples include: from landfill (better for the environment), and it also provides caterers with significant opportunities to reduce costs (better for business). l store all soft fruit, except bananas in the fridge, store all other The Clean Technology Centre estimates that each kilogramme of food fruit and vegetables in wire racks; waste costs €2. This equates to €2,000 per tonne. Caterers know l separate storage of tomatoes and lettuce (tomatoes emit a about their energy costs – they see it on their bills. Food is the hidden gas which causes lettuce to brown); cost which caterers may not fully appreciate. Think not only of the l encourage service staff to check the amount of food coming disposal costs, but the costs of purchase, storage, cooking, energy back on the plates. and staff time – all for food which is discarded!
The Guide was written by Mairéad Creedon, Dermot For the Irish catering industry the costs are estimated to be €200m. Cunningham, James Hogan and Eileen O’Leary of CTC and However, there are plenty of no-cost and low-cost steps which contains forewords by Dr Gerry Byrne of the EPA and well known caterers can take to reduce food waste and they are all contained in chef Kevin Dundon of Dunbrody House in Wexford. this new guidebook.
New Food Waste Regulations
The Guide is also designed to help Irish caterers to meet the onerous requirements in the new Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations, 2009. These will shortly be in place to assist the diversion of commercially generated food waste from landfill. Under the regulations:
l All food waste arising on the premises will need to be segregated and kept separate from other waste and contaminants.
l Such segregated food waste will have to be treated in an authorised treatment process either: - on-site or - collected by an authorised collector or - brought by the producer to an authorised facility
It may not be landfilled. Where a separate food waste collection service is available to producers of food waste, such producers must:
(a) not put food waste in the residual waste collection (b) not use macerators to send food waste to sewer (without a water discharge licence)
Thus the need for prevention (promoted and elucidated in this guide) is acute.
4 CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News
European Week for Waste Reduction
As part of their commitment to improved environmental performance, CTC and the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies organised a series of successful events in CIT on 26th and 28th November last. This included an exhibition in the Nexus with information stands and composting demonstrations - waste reduction tips and recipes.
A low waste meal was prepared and served by the Hospitality Management students under Séamus Forde in the Tourism and Hospitality restaurant. The waste (preparation waste and plate waste) was only 0.368 kg per person. This is 34.5% lower than the industry standard, as measured by the Clean Technology Centre. The catering industry in Ireland produces more than 100,000 tonnes of organic waste per year. If everyone performed as well as the CIT students, there would be 34,500 fewer tonnes of waste going to landfill. Kevin Dundon with Mairéad Creedon, CTC; Jullien In addition, activities by CIT Hospitality students over the week had an Clemont, Dunbrody Country House; Mary Purcell, associated 109,000 food miles - for all the many meals it prepared. Green Campus Facilitator, CIT; Adrian Gregan, Head, A recent report in the UK stated that the average single traditional Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies, Christmas dinner has an associated 30,000 food miles alone. Well done CIT; Dermot Cunningham, Director, CTC; Eileen to the CIT Hospitality students! O’Leary, CTC, Henry Quinn, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Studies, CIT; and James Hogan, Green Kevin Dundon, Celebrity Chef, TV Personality, Author and Proprietor Hospitality Award and CTC. of Dunbrody Country House Hotel & Restaurant, also participated in the European Week for Waste Reduction where he gave a cookery demonstration in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies. Kevin demonstrated how to cook three different dishes from one chicken, and also offered ways to use up leftovers, etc. The event was a sell out and featured on the Right Hook radio programme on Newstalk.
Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies Advanced Culinary Arts students, Eva Dunne and Nora O’Connell with celebrity chef continued on page 42 Kevin Dundon at his food waste reduction demonstration.
5 Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News
What do you get when you cross a Biologist and a Computer Scientist …?
The answer is CIT’s Bioinformatics group!
This new interdisciplinary team consists of Drs Roy Sleator projects; such as the human (Department of Biological Sciences), Paul Walsh and Paul Rothwell microbiome project – which aims (Department of Computer Science) and MSc candidate John Carroll. to identify all the genes of all the microbes in the body (which, believe While Biotechnology and ICT were perhaps the hottest buzzwords of it or not, outnumber our own human recent times; ‘the new kid on the block’ - Bioinformatics - combines cells by a factor of 10!). ICT and biotechnology within a new biology based information science; one in which high end computing is applied to identify new The group is also at the prototyping genes, predict new protein structures and even to design new and stage for a new software tool that improved drugs. allows researchers to manage bioinformatics research in a The group which was formalised this year with the support secure and auditable computing of Michael Loftus, Head, Faculty of Engineering & Science, environment that is compliant to and Dr Hugh McGlynn and Jim O’Dwyer (Heads of Biological FDA standards. This research Sciences, and Computing, respectively), has already had its first stems from requirements gathering joint paper published in the March issue of the scientific journal from over 100 bioinformatics active researchers. With this software Archives of Microbiology. In this paper Sleator and Walsh provide biotechnology professionals will be able to construct workflows and a comprehensive overview of the power of combining skills in research outputs for genomic research on any computer or mobile biology and computing to predict the function of newly identified device that is connected to the Internet. proteins, simply by analysing the DNA and protein sequence data. Furthermore, an article by Sleator on how bioinformatics can be In addition to being an active research team, the CIT Bioinformatics used to predict evolutionary trends recently made the cover of group is also actively involved in progressing the teaching of this the journal Science Progress with a computer predicted image of new discipline within the Institute – one of the major movements in myglobin (pictured). this direction is the establishment of a new taught masters (MSc) in Computational Biology; an interdisciplinary field in which students Another significant focus of the group, and the subject of John will be exposed to the most up-to-date training in computing and Carroll’s MSc project, is the development of new algorithms to biology. help researchers to identify important gene sequences from the huge amounts of data being generated by large scale sequencing
6 Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News
Flooding Prescience by CIT Researchers
One of the main requirements of the project was to be able to Researchers from the Computing quickly visualise any city in different flooding scenarios. The flooding Department had some prescience visualisations were developed using video game technology. The team created RainBath; software designed for climate change recently after they created computer flooding visualisations. The flooding water is based on games such as Gear of War, Half-Life2 and Unreal Engine. The 3D model of models of flooding in Cork city. Cork city was created using the popular tool Google Sketch-Up, the city is then viewed in the RainBath engine using the flooding William Lynn, a computer graphics researcher based in the NMCI water. RainBath can also take in any 3D models created for Google under the supervision of computing lecturers Dr Paul Walsh and Earth. Large cities can have thousands of buildings, the team Helen Fagan, has created computer graphics software that allows created extra software for Google Sketch-Up that allows the semi- planning decision makers to visualise the effect of potential climate automatic creation of different cities based on city plans. The user change on coastal regions. or player has complete freedom to explore Cork city during flood, which can be at any level from a few inches to hundreds of metres. Climate change represents one of the greatest environmental, The team’s flooding visualisation tools can be used to visualise the social and economic threats facing the planet. The European Union flooding of nearly any area in full 3D, this has prompted interests is committed to working constructively for a global agreement from a number of flooding and climate change projects. to control climate change, and is leading the way by taking ambitious action of its own. The CIT team is working towards this The team is currently creating a virtual tour of Spike Island using goal by supporting the IMCORE project, which is the Innovative the RainBath engine and plan to place videos on the Internet in the Management for Europe’s Changing Coastal Resource. The team near future. is currently developing a methodology and software to aid Coastal Managers across NW Europe to visualise flooding scenarios and preventative measures. As part of its work the team produced the flooding scenario mock-up, shown below, 6 weeks before the flooding events of November 2009, using software developed for the project by William Lynn.
The team also exhibited its technical findings at the EuroGraphics Conference in Trinity College Dublin in December.
7 Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News
BIO-EXPLORE
The BIO-EXPLORE research group is a team of inter-disciplinary scientists from the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Maths & Computing. They are committed to developing and implementing platform technologies to underpin their core research areas of diagnostics, bio-analysis, antimicrobial screening, bio-informatics and peptide engineering. The group is made up of 6 principal investigators and 26 postgraduate students many of which are engaged in interdisciplinary projects.
New Virus Discovery Research Improves Animal Health
Enterprising biology researchers have A variety of different microorganisms exist in the large intestine of recently found a new virus in soil that mammals. These can be broadly divided into beneficial microbes kills different types of mycobacteria. such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and those which have Many well known pathogens such as the potential to cause illness such as Salmonella and E. coli, the causative agents of tuberculosis Recent work in CIT, in collaboration with Prof John O’Doherty at and leprosy are mycobacterial in nature. Other types of mycobacteria the Department of Animal Science in University College Dublin has can also cause fatal diseases in animals. Unfortunately, current shown that supplementing the diet of pigs with B-glucans promotes drugs are becoming less effective against these pathogens and new a greater diversity of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species in drugs are proving difficult to discover. Using a different approach, the the colon, but reduces pathogenic coliform numbers by up to 1000 researchers at CIT decided to screen soil samples for natural viruses fold. B-glucans are complex sugars, found commonly in plants, that kill mycobacteria. cereal grains, fungi and algae. Over the past two decades B-glucans have been recognised as functional, bioactive food ingredients. During the study many samples were tested from different locations It has been reported in animal studies that B-glucans when used but the one containing this new virus was sourced from soil as nutritional supplements stimulate growth, improve nutritional recovered in Ardmore Co. Waterford. In collaboration with scientists retention and immune system function. In the CIT/UCD study, the at the Moorepark Research Centre in Fermoy, the entire genome effect of algal and yeast B-glucans on the porcine gastrointestinal of the virus was sequenced allowing the team at CIT to study what microflora, specifically the populations of Lactobacillus, Bifido- makes the new agent so deadly to mycobacteria. bacterium and coliforms was evaluated. Many analytical methodologies were used in the study including a highly specialised This latest study which was undertaken by Marine Henry, a 25 year strain identification system known as Denaturing Gradient Gel old postgraduate student, expands on the extensive work already Electrophoresis. This technology was set up and optimised in CIT by done in CIT with other pathogens such as MRSA. The project which postgraduate students Pádraigín Murphy and Ann Forde under the is being led by Dr Jim O’Mahony along with Dr Aidan Coffey and supervision of Dr Aidan Coffey. The project, which is still ongoing, is Dr Roy Sleator uses conventional biology and modern computer being funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food. analysis to study the properties of the virus. In particular the group is interested in a protein which is made by the virus called a “lysin” which is very toxic to mycobacteria but harmless to humans. Technology Spotlight: Real-time PCR Although the prospect of developing a new anti-mycobacterial drug from this work is a long way off, sourcing new agents which are Molecular diagnostics features strongly within the BIO-EXPLORE capable of treating infectious disease is an important first step in research team. One of the flagship technologies available to the the process. The results of this work were recently published in the group is the Roche Light-cycler 480 real-time PCR instrument. It international scientific journal “Gene”. is designed to detect specific DNA targets, but unlike conventional PCR, it can also quantify the target allowing the researcher to determine exactly how much material is in a given sample. This has obvious applications for detecting infectious agents in food, water or clinical samples, but can also be applied to detect alterations in levels of cellular gene expression under different conditions. Post-PCR analysis which analyses changes in fluorescence under subtle temperature shifts also makes the instrument ideally suited to detecting mutational changes in a DNA target. This can be applied extensively in genotyping analysis for any cell type especially in clinical diagnosis.
Marine Henry and Dr Jim O’Mahony examining samples of the new virus at the research laboratories in CIT.
8 Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News
CIT takes Possession of NIMBUS Centre
On 17th January 2010, CIT formally took possession of the new NIMBUS Centre for Embedded Systems Research and, on 16th March, 65 researchers and students relocated from diverse locations in CIT to the NIMBUS building.
Funded through the HEA Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) in 2007, NIMBUS is the first building nationally to be completed in the 4th cycle of PRTLI funding and reflects very successful collaboration and project management by the CIT Development Office, the architects RKD, building contractors Walls, and the team of researchers for whom the building was designed. In a time of financial constraint, it also reflects well on the team that the project was completed on time and within budget.
The NIMBUS Centre is adjacent to and attached to the Rubicon Centre and its extension (currently under construction). This reflects the determination of the NIMBUS researchers not only to carry out high quality research but also to ensure that the research feeds through to innovation and commercialisation, through licensing and new company start-ups. The integration of the Technologies for Embedded Computing (TEC) Centre (funded by Enterprise Ireland under the Applied Research Enhancement (ARE) programme) with NIMBUS further reflects this determination. This also exposes the Centre’s postgraduate students to an innovation culture throughout their time carrying out research in the Centre. This strategy aligns closely with the recommendations of the recently published report from the Task Force on Innovation which call for a much greater emphasis on ensuring that research feeds through to tangible benefits to industry and on producing graduates who can contribute directly to Ireland’s fast-growing knowledge economy. In this context, NIMBUS is currently training 32 postgraduate researchers and NIMBUS staff is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in the Department of Electronic Engineering in CIT.
The NIMBUS Centre provides space for up to 80 researchers, including facilities for undergraduate project students, visiting postgraduate students and researchers from other institutions and dedicated industry visitor workstations, already in use, where company researchers can work in close collaboration with NIMBUS staff and use NIMBUS research facilities.
NIMBUS is among the most heavily networked buildings in the country with high data rate wired and wireless network points throughout the building and a suite of communications antennae on the roof of the centre facilitate long distance wireless networking. A large area of the ground floor is given over to an open-plan laboratory space which will contain facilities for electronics prototyping and testing, RF/microwave testing and reliability testing. This space will also be used for both small- and large-scale demonstrations of embedded systems applications.
NIMBUS is CIT’s first dedicated research centre and is intended not only to be a showcase for CIT’s research but also to demonstrate CIT’s ability to translate innovative research into economic benefit. As embedded systems can benefit all technology disciplines and can be used in many applications including sensing, energy, health, manufacturing, safety, environment, logistics and business, NIMBUS welcomes collaborations with other researchers and companies interested in these and related topics.
9 Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News
PJ Collins
PJ Collins graduated from CIT in 2003, with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Biosciences. Having worked for a year in the food sector, he returned to CIT to begin a PhD under the supervision of Dr Helen O’Shea. His research project involved the characterisation of gastroenteritis viruses, namely rotavirus and calicivirus, among equines and porcines in Ireland and determination of any zoonotic potential. Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, involving both the stomach and the small intestine, resulting in acute diarrhea. Worldwide, inadequate treatment of gastroenteritis leads to the death of 5 to 8 million people per year. Rotavirus is a major cause of gastroenteritis in humans and animals. In humans, rotavirus is estimated to cause 138 million cases of gastroenteritis annually, resulting in approximately 870,000 deaths, mostly in developing countries. Rotavirus-associated enteritis is also a major problem in young calves, piglets and foals. Caliciviruses are also an important cause of gastroenteritis in both humans and animals. Within the calicivirus family, norovirus is responsible for ‘winter vomiting disease’ in humans, which, due to its contagious nature, has resulted in ward closures in hospitals, and a resultant high cost to the economy. Approximately half of the cases of gastroenteritis due to food-borne illness are caused by norovirus.
During the duration of PJ’s PhD studies, highly successful collaborations were established with a number of researchers at other institutions, namely Prof. Vito Martella, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bari, Italy; and Prof. Anne Cullinane, Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Co. Kildare. These collaborations have resulted in the publication of several papers in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Veterinary Microbiology.
Currently, PJ is undertaking post-doctoral research under the supervision of Dr Yousef Abu-Kwaik, in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Michael Loftus, Head, Faculty of Engineering and Science; Dr Hugh McGlynn, Head, Department of Biological Sciences; Dr Helen O’Shea, PhD supervisor; Dr PJ Collins; Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT; Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar & Vice President for Academic Affairs; and Dr Eamonn Cashell, Head, School of Science.
The European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) research excellence award
ESCMID is the largest is the largest learned Society in Europe dedicated to Clinical Microbiology and infectious Disease research. Each year the Society honours outstanding young European researchers whose work has had a significant impact on the diagnosis or treatment of infectious diseases.
This year Dr Roy Sleator, a lecturer at CIT’s Department of Biological Sciences, was chosen to receive one of these highly prestigious awards. The prize, worth €20,000, is in recognition of Sleator’s work on designing improved therapeutics to deal with the so-called ‘super bugs’ immerging infectious diseases such as C. diff and MRSA.
(L – R) Dr Roy Sleator being presented with the award by Professor Javier Garau, President, ESCMID.
10 Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News Research News
CAPPA technology to help Alcon restore the vision of cataract patients
An advanced optical inspection system to improve the manufacture of Intraocular Lenses has been developed by photonics researchers in CIT’s Centre for Advanced Photonics & Process Analysis (CAPPA). Intraocular Lenses, commonly called IOLs, restore the sight of cataract patients with blindness or impaired vision by replacing the eye’s natural lens during surgery. For most of us cataracts are an unavoidable part of the ageing process given that more than half of those over 65 years old have some cataract development. Fortunately most cases can be treated successfully with surgery enabled by IOL technology.
March of this year saw the handover of the developed system from CAPPA to Alcon Laboratories Ltd. The CAPPA system was installed in Alcon’s Cork facility which manufactures the world’s most implanted IOLs. Having received training in the operation of the system from CAPPA researchers, Alcon’s staff were able to begin validation testing of the equipment on their IOL production line. The initial tests have been successful and results have proven the performance of the CAPPA technology on the production line.
These results have come from the close collaboration between the parties over the past 18 months. The company and the CAPPA researchers at CIT have been engaged in an Innovation Partnership project which is jointly funded by Alcon and Enterprise Ireland. This project is the eye-care company’s first R&D collaboration on the IOL manufacturing process to take place outside of the US. Once validated, the technology will be licensed from CIT to Alcon, allowing them to roll-out this advance across their other facilities world-wide. The results produced by CAPPA have also facilitated further investment by Alcon in Cork to enable new high value development activities.
Commenting on the work so far, Barry Walsh, Process Engineering Manager, Alcon, highlighted that “a successful relationship has been forged with the group (at CIT) which is now bearing fruit” and that the company “recognised the capability of CAPPA to provide value for money expertise in the area of process analysis and optical metrology”. Barry Walsh also indicated that Alcon hopes to build on the relationship with CAPPA by exploring “a follow up on the Innovation Partnership currently being undertaken with another metrology based project this year” and by continuing “to make use of the analytical capabilities at CAPPA in ongoing process investigations”.
Alcon is positioned as one of the world’s leading eye-care companies with 6 out every 10 cataract patients receiving one of their AcrySof® IOLs. With World Health Organisation statistics showing almost half of all cases of blindness worldwide is caused by cataracts, the technology developed by CAPPA will contribute to helping restore the sight of millions of patients in the coming years.
Background information on CAPPA can be found online: http://www.cappa.ie/
Further information on Alcon can be sourced through its website: http://www.alcon.com/
11 News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design
The Kites with the Lights
Located on the steep side of Gurranabraher Road on the north side of Cork city, James Hayes’s work ‘As time flies…’ appears to ascend from the top of the newly built Gurranabraher Development Centre.
This large scale, permanent, public artwork surveys the expanse of Cork city, being visible from the centre of the city and its surrounding areas. The piece is just over 10 metres in height and is constructed from stainless steel and highly polished stainless steel.
This technically complex work consists of four diamond shaped kites with flowing tails which spiral upwards as the kites take flight from the roof of the building. At night, the kites emanate light due to a sophisticated computer controlled Fibre LED lighting system, which cycles through spectrums of colour. Cross shaped slits in the kites separate the panels and allow for airflow from high winds as well as generating striking multicoloured cross like symbols after dark.
The artist, James Hayes, Lecturer in CCAD was asked to work with the community in Gurranabraher and the users of the centre and to respond to the regeneration initiatives set in place by Cork City Council. The work was developed and constructed over a year long period in 2008/09 and was installed in early September 2009.
The work is underpinned by Hayes’ consistent use of the ‘everyday object’ within his practice. Conceptually the work corresponds to Hayes’s desire to transform the most humble and ephemeral objects, into celebratory and permanent relics, a transformation which elevates the status of these unassuming objects and lends them a heightened sense of significance. ‘As time flies….’ aims to embody and explore a sense of optimism and also signifies and connotes aspects of play, flight and departure. . .
The sculpture was launched on the 27th November and is a wonderful celebration of the achievement of one of CCAD staff members.
At the launch, James Hayes with Mike Murphy, CCAD. 12 News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design
The Great Indoors
Registrar’s Prize Exhibition by William Lawlor opened at the James Barry Exhibition Centre, CIT Bishopstown Campus on the 17th February which ran until 12th March.
William graduated from the CCAD’s Department of Fine Art in 2009, with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art, and was awarded the CIT Registrar’s Prize for his work.
This exhibition included new and recent works, expressing the artist’s interest in how we see ourselves, how we regard our environment, and how we understand our own nature. Speaking about his own work, William says “I Soothing Sunfish Hare Shadow believe we, as humans, have a strained and ambivalent attitude towards the animal kingdom because of our love and fear of the animal within ourselves.”
Bird
At the opening of ‘The Great Indoors’ were: Orla Flynn, Head, CCAD; Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar & Vice President for Academic Affairs, CIT; William Lawlor, and Kevin Gill, Head, Department of Fine Art & Design.
13 News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design
Backwater TWENTY - 10
Backwater TWENTY - 10 celebrated 20 years of the Backwater Artists Group – an artist-led organisation based in Cork City who are dedicated to improving the working conditions and support structures for visual artists. The exhibition was opened by Minister Martin Cullen T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism on 12th March and ran until 10th April.
Curated by Stephen Brandes and Vera Ryan, over 120 artists featured in this exhibition, each of whom have worked within the Backwater Studios whether through the six-month Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary; a project based studio residency or artists who enjoy full time membership.
Founded in 1990 by graduates of the CCAD, Backwater Artists Group has 27 studios facilitating merging artists and established artists in providing secure, well-equipped studio spaces as well as support structures for professional art practice. Both individually and collectively the numerous artists who have worked within Backwater Studios over the last twenty years have made a formidable and dynamic contribution to the arts both locally, nationally and internationally.
The exhibition covered three floors of the Crawford Gallery and celebrated the success of the last 20 years of Backwater Artists Group and looks forward expectantly to the next.
Felicity Aylieff and Takeshi Yasuda with CCAD staff. Takeshi Yasuda visit the Crawford
In March, the Ceramics team was delighted to welcome a special day of public lectures with two world-renowned ceramic artists.
Felicity Aylieff is an acclaimed ceramic artist who, since 2002, has been senior course tutor in Ceramics and Glass at The Royal College of Art, London. She has taught and been a visiting lecturer at numerous colleges across the UK and Ireland. Felicity’s current work focuses on colourfully decorated vessels of monumental scale which have been executed at Jingdezhen in China.
Born in Japan, Takeshi Yasuda was trained at Mashiko before moving to Britain in 1973 where he quickly Highly decorated bowl by Takeshi Yasuda established a career as one of the leading ceramics artists in the UK. He has lectured and taught in many parts of the world and until recently was Associate Professor of Applied Art at the University of Ulster and also a tutor at the Royal College of Art, London. Since 2005, he has been director of The Workshop Studios in Jingdezhen, China, where he also continues to make his sumptuous thrown vessels. Takeshi’s most recent work is in porcelain working with folded, collapsed and suspended forms.
Felicity Aylieff Yasuda’s most recent work is in porcelain Felicity Aylieff’s current work focuses on colourfully working with folded, collapsed and decorated vessels of monumental scale which have 14 suspended forms. been executed at Jingdezhen in China. News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design
‘Sirens and Goddesses’ - an exhibition in Paris
On 25th March, His Excellency, Mr Paul Kavanagh, Irish Ambassador to France, opened the highly successful exhibition ‘Sirens and Goddesses’, at The Greenlane Gallery, Paris. The exhibition was a two person show: Denis Lynch, artist and technician at the CCAD, with Nell Collins, a Cork artist who has recently relocated to Paris. The exhibition ran until the 4th April.
Denis Lynch Nell Collins
His Excellency, Mr Paul Kavanagh, Irish Ambassador to France, opened the highly successful exhibition ‘Sirens and Goddesses’.
Geoff Steiner-Scott exhibits
The artist and retired director of the CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, Geoff Steiner-Scott, showed his recent paintings in an exhibition at the CIT Cork School of Music from 12th April - 5th June.
This exhibition showed the work he has done since retiring from CIT in 2007. “These are modest paintings at modest prices, painted for pleasure and meant to be enjoyed,” commented Geoff.
Geoff is perhaps best known as a printmaker and was a lecturer in printmaking at the National College of Art & Design and the CCAD before his appointment as Principal of the CCAD. However, he has always painted and was a student of the renowned artist, Leon Golub.
The exhibition boasted 26 new paintings, all done in acrylics on canvas. The economic downturn has seen a decline in the art market, and the number of exhibitions and exhibition venues has suffered as a consequence. The closure of the Fenton and Vangard galleries has been a real blow to the cultural life of Cork. However, the CIT Cork School of Music continues to serve the city with a busy schedule of exhibitions, open to the public and free of charge. Geoff was delighted to show his new work in this beautiful and easily accessible building on the banks of the Lee.
15 News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design
Celebrating Through Art (L - R) Fiona Pollard; Sinéad Kiely; and Jane Prendergast
Collaboration between HDip students at CCAD and Primary school children from Gaelscoil Uí Riada, Wilton.í, Wilton. Mark Ewart & Susanna Broderick
Over a two-week period either side of the Easter break, HDip students from CCAD’s Department of Art and Design Education worked with children from Gaelscoil Uí Riada, Wilton, on an series of exciting art and design activities that were undertaken to mark the school’s 25th anniversary.
Before the projects got underway, a bus was organised to bring the students to the school in order to meet the management and staff and finalise the delivery of the activities. The entire experience was avery positive one as it gave students and staff within the department the chance to work with children and teachers in the primary sector and also explore the interaction between different forms of media, language, history and culture. The students worked with great interest and enthusiasm developing activities for the children which included painting, mixed media, photomontage, shadow puppetry and video; stained glass, an interactive mural, printmaking and a site specific installation.
Acknowledging the history of the school was central to the entire collaboration – in particular its namesake Sean O’Riada - the celebrated composer who had a love of all types of music and was of course a noted gaelgeoire. The school is built upon the grounds of an old orchard site, which was donated from Wilton S.M.A. This environment was incorporated into some of the projects but most of the artwork took place indoors, with all the activities reflecting the schools motto ‘Mair go Mairir’ (‘Live that there may be life’), and its interest in Celtic legends, Cork history, culture and traditions.
The students were able to tap into their teaching experience from second level as well their experience of specialist art and design backgrounds Jane Prendergast which ranged from traditional disciplines of painting and textiles to performance and multimedia projects. This variety provided multi-sensory experiences for the children where visual, audio and interactive elements combined to motivate the children.
One of the most intricate activities was the photomontage project where hundreds of photographs of the children were adapted using Photoshop to tonally match an iconic portrait of Sean O’Riada. Another project using new media involved the creation of shadow puppets which were operated by the children and projected onto a screen and accompanied by character voiceovers. The outdoor installation proved to be very exciting as the trees within the school grounds were adorned with artefacts created by the children.
For the other projects, colourful scenes from the Children of Lir were painted onto jigsaw panels, various printing disciplines allowed the children to explore technical processes and expressive techniques, while a series of stained glass panels and an interactive felt piece based on O’Riada’s sheet music lent great colour and movement to the activities.
The collaboration project involved every child in the school as well as class teachers, management and the parents’ council. It is certain that the experience will sustain positive memories for both the children and student teachers for a long time to come.
16 News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design News from the Crawford College of Art & Design
Jigsaw project Music Notes Print Project (L - R) Janet Ellis; Eilbhe Donovan; (L - R) Geraldine Kieran; Amy Leary; (L - R) Lorraine Creed; Alice Cahill; and Sinéad Heir. Sylvia Nannig; and Oonagh Moriarty. and Caoimh Ryan.
Symbolic Tree
Stained glass Orla Galligan
Photomontage of Sean O’Riada
Shadow Puppetry
17 Exploring Electronics
In the fourth year of a unique cooperation between the Department of Electronic Engineering, CIT, and UCC, 43 Postgraduate Diploma in Education student teachers have just completed a six week introductory course to electronics.
The training programme is based on the ‘Exploring Electronics’ Transition Year Module developed at CIT with significant backing from the industry and is aimed at de-mystifying electronics in the second level classroom. It introduces the theory and practice of Electronics Circuit design through soldering and use of a computer simulation tool. The module includes links with the Junior Certificate Science Curriculum and aims to provide a useful resource that will support teachers who want to introduce their students to electronics in a very practical way.
The venture is backed by the Electronics and Microelectronics industry locally and nationally and in particular by Xilinx, the Cork Electronics Industry Association and MIDAS Ireland. Jerry Fitzpatrick, Chairperson of the CEIA Skills Group says: “We ABOVE: Dr Declan Kennedy, are delighted to support this initiative. Teachers Lecturer in Science play a key inspirational role in the lives of their Education, UCC, students and ensuring they have an enthusiasm speaking to the for electronics is one of the most effective means graduates of the of encouraging students to opt for electronic ‘Exploring Electronics’ engineering courses at third level.” course.
The course is made possible by the enthusiasm RIGHT: and cooperation between Dr Joe Connell and Attending their John Harrington of the Department of Electronic graduation of ‘Exploring Engineering in CIT; Dr Declan Kennedy, Lecturer Electronics’ were (L - R) in Science Education UCC; Deirdre de Bhailís CEIA, Laura Buckley, John Second-Level Physics teachers Rosemarie Ferriter Harrington and Lucy and Seán Finn and Noel Brett, Project Coordinator Sellmeyer. of the Science and Technology Teaching and Learning Centre which is a cross-institutional UCC/CIT project under the Strategic Innovation Fund Cycle 2. On the final night of the course, 27thJanuary, the teachers were presented with certificates of achievement from the Department of Electronic Engineering, CIT and a hardware kit to support the use of the module in their future schools.
For further information, please contact:
Deirdre de Bhailís, Cork Electronics Industry Association T: [email protected] M: 086 2228339
18 Business & Accounting Society Irish Students hosts Entrepreneur Bobby Kerr and Lecturers
The Business and Accounting Society welcomed Bobby Kerr, CEO of Beat off International Insomnia and investor in RTE’s television series Dragons Den, to CIT on the 10th March. Full to capacity, the Rory Gallagher Performance Theatre was the venue for Mr Kerr’s lunchtime talk on “Managing a business through tough Competition to Land times and other Dragon’s stories”. Prestigious Accolades Bobby Kerr spoke about his past achievements and shared business advice with the students and staff. He spoke about his struggles as a business man, CIT has been recognised for its high standard of teaching especially in the current economic climate and the challenges he encountered and training which resulted in CIT student Thomas Aherne in the building of his own business empire. Mr Kerr didn’t hesitate to answer achieving a Highly Commended Learner Award Certificate in questions that were asked by students and staff after the talk was complete. recognition of outstanding performance in Level 3 Certificate in Electrotechnical Technology. Known to many as the ‘friendly’ dragon, Mr Kerr gave a humorous and heart warming speech. He spoke about his investments that were made in the first The City & Guilds Irish Awards ceremony took place in series of the hit series of Dragons Den, the Irish version. He also divulged Dublin on the 25th February. Out of a pool of 1.8 million some undisclosed information about the second series currently running on potential winners across the globe, the Tánaiste and RTE. Chairperson of the Society Florin Keaveny said that “they were delighted Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary to host such a successful and high profile guest and hope that there will be Coughlan TD, presented City & Guilds Medals of Excellence many more to follow.” to 2 lecturers and 3 students from Ireland, and Highly Commended Learner Awards to 2 students in recognition of their exceptional work. The judges noted their achievements and dedication which made them worthy of recognition.
(L – R) Gerard O Donovan, Head, School of Business; Bryan Keaty; Florin Keavney; Samantha Minihane; Bobby Kerr, Killian Hughes and Caroline O’ Reilly, Head, Department of Accounting & Information Systems.
(L – R) Donal Neally, Lecturer, Department of Electrical Engineering with Thomas Aherne. 2nd Retirement Lunch for Staff who retired in 2007/2008
The 2nd Retirement Lunch to honour staff who retired in 2007/2008 was held on 12th March 2010. Retired staff and their guests were treated to a reception followed by lunch in the Institute’s Training Restaurant. Dr Paddy Caffrey, Chairman of the Governing Body and members of staff were also in attendance. President, Dr Brendan Murphy made a presentation to each retiree to commemorate service with the Institute.
The event was a most pleasant occasion which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Guests were able to mingle and catch up with one another while John Gibson, CIT Cork School of Music, entertained on the piano.
Staff who retired in 2008/2009 will be honoured in a reception later in the year.
Front row (L – R) Pat Sheehan; Margaret Walsh; Kay Condon; Len O’Hanlon; Dr Brendan Murphy, President; Dr Paddy Caffrey, Chairman Governing Body; Tom Rigney; Mary Gillis; Mary Somers; and John McHugh.
Back row (L – R) Christy Power; Brendan Goggin; Colin Nicholls; Tony Farrell; Dave Muldowney; Phil Mortell; Dáire Brunicardi; Dermot O’Mahony; and Bill Kilty.
19 News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF
Book Launch ‘Recognition 3rd Annual Work-Based of Prior learning – A Focus Learning Symposium – on Practice’ 5th May DIT
CIT leads two projects This seminar facilitated an open exchange of views and ideas from funded by the Higher across industry, the professions and educators. It was specifically Education Authority under aimed at those interested in learning more on how organisations the Strategic Innovation can support workplace learning and upskilling requirements. fund. The Education in Employment project which includes 7 Institutes of Technology and 2 Universities has made particular contributions in the area of Progression for Craft Certificate holders, Work- Based Learning and Recognition of Prior Learning. The latest report ‘Recognition of Prior learning – A Focus on Practice’ was launched December 2009 by the then Minister for Education and Science Batt O’Keeffe. The report is the result of an analysis of current and emerging practice in the areas of prior certificated and prior experiential learning and it succeeds in sharing specifics of practice and practical information on barriers and enablers. During The Roadmap for Employment-Academic Partnerships (REAP) the project timeframe all of the Higher Education partners have Project, funded through the HEA’s Strategic Innovation Fund, aims implemented or revised their RPL policy and considerable work has at developing a blueprint for partnership between Higher Education been achieved in advancing the understanding and support of RPL Institutions (HEI’s) and enterprises. REAP is led by CIT and among employers and employers’ representatives. comprises five other institutes of technology and two universities. By exploring existing examples of good practice throughout the project consortium and identifying enablers and barriers, a toolkit will be developed to facilitate engagement across the spectrum of potential partnership activities. The impact will be two-fold: HEI’s will be encouraged to improve their performance and to reform any systems that act as a barrier and enterprises will be encouraged to seek opportunities to engage through case studies and testimonials. Through the REAP project it is intended that enterprises will view HEI’s as key service providers and strategic partners.
To date, REAP has focused on a review of literature and practice and has facilitated a number of events exploring different aspects of partnership and partnership activities. From the HEI’s perspective the findings to date have shown that successful and sustainable Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT; Dr Margaret Linehan; Batt partnerships need “resources, relationships and realistic O’Keeffe TD, Minister for Education & Science; Irene Sheridan, objectives”. Head, Strategic Innovation Projects Unit; and Michael Delaney, Vice President for Development, CIT; at the launch of the Recognition of The key HEI enablers include: Prior Learning report, A Focus on Practice, edited by Irene Sheridan l Clear point of contact and good communication and Dr Margaret Linehan. l Flexible and responsive administrative procedures and processes l Integration and valuing of partnership activities at the core of the institution
The literature reports barriers in terms of perceived inaccessibility and inflexibility of the HEI in dealing with enterprise needs. However the experience of successful partnerships, reviewed through the project, has provided ample evidence that these barriers can be overcome. The absence of clear measurable goals is a feature of many of the partnerships considered and may be a barrier to sustainability.
The REAP project aims to develop a set of information gathering templates to further explore specific partnership activities which will yield rich information for HEI’s wanting to improve their engagement activities. The project will also focus on the other side of the relationship and the barriers and enablers within the external organisation. To date the evidence would indicate that larger employer organisations are better equipped to identify, seek out and respond to engagement opportunities.
20 News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF News from SIF
Report Launch ‘Learning SignificantREAP Needs Analysis in events to date:
Symposium on Partnership Models - 21 January 2009, CIT: Selected Employment Examples were presented to examine the mechanisms previously used to set up partnerships between the academic institutions and Sectors employers and to identify the opportunities for and barriers to the establishment of new partnerships.
This report was the result of a collaborative approach among the “We come from two very different organisational cultures with very partners where the current and future learning needs of a number of different ideas of what’s achievable and attainable” industry sectors of particular regional or strategic importance were considered. On the 15th December, the Report was launched at a Specialist Targeted Seminar – 28 May 2009, IT Tallaght: breakfast event in CIT by John Mullins Chief Executive of Bord Gáis. The seminar showcased examples of how employers, the institutes of technology and the universities have worked together to develop and deliver education and training solutions to meet the needs of the modern workplace.
“From the point of view of our partners, customisation provided them with a better more relevant course, people come off the course knowing specific information”
Work Placement Seminar – 18 June 2009, UCC: The seminar examined challenges and opportunities for undergraduate work placement in the changed economic environment.
Dr Margaret Linehan, Editor; John P Murphy, School of Business, CIT; “It is important that, even when the market place is tough, we continue John Mullins, CEO, Bord Gáis; Gerard O’Donovan, Head, School of to champion calls for placement and to promote it in every way we Business, CIT; Michael Delaney, Vice President for Development, CIT; can” and Irene Sheridan, Head, Strategic Innovation Projects Unit. Industry into Academia Symposium – 3 December 2009, NUIG: Jane Williams, CEO of Forfás opened this symposium on the different In the current economic climate it is recognised that opportunities partnership engagements between academia and industry from for workplace learners to upskill and reskill will be fundamental to employer perspectives. maintaining employability and profitability. As we strive to become a smart, knowledge-based economy it will be important to ensure that learners are provided with flexible, relevant, opportunities to build on their existing knowledge, skills and competence. Work Placement Seminar REAP aims to improve the engagement between academic institution and employers. One of the first steps in this developing 15th April 2010, UCC partnership is to identify learning needs of specific employment sectors and to respond to those needs in a flexible way. The The purpose of this seminar was to provide a forum for those working Learning Needs Analysis was undertaken in a collaborative way with in the area of work placement for undergraduate students (placement the Higher Education Providers working directly and systematically managers, placement coordinators, academics, etc.). Attendees with representatives of the workplace sectors. engaged in a series of guided discussions in an attempt to develop solutions to obstacles in the field, and established alternative paths for While the workplaces all placement programmes in the changed global economic environment. have discipline specific skills and competency Next Major Event: 23rd September 2010 requirements they all identify the need for In a day-long event planned for 23rd September 2010 a range of flexibility in course National and International contributors will explore the theme of development and learner Scope, Measurement and Management of Engagement or Third engagement including Mission Activities in Higher Education. It aims to invite decision makers Recognition of Prior from Third and Fourth Level education providers encompassing the Learning and Work- University and Institute of Technology Sectors and to explore through based Learning. The keynote addresses and panel discussions how this Third Mission of challenge is for education engagement in learning, research and innovation with organisations providers to work closely and communities can be advanced. with employers to anticipate and respond in Further information on the Education in Employment and REAP an agile and flexible way projects, and all project publications can be found at: to the evolving needs. www.eine.ie l www.reap.ie
21 India -January 2010 In a major development, CIT expanded and strengthened its strategic relationship with the University of Pune during a wide-ranging and very fruitful visit to India in January 2010.
The University of Pune (UoP) is one of India’s most respected and significant universities. It boasts a graduate student population of 6,000 and an undergraduate student population of 650,000 in its affiliated colleges. CIT and UoP signed a Memorandum of Understanding in April 2008 and in November 2008, the then Vice Chancellor of UoP, Dr Narendra Jadhav, invited CIT to participate in a joint bilateral research and innovation colloquium to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the founding of UoP.
In preparation for the colloquium, Dr Eamonn Cashell, Head of School of Science, led a cross-disciplinary organising committee in CIT that crafted the detailed colloquium schedule and industry engagement programme. The CIT organising committee engaged extensively with colleagues in UoP, led by Dr Arvind Shaligram. Clair Nadkar used extensively her network of contacts in Pune to ensure that the event was supported by the Ambassador of Ireland, Mr Ken Thompson, former Vice Chancellor Jadhav (now a member of the Planning Commission of India) and senior representatives of Pune’s educational and Lighting of the traditional lamp by His Excellency, Mr Ken Thompson, industrial sectors. Ambassador of Ireland to India, to inaugurate the colloquium.
The colloquium took place from the 18th - 20th January 2010 and focused on the theme of “Collaboration in Science and Technology”. A delegation of CIT’s senior management and research staff led by Michael Loftus, Head, Faculty of Engineering & Science, participated in a series of workshops, research presentations, lectures, laboratory visits and industry meetings with counterparts from UoP and the wider educational and industrial community to identify opportunities of mutual benefit to both institutions. A unique feature of this delegation was the involvement of Cork company Zenith Technologies Ltd., leading providers of automation and manufacturing execution system solutions to a range of industries, in providing significant support to aid the expansion of the relationship with UoP in line with its business development objectives in Ireland and India.
Michael Loftus states that “the result was a detailed plan of cooperation involving research collaborations, faculty and student exchanges and curriculum developments, alongside the fostering of an innovation ecosystem with an emphasis on converting research into commercial products and processes. Students at the CIT Information Presentation in UoP. Creating opportunities for students and opening up global markets for Irish companies is a major reason for CIT to develop close ties with India.”
22 Visit to Zenith Technologies office in Pune. Dr Ambrose Furey, Dr Eamonn Cashell, Dr Niall Smith, Dr Yashwant Gupta (Chief Scientist) and Dr Dabheda (Fergusson) at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics.
The main business of the joint colloquium Dr Helen O’Shea visited the National Institute of Virology (NIV), was conducted in two parallel groups: Pune, with Dr Roy Sleator and Dr Hugh McGlynn. They were introduced to Dr Mishra, the Director of NIV, who subsequently invited Dr O’Shea l Group 1: Physical Sciences, IT and Engineering to make a presentation to colleagues at NIV, a high honour as this l Group 2: Life sciences organisation has a significant record of research and publication since its opening in 1954. CIT and UoP participants gave 15 minute presentations around their respective areas of research to stimulate joint research opportunities. The CIT delegation also visited Fergusson College, a constituent college The plenary sessions on the second day were designed to draw of UoP. Fergusson College has 125 years of history as the flagship conclusions and agree outcomes. However, the visits to the research of higher education in Pune, with a distinguished list of alumni that laboratories and the meetings with individual researchers and includes two former prime ministers of India. Fergusson is a science- postgraduate students were key elements in building mutual confidence oriented institution affiliated to UoP and with which CIT has developed and stimulating joint thinking. links over the same period as with UoP.
Outcomes were very encouraging with the distinct likelihood of joint activity in areas that include: l Chemical and Herbal Sciences (Dr Ambrose Furey) l Virology (Dr Helen O’Shea) l Biological Sciences (Dr Hugh McGlynn) l Microbial Pathogencity (Dr Roy Sleator) l Bioinformatics (Dr Paul Walsh; Dr Hugh McGlynn; Jim O’Dwyer) l Biomedical Devices (Dr Sharon Kehoe) l Networking and Polymer sensors (Dr Jaswinder Singh)
Individual members of the CIT team took advantage of their visit to India to visit colleges and institutions other than UoP to develop additional relationships of potential strategic value to CIT.
Some of the activities that resulted are detailed below.
Dr Eamonn Cashell, Dr Niall Smith, Dr Guillaume Huyet and Dr Ambrose Furey visited the Zenith (Zentech) Technologies office in Pune. This Irish engineering services company was founded by Brendan O’Regan (Managing Director) who is a graduate of CIT’s Applied Physics & Instrumentation programme.
This group also visited the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) located on the UoP campus and the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics located in the countryside about 80 km from Pune. Dr Helen O’Shea with Drs Chitambar and Gopalkrishna at NIV, Pune. Michael Loftus, Jim O’Dwyer and Dr Paul Walsh visited the offices of NVidia and Imagination Technologies to review management and technical approaches used there.
23 The visit of the CIT delegation to Pune and other institutions across India consolidates the preliminary contact work of the earlier two visits in 2008 and has established a solid platform upon which to sustain strong linkages at the research and teaching levels over coming years. Joint research proposals have already been submitted and areas of cooperation identified in which both institutions can be of significant help to each other.
According to Dr Niall Smith, Head of Research, CIT, “a particularly significant development centres on a planned visit by staff from Pune to CIT to observe and better understand the way in which CIT researchers work closely with industry as part of an end-to-end innovation ecosystem. This includes a comprehensive understanding of how to translate research ideas to commercial reality, so that research activities are of direct economic benefit, a culture that has been at the heart of the vibrant research and innovation activity in CIT for the past twenty years.”
The key research areas that will be strengthened through the collaboration include photonics (the generation and detection of light, with applications in the next generation of internet devices), biologically active compounds (from diverse sources including herbs, with a wide range of medical applications), bioinformatics, sensor technology and biomedical engineering. All areas are of considerable importance to industries in both Ireland and India.
After the inauguration of the Research Colloquium, Michael Loftus presented His Excellency, Mr Ken Thompson, with a gift to mark the occasion.
(L- R) Dr Sharon Kehoe; Clair Nadkar; Dr Roy Sleator (behind); Jasvinder Singh (behind); Michael Loftus; HE Ken Thompson, Ambassador of Ireland to India; Guillaume Huyet, Dr Helen OShea; Hugh McGlynn (behind); Dr Pandit Vidyasagar, Director, BCUD; Dr Ambrose Furey (behind); Dr Eamonn Cashell; Dr A Shaligram, Convenor, UoP Seminar Committee; and Dr Vasudha Garde, Director, International Centre.
24 CIT Hosts SciFest 2010
On the 27th April, SciFest 2010 took place in the West Atrium at CIT. SciFest is a local one-day science fair held in third level colleges and open to all second level students. The SciFest Fair included a competition and exhibition of projects, a selection of science talks, science demonstrations in the college laboratories and a prize-giving ceremony. SciFest’s aim is to encourage a love of science through an investigative approach to learning and to provide an opportunity for students to display their scientific discoveries
Aimed at second level students, sixty-seven presentations were made on the day covering a broad range of topics from “Are Hair Straighteners Bad for Your Hair?” to “Are People Who Play Sports Smarter Than Those Who Don’t?”
The Winner of last year’s Senior Category at CIT SciFest was Richard O’Shea from Blarney who went on to win the Overall Young Scientist Exhibition earlier this year. Richard gave a presentation on his achievement in IT3.
Sheila Porter, SciFest National Co-ordinator presenting Amber Walsh, Abbott Runner-up Best Project Award went to Robert Gabriel, Scoil Kate Clerkin and Lana Murphy, Pobalscoil Na Trionoide, Youghal; with Mhuire gan Smál, Blarney for his project ‘Electronic School Bags’. the Best Project Award for their project ‘Development of Mechanical Pollinators’, with teacher Marguerite Coleman and Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar & Vice President for Academic Affairs, CIT.
The BT Best Communicator Award went to Blathnaid Ní Chleirigh, Ricky Michael Loftus, Head, Faculty of Engineering & Science, CIT; with Alex Roche and Caoimhe Ní Eidlin, Pobalscoil Na Trionoide, Youghal; for their Forde, Lisa O’Sullivan and Melissa Hegarty, St Mary’s, Macroom, with project ‘To Investigate the Arch Supports of Various Girls’ School Shoes their project ‘The Influence of Colour’. and Their Effect on Posture’.v
Kiara Henley, 4th year student at CIT; with Ronan O’Connor, Gavin Lane Amy Lee, Grace Kelleher and Ciara Cronin, North Pres GS, with their and Albert Akinterinwa, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig; on a tour of the project Forensics in CSI. Biology Lab during the SciFest 2010. 25 NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News
GAC launches unique training initiative in partnership with the NMCI
Training solutions to reduce physical, environmental and financial risk for seafarers and shore-based shipping personnel
In January 2010, GAC, the global provider of shipping, logistics and high-resolution images that are then interlinked to create a virtual marine services announced the launch of GAC Training & Service walk through environment for GTSS trainees - providing a previously Solutions Limited (GTSS), a new initiative that will provide innovative unseen system for viewing technical or remote physical assets. R2S and cost saving training solutions for the LNG and tanker markets, allows operations procedures, risk assessments, lessons learned as well as other commodity and maritime sectors. A joint venture and even assessment criteria to be linked and accessed onboard a between GAC and the NMCI, the partnership will provide expert vessel, platform or refinery. delivery of a portfolio of training courses for both seafarers and shore- based shipping personnel. The Irish Maritime Development Office welcomed the decision by GAC and NMCI to establish GTSS in Ireland. IMDO Director Glenn Courses will be available at NMCI and will be delivered by respected Murphy commented, “We are confident that this joint venture will names in maritime training, including Howard Candelet, the former significantly add to Ireland’s reputation internationally as a leading Vice President of British Gas LNG Services at BG LNG Services and centre for maritime training and excellence. We also are optimistic Nick de Spon, a former master mariner with over 40 years high level that this investment will lead to increased employment opportunities experience of the oil and gas sectors. and investment in the region.”
The training will empower and equip employees to provide safe and secure terminal and jetty operations, reducing the physical, environmental and financial risk synonymous with modern shipping and onshore services. GTSS courses offer a broad appeal with course modules ranging from safety and security to laytime and demurrage for terminal jetty operators. For those engaged in shipping and commodity operations, GTSS will provide course modules that include INCO terms, Bills of Lading, charter party and contract demurrage.
The courses are designed to provide unique “hands-on” training to ship owners, operators, managers, charterers and trading companies, oil, gas and chemical companies (on shore and off shore), terminal owners and operators, industry bodies, trade finance banks, insurance companies and P&I Clubs, cargo inspection companies and ship brokers.
Christer Sjodoff, Group Vice President, GAC Solutions said, “Education is key to the success of most companies and we are committed to providing our customers with first class courses, lecturers, materials and facilities. GTSS combines GAC’s global Brendan Keating, Chief Executive, Port of Cork; Michael Delaney, Vice President network, commercial contacts, knowledge and over fifty years of for Development, CIT; and Captain John Clarence, Head of College, NMCI. maritime expertise with the superb facilities of NMCI – the world’s most advanced maritime college.”
Sjodoff continued, “Our own internal GAC Corporate Academy has been operational for some years now and we can clearly see the impact it has had in improving our services to our customers and in motivating our people. We expect GTSS to do exactly the same for our customers.”
Conor Mowlds, Managing Director, GTSS, commented, “In challenging times, investment in human capital is crucial, as the opportunity for retuning and re-aligning skills and operations becomes increasingly pronounced. Ultimately, the launch of GTSS will empower our clients’ personnel to do their jobs better, supporting the quest for a continuously improving, safer and more professional maritime industry.”
A key feature of the GTSS courses is the use of virtual experiences created through the use of Return to Scene (R2S) digital imagery captured inside LNG shore tanks, ships’ tanks, the cargo manifold, CCR and other areas. Using highly specialised cameras never Naval Honour Guard of Honour for Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Derry Canty. before used for training purposes, R2S technology provides 360
26 NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News
NMCI receives Software Licences worth €190,000 from the Resources.ie Group
On the 21st April, the Resources.ie Group formally presented 22 Operating Licenses, by way of sponsorship, to the NMCI. The commercial value of the licenses is in excess of €190,000 over a 10 year period. The licenses will be granted to the NMCI free of charge. These licenses will be for its exclusive use, in perpetuity, by tutors and students in core Marine Engineering, Naval Architecture, and General Vessel Management courses. This sponsorship will complement existing systems within the NMCI. The handover of licences took place in association with a visit to the NMCI by Dr Chris Horn, President, Engineers Ireland.
The Resources.ie Group provides consultancy support to general industry in Ireland and the UK. Operating from offices in both Cork and Dublin, its product and service portfolio includes the Aveva Conor Mowlds, Managing Director, GTSS; Michael Delaney, Vice President engineering design and management software. for Development, CIT; and Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT; with the presentation plaque. Capt. John Clarence, Head, NMCI, welcomed the presentation of the licences by The Resources.ie Group and Aveva Marine: “Over the years of providing maritime training and education in Ireland and with the advent of the NMCI in Ringaskiddy, the reputation for training engineering and deck students to the highest level has gained at a pace. This reputation will be further enhanced by the opportunity now provided by Aveva through their software offer. I hope that training on this software will be integrated quickly into the various academic studies undertaken at the college, so that benefits can be taken not only by future engineering professionals but also by other maritime professionals attracted to undertake courses at the National Maritime College.”
Don J. Quinn, Managing Director, The Resources.ie Group formally handed over the software licences to the NMCI on behalf of Aveva.
His Excellency, Claes Ljungdahl, Swedish Ambassador to Ireland; Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT; Christer Sjodoff, Group Vice-President, GAC Solutions; and Cllr Derry Canty, Mayor of Cork County.
Back row (L – R): Conor Healy, Chief Executive, Cork Chamber of Commerce; Lieutenant Commander Willie Roberts, Irish Naval Service; Sandra Maher, President, NetworkCork.com; and Don Quinn, Managing Director, The Resources.ie group who are the sole agents for Aveva in Ireland.
Front row (L – R): Avril Quinn, Commercial Manager, The Resources.ie Board members Peter Cole; Paul Gallagher; Conor Mowlds; Erland group; Mel Smith, West EMEA Accounts Manager, Aveva; Capt. John Ebbersten; Christer Sjodoff; Dr Paddy Caffrey Chairman, Board of Clarence, Head, NMCI; and Councillor Derry Canty, County Mayor of Governors, CIT; and Michael Delaney. Cork.
27 NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News NMCI News
Pierre O’Reilly’s triumphant concert Pictures at an Exhibition
In March, NMCI lecturers attended former student Pierre O’Reilly’s triumphant concert “Pictures at an Exhibition” in the CIT Cork School of Music. Pierre obtained his qualifications as Chief Navigating Officer on board ships worldwide in the NMCI in 2006. He then made a career decision and left the maritime world for a career in music. Pierre is now a third-year student in the CSM and has already made a huge impression on the musical landscape of Ireland as a composer and musician. Pierre combined his concert with an art exhibition by Stephen Murphy. Pierre’s composition is based on a series of Stephen’s paintings. The magnificent work was lead by Pierre on piano and accompanied by the Cork Symphony Orchestra and the 37-piece CSM Choir. Although Pierre is no longer working at sea, the maritime influence was present in his work with hints of crashing waves, heaving swells and soaring choirs! Bill Kavanagh, Roddy Cooke, Pierre O’Reilly, and Peter Walter.
Search and Rescue Course
Photo shows Declan Geoghegan, Training Manager for Irish Coast Guard and Jean Kelly, HR Manager for the Department of Transport with students who completed a Standard SAR (Search and Rescue) course at NMCI in January. The 3 week long course was delivered by NMCI for the Irish Coast Guard. After the photo shoot, the crew of the helicopter took the students for a familiarisation flight around the harbour.
Maritime Research Conference Research Xposé
The first national maritime research conference was held at the NMCI on 4th December, 2009. The format was an xposé of research being undertaken at NMCI and other centres and departments in the greater CIT Institute. Ten young researchers presented their research findings in such diverse subjects as re-breathers, dredging materials usage and bio energy. One of the most topical presentation was an NMCI researcher William Lynn who presented his visualisation findings of flooding in Cork City, which given what happened in late November in Cork was very topical indeed (see page xx for further information).
The Registrar and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr Barry O’Connor opened the conference with a talk on collaboration and its benefits. Industrial representatives attended, including some naval VIPs from the U.S. who were very impressed by the standard and the general tone of the event. A tour of the college was conducted after the conference for those who had not seen the college before.
It is hoped that this conference can be broadened out and turned into a National Maritime Research Conference next year, with representatives from other like minded bodies and industry and eventually an international conference. The research office organised the event lead by Dr Niall Smith and ably assisted by Elizabeth Carroll-Twomey.
28 Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI
Conferrings @ NMCI 19 Feb 2010
Alexander Harwood and Pierce Maher were both awarded a BSc in Niamh Hennessy and Eoghan Bresnihan were both awarded a BSc in Nautical Science. Nautical Science.
Finnian McFadden, BSc in Nautical Science; with lecturer Roddy Cooke. Coiln Mullin, BSc in Nautical Science; with Lt Cdr Bran Fitzgerald.
Edmund Dwyer was awarded a BBus in Supply Chain & Transport Micheal Doyle, John Fenton and Clifford Hanrahan, all received a Higher Management, with daughters Aisling and Aoife. Certificate in Arts in Leadership, Management & Naval Studies.
29 Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI Conferrings @ NMCI
Pierce Maher, BSc in Nautical Science, being awarded the GPS Ireland Shauna Dolan was awarded a BEng in Marine and Plant Engineering. trophy by Katarina Bazelidesova.
Commodore Frank Lynch, Flag Officer Commanding Naval Service; Major General Sean McCann, Deputy Chief of Staff Defence Forces; Commander Martin Counihan, Associate Head of NMCI; Captain John Clarence, Head of NMCI; and Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT.
ACROSS 1 Systematise hoax conditional on last ploy (6) 4 Look around casually in a highbrow setting (6) 9 Can-do type – of seaman? (4) crossword 10 Poles might be what they fear (10) No. 13 Set by Cassa 11 Deposit gold in a carriage (6) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 12 Address requirement for type of 19 (8) 13 Fruit that might be blown (9) 8 15 Defence against maternity, for example (4) 16 Forbid drug – it leads to ruin (4) 9 10 17 Homeric attempt to type “slice”, perhaps (4,5) 21 Having done with sheep I get cut of smoked beef (8) 22 Sitting in an inn at evening is instinctive (6) 24 Stringed instrument of one-time art form (10) 11 12 25 Pinned down yet audibly comes in and out daily (4) 26 Go to extremes with 6 balls and a party (6) 27 Kitchen tray of composed type (7) 13 14 15
DOWN 1 Transport to Welsh lake for occult doctrine (7) 16 17 18 19 2 Type of lock, I’m afraid (5) 20 3 Permanent feature of match (7) 5 Rest, then sit again (6) 21 22 23 6 Fat crowd originally start to mix up hunting skills (9) 7 Deed men critically edited (7) 8 It’s trendy to grab for oneself but not proper (13) 14 Suit to fix mark of rank (9) 24 25 16 Well done to include now false courage (7) 18 Wild dream about artist following sound of bell (7) 19 It’s down to fate to let tyro be 7 (7) 26 27 20 It’s damned well mended! (6) 23 Born at a laager in South Africa (5)
solutions on page 99 30 Annual Former Business Students Talk On 2nd March, the Annual Former Business Students assignments and projects including one with food Talk took place in IT 3. This was organised by the producers Cully and Sully, with whom she won various Business and Accounting Society in conjunction with awards. She then decided to join IBEC’s Export Maurice Murphy, Lecturer in Marketing and Management. Orientation Programme and was posted to New York Speakers on the night spoke about their present varied with Tourism Ireland. Elaine’s task was marketing Ireland roles, what they have done since they left CIT and advice as a food island and exploiting its tourism potential. This they have for present students in these tough economic was a unique combination for which Elaine was ideally times. Three speakers gave their insights on how the suited. She then moved back to Cork, where she is now Business Degree has helped them advance their careers. studying for her PhD in Tribal Marketing in UCC.
Niamh Skally graduated from the Business Degree in Joe McGill gained his Bachelor Business Degree 2003. She gained a place with IBEC’s Export Orientation in 2004. He then went to study a Masters in Programme with Irish Distillers and was placed in Entrepreneurship in the University of Limerick. Here Joe Sweden. Niamh outlined the various marketing strategies honed his entrepreneurial spirit and skills. He gained she worked on marketing Irish whiskey and specifically employment in various banks including Hong Kong Jameson in a Nordic country. After a year in Sweden, Shanghai Bank and Societe Generale in Dublin. Joe also Niamh moved back to Irish Distillers HQ, where she again outlined how he toured Australia with his brothers in his worked on the marketing of Jameson. She then went band – Contraband, before assuming his present position to Australia and worked with American Express, before as a radio talk show host with Limerick West FM. Here taking up her present role as brand manager with Centra Joe hosts the daytime slot, as well as a weekly business in Cork. She outlined the marketing strategies and tasks show. she works on daily. The talk was attended by 200 students who gained a Elaine Doyle graduated with her Business Degree great insight that there is life after the Business Degree, in 2006. She had an interest in studying food business especially in these economic times. and went to UCC and studied for her Masters in Food Marketing. Elaine worked on various interesting
(L - R) Joe McGill (Speaker); Elaine Doyle (Speaker); Michael Walsh (Lecturer); Maurice Murphy (Lecturer); Bryan (Society Officer); Niamh Skally (Speaker); Killian (Society Officer); and Samantha Minihane (Society Officer).
Regina Flynn Graduates with a PhD
Last November, Regina Flynn graduated with a PhD in Philosophy, her supervisor was Dr Margaret Linehan, Department of Continuing Education. Regina is pictured here with parents Michael and Esther O’Flynn; sister Marie O’Flynn, Regina’s husband Fergus Manning and Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT.
31 Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News
Minister O’Keeffe Opens New Access Service
The Minister for Education & Science, Batt O’Keeffe T.D., officially opened the new Access Service on the 22nd March in the Student Centre, CIT Bishopstown Campus.
CIT Access Service undertook a comprehensive strategic planning exercise from October 2009 to February 2010. This together with a move into a new location within the Student Centre provided it with the opportunity to formally launch the Access Service to students and stakeholders.
Funding has been obtained from a number of different sources including the Department of Education and Science, Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Strategic Innovation Funding (SIF) to significantly augment the Access Service in CIT. In tandem with this, CIT has invested in new office and student reception accommodation for students availing of the service.
The Access Service will actively ensure widened participation to CIT among under-represented groups. The Service will lead the way in high quality, professional and responsive access provision. Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar and Vice President for Academic Affairs, This will be achieved through a strong commitment to education CIT; Batt O’Keeffe TD, Minister for Education & Science; Deirdre and social inclusion principles and by working in partnership with Creedon, Access Officer; and Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT. all key stakeholders.
CIT has for many years been involved in improving educational opportunities for under-represented groups. The Access Service is aimed at four target groups:
l Socio-economic Disadvantage; l Mature Students; l Students with Disabilities; l Ethnic Minorities including Traveller Community.
SIF and HEA Dormant Account Funding provided CIT with an opportunity to enhance access to education in Cork city. A joint proposal with UCC was approved and the Pathways programme was launched. The Pathways to Education programme aims to widen participation and increase access to higher education for learners at all stages of the educational lifecycle.
CIT Registrar and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr Barry O’Connor, said: “CIT drives a strong access to education agenda through its commitment to support for a wide range of educational access activities across the Institute, in second level schools, and in the community in general. Funding from CIT’s own resources, ear-marked funding from the HEA, private sector funding, including Bank of New York Mellon and Cork Chamber of Commerce, combined with enthusiastic support from CIT’s academic and administrative staff, has contributed to a greatly Minister Batt O’Keeffe TD with Access Service staff Sharon enhanced Access Service within CIT. Under the leadership of CIT Lawton; Sinéad O’Neill; Deirdre Creedon; Laura O’Rourke; Access Officer Deirdre Creedon and Disability Support Officer and Louise Bermingham. Laura O’Rourke, CIT is spearheading access to education initiatives for a wide cross-section of groups who, for a variety of reasons, were unable to benefit from the State’s huge investment in Third Level Education. The Office also co-ordinates initiatives to encourage more students to study science, and indeed to choose science as a career option, and is thus contributing to the development of Ireland’s ‘smart economy’.”
32 Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News
Bank of New York Mellon has once again provided funding to the CIT Access Service Bank of New York to run a Primary School programme for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. By engaging with primary school children, their parents and teachers, the child is enabled to ‘dream’ about their future and aims to raise aspirations and expectations of the Mellon Supports child, their teachers and their parents. The programme will be delivered in May and CIT Access Service June 2010. Over 200 children and 100 parents will participate on the programme. Bank of New York provided funding to the Access Service last year for a ‘Study and Sports’ Programme. Over 25 students took part on this programme. Young people Once Again engaged with staff and students from CIT through sport to explore the opportunities available to them at third level.
Lifelong Learning Festival
CIT organised a number of events as part of the Lifelong Learning Festival. Organised by the City Learning Forum, the Festival’s motto is to Investigate, Participate, Celebrate. The 2010 Festival was the biggest yet with more than 320 different events across the city. Deirdre Creedon was on the organising committee for the Festival. The programme reflected the huge variety of learning opportunities there are in Cork for all age group, interests and abilities. CIT Access Service organised Information Sessions on ‘Supports for students with disabilities’, ‘Parents Information Session’ and an ‘Open Morning for Mature Students’.
Open Morning for Mature Students
As part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Week, Mature Student Officer, Sinéad O’Neill organised a Mature Student Open Morning on the 23rd March 2010. Queries from prospective mature students have been flowing in since the beginning of the year expressing interest in various courses, and the attendance at this event certainly reflected this level of interest. Over 40 people attended the event in the Exhibition Centre, which began with tea and coffee on arrival and a general introduction to CIT and the range of opportunities available to prospective mature students. Participants were then given the opportunity to sample a choice of taster lectures in the areas of Engineering, Science and Social & General Studies. These were well attended and feedback was very positive from those who attended. Information was available and personnel were on hand to take questions for the entire morning, including Phil O Leary, Recognition of Prior Learning; Pat Dillon, Department of Continuing Education; and Susan Varian, Admissions Office. Tours of the campus were provided by Student Volunteers from the Access Awards Programme.
33 Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News
Disabilities and College Access Award Technologies that Assist, Programme Volunteer Access and Supports Programme for CIT Students
As part of the Lifelong Learning Festival The CIT Access Award is a special volunteer initiative for Laura O’Rourke (Disability Support CIT Students. The CIT Access Officer) and Carmel Hennessy (Assistive Service enlisted over 20 high calibre volunteer students to work Technology Outreach Worker, based in CIT on CIT Access initiatives. Each delivered a session on “Disability & College: student was given training prior to commencing on the programme. Technologies that Assist, Access and Supports”. The Access Award Programme requires each student to commit to 10 hours of project work over Carmel Hennessy talked about some of the implications the course of one Semester. This work could include school visits, role associated with disability and specific learning difficulties and model sessions, student shadowing sessions, home work clubs, etc. suggested some technologies that can help overcome some of At the end of the academic year and on completion of the 10 hours, the challenges associated with the learning environment. Carmel the Access Award student will be presented with an Access Award also demonstrated a number of technologies for the group, such Parchment. as literacy software programmes, software and equipment to aid student with a visual/hearing impairment. All the students and educators present showed great interest in the demonstrations and the equipment that Carmel showed them, as many students Progression Scheme stated they were not even aware such equipment existed. Some of the students at the seminar also said that it would definitely make third level education or higher education seem much more for Linked Schools accessible to them. The Progression Scheme for Linked Schools is a supplementary There were two student speakers present, who delivered admissions scheme to CIT for school leavers from 9 Cork City Schools. informative and thought provoking talks on their own experiences CIT has had links with these schools through the CIT Access Service at second level and the support they received/did not receive for the past number of years. Although our pre-entry programmes have there. They also spoke about the difference between third level emphasised progression opportunities and the benefits of studying at and second level supports and how much more seems to be third level, the numbers of students progressing from these schools into available to students in higher education than there seems to be programmes in CIT are still low. There is widespread evidence which at second level. shows that socio-economic disadvantage can have a negative impact on educational achievement at school and on progression to higher Laura O’Rourke delivered a talk on accessing higher education education. and the supports that are available to students once they have accessed third level. Laura spoke about the newly launched CIT will make available 30 places for Progression Scheme participants. DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) and gave Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to apply for information around how to apply through DARE, what DARE programmes of study in CIT on a reduced points basis. The Institute will was and who it applies to. Laura explained the various forms provide post entry support for the participants in the form of induction and reports required and why they are needed. Detail was given and orientation, academic supports, educational guidance and where on how CIT Disability Support Service works and what happens possible, financial assistance. once you are registered with the service. Laura spoke about supports that are available to students who have accessed third level education and how these supports are implemented, as well as funding issues.
Ruth Murphy (Disability Facilitation Administrator) also gave information to the students and educators present on Exam Accommodations for students with Disabilities and how they are implemented in CIT.
The seminar was a great success and all who attended gave very positive feedback in regard to the seminar, as well as CIT, as a third level institute. Many thanks to all involved for their efforts and making the seminar such a success.
34 Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News Access Office News
Animation Workshop
Access Service and Media Communications Department Collaborate
A group of second-level students from various schools around the county enjoyed a one-day Animation Workshop which was organised by Carmel Hennessy, Assistive Technology Outreach Co-ordinator with the Access Service. Brian Doyle, Department of Media Communications, recently facilitated an exciting creative day for the students who all contributed to the production of three short animated films. For many of the students, it was their first time in a third level institution and the opportunity to experience a day as a third level student was greatly appreciated. The students experienced story-boarding, modelling, filming and producing, in one of the Media Communications Department up-to-date labs. The students were impressed with the facilities available and, with animation being a very topical subject, perhaps a few budding creative professionals have been born!
35 CIT Prize for Innovation 2010
On the 19th March, Entrepreneurs showcased their businesses during the CIT Prize for Innovation exhibition where a total of €10,000 was awarded to the winning entries. The Cork County and City Enterprise Boards sponsored the competition and in addition to the cash prizes, a perpetual cup will now be on display in the Department of Mechanical Engineering for the next twelve months.
The adjudicators were very impressed with the quality of the work that was evidenced from the business plans and display stands. The judges found it difficult to come to a decision on the winners and felt that everyone who participated showed elements of enthusiasm and creativity that are required to start a business.
There was an additional element to the CIT Prize for Innovation. Second level students from a number of schools around the city and county participated in exhibition and presented their businesses under the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme.
Prize Winners
1st Prize and coveted title of CIT Entrepreneur(s) of the Year €4,000
Business Name: Hydrostack Department: Mechanical Engineering Student Name: Laurence Barry Supervisor: Richard Guinee
Most Technically Innovative €2,000
Business Name: Tip Top Department: Mechanical Engineering Student Names: Daniel Henderson, Jonathon Howley, Ronan O’Donoghue, Aidan Vaughan Supervisor: Michael J O’Mahony
Best Business Plan €1,000
Business Name: Keep Me Close Department(s): Electronic Engineering and Business Studies Student Names: Colm Harrington, Juan F Martiez, Allanah Bates, Gary Cashman Supervisors: Finbarr Sheehan
Best Presentation Pitch €1,000
Business Name: Mobalift Department Mechanical Engineering Student Name: Sarah Lindsey Supervisor: Seán F O Leary
Most Emerging Space Award (instead of postgrad award)
Business Name: MMODL Department: Computing and Business Studies Student Names: James O’Sullivan, John Twohig, Kathryn Burguin Supervisor: Finbarr Sheehan
Best Exhibition Stand €1,000
Business Name: Ez BaR Department: Mechanical Engineering Student Names: Barry McKenna, Damien O’Flynn, Rian Edman, Conor Nevin-Maguire Supervisor: Seán F. O’Leary
36 Laurence Barry, Mechanical Eng, CIT; 1st prize and Entrepreneur of the Year for his project Hydrostack; with Dave Cody, Cork City Enterprise Board; Cork Person of the Year Conor Buckley, Keynote Speaker; Dr Richard Guinee, Supervisor; and Seán O’Sullivan, South Cork Enterprise Board.
Jonathon Howley, Aidan Vaughan, Daniel Henderson, Mechanical Eng, Ronan O’Donaghue CIT; team member and Aidan Vaughan, of Tip Top. team members of Tip Top, Most Technically Innovative prize winners for their project for a chalk-less cue-tip; with Dave Cody, Conor Buckley and Seán O’Sullivan
Sarah Lindsay, Mechanical Eng, Best Presentation Pitch Juan Martinez, Alannah prize winner for her Carey- Bates, Gary project Mobalift; with Cashman and Colm Dave Cody, Seán Harrington, Electronic F O’Leary, Conor Engineering and Buckley, and Seán Business Studies, Best O’Sullivan. Business Plan prize winners for their project Keep Me Close, an alert system to prevent USB-key loss.
James O’Sullivan Barry McKenna and John Twohig, and Conor Computing, prize Nevin-Maguire, winners for Best Biomedical Eng Innovation in an and Mechanical Emerging Space for Eng, Best Exhibition their project MMODL, Stand winners for a computer framework their project E Z Bar, for the development of an automated beer on-line games. pouring device.
37 Cork Schools Enterprise Programme
The CIT Prize for Innovation also incorporates the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme – a local enterprise initiative involving second level students from Cork City and South Cork. Transition Year students from various schools around the City and County participated at the event by presenting their mini companies, which they set up and operated during the year under the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme.
The Programme offers second level students in Cork the opportunity to set up and run their own business while still at school. Students take a business from the idea stage right through to completion, experiencing all the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. It offers them an invaluable opportunity to build an entrepreneurial mindset, learn about working as part of a team and explore possible career paths for the future.
For more information on the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme please visit www.studententerprise.ie
Team members from Christ King GS; Best Business Presentation and Best Overall Company, Cork City, for their project Starstruck, a Musical Comedy entitled Bullies Anonymous; with Yvonne O’Neill, Schools co-ordinator, Cork City & South Cork Enterprise Boards; Brian Gill, Teacher; Cork Person of the Year Conor Buckley, Keynote speaker; and Seán O’Sullivan, South Cork Enterprise Board.
38 Greg Chambers, Rebecca Johnston, Katie McCarthy and Ruth O’Callaghan, Midleton College; Best Innovation and Best Overall Company, South Cork, for their project Perfect Plastics, a new type of liquids bottle to prevent bacteria, at the Prize for Innovation showcase & awards ceremony, incorporating the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme.
Leslie Coughlan, Josh Tawadros and James Griffin, Midleton CBS; Lauren O’Reilly, Deirdre Kelly and Rebecca McGovern, Coláiste Muire, Best Display Stand prize winners, South Cork, for their project Crosshaven; with their project Lockdown on Litter, a board-game for Hurlring, hurley key-rings in county or club colours. primary school aged children.
Meritxell Gavalda Manso, Laura Magee, Andrew Thomas and Dominic Koenig, Coláiste Muire, Crosshaven; Best Business Presentation prize winners South Cork, for their project H1N1 4 no 1.
39 CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News
Guys and Dolls – the definitive“feelgood musical”
The definitive feelgood musical,“Guys and Dolls,” was the first fully staged musical to be performed at CIT’s Cork School of Music Stack Auditorium. It opened on the 24th February for four performances only, directed by John O’Connor, who also conducted the 30 piece CIT CSM Concert Orchestra, “Guys and Dolls” which featured such classic numbers as ‘Luck be a Lady’ and ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat.’
Kieran McCarthy as Nathan Detroit, joined by Daniel Harrington as Sky Masterson, tangled with the seedy New York underworld as they tried to find a location for an illegal crap game, constantly thwarted by Sgt. Brannigan, played by Gerry Kelly. Ciaran Bermingham played Nicely-Nicely Johnson, joined by Robert Craig as Big Julie, Laoise O’Hanlon as Sarah Brown and Deirdre Bashford as Adelaide and newcomers Paul O’Connor, John O’Duffy and Kelly Lonergan in fantastic cameo roles as the colourful inhabitants of 1940’s Broadway.
Glittering choreography by Amy Prendergast, showcasing the Hot Box Chorus Line and Cubano Salsa Dancers, complemented the fantastic score of this spectacular musical which has won numerous Tony Awards, Golden Globes, and even an Oscar nomination, during its sixty year history.
40 CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News CSM News
TG4 Gradam Ceoil for 2010 Congratulations to Seán McKiernan
The prestigious TG4 Gradam Ceoil for 2010 was awarded to Seán McKiernan. Seán is a lecturer in piano and uilleann pipes at the CSM. This award is one of the highest accolades bestowed upon Irish traditional musicians today. Seán joins the ranks of great traditional musicians who have been awarded this gradam in the past and is seen among his peers to be a worthy recipient. Seán has gained the respect and honour of the traditional music fraternity throughout Ireland and beyond.
Jerry Creedon visits the Trieste Conservatory of Music, Italy
CSM Guitar Lecturer Jerry Creedon visited the Tartini Conservatory of Music, Trieste, Italy from 22 – 24 March 2010 as part of the Erasmus Teacher Exchange Programme.
Jerry gave Masterclasses to students from far afield as Macedonia, Romania and Italy, as well as giving a Concert in the elegant Aula Magna, Trieste. He received a great reaction to his performance, especially to his own arrangements of Irish Music. His Italian colleague Per Luigi Corona already visited the CSM in January 2010. Trieste was once the noble port of Austria, and it looks like Vienna-by-the-Sea. The Irish writer James Joyce lived in Trieste sporadically for about seven years, wrote most of Ulysses there, gave English lessons, and fell in love with one of his students. The Triestini themselves are taller than most Italians, and paler, and rather laconic. It is a businesslike city, with an air of solidity and prosperity.
Top European Award
Mairéad Hickey, a violin student at CSM, has been awarded the “Primo Premio Asoluto” at her category, under 14, at the 1st International Young Musicians Competition Prize, ‘Antonio Salieri’ in Legnago Verona, Italy. Mairéad, who is 14 and from The Lough, Cork city, studies Violin under Adrian Petcu at CSM, was chosen by a jury of five musicians.
During her visit to Italy, Mairéad was invited to a second level school in Verona where she played classical music and traditional tunes to students of similar age. Mairéad returned to Italy on 19th May and performed in the Gala Concert in the Antonio Salieri Theatre, Legnago.
Mairéad, a second year student at Mont Mercy, first began learning violin in CSM at age 3 using the Suzuki method and has been studying with Adrian Petcu since she was 7. Equally adept at classical and traditional music, Mairéad has music in her genes, her grandmother, Máire Hickey, was a traditional fiddle player from Arklow who moved to the UK in the 1940s.
41 CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News
continued from page 5 Over the two years of the programme almost 30 businesses were trained in various elements of good environmental practice, with 18 achieving award status. Many of the businesses were small high street businesses, though there were a number of larger SMEs also involved.
Energy Saving Award for Outputs from the programme include a number of case studies which Second Level Schools are available for download from the CTC website at www.ctc-cork.ie.
Clean Technology Centre (CTC) is currently implementing an exciting new environmental award in Ireland. The European Energy Saving EU Waste Related Research Awards (EESA) is designed to promote energy awareness and best practice in second-level schools and among their students as part of CTC has been engaged by a consortium on behalf of the European the IUSES project (www.iuses.eu). Commission (DG Enviroment, Unit G2 - Sustainable Production & Consumption) to join the high level project: Assessment and guidance The Award was open to all second level schools and students in for the implementation of EU waste legislation in Member States Ireland (and several other countries) who wish to apply. Awards have (ETAGIW). two consecutive stages: the National Awards (awarded in June 2010) and the European Awards (October 2010). There are three categories The project lead partner is BiPRO GmbH, (Munich) and other partners of award: Schools, Individual student/group of students and Videos/ include Umweltbundesamt (UBA) (The German Federal Environment Multimedia (single and/or group). The Irish winners of each category will Agency, Dessau-Roßlau), Bio Intelligence Service (BioIS) (Paris) , go forward to the European Awards. Ekotoxikologické centrum (Bratislava), WRc (Swindon), and Enviroplan (Marousi, Greece). There has been strong interest in the awards, which are generously sponsored by Bord Gáis. CTC will lead the workpackage on developing new guidelines for provisions under the major new EU Waste Framework Directive. This For further information please contact CTC: will include specific guidance on new separate collection and recovery W: www.ctc-cork.ie; T: 021 4344864; and/or E: [email protected] requirements, the revised waste hierarchy, end of waste criteria, by- products, the mixing ban, and other definitions within the Directive. CTC is also providing input to the Guidance being developed by BiPro on the definition of incineration of municipal waste as energy recovery Energy Training for Teachers when certain energy efficiency requirements are met. and Transition Year Students Another feature of the IUSES project (www.iuses.eu) is the development CTC Work in Health Sector and piloting of training materials for transition year students on energy management. Three manuals (on energy matters relating to buildings, CTC continues to expand the range of its sectoral approach. Apart transport and industry) have been produced for this project as well as a from its further expansion into the 2nd Level (IUSES) and 3rd Level teacher’s guidebook and powerpoint presentations for teachers to use (GreencampusCIT) educational sectors, its work with tourism (Green in the classroom - all available for download from the website. Hospitiality Award), and with public administration (LAPD, LAPN, see opposite page) CTC is now also extending its work into the health Energy related experimental kits have also been provided for schools sector. and this has been generously sponsored by Bord Gáis. There are two kits which comprise several interesting and useful tools for Already, a number of prevention activities have been initiated in demonstrating energy related lessons including: insulation material this sector. These include some pioneering work carried out by (to build a ‘house’), a desktop wind turbine, with an associated fan the EPA Cleaner Greener Production Programme (CGPP (www. to provide ‘wind’, an anemometer to measure the air velocity and cleanerproduction.ie)) in Sligo, and by Monaghan County Council equipment (lights, buzzers, etc.) to meter the energy produced. as part of their Local Authority Prevention Demonstration (LAPD) There are further items to demonstrate the benefits of solar energy: programme (www.ctc-cork.ie/lapd). solar thermal panels and photovoltaic apparatus, materials to build solar powered miniature cars; etc. A multimedia CD-ROM which The success of these initiatives has led to the EPA facilitating technical complements the more traditional written material is also being provided assistance to three hospitals in Cork, in order to build up prevention to the schools involved. capacity and an improved environmental management structure. This technical assistance is being provided by the CTC. 23 second level school teachers from 20 schools around the country have been trained by CTC on this subject and shown how to use the To date, the focus has been on waste (food waste, risk waste, general experimental kits. All these schools have received the free experimental and recyclable waste and other hazardous waste), water (surveys), kits and copies of all the teaching and support materials. A blog and and energy with some interesting results. One hospital has developed discussion forum has been set up for them to give CTC feedback on an excellent method of segregation for food waste and for cardboard. these and other resources and to share experiences in their usage. There is a very good level of co-operation and interest across all staff, Smaller kits have also been sent to a further 20 schools to facilitate with great knowledge of where improvements can be made from staff training transition year students in this important subject. on the ground. CTC has identified several more improvements and these are being initiated. Macroom EcoBusiness Programme It is hoped, in the future, to expand this programme to an increasing number of hospitals. It is also planned to produce, in consultation with CTC has developed a range of Macroom EcoBusiness Programme hospital staff, training materials and guidance for better management of case studies as part of the Macroom EcoBusiness Programme (full risk waste, recyclables, hazardous waste, and food waste. Guidance name: Pilot Programme for Establishing a Regional Eco-Business materials could include booklets, leaflets, posters, powerpoint materials, Recognition Mark). This project has been implemented by CTC with materials on the internet etc. The findings and learnings from previous Macroom-e (http://www.macroom-e.com/) as part of an Environmental programmes could then be shared among many other hospitals in Protection Agency funded STRIVE research project into the applicability Ireland. of a local environmental award scheme in towns in Ireland. 42 CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News CTC News
National Food Waste Initiative
CTC continues to implement the national STOPFoodWaste programme. This was initiated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2009 in response to the mounting problems associated with food waste and also to provide comprehensive information on all aspects of composting at home.
When people think of food waste they invariably think about mouldy cheese, stale bread and brown bananas. Why we have these wastes and how we can prevent them are rarely thought of and this is a key aim of STOPFoodWaste– education about preventing food waste at source. STOPFoodWaste aims at helping Irish people become more aware of the impacts of food waste, and how to prevent them - for their own financial benefit, the benefit of the local environment (through reduced organics going into landfills etc.) and for the global environment as well.
The programme, funded under the EPA National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP), is aimed at the public but also as a support mechanism for local authorities. Since it began, CTC has facilitated over 40 local authority staff in attending training sessions about the prevention of food waste and how best to compost in the home. In addition, a master composter volunteer programme was set up in Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon. This involved over 30 local participants being trained in the various forms of composting and setting up a demonstration site for public awareness raising. It was the focus of Ecoeye on RTÉ Television recently and has got great press nationally. Now that the volunteers have been trained they are going back out to their communities around the county and helping individuals and groups in setting up and maintaining their composters.
This year the programme will continue to work with local authorities and communities all over Ireland. There are pilot schemes being run throughout the country on all aspects of the prevention of food and garden wastes and the master composter scheme is to be extended to 3 more areas nationally.
For more information check out the website www.STOPFoodWaste.ie
LAPN
The CTC has been appointed by the Environmental Protection Agency to manage and provide technical assistance to the Local Authority Prevention Network (LAPN). Following on the successful completion of the Local Authority Prevention Demonstration (LAPD) Programme, in 2009 the Environmental Protection Agency have continued to provide prevention related assistance and support to local authorities in Ireland under the Local Authority Prevention Network (LAPN).
Already, 12 local authorities from across the country are receiving financial support from the EPA, technical support from the CTC and are active on prevention based projects – where RETHINK is replacing Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as the best option.
LAPN will be a key component in continuing to build capacity in local authorities for the promotion of resource efficiency and waste prevention at a local and grassroots level for the benefit of their localities, Ireland and our fragile planet - with CTC in a central role.
Participating Councils include Carlow County and Kilkenny County (in-house activities and SMEs); Cavan County (in-house activities, the ‘greening’ of the Fleadh Cheoil 2010 which is being held in Cavan town, leisure centres, and small business); Cork County (a business based initiative (modelled loosely on the Macroom-e project) which will be undertaken in South- East Cork); Galway City and County Councils (in-house activities, a business initiative in Tuam); Limerick Clare Kerry Regional Waste Management Office (‘Event’ management including Limerick City Horticultural Centre, Cliffs of Moher Visitor’s Centre, Killarney National Park, Thomond Park and Milford Care Centre); Monaghan County (continuation of the previously successful LAPD programme with businesses and in-house activities, hazardous waste on farms, hospitals); Wicklow County (a detailed examination of food waste in a number of canteens and pubs).
Based on the projects proposed by the participants, CTC has established two main Working groups. These are the ‘Events’ WG and the ‘Food Waste’ WG. Regular meetings, web fora and discussion boards are facilitated by CTC.
With the help of CTC expertise, local authority personnel can build up capacity in these fields – with the eventual aim being a core expertise and competence within the country. Future planned WGs include ‘local eco-labels’ for business, and possibly ‘healthcare.
For more information log on to www.localprevention.ie.
43 Three Innovact Student Laureates 2010 announced in Reims
Finals of the European Student Innovation Awards
On the 2nd – 3rd March, from a large Europe-wide entry and 28 short- listed European Finalists competing in Reims, the three Innovact 2010 European Innovation Student Laureates were announced:
Cecille Schomollgruber - Stereolabs - France Eric Hogner - Windflip – Norway Xiao Fang Zhang - Med-O-Ware™ - Ireland
The Innovact 2010 Award Winning Med-O-Ware™ project is concerned with the design and development of a novel Medical Infusion System Air Bubble Extractor and is being carried out in conjunction with Cork University Hospital.
The Med-O-Ware™ team comprises: Xiao Fang Zhang, BEng in Mechanical Engineering and Peter Sullivan, Michelle Bouse, Carmel Linehan, BBS in Information Systems.
Xiao Fang Zhang with the Innovact Student Laureates 2010 Award.
William Holland wins 2nd place in
SOFE Paris 2009
On the 28th November, 2009, the results of the Paris 2009 Speak Out for Engineering Awards were announced by Mr Justin Kendall, Chairman of the distinguished International Adjudication Panel of Industrialists and Academics.
First Place Overall and Outright Winner: Catherine Marshall, EOLE Renewable Energy Systems - Mediterranean, Avignon, France. Catherine Marshall and William Holland “Wind Energy in France” at the SOFE Paris 2009.
Second Place Overall and First Undergraduate Student Project: William Holland, Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland. “Design and Development of an Innovative Sports Footwear Outsole”
Mechanical Engineering student William Holland’s award was based on submission of a written paper and project/prototype presentation before the expert panel of judges on his self-devised and patented final year capstone project on “Meta-SolTM - Outsole Design for the Enhancement of Support and Performance in Sports Footwear”.
Congratulations to William and supervisor, Dr Hugh O’Donnell.
44 TH Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & 24 Biomedical Engineering Exhibition SUSTAINABILITY IN ENGINEERING - EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
Ireland’s largest Educational Engineering and Innovation Event with over 170 stands took place on the 29th April 2010 in the Nexus Courtyard, Student Centre, Cork Institute of Technology.
Michelle Tobin demonstrates her Biomedical Engineering Project on Inhaler and Space Holder Design and Development TH Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & 24 Biomedical Engineering Exhibition
Felicity Aylieff and Takeshi Yasuda visit the Crawford
Minister Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources addressed the large exhibition audience.
Ireland’s largest Educational Engineering and Innovation Event with over 170 Stands took place on the 29th April 2010 in the Nexus Courtyard, Student Centre, Cork Institute of Technology.
The 2010 Exhibition Theme was “Sustainability in Engineering - Education and Research”. The Sustainability theme was particularly appropriate in view of the inaugural display of the new CIT Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Sustainable Energy Final Year Capstone Projects. Centrepiece Exhibits 2010 also included the Energy Engineering Group, the Wind Energy Group, Green Campus CIT, the Clean Technology Centre CIT, Engineers Ireland, the Medical Engineering Design and Innovation Centre (MEDIC), The Rubicon Centre, the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Management Systems (CAMMS) and a major display of International/National Student Awards in Engineering Innovation, Design & Entrepreneurship. Minister Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and Mr Martin Lowery, President Elect, Engineers Ireland, both attended and addressed the large exhibition audience in a highly entertaining presentation ceremony for graduates of outstanding achievement. Admission to the exhibition was free with funding provided by 20 Industrial Sponsors.
William Murray’s Project on Finite Element analysis and testing of Tibia carried out in conjunction with MEDIC attracted a great deal of interest throughout the exhibition. Exhibition Theme: Sustainability in Engineering - Education and Research
President Elect Martin Lowery presented the Year 2010 Richard Hale Memorial Award to Vera Cahill, Outstanding Biomedical Engineering Graduate.
Charles Dwyer, recipient of the Tim Sexton Memorial Award, and his father Tom Dwyer with Minister Eamon Ryan. Charles is the Co-founder of Lowflo. TH Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & 24 Biomedical Engineering Exhibition
Felicity Aylieff and Takeshi Yasuda visit the Crawford
David Irwin; Ciaran Connolly; and John Caplice; with a scale model of their Sheet Lifting Station.
Bord Gais Computer Estimation Programme for Pipe Lengths by Fiona Hedderman, final year Mechanical Engineering.
Hands On Dental Drilling Research demonstration by Jonathan Bible, Collapsible Scooter design and development by David final year Mechanical Engineering. Chandler, Shane McDermott and Martin Evans. Exhibition Theme: Sustainability in Engineering - Education and Research
Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Management Systems (CAMMS) attracted significant public interest.
David Cronin demonstrates his Capstone Biomedical An excellent display of the Clean Technology Centre Engineering Project on the Assessment of the Injectability by Tadhg Coakley, Projects Manager, CTC. Bone Bonding Capacity of Modified Surgical Splineplex. TH Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & 24 Biomedical Engineering Exhibition
Felicity Aylieff and Takeshi Yasuda visit the Crawford
ESB Networks Electric Vehicle and Charger - President Brendan Murphy, Greg Robins of Carra, John O’Donoghue, ESB, and Minister Eamon Ryan. Students Robert McGowan and Robert McMahon’s project is Electrical Vehicle Development in Ireland.
3D Bovine Teat Sensing System development and testing in conjunction 3D Profiling - Wheel Cleat and Tool Wear Analysis with Teagasc was carried out by David Kelleher. by Joe Doran and Seán Garvey.
Aerodynamic Properties demonstration rig development Alan O’Riordan, George Osborne, and Paul Skelton by Alan McCarthy and Oisín Hegarty. demonstrate the Development of a Catheter Drainage Bag Alarm in conjunction with Cork University Hospital. Exhibition Theme: Sustainability in Engineering - Education and Research
Ian Burton, Catriona Burke, Laura Beausang and Michelle Batt with their project on Optimisation of Scoliosis Brace in conjunction with St. Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital.
Domestic Chimney Heat Extraction Device Hydrostack development by Laurence Barry - CIT Prize for Innovation Winner. TH Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & 24 Biomedical Engineering Exhibition
Felicity Aylieff and Takeshi Yasuda visit the Crawford
Fadie Sakka and Audrey Mannix demonstrate Festo Robotino design and development.
Gavin Murray, Niamh O’Callaghan, Ross McKeown and Tom Nason Gas Turbine Instrumentation and Analysis was demonstrate the development of an Insert Mould for Ultrasonic Transducer undertaken by Jove Lachman-Curl. Protection in conjunction with Cork University Hospital.
Onshore and Offshore Wind Farms comparative analysis. Design and development of HHO Generator demonstrated by Alan Walsh and Eoin O’Tuama. Exhibition Theme: Sustainability in Engineering - Education and Research
Four Wheel Drive Wheelchair development demonstrated to Minister Ryan.
Conor Barry demonstrates his project on Contact Lens Detection in Pulse Jet Engine design and development by Tim Thurneer, Donal Ahern, conjunction with Bausch and Lomb. Niall O’Driscoll and David Lewis.
Plate Metal Lifting Device development by John Caplice, David Irwin Patrick O’Neill with his Airflow Extraction project. and Ciaran Connolly. TH Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & 24 Biomedical Engineering Exhibition
Felicity Aylieff and Takeshi Yasuda visit the Crawford
Woodchip Briquette Manufacture undertaken by Robin Holbein, High Byrne and Andrew Cotter.
Amanda Creane and Derek O’Brien with their Rally Hydraulic David Curtin with his Stress Analysis & Fatigue Handbrake design & development project. Behaviour of Partial Denture Clasps project.
Niamh Mannion, Gary Leahy and Ann-Marie Horan with their Paul O’Sullivan, Tristan Lacroix and John Tobin with their IV Cannula Protection project. Cul Vision project. Exhibition Theme: Sustainability in Engineering - Education and Research
Felicity Aylieff and Takeshi Yasuda visit the Crawford
Richard Scanlon and Jimmy O’Mahony manning the De Puy Ireland stand, which proved a great success.
Mechanical Engineering Project on Wheelchair Drive design by Thomas Power, Laura Queen, Jason Richards and David Swanton. TH Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & 24 Biomedical Engineering Exhibition
Charles Dwyer and Vera Cahill, recipients of outstanding achievements awards.
YEAR 2010 INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION SPONSORS
Enterprise Ireland Centre for Advanced International Electricity Supply Board Manufacturing and PM Group Power Generation Management Systems DePuy Ireland Schering-Plough (Brinny) SR Technics Airfoil Services Bord Gáis PSE Kinsale Energy Cork City Council Hyperion Energy Systems Irish Oxygen Co. Ltd. Boston Scientific Cork Jones Engineering Group M/A-Com Technology Novartis Ringaskiddy Irish Distillers Solutions Eli Lilly S.A. - Irish Branch Cork County Council BAM Civil EMC Information Systems Annual Cork Mechanical, Manufacturing & On 20th April, CIT Innovative Student Engineer of the Year (Level 7 CIT Innovative and Level 8) 2010 took place in the Séamus Murphy Theatre IT4. Biomedical Engineering Exhibition The adjudication panel: Student Engineer Barry Leach, recently retired Head, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Chairman; Bob McLaughlin, recently retired Managing Director, BMD, Mechanical Engineering; Michael O’Driscoll, Contracts Manager, of the Year Sorensen Construction Ltd., Structural Engineering; Deirdre de Bhailís, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Career Promotion, Cork Electronics Industry Association, CIT and UCC, Electronic Engineering.
(Level 7) 2010
First Place Student Prizes: Winner Jack Bermingham Title: Wave Energy Research and Development in Ireland €200 Industrial Partner: Research and Development Second Place €100 Supervisor: Tom O’Connell € Finalists 50
The winner and second placed Second Place Finalist students go forward to the short- John Caplice, David Irwin and Ciaran Connolly. listing process to represent CIT Title: Sheet Lifting Station at the Siemens Engineers Ireland Industrial Partner: Spirofeed Ltd Innovative Student Engineer of the Supervisor: Bernard O’Callaghan Year (Level 7 and Level 8) 2010 Award competitions in June.
Congratulations to all the finalists, Third Place Finalist the Judges and all involved in the Seán Lordan organization of the event on a most Title: Evaluate the Use of a Wind Turbine and a Solar Panel to inspirational and highly enjoyable produce a Power Supply engineering innovation showcase. Industrial Partner: Research and Development Supervisor: Fergus O’Reilly A particular word of thanks to Kieran O’Callaghan, International and National Award Winner, who undertook exemplary work throughout the night in aiding the students to set up their presentations and displays. (Level 8) 2010
First Place David Kelleher We wish the selected Title: Development of a 3D Teat Sensing System Industrial Partner: Teagasc CIT representatives Supervisor: Dr Michael J. O’Mahony all the best on the national and indeed Second Place Finalist international Laurence Barry Title: Design and Development of an Innovative Domestic engineering stage. Chimney Heat Recovery Product Industrial Partner: Research and Development Supervisor: Dr Richard Guinee They are accompanied by the judges left to right in all photos: Michael O’Driscoll, Contracts Manager, Sorensen Construction Joint Third Place Finalists Ltd; Barry Leach, recently retired Graham Doyle Head, School of Electrical and Title: Small Scale Waste Water Treatment Plants Electronic Engineering, Chairman; Industrial Partner: Research and Development Bob McLaughlin, recently retired Supervisor: Leonard O’Driscoll Managing Director, BMD; Deirdre de Bhailis, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Career Brian Connolly Promotion, Cork Electronics Title: The Civil and Structural Design of Wind Farms Industry Association, CIT and UCC, Industrial Partner: Research and Development Electronic Engineering; Supervisor: Donogh Coleman
57 Tánaiste launches new report on Entrepreneurship Education
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, l Despite some initiatives, industry report’s findings and recommendations will Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan engagement with the third level sector is contribute greatly to the work underway in TD, has launched a major new report on neither widespread nor intensive; my own Department on the development of a entrepreneurship education in Ireland. Titled National Entrepreneurship Strategy, which we Entrepreneurship Education in Ireland – Towards l Entrepreneurship education is under- will publish in 2010.” Creating the Entrepreneurial Graduate, the report resourced and lacks an articulated strategic investigates the current state of entrepreneurship policy; The SIF ACE project has worked to develop education in higher education in Ireland. a range of educational programmes aimed l Higher education institutions need to adopt at creating entrepreneurial graduates. These The report was researched and written by a framework to embed entrepreneurship include: the Higher Education Authority (HEA) funded education across all disciplines; Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) Accelerated l Student entrepreneurship intern Campus Entrepreneurship (ACE) consortium – l Experiential learning, not theory based programmes; an innovative collaboration between CIT, Institute lectures, will most benefit entrepreneurial of Technology Blanchardstown, Sligo Institute of students. l Modules at various levels to develop Technology and NUI Galway. The consortium is and grow entrepreneurial mindsets and led by Dundalk Institute of Technology. Welcoming publication of the report, the behaviours; Tánaiste, Ms Coughlan said: “Central to Examining practices across almost the entire maximising the job creation potential of our l New undergraduate and postgraduate third and fourth level sector in institutes of investment in the smart economy is the fostering programmes in entrepreneurship in technology and universities, the SIF ACE of a new entrepreneurial culture in Ireland. Key engineering and technology areas as well initiative aims to develop a range of educational to achieving this is ensuring that, through our as non-business disciplines such as care programmes that will create entrepreneurial approach to education and training across all education and biomedical engineering. graduates who can generate indigenous levels, we empower our workforce with the employment or deliver benefit to employers of confidence and skills set necessary so that The ACE project also aims to create a forum for all kinds. each individual can be considered a potential the sharing of knowledge and experience in the entrepreneur. The GEM Reports have shown field across all institutions. Key findings of the report suggest that: Ireland to be one of the most entrepreneurial countries in the world so we are building on a At a presentation to Presidents and senior l 78% of undergraduate students surveyed strong foundation. We must continue to work in personnel from across the sector before the expressed an interest in starting their own strengthening this base, tackling obstacles such report’s launch, Professor Paul Hannon, Director business at some point in future; as the fear of failure and further embedding a of Research and Education at the National wider societal appreciation of the importance of College for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) l Entrepreneurship education is not readily entrepreneurship.” in the UK, stressed the critical importance of available to all students, is fragmented and visible leadership in successfully embedding delivered mainly only in business schools; “The analysis contained in this report is an entrepreneurship education across higher important first step for our third and fourth level education. He also highlighted the need for the l There is a lack of communication about, institutions in identifying the gap that exists development of an entrepreneurial culture in the and visibility of, entrepreneurial supports between the current reality and where the sector among management, academic staff and and policies; sector needs to be in terms of entrepreneurial students at a time of diminishing state funds. education. I welcome the report’s practical l There is insufficient joined-up thinking recommendations as to how this gap is between institutions, academics and narrowed and on how to further build bridges practitioners; between academia and the enterprise. The
Paul Gallagher, Vice President for Finance & Administration, CIT; Tánaiste and Minister for 58 Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan TD; and Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT. Students strive Towards Creative Entrepreneurship
From the outset the students worked in small multi-discipline, multi- national groups generating business ideas with a view to developing new products and services in the creative industries sector to sell to paying customers. Students learned by doing through a series of interactive lectures, group discussions and workshops. They also carried out market research to identify target markets and negotiated with suppliers and retail outlets throughout the process. “It was amazing to see students from different creative disciplines and nationalities developing new products and services and being challenged to put coherent business plans and sales and advertising pitches together. The programme called on all of the students’ talents and required them to undertake all tasks with limited resources,” commented Gerard O’Donovan, Head, School of Business, who led the CIT delegation and taught on the programme.
A group of CIT students travelled recently to Finland to take Business ventures established in the limited time frame included: a furniture restoration company, a multi-lingual book and CD for children, part in an innovative, EU-sponsored programme of study a t-shirt design company and a greeting card company focusing on aimed at encouraging a culture of entrepreneurship among alternative ‘Valentines Day’ cards. students from a range of creative arts disciplines. Other CIT staff making the trip were Emmett Coffey, Department of Entitled ‘Towards Creative Entrepreneurship’, this Erasmus Intensive Media Communications, who taught on the programme and Margaret Programme was hosted by the University of Applied Sciences in Lahti, Mulderrig, International Office, who organised the logistics for the trip. Finland and brought together students from 6 European countries with the stated aim of promoting business acumen and entrepreneurial Despite the cold weather – temperatures were consistently below -20°C, know-how among students intending to pursue careers in the creative students also visited local entrepreneurs in the region and learned industries. networking skills and strategies to enhance relationships. But ensuring it wasn’t all work, the Finnish hosts organised a full schedule of social and This two-week programme of intensive study and practical learning cultural activities arranged for the students in the evenings. allowed the 40-plus students to share experiences, points of view and learn together about entrepreneurship and business planning. Gerard O’Donovan said, “It was a very positive experience for students that focused on learning by doing and they also gained credits towards The ten CIT students, hailing from the Bishopstown campus, the CIT their programme of study for taking this Entrepreneurship module abroad. Crawford College of Art and Design and the CIT Cork School of Music, Many of them have also made important new friendships”. came from a wide range of courses of study including Art, Music, Multimedia, Business, Business Information Systems, Ceramics, and CIT will host the ‘Towards Cultural Entrepreneurship” programme Graphic Design. They joined thirty students from similar backgrounds next year , so watch on the streets of Cork for students with a range from Finland, Estonia, Norway, UK and Russia for the twelve day of different accents pushing the business boundaries with creative, programme. innovative products and services.
Pictured above: Back Row (L - R) Mary Petrie, Mary O’Leary, Sinéad Fagan, Kevin O’Connor, Triona O’Reilly, Thomas Mannix, and Alannah Carey-Bates. Front Row (L - R) Amanda Neary, Therese Newman, and Avril Crotty. 59 CIT Prize for Innovation 2010
Ireland Homecoming Study Programme
In attendance at the launch in Washington (L to R) Hugh Cooney, Chairman, Enterprise Ireland; Michael Loftus, Head, Faculty of Engineering & Science, CIT; an Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD; Gerry Murray, CEO, IoTI; and Miriam Ryan, Senior Executive Officer, IoTI.
On the 16th March, an Taoiseach, Brian rate for non-EU students. According to the between the Irish diaspora and modern-day Cowen, TD, launched a unique initiative in Emigrant Advice Network (EAN), there are over Ireland, as well as providing members of the Washington DC to provide the Irish diaspora 3.1 million non-resident Irish passport holders diaspora with the opportunity to experience with an opportunity to study in Ireland’s system living outside of the EU currently. irish culture at first hand. This initiative is of higher education at discounted fee levels. expected to generate an estimated €10 million This initiative has its origins in the recent for the Irish economy and attract over 500 The Ireland Homecoming Study Programme Farmleigh Global Economic Forum and was students over the next three years. (IHSP) aims to encourage the children, developed by collaborating IoTs with the grandchildren and great grandchildren of Irish strong support of the Presidents of the IoT Gerry Murray, Chief Executive of Institutes nationals and non-resident passport holders, sector through IoTI (Institutes of Technology of Technology Ireland (IOTI) said: “We living outside the European Union, to return Ireland, www.ioti.ie). In addition to CIT, intend that this exciting new programme to Ireland for their higher education studies. seven Institutes of Technology (Athlone, will generate a new crop of goodwill Under current arrangements, children of Irish Blanchardstown, Carlow, Dundalk, Galway/ ambassadors to promote Irish commerce citizens, who are Irish citizens themselves, are Mayo, Sligo and Waterford) will take part in and culture worldwide. The eight institutes in required to pay the full fee levels applicable the pilot programme this year, supported by this pilot scheme have been carefully chosen to non-EU residents, as residency rather Enterprise Ireland. for their academic range and excellence, than citizenship is the deciding factor in research reputation, and cultural and social determining one’s college fees. The IHSP will As well as providing access at very affordable infrastructure. It is a win-win opportunity for offer qualifying students a reduced fee level of fee levels to undergraduate degrees or shorter ambitious students and for Ireland.” €5,950 per annum for selected courses, which courses in Ireland’s leading technical colleges, is up to 40 percent less than the standard this initiative also aims to strengthen ties
Department of Continuing Education Students graduate with MBS Degrees
27 students graduated with MBS degrees from the Department of Continuing Education from various work disciplines. Pictured here: Catherine Lanigan Cummins, MBS Accounting; Dr Angela Wright, Research Supervisor; and Angela O’Sullivan, MBS Marketing.
60 School of Business Gaisce Awards to host 13th Annual The Gaisce - President’s Award is Ireland’s very own National Challenge Award. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Irish Academy of the Gaisce Award and Christine Nolan (currently a member of the Chaplaincy/ Student Support Team) received her Gold Management Conference Award from President Mary McAleese on the 12th April in Dublin Castle. Four other members of the society also achieved awards this year; Silver Awards were presented to Mary The School of Business will host Last year’s conference successfully Sheahan; Aoife Gleeson; Elaine Patrick; and Karen O’Sullivan. the 13th annual Irish Academy of introduced two new Academy Elaine and Karen are now continuing with their Gold Awards. Management Conference in CIT award categories. First, the from 1-3 September 2010. The Irish Distinguished Contribution to The Award is made up of three different levels – Bronze, Silver Academy of Management is the Management Award was presented and Gold. Each type has four different personal challenge areas leading professional association for to Dr T.K. Whitaker, and is now that must be completed to earn an award, and each level has management studies research and known as the Irish Academy of different requirements for the challenge. education in Ireland. The Academy Management Whitaker Award. The was formed in 1997. The purpose of second category, Fellowship of the the Irish Academy of Management Academy, acknowledges individuals is to promote the advancement of for their distinguished contribution to research, knowledge, and education academia and to the development in the field of organisation and and growth of the Irish Academy management studies. itself. Nominations have already been accepted for this year and the The theme of the 2010 conference recipients will receive their awards is ‘Renewing the Management during the conference. Research Mandate’. This theme was chosen because of the This year the conference will have a significant challenges presented in large number of tracks catering for managing during times of financial a broad range of research topics. A crisis, economic downturns and prize for the best paper in each of prolonged recession. Researchers the tracks, in addition to an overall are provided with an opportunity best paper and best postgraduate Silver awards presentation: to test, extend, or develop paper, will be awarded and prize- Back row (L - R) Stephen Peers, Gaisce School Liaison Officer; management theory while making winners will be announced at the Mary Sheahan; Aoife Gleeson; Edel Dullea; and Patrick. G. a clear contribution to management conference dinner on Thursday, 2 O’Callaghan, Gaisce CEO. Front row (L - R) Elaine Patrick; practice in these turbulent times. September. Brian Crowley MEP; and Karen O’Sullivan The conference provides an opportunity for new and established The conference chair is Dr Margaret researchers to share their research Linehan who may be contacted at findings with academics and [email protected] for further practitioners in order to offer some information. solutions to overcome current difficulties.
Christine Nolan was presented with her Gold Gaisce Award by President Mary McAleese.
Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT; presenting Gaisce Silver Awards to Aoife Gleeson and Mary Sheahan; at the Annual Student Societies & Activities Awards Ceremony held on the 22nd March, Dr T.K. Whitaker 2010. 61 There is always something special about attending Societies having a a CIT Society Ball. Years after graduation, the ball nights are events we cherish as being the most Ball and raising money memorable of our college years. This year was no exception, and thus far the CIT students have been for Charities treated to three fantastic nights to remember.
On 10th February, the annual ‘Business & Accounting, Tourism & Hospitality’ ball took place in the Rochestown Park Hotel. The event was a sell out (1500 attending), with 300 students enjoying a four course meal joined by a further 1,200 students for the after dinner entertainment. The Big Generator was the thrilling live band for the night as the students flowed into the Estuary Suite to hear live versions of all the latest hits. Two floors of DJ’s entertained the crowd until 2am. Invited guests in attendance included Damien Courtney, Head, Faculty of Business & Humanities, Gerard O’Donovan, Head, School of Business; Brian McGrath, Head, Department of Management & Marketing; Caroline O’Reilly, Head, Department of Accounting & Information Systems; Adrian Gregan, Head, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Studies; Dan Collins, Head, Careers and Counselling Service; and Paul Gallagher, Vice President for Finance/Administration.
Caroline O’Reilly, Brian and Angela McGrath at the Business & Accounting, Tourism & Hospitality Societies Ball.
Paul and Karen Gallagher at the Business & Accounting, Tourism & Hospitality Societies Ball.
Stephen Buckley and Grace Finn at the Business & Accounting, Tourism & Hospitality Societies Ball.
The annual ‘Pick n’ Mix’ masquerade ball caters for students from various disciplines in the Institute. Held on 4th March, also in the Rochestown Park Hotel, the event provided a welcome break for the student from their academic studies. To the classical melodies of the Delta String Quartet, 250 guests were seated for the four course meal including Jim O’Dwyer, Head, Department of Computing. Over 700 students attended the after dinner entertainment, arriving at the event in complimentary buses from the Bishopstown campus at 10pm. The main entertainment on the night was the electric J90 cover band who hit all the right notes and played all the latest popular songs.
Elaine and Gerard O’Donovan at the Business & Accounting, Tourism & Hospitality Societies Ball.
62 Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls
Mervyn O’Mahony and Edel Dullea at the Pic & Mix Societies Ball. John Power and Laura Kearney at the Schemers & Mech Eng Societies Ball.
Suzanne Creagh, Mai Twomey and Evelyn Robinson at the Pic & Mix Emma Walshe, Sinéad Moroney and Denise Cronin at the Schemers & Societies Ball. Mech Eng Societies Ball.
The ‘Schemers and Mechanical Engineering’ Paddy’s ball held on March 16th in the Silver Springs Moran Hotel, was a ball with a twist. In celebratory form for our patron saint, the students were styled in 40 shades of green with hats, face painting and balloon- making for all. The evening’s entertainment also saw a significant societies input, the DJ Society hitting the decks into the early hours. Downstairs in the Regency Suite the main band for the evening was J90. In keeping with the St. Patrick’s Day theme they played classic Irish rock songs as well as a modern mix. Over 1,400 students and invited guests attended including Damien Courtney, Head, Faculty of Business & Humanities, John Clarence, Head, National Maritime College of Ireland, Dr Eamonn Cashell, Head, School of Science; Jim Walsh, Head, Social and General Studies; Daithí Fallon, Head of Manufacturing, Biomedical and Facilities Engineering; Dr John Woods, Head, Department of Chemistry.
Making this year’s societies balls even more remarkable was raising money for charities. The GOAL ‘Haiti Earthquake Appeal’ was the primary beneficiary receiving €2,000. Fifty cent from each ticket sold was donated to the cause. The cloakrooms for the events were also run by CIT Societies SUAS, Simon and Headway, which raised Lisa O’Driscoll, Ciara Harman, Shane Quirke, Noreen Twomey and Alison significant amounts for their respective worthy organisations. Moran at the Schemers & Mech Eng Societies Ball.
Societies Officer Mervyn O’Mahony was impressed by the huge On 22nd April, the annual CIT Crawford College of Art and Design input of the Student Societies Committees in organising each event. Masquerade Ball was attended by over 100 students which took “There is a tremendous amount of preparation work that goes into place at the Imperial Hotel. After dinner, Jack Hickey (Chairperson each event. From selling tickets to ensuring that everything on the of the Urban Art Society) addressed those in attendance. After the night goes smoothly. It’s a pleasure for me to work with and help speeches, the informal side of the evening commenced with headline such talented young students”. act ‘JABA’ entertaining the students until 2am.
63 Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls Societies Balls
Ken O’Shea and Aisling Cullinane at the Pic & Mix Societies Ball. Christine Butler and Deirdre Conroy at the CCAD Masquerade Ball.
Niamh Healy, Paul Sutton and Hazel Hutchinson at the CCAD Emma Glyn, Carolann Nash, Amber Broughton and Sinéad O’Neill at Masquerade Ball. the CCAD Masquerade Ball.
In April, the final Society Ball took place in the Imperial Hotel. The CSM with a `Casino Royale’ theme was attended by over 100 students and invited guests. After dinner, Avril Crotty (one of the main organisers) addressed those in attendance. After the speeches, the informal side of the evening commenced with headline act `The Aristocrats’ entertaining the students and also a DJ until 2am.
Aoife Sadlier, Mary Sexton and Amelia Valentine at the CSM Ball. Aurin O’Brien and Claire Heffernan at the CSM Ball.
64 Students present €2000 to Goal Haiti Fund 2010 as Societies & Activities Awards announced
The Awards Ceremony for all eleven awards were presented, six Recipients Student Societies & Activities, Individual Awards and five Group Awards. which was sponsored by Bank of On the night, a cheque for €2000 ‘Society of the Year’ International Students Ireland, took place in the Tourism which was raised by CIT Societies was Society presented to John O’Shea in aid of the & Hospitality Building. The Student ‘Best New Society’ Urban Art Society GOAL ‘Haiti Earthquake Appeal’. ‘Most Improved Society’ LGBT Society Awards ceremony was initiated to highlight Societies and individual ‘Best Event’ Photographic Society – Award winners included the multi-cultural “Vertical” members who have made an International Student Society who during ‘Best Course-Based Society’ Business & Accounting outstanding contribution to the year organised a blend of cuisine at Society extra-curricular life at CIT. their International Dinner event as well as trips to Belfast and Galway amongst ‘Supreme Achievement in At the ceremony, Dr Brendan Murphy, many others. The Vertical Event, which Society & College-wide Activities’ President, CIT, presented members earned the Best Event accolade for Brien Mullins – 3rd year Computing from each Society with Certificates of the Photography Society involved a Merit. Dr Murphy acknowledged the Photographic Exhibition with a difference, ‘Individual Award’ contribution made by Societies to the on view on campus on the corridor Karen Buckley – 2nd year Business Studies overall experience of student life, “while ceilings. Ciara O’ Flynn – 2nd year Fine Art applying oneself to one’s studies is Richard Crowley – 2nd year Business Studies extremely important, involvement with The Annual Supreme Achievement in Brian Westfall – 3rd year Business Information Systems Societies contributes to the development Society and College-Wide Activities Jennifer Cotter – 4th year Social Care of the whole person.” Dr Murphy Award is presented to a student who continued, “Participation helps to develop has excelled above and beyond the skills which are sought after by potential duties of a committee member. This employers, for instance, communication year, the Award was presented to Brien skills, team playing and initiative.” Mullins, Chairperson of the Floppy Soc. Brien has a strong sense of community Mervyn O’Mahony, Societies Officer said and a commitment to supporting fellow he was pleased that CIT has a chance students. Brien exemplifies dedication to honour those who contribute so and his contribution in terms of hard work much to CIT within Societies across all and commitment has been invaluable. four campuses. “We have a wonderful student scene here at CIT with Societies CIT has 42 Student Societies and the that range from course-based such as importance of Student Societies, as a Business & Accounting to college-wide source of enjoyment, enlightenment and Societies such as Music & Film.” opportunity for like-minded individuals to Guest Speaker John O’Shea, GOAL; receives a donation get together, is recognised every year at to GOAL from Aoife Kelliher, Societies Office; Dr Brendan Special Guest, John O’Shea (CEO of this Awards Ceremony. Murphy, President, CIT; and Mervyn O’Mahony, Societies GOAL), presented the main awards. In Officer.
(L-R) Gearóid Buckley, President, CITSU; Rose Coughlan, Bank of Ireland, Sponsor of the Awards; Guest Speaker John O’Shea; Brien Mullins, Chairperson Floppy Soc, and recipient of the Supreme Achievement in Society and College-wide Activities Award; Dr Brendan Murphy, President, CIT; and Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar & Vice President for Academic Affairs, CIT.
65 Societies Awards Societies Awards Societies Awards Societies Awards Societies Awards Societies Awards Societies Awards Societies Awards
Karen Buckley, Individual Award, Chairperson, Dance Society. International Students Society, Society of the Year Award.
Urban Art Society, CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, recipient of the Brian Westfall, Individual Award, Chairperson, LGBT Society. Best New Society Award.
Business & Accounting Society, recipient of the Best Course-based LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual & Transgender) Society, recipient of the Society Award. Most Improved Society Award. The LGBT Society went on to win the 2010 Board of Irish College Societies, National ‘Most Improved Society of the Year’ Award at a Gala Ceremony which took place in Athlone, 14th April.
Photographic Society, recipient of the Best Event Society Award for its event ‘Vertical’.
Jennifer Cotter, Individual Award, Headway Society.
66 Dramathon in the Rory Gallagher Theatre
Ciara Irwin, Sarah McCarthy, and Jessica Twomey in the Mystery of the Vanishing Food. Over the course of a sunny weekend in April shouts of excitement and sounds of applause rang through the hall of CIT as the Rory Gallagher Theatre played host to a marathon drama event. 120 young actors aged 6 - 14 years of age, took on the mammoth task of performing ten plays in 24 hours!
The East Cork actors from Glounthaune, Glanmire, Little Island and Carrigtwohill, worked hard during rehearsals with their teacher Gráinne Murphy. Their hard work certainly paid off. The standard of the performances was exceptionally high and the thunderous applause was echoing around the theatre long after the performances had finished.
The plays in question spanned a range of themes and topics and provided great entertainment, and in some cases food for thought, to a packed theatre. The younger students dramatised their own versions of a number of popular children’s stories. While “The Mystery of Murder at the Manor” was a spoof of the classic English murder-mystery and “The Tragic Tale of Count Dracula” provided the audience with an alternative glimpse at the traditionally vicious vampire. The older actors and performers undertook challenging plays on a range of themes including bullying, environmental awareness and teenage suicide. My Mother Always told me...
“The theatre in CIT is an ideal venue for our Dramathon, and we are exceedingly grateful to CIT for their support in staging the event,” commented Gráinne Murphy. “For many of these students, this is their first time to stand on stage in front of a packed audience. The Rory Gallagher Theatre is just the perfect venue for them; it is what they call a “proper stage” without being too intimidating or overwhelming. All of the children are already looking forward to returning again next year.”
This year’s “Dramathon” was performed to raise money for two worthy charities - i-to-i’s International School Building fund in support of a group of young Irish students who will travel to Nepal in the summer to build schools, and Community Timebank which supports projects in the Glounthaune/Little Island area. All monies raised will be donated to these two organisations.
Rubbish
Aladdina
67 Brobdignag
During April, the Photographic Society held its latest photography exhibition in the James Barry Exhibition Centre. The Exhibition, entitled ‘Brobdingnagian’, showcased work by seven students, Laura Kacinauskaite; Sarah Radwan; John Power; Dave Rees; Seán F. Murphy; Catherine Hussey; and Treasa Foley - who have concentrated on the CIT campuses for their inspiration.
The title of the exhibition ‘Brobdignag’ refers to the land of the giants visited by Gulliver in his travels, as described by Swift. The photographs were in A1 size, and subjects included transforming students to fit the vision of the photographer, taking everyday objects like gnomes and skateboards and looking at them from a different visual perspective. The Exhibition was a great opportunity for students, staff and the public to see some of the extra curricular work from the students and no doubt raised a few eyebrows, posed a few questions and stirred some thoughts with the students’ unique take on life in general. You can check out the society’s website on www.citphotosoc.com
Sarah Radwan John Power Dave Rees Treasa Foley Seán F Murphy Catherine Hussey Laura Kacinauskaite
68 media communications media communications media communications media communications media communications media communications
Successful Branding Seminar in CSM
‘Know your brand, know what it stands for and communicate this clearly to your audience’. This was one of the key messages communicated at the recent branding seminar held in the CIT Cork School of Music.
Entitled ‘Stand Up and Fight: Promoting and Managing the Munster Rugby Brand’ the seminar was jointly organised by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) and CIT’s Media Communications Department and featured a keynote address by Glyn Billinghurst, Munster Rugby’s Sales and Marketing Manager, who gave a fascinating overview of how the Munster brand has been cultivated via, among other things, its supporters’ club and sponsorship and merchandising opportunities, and the steps it must now take to capitalise on its hard-won success.
Tom O’Sullivan (H&A Group), Fiona Murphy (Munster From its earliest years, Munster Rugby was a club with ambition. With professionalisation of the Rugby), Edel Sweeney, Emmett Coffey (Lecturer, Dept sport, however, it readjusted its targets and set its sights on an altogether bigger prize – that of of Media Communications) and Katie Dowling. Edel turning itself into a brand with formidable national and international status. and Katie are students on MA in Public Relations with New Media programme. Glyn was partnered on the night by Diageo’s Sponsorship Manager, Rory Sheridan who outlined Diageo’s relationship with Munster, how and why it was developed, and how it fits in with Diageo’s own brand management strategy.
Chairing the evening seminar was Anne Marie O’Sullivan, Director of H & A Marketing Group and O’Sullivan PR, and Chair of the Public Relations Consultants Association.
In excess of 60 people attended on the night, including staff and both undergraduate and postgraduate students at CIT. Also in attendance were various PR and Marketing professionals from throughout the Cork region. The evening also allowed current students and graduates of the Higher Diploma in Public Relations and the Master of Arts in Public Relations with New Media, and Masters in Business Studies to network with industry representatives. Gerry Davis (Chief Executive of the PRII) pictured with students Cathal Naughton and John Hobbs (Dept of “It was a successful evening for all involved and we hope this will be the first in series of seminar/ Marketing and Management) and Krystal Schlauch, workshops organised by the Media Communications Department in conjunction with the PRII Toni O’Keeffe and Claire O’Donovan (all students of Southern Region Branch”, commented Emmett Coffey, Co-ordinator of the Higher Diploma and the Higher Diploma in Public Relations, Dept of Media Masters programmes in Public relations in the Media Communications Deptartment. Communications). Postgrad Students Get Industry Sponsorship
Students of the Masters in Public Relations with the use of new media technologies specifically Cyberculture, as well as Public Relations New Media received a boost from industry when within the context of Public Relations and Theory and Application and Media Writing. Blacknight Internet Solutions provided a suite corporate communications strategies. Having The new course was devised to meet the of commercial hosting packages to assist them access to real world products directly within the changing needs of those wishing to pursue in their educational development. The internet learning environment improves the students careers in the public relations and professional hosting company is 100% Irish owned and a understanding of the possibilities recent media communications sectors. Much of the focus major player in the domestic and international technologies bring to the PR industry and helps of this new course aims to equip students with market offering web services to the commercial support a smoother transition to industry when the practical skills required now by employers in business sector. The group of 16 students, the they graduate. this emerging industry with a significant portion first intake on this new postgraduate course, of the course concentrating on new media and benefited by being provided with free access to The MA in Public Relations with New Media online communications. Students will gain key a variety of commercial web 2.0 technologies, is delivered over two taught semesters and practical multimedia skills as well as focus on free hosting and domains worth in excess of concludes with a Master Thesis. Among the the changing nature of the mass media and €1000. As part of the course, students study modules being taught are Multimedia, corporate communications as a result of the emergence of digital and interactive media.
69 media communications media communications media communications media communications media communications media communications
MoTrack NAIRTL
In October 2008 Joey Campbell, Department of Media and Communications, applied for and received NAIRTL funding in order to research the motion capture facility installed in the engineering faculty of the School of Mechanical and Process Engineering.
Motion capture or tracking is the technique of digitally recording physical movements for entertainment, sports, and medical applications. Reflective spheres are placed on limbs and body joints. Fixed cameras placed at specific points in a room detect when these spheres move and feed the co- ordinates of the body joints into a computer. These points can be mapped onto virtual skeletons to recreate the animation/movement in a virtual environment.
MoTrack is a cd-rom based elearning package which enables staff and students to view sample videos of the motion capture process at work from start to finish. The cd-rom includes techniques on calibration, database configuration, marker placement and motion capture. No prior knowledge of the vicon nexus software or hardware system is necessary. The videos are made up of 3d animations, screen captured footage, photos and diagrams; they can be viewed prior to entering the lab or they may also be viewed in real-time if the user is having difficulty with one particular aspect of the process whilst working in the lab.
Screen shots of the Graphic User Interface Design
70 media communications media communications media communications media communications media communications media communications
Industry Brief/Website Design Winner
As part of the System Development module delivered in the 4th year of What impressed the BA in Multimedia, students took part in an industry-based project. The us most about brief, to design and develop a website for a fictional West Cork brewery, the winning was provided by Denis Cullinane and John Henry Donovan from H+A group was the Marketing + PR. They also coordinated the project along with lecturers, blend of skills Valerie Renehan, Department of Media Communications and Gary Couse, they possessed. Department of Computing. The students (in groups of 3) were expected From the creativity to undertake the same design process - from initial client brief to finished displayed in product - as used in industry, with Denis and John role-playing clients the initial ideas throughout the module. The process included a professional client pitch, stage through feedback sessions as well as consistent contact with the client to ensure to the technical the project met their needs and requirements. ability needed to execute the On completion of the module, the students made a formal presentation final product, the of their finished websites to Denis and John who selected a winning winning group project. The winning site was the one that best met the requirements of approached the the client both functionally and aesthetically (as expressed in the initial brief project in a confident, organised and thoroughly professional manner. They and through their consequent communication throughout the semester). were very clear on our requirements and objectives from the outset and Congratulations to the winning group: Laura Kacinauskaite, Colin Murphy furthermore they gave insightful suggestions and guidance on the direction and Kari Lane. that the project should take. The result was a product of high quality that we were extremely happy with.” Denis Cullinane, H+A Marketing + PR. “On both a personal and professional level I was delighted to have had the chance to work with the Multimedia students from the Media We would like to extend our thanks to Denis and John (and to H + A Communications Department and it was great to see first hand how the Marketing + PR) for their invaluable contribution in the planning and delivery degree course has developed and evolved since the time I was an under- of this module this year. graduate in the same course.
MA Illustration Graduate Returns
On the 3rd March a number of Design Communication students and staff met with Alan Corbett. Alan is a Graduate of the BA in Visual Communication Honours Degree 2008, who recently completed the MA in Children’s Book Illustration in Cambridge University. He recently exhibited his work in the Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge. His work can be see at; www.coroflot.com/redseven
Illustration by Alan Corbett from the Book of Lost Things
71 media communications media communications media communications media communications media communications media communications OFFSET 2009
OFFSET 2009 was part of Design Week in which many of the Media Communications Design/Visual Communications students and staff attended.
Culminating at the end of the week long Design Week 2009 a creative festival/3 day conference took place in Dublin’s Liberty Hall Theatre from 6th - 8th November. It brought Chip Kidd @ OFFSET 2009 together the world’s leading creative’s producing an event that both showcased the best work being done today as well as engaging with the creative community at large for 3 days of celebration, debate and inspiration.
OFFSET 2009 featured the strongest line-up of creative’s ever assembled in Ireland for what is intended to become an annual event of global interest and importance.
It is the aim of the Media Communications Department to attend this annual event in 2010 as it is a triumph for design students to have such an event hosted here in Ireland.
Sir Peter Blake onstage interview with The Irish Times Hugh Linehan @ OFFSET 2009
Massimo Vignelli @ OFFSET 2009
Shamrock Sales Reach €474
The BSc (Hons) in Herbal Science students sold shamrock in CIT to raise funds for the St Patrick’s, Marymount Hospice. A big thank you to all who contributed to this worthy cause and who helped out on the day.
BSc (Honours) Herbal Science students Lisa Cuthbert and Carla Brogan presenting Dr Brendan Murphy with a bowl of Shamrock in honour of St. Patrick’s Day. 72 Delivering our Future: 17 New Irish Companies Launch at 2010 Genesis Showcase & Awards
Micheál Martin, T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs launched 17 new Irish Companies at the 12th Annual Genesis Enterprise Programme (GEP) 2010 Awards & Showcase, at CIT on the 29th March. Minister Martin and Denise Kennedy, Programme Manager, Genesis, with John Feeney, dBm Technology Ltd, the winner of Genesis Emerging Congratulating the new companies on achieving their first year Business of the Year and a cheque for €2,500. dBm Technology offers in business, Minister Martin said: “These companies show that businesses a unique solution to achieving affordable, high quality IT and there are significant business opportunities for new and innovative Telecoms services (www.dbmtechnology.com) business start ups in niche areas across life sciences, bio-tech and medical technology, food, telecommunications, internet services. You are the companies that will create and deliver the higher end, higher value jobs, of the Smart Economy. As entrepreneurs, you have a key role to play in the future growth and prosperity of the Irish economy and supporting new entrepreneurs through initiatives such as the Genesis Enterprise Programme will ensure that emerging technologies and business ideas, with export potential, become a commercial reality.”
This year, 17 new companies completed Genesis and the industries that they are pursuing are varied – energy, international services, food, electronics, telecommunications, electronic learning, software applications, ergonomic furniture design and a diving operation. At the end of each year’s Genesis programme, the participating businesses are presented to the public in a showcase exhibition with the achievements of particular businesses in The Business Development Achievement Award and €1,250 went to reaching commercial milestones being recognised in an Awards Garry Bennett of MyTown.ie. which provides a local community website for ceremony. every town in Ireland allowing users to find local information and interact online while providing businesses with a channel to advertise to their local target market (www.mytown.ie).
The Market Entry Success Award and a prize of €1,250 went to Conor Buckley of LongshipE Energy Ltd. Longship provide complete outsourced energy management services to commercial energy users who are dissatisfied with their energy costs and current energy efficiencies. Longship now has customers in Ireland, Poland and the United States. (www.longshipe.com)
73 Minister Martin speaking with Michael O’Neill, Irish Atlantic Salt Ltd. Michael Minister Martin with Simon Dennehy of Perch Dynamic Solutions. Simon won the Business Plan of the Year and €1,250. Based on the Beara was chosen for a special “Entrepreneurial Leadership” Award. This Peninsula in West Cork, Irish Atlantic Salt Ltd, produces the only Irish made Award is judged by the Genesis participants themselves for the person/team gourmet sea salt range of products (www.irishatlanticsalt.com) whom they felt had most demonstrated entrepreneurial ability, leadership and co-operative learning spirit espoused by the Genesis Programme. Simon will receive a trip to Dublin for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards ceremony in September 2010 (www.perch.ie)
Below: Minister Martin speaking with Denise O’Callaghan, Delicious gluten free bakery, winner of the Best Stand.
Over 200 people attended the 2010 Genesis Showcase & Awards drawn from the regional development bodies, current and past Genesis participants, venture capitalists, private investors, the higher education community and the wider business community in the South West region, as well as local and national press. The Adjudication Panel for the 2010 Awards was composed of Kieran Moynihan, Tivoli Vice President & CTO Telecoms, IBM Software Group; Frank Madden, Managing Director, Crest Solutions; Ian Venner, Director, Ernst & Young; John O’Doherty, Regional Director, AIB; and Colin Walsh, Group Marketing Manager, Thomas Crosbie Holdings Limited. The Award for Opportunity Investigation and €1,250 went to Anne Ferguson, Ocean Addicts Ltd. Ocean Addicts operate Ireland’s only Dive Liveaboard operation allowing holiday visitors to enjoy scenic and wreck diving along the Irish Coast while enjoying the convenience of travelling and on board accommodation in their ship with on shore evening entertainment (www.oceanaddicts.ie) Anne is pictured here with Graham Ferguson.
74 The 2010 Genesis Alumni Award was presented to Pat Ryan of Abtran (www.abtran.com). The Award is presented annually to an alumnus of the Genesis programme who has made substantial achievements in their commercial field or has contributed in a significant way to the economic development of knowledge-based businesses in the region. Twelve years ago, Pat Ryan decided to leave a multinational to start his own business. That decision led him to create Abtran with co-founders Michael and Gerard Fitzgerald, a company that has become Ireland’s largest indigenous business process outsourcer with projected turnover in excess of €40 million in 2010. At the start of that path, Pat participated in the 1998 Genesis Enterprise Programme. According to Denise Kennedy, Genesis Programme Manager, “Pat is recognised in this year’s Genesis Alumni Award as an example of how an Irish business can be started and organically grown into an international company, in partnership with co-founders, with a clear focus on profitability and a commitment to reinvest in Research & Development, thereby achieving global competitive advantage against lower cost economies. Along the way, Pat has always been extremely generous in his encouragement and help to other founders in new start ups in the region.”
Publicly funded by the Department of Education & Science, the Genesis Enterprise Programme is a 12 month rapid incubation programme designed to nurture, support and develop entrepreneurs starting new knowledge based companies in the South West Region. During the last twelve years, Genesis has supported over 192 people and teams in starting their businesses. More than 70% of the start-up businesses are in operation today employing more that fourteen hundred people. Over 50% of the businesses are trading internationally. 40 businesses have gone on to be designated “High Potential Start Ups” by Enterprise Ireland. Genesis’ success was recently recognised when it was singled out from more than 330 projects across 28 European countries to become one of just 12 short-listed nominees for the 2010 European Enterprise Awards which was held in May in Madrid. The Award for the category “Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit” was won by the Institute for Business Creation and Development, Johannes Kepler University, Austria.
The 2010 Genesis Showcase and Awards are supported by the sponsorship of CIT, Enterprise Ireland, Cork County & City Enterprise Boards, Ernst & Young and Ronan Daly Jermyn. Media partner for the Event was Thomas Crosbie Holdings.
Michael Delaney, Vice President for Development, CIT; Dr Paddy Caffrey, Chairman, Governing Body, CIT; Micheál Martin TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs; presenting the 2010 Genesis Alumni Award to Pat Ryan, Abtran (Genesis 1998); and Denise Kennedy, Programme Manager, Genesis.
75 Reflections on a Haven House Build John Cronin, Department of Architecture
Was I nervous going, yes I was. I was doing something I had not done before. Was it dangerous over there and did I ever feel threatened? The only time I felt threatened was when I came across a spider as big as my hand in the shower. Why did I want to go and why did I go with Haven? I always wanted to do a charity house build and the reason for going with Haven was that a friend of mine asked me to consider going with them. I went to an information night in the Clarion Hotel and having listened to Leslie Buckley, the founder of Haven, speak sincerely about how little the people have in Haiti, my mind was made up.
Raising €4000 at any time is hard but we as a people are amazing. When a good cause comes along we dig very deep and contribute, it makes me proud to be Irish. A successful coffee morning raised €2000, a dinner party raised another €1000 and the rest was donated by work collegues, neighbours and friends.
On the 30th October, we arrived in Ouanaminthe at about 7pm to be greeted by a huge group of locals. There was music, Mauvitte and John Cronin dancing and singing. We were assigned our rooms, moved in our belongings and as I lay out on the bed, I got an overwhelming feeling that I had bitten off more than I could chew. For a moment I really wanted to be at home.
Our accommodation for the week was the houses that were finished before we got there. The front door opened into the living room (20ft X 10ft). Two small bedrooms (10ft X 10ft) contained two single beds covered with mosquito nets. You had to be careful to tuck in the net under the mattress so that the mosquitoes could not get in.
After breakfast, the group of 260 volunteers were divided into 5 groups and each worked on a different part of the site. The plasterers, of which I am one, were in the masonry group and we had the job of working with the local tradesmen. I was fortunate to work with Patrick, a local plasterer who worked for $9 a week but was paid every three weeks. He asked me for my work boots when I was finished with them.
Work starts about 5.45am and the work varied from sieving sand to mixing sand and cement by hand; painting to water distribution; lifting blocks to gardening, there was a job for everyone. We had a Haven Orphanage tea break at 8.30am – 9am and then back to work till 11.30am. By this time, the temperature had risen to 47°C and the medical team recommended a break from 11.30am – 2pm. During this break, a light lunch was served. After the break, we worked till 5pm.
Back to the house for a shower and change of clothes and out for dinner which was served between 6pm – 7pm. I really want to say how fantastic the staff were in the kitchen. They worked the longest hours and the food was superb every day.
The time you got to bed depended on the entertainment organised for that evening. Talent show, Karaoke Night, Sing-song, Picture House and of course the Haitian night, all meant that very few early nights were had by the volunteers. Looking back over the week, the only low point was the first night and I put that down to www.havenpartnership.com exhaustion.
76 I met Mauvitte, the woman responsible for looking after an orphanage with 400 children. The Orphanage was nothing more some than a big tent. The amazing thing about the children was that every one of them was sitting and holding the hands of the child sitting beside them, and all were smiling. It’s hard to understand special how they can smile when they have so little. We went to the homes of some of the families that were receiving the houses we were building. They lived in mud huts with what looked like bark from a moments tree tied to the roof timbers to keep out the rain. The smell around the outside of the house was of urine, no toilets.
A trip like this is not for everyone. Was it a tough trip, yes it was. Did we work hard, yes we did. Is it an experience you will forget, never. What would I say to someone thinking of going? Go and enjoy it. Was it worthwhile? definitely. Would I go back? I returned to Haiti in April this year!
As for Patrick, the local plasterer, not only did he get my boots but he also got my phone, t-shirts, shirts, shorts, fishing hooks, line and he also got paid. I had to give him a letter with the list of the items he received so that he could take it off site.
There are so many people I would like to thank, my family for being supportive, all those who donated to this worthwhile cause, my Head of Department, Katherine Keane, and especially to my colleagues Tomás and Seán who without their help, I could not get away.
It was a privilege to be one of the 260 volunteers that headed 4000Km across the world to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Children in the orphanage www.havenpartnership.com
Children from the orphanage
77 Faculty of Business and Humanities Annual Awards Ceremony 2009
On 9th March 2010, the fifth annual Faculty of Business Education was Master of Ceremonies on the night. Bernard introduced keynote and Humanities Awards ceremony took place in the speaker Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar & Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Tourism and Hospitality Building, in honour of CIT’s Damien Courtney, Head, Faculty of Business & Humanities who paid tribute to the highest achieving Business and Humanities graduates graduates and staff. for 2009. This event was established to celebrate The Awards Ceremony was attended by the recipients of these awards, their families the achievements of its outstanding students and to and friends, and staff of the Faculty of Business & Humanities. The various Awards acknowledge the contribution of many others who were presented by sponsors from several organisations of the business, banking, supported them. accounting, sports, tourism and hospitality, community, social and health care The Faculty of Business and Humanities incorporates sectors. the School of Business (consisting of the Department Thirty awards were presented to students who excelled in degree, professional full- of Accounting and Information Systems, the time and evening programmes in 2009 while Fáilte Ireland presented two special Department of Continuing Education, and the awards to persons from the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies who Department of Management and Marketing), and the excelled in the Hospitality sphere. These achievements are a splendid testament to School of Humanities (consisting of the Department both students and staff. of Developmental Education, the Department of Media Communications, the Department of Tourism Lisa Hayes, Bachelor of Business Honours in Information Systems was the recipient and Hospitality Studies, and the Department of of the Des Roche Memorial Award in memory of Mr Des Roche, Lecturer in Business Social and General Studies). There are approximately Studies, who sadly passed away in 2008. 4,000 students including full-time, part-time and A reception at the conclusion of the formal part of the evening was an ideal craft students within the Faculty of Business and opportunity for celebrating the achievements of the award winners. It was also an Humanities. opportunity for staff, students, sponsors and indeed retired staff to socialise in a Bernard Vallely from the Department of Continuing relaxed and pleasant environment.
Master of Business (Taught) BBus (Honours) in Information Systems Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar & Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr Barry O’Connor; Damien Courtney; Gerard O’Donovan presenting Damien Courtney, Head, Faculty of Business & Humanities; Sinéad Dunne, the Des Roche Memorial Award to Lisa Hayes, recipient; and Caroline Sponsor, Bishopstown Credit Union; Vicky O’Sullivan, Recipient; Gerard O’Reilly, Head, Department of Accounting and Information Systems. O’Donovan, Head, School of Business; and Paul Mahony, Head, Department of Continuing Education.
BBus in Management BA in Social Care Dr Barry O’Connor; Damien Courtney; Shirley O’Connor, Bank of Dr Barry O’Connor; Damien Courtney; Donn Horgan, Allied Irish Bank, Ireland, Sponsor; Deirdre Hennessy, recipient; Brian McGrath, Head, Sponsor; Rebecca Smith, recipient; Jim Walsh, Head, Department Department of Management and Marketing; and Gerard O’Donovan. of Social and General Studies; and Ray Coughlan, Head, School of Humanities.
78 BA (Honours) in Multimedia Dr Barry O’Connor; Damien Courtney; Marie McGrath, Huguenot Xmi, Sponsor; presenting Aonghus O’Ceilleachair, recipient, Rose McGrath, Head, Department of Media Communications, and Ray Coughlan, Head, School of Humanities.
BBus in Recreation & Leisure Management BBus (Honours) in Business Dr Barry O’Connor; Damien Courtney; Bernadette Hogan, Maher Sports, Dr Barry O’Connor; Damien Courtney; Shirley O’Connor, Bank of Ireland, Sponsor; presenting James McCarthy, recipient, Jim Walsh, Head, Sponsor; presenting Jason McNamara, recipient, Brian McGrath; and Department of Social and General Studies; and Ray Coughlan. Gerard O’Donovan.
BA (Honours) in Community Education & Development. Barry O’Connor; Damien Courtney; Donn Horgan, AIB, Sponsor; presenting Fáilte Ireland Professional Cookery Karen Hogan, recipient; and Ray Coughlan. Dr Barry O’Connor; Damien Courtney; Dr Tony Lenehan, Fáilte Ireland, Sponsor; presenting Jane Healy, recipient; Adrian Gregan, Head, Department of Tourism & Hospitality Studies, and Ray Coughlan. 79 John Cronin, BA in Design Communications; and Kevin O’Mahony, Ana Santos, BA in Human Resource Management MA in Media Design.
Claire Sweetnam, BBus (Hons) in Accounting; William Burchill, BSc in Julia Stroebele, BBus in Hospitality Management. Agriculture; and Noelle McSweeney, BBus in Accounting.
Edward Hayden, BA in Culinary Arts. Noreen O’Donoghue, Fáilte Ireland Service Operations Student of the Year.
80 St Finbarr’s Centre for Education and Training
History CIT students on work placement
In 1979, St Finbarr’s Senior Traveller Training Centre was Each year, the Centre welcomes students on placement, originally set up as an education and training centre for undertaking a BA Social Care Programme. people from the Travelling Community. At the time, it was based in a mobile home in Ballincollie Park (Spring Lane This year, three Year 2 students are currently placed with Halting site) and catered for young girls only. the Centre, Áine Barry, Fiona Clarke and Elaine Sherlock.
Over the course of time, the Centre has grown, developed These students have undertaken as part of their practice and changed. It is now based in a purposely designed work to develop a book with the students in the Centre. building in Blackpool, catering for adult women Travellers, This also includes a CD of the women singing and reciting returning to full time education. It is managed under their favourite songs. The main focus of the book, entitled the auspices of the City of Cork Vocational Education “Modern Travelling Women”, is for the Centre students to Committee. have an opportunity to reflect on aspects of their lives as members of the Travelling Community in Ireland in 2010.
Each CIT student undertook a different aspect of the work. Centre Mission Statement l Áine helped the women to reflect on their lives, and to develop a short story, depicting individual elements of St Finbarr’s Centre for Education and Training is an their modern experiences. educational environment where all cultures and identities l Elaine facilitated the women in illustrating their stories are equally respected. Each student is encouraged and through the medium of collage. empowered to explore and develop their full potential. l Fiona worked with the groups and assisted them in producing and recording the musical aspects.
Centre Aims The Centre is very appreciative of the work that these students have undertaken during the course of their To enable the Travelling Community and others to develop placements. It has been an incredible piece of work the skills and knowledge needed for life and personal developed over a short period of time. It is particularly progression. poignant as St Finbarr’s Centre for Education and Training is in the process of being phased out, as are all STTC’s Centre Objectives nationally, and this production will be a nice reminder of the l To provide a holistic approach to education. students here. l To build and further develop skills which may be academic, personal, social, societal or practical. l To support students in progression from the Centre “We all wish the three girls much into alternative life opportunities. success in their futures”.
Courses
The Centre currently offers four different programmes to meet the needs of its student cohort. These include Leaving Certificate Applied; Fast Track Information Technology; Catering; and a Foundation Studies programme. Apart from the LCA programme, all other courses are FETAC accredited ranging from Levels 2 - 5.
Programmes are also offered during the mid-term breaks and during the months of June and July, focusing on the personal, social and health needs of the students.
The Centre is staffed by a Director, 2 resource persons and 4 teachers.
81 Green Matters at CIT
heights for the year. This data will be analysed by the Sustainable Energy CIT Energy Degree students and other students at CIT. The mast is located on- In 2009, CIT used a massive 5,107,164 kWh from electricity. Gas campus beside the current 2.4 kW turbine near the astro pitches. This usage also matched this figure with 5,269,022 kWh. Analysis of is a significant step towards greening the campus and also an important electricity usage at CIT shows that there is a significant base load of education tool for CIT. almost 25%. The newly formed Sustainable Energy Society is also another major Recent installation of energy efficient lights in corridors and toilets/ step towards greening CIT. The society is looking forward to aiding CIT service ducts as well as the LED emergency exit lights and flood become a more sustainable campus. The Sustainable Energy Society is lights have all been major steps towards achieving a more sustainable a student run social society and all are welcome to join. The society will campus. The energy shut down at Christmas and the energy focus organise talks, workshops and demonstrations relating to sustainable (Switch off – Plug out) during the month of February promoting a energy and raise awareness about sustainability. This is a fun way to unite shut down of non-essential electrical items will be an interesting students and achieve a more sustainable campus. investigation into how much individual effort at CIT can help with energy efficiency on campus. Results from these energy events will be published in the monthly green campus Newsletters. There is substantial room for reductions in energy usage at evenings and Waste Management weekends at CIT. We are currently surveying the lighting in the Library, A major reshuffle of CIT’s bin system is currently taking place. We Student Centre, and the outdoor lighting at Tourism & Hospitality, The now have in place (in the Canteen and in the Tourism and Hospitality Administration Building and the Student Centre in order to improve Department) a three bin system – one bin for dry recyclables, one for non the energy efficiency of these buildings. recyclables and a food waste bin. The extra bin is for food waste and is Following a weekend energy audit in the old building it was found that being sent for composting. This change in bin structure is to comply with 34% of computers were left turned on along with 24% of printers and the new legislation introduced in December, where food waste must be some laboratory equipment. It is important to switch off at the wall/ kept out of landfill (Waste Management Food Waste Regulations 2009). plug out computers where possible and other electrical equipment We also want to improve our waste segregation at CIT, which will result in that is not needed, particularly in the evenings and at weekends. less waste being sent to landfill. This three bin system is also necessary Computers etc. still use energy even when turned off! for the Canteen to be a member of the Green Hospitality Awards and will be extended across the campus over time. Sustainable Energy A waste survey in October 2009 indicated a contamination rate of 5% organics in the dry recyclable bin along with 19% liquids. Another CIT has made the switch to AirTricity as its electricity supplier. This waste survey is planned to take place after the new bin system is put in means that the electricity usage at CIT is from renewable sources. place. We hope to see an improvement in the contamination of the dry January was an exciting time for the Campus in terms of sustainable recyclables and hope that CIT will be sending less waste to landfill. energy, as the wind monitoring mast (>50 m) was erected under a joint initiative from a number of departments at CIT and the Buildings and Estates Office. The mast is recording wind data at a number of
Item Status W PC ON 58 - 117 PC Standby 11 PC OFF 11 Monitor - CRT ON 60 Monitor - CRT Standby 16 Monitor - CRT OFF 16 Monitor - LCD ON 37 Monitor - LCD Standby 7 Monitor - LCD OFF 7
Speakers ON 11 Donal Tobin, Department of Speakers OFF 9 Electrical Engineering Mac ON 62 with Gary O’Dwyer, Department of Mac OFF 20 Electronic Engineering at the foot of the wind Mac Monitor ON 20 monitoring mast.
Computer and accessory power consumptions – as measured by the Clean Technology Centre.
82 CIT Waste Survey 2009
Water improvement and environmental promotion. This is why there is now a 3 In 2009, CIT used more than 41,000m of water. That is enough water three bin system in place in the canteen – so the dry recyclables, non to fill 50 Olympic size swimming pools or enough water to fill 2,400 beer recyclables and food waste can be collected and managed separately. kegs every day! Other changes taking place in the Canteen include the replacement of 3 Did you know? That 250,000m (55 million gallons) of waste water is the old fluorescent bulbs in the canteen area with new energy efficient discharged to groundwater every day in Ireland and 43% of water used T5 fittings, which will result in an annual saving of more than €7,000 at work is flushed down the toilet! in energy costs. The Green Team has weekly meetings to work on A major leak detection and water use optimisation project has been improving the environmental management of the canteen. Please help taking place at CIT over the past couple of months. Two water leaks them achieve their award by bringing your tray to the drop off point and have been detected and mended during this project. Flow rates from separating your waste, choosing reusable cups and plates and be aware taps, showers, urinals etc. have been documented and are under of waste prevention. improvement. Green Campus CIT aims to save 20% of the water used over the next two years. Please lend a hand by being aware of water Tourism & Hospitality conservation on campus. The Tourism and Hospitality Studies Department is also a successful member of the Green Hospitality Awards. This year it received the Paper prestigious Gold Award (please see Page 3). In 2009 CIT used more than 15 million sheets of paper. We hope to There are plans to extend the new herb and vegetable garden at the reduce the quantity of paper used at CIT by 10%. Saving 10% of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality this year. This garden provides paper usage from 2009 in 2010 will be the equivalent of saving 1.5 fresh herbs and vegetables on campus; minimising distance the food 3 million sheets of paper. This reduction equates to saving 127 trees, 17m travels to metres instead of kilometers. The Department is also looking 3 landfill space, 200m of water and 30,000 kilowatts of energy. Always into harvesting green water. The support from staff and students in the think before you print and use both sides of a page. Remember “be Department has led to its great success in environmental performance wise use both sides” and use “PC files not paper piles”. Consider in the Hospitality sector. The committed Green Team has been working setting up a GOOS (good on one side) paper pile in office and labs for diligently to achieve environmental excellence and is looking forward to notes and other scribbling to help reduce the use of good paper. continuing this endeavor into 2010 and beyond. International Sustainable Campus For more information Network Check out www.greencampuscit.ie for more information and to track our CIT is a member of the International Sustainable Campus Network. This progress. For information or suggestions on Green Campus CIT contact organisation recognises that third level institutes have a unique role to the Green Campus Facilitator, Dr Mary Purcell at E: [email protected] or play in developing a more sustainable future. T: 021 4335105. This project is funded as part of the Science, Technology, Research and Canteen Innovation for the environment (STRIVE) Programme 2007 – 2013, under the EPA Cleaner Greener Production Programme (CGPP). The Canteen has been voted best value campus food in colleges throughout Ireland (2FM Poll). Now let’s make it the Greenest! The main canteen is a member of the Green Hospitality Awards. This means that it must adhere to certain criteria in terms of good environmental management and adhere to best practice benchmarks. The areas involved include water, waste and energy as well as continual
83 MEDIC (Medical Engineering Design and Innovation Centre)
MEDIC (www.medic.ie) is an Enterprise Ireland funded Motion analysis and electromyography assessment of spina-bifida Applied Research Enhancement Centre based in CIT. patients The centre is focussed on the development of medical Motion analysis of cerebral palsy children device technology across three main research strands – Biomaterials, Assistive Rehabilitation and SMART Orthopaedic intra-medullary nailing product development project devices. Carbon dioxide detection system & scrubber redesign for close In addition to applied research in the main research circuit re-breather kits. strands, MEDIC also engages in concept, product To support these projects, MEDIC has a state of the art motion analysis development and commercialisation activities for medical lab which includes force plates, high resolution mat, in shoe system, device technologies that are nearer the market place. EMG, basler cameras, infrared camera, seated mat etc and a synthesis The MEDIC team is primarily technical and consists laboratory for biomaterials development. In addition to these resources, of Post doctorate researchers, PhD students MEDIC is integrated into CIT such that it has access to all CIT’s facilities engaged in technical research and medical device and skill sets. industry experienced engineers focussing on Therefore, MEDIC is in a position to support industry based projects concept development, product development and in product / process development, prototyping, technical vendor commercialisation activities. MEDIC has built up a assessment etc under Enterprise Irelands Innovation partnership and considerable network in areas such as Legal, Regulatory Voucher schemes as well as company direct funded projects. Industrial and Business Development such that it now has the projects supported by MEDIC to date include completion of a medical capability to bring medical technologies from applied device market feasibility study, technical assessment of injection research through to commercialisation. moulding vendors and reverse engineering prototypes to build high MEDIC has a broad range of projects up and running volume tooling for new product launch. at various stages of development. Projects include the MEDIC is actively seeking to engage with inventors, local hospitals and following: medical device companies who require technical support in product Development of novel bone graft and nerve graft and/or process development and who are interested in engaging with biomaterials its Applied Research Centre. >Research into foot biomechanics for diabetic patients.
84 The Effect of Diabetes Mellitus on Gait and Foot Biomechanics: Ulcer Prevention Strategies
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is primarily caused by the inability misalignment and limited joint mobility. These symptoms along with of a person to produce or utilise insulin. Due to this increased body weight contribute to elevated plantar pressures, in turn relative absence of insulin, the transport mechanism leading to ulceration and finally the feared result of amputation. To of glucose around the human body is interrupted put this in perspective, 80% of diabetic amputations are preceded by leading to the glucosuria (glucose diffuses into urine to a plantar ulcer. Post-ulceration, a diabetic patient’s risk of secondary counteract the abnormally high blood glucose levels). DM ulceration is increased four-fold, for this reason alone, emphasis must is categorised into two specific types; Type 1 associated be placed on deterrence of ulcers rather than treatment methods. with insulin dependency and Type 2 categorised as non- In the past 20 years, the 3D motion analysis techniques have made an insulin dependent DM. Type 2 is responsible for 90% of important contribution to the study and understanding of the human diagnosed cases of the disease. gait. These techniques provide answers to a wide variety of problems In 2008 Diabetes Ireland calculated the prevalence of and bring about treatments concerning the lower extremities. DM to be approximately 233,503 within Ireland. The The main objective of the research project carried out in MEDIC is to World Health Organisation (WHO) states that by 2030 the is to investigate the effect of the diabetes on the foot biomechanics dominance of DM worldwide will be at least 366 million. using the state of art 3D motion analysis equipment avilable in-house This predicted advancement of DM is a cause for concern in order to guide future ulcer prevention strategies. This study offers due to the many chronic complications associated with detailed biomechanical analysis of the foot-ankle joint complex by DM. The most universal of these include Retinopathy correlating the plantar pressure distribution, ground recation force with (leading to vision loss), Nephropathy (progression to renal multi-segment Oxford Foot Model kinematics. The findings of this study failure) and Peripheral Neuropathy (development to lower will help in assessing the foot disorders and deformity and will enable limb amputation). advanced understanding of dynamic foot deformity and its effect on Problems with diabetic feet arise due to the combination forces under foot. In addition, the results of this study can be used in of sensory neuropathy and vascular damage which planning intervention and evaluating the outcome of treatment and as develop to plantar ulceration. The epidemiology of lower such, this project will have tremendous impact on the field of podiatric limb ulceration begins with the onset of peripheral research and orthotics design/development. neuropathy which is linked to muscle wastage, gait
85 CAMMS News
CAMMS to Develop Expert Training Material for EU TRAINENERGY Project CAMMS (Centre for Advanced CAMMS is currently developing training material for the EU Manufacturing and Management funded TRAINENERGY programme. The project is funded by the European Commission (EC) and the Executive Agency Systems) CAMMS is attached to for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) and aims to train the Departments of Biomedical, craftsmen in Denmark, Germany, UK, France, Spain, and Ireland in the area of energy efficiency in buildings. Due to the Manufacturing, Facilities and differing levels of proficiency in energy efficiency in buildings and due to the different national norms through which the Mechanical Engineering at CIT. EPBD 2002 (Energy Performance Building Directives 2002) has been implemented in Europe, the project aims at standardising knowledge across the six partnering countries. The Centre uses the expertise of these departments in solving problems for industry and in delivering up to date Despite the existence of energy certificates in each of the training and education. CAMMS is currently developing partnering countries, the majority of training courses offered thematic knowledge areas that reflect the strengths of are aimed at professionals at a degree level or higher e.g. the faculty. Themes include: architects, building engineers, building surveyors. There is a perceived lack of education available to craftsmen in the construction trade, despite the fact that their workmanship is > Control & Automation hugely influential in the energy efficiency of a building. > Sustainable Energy Five hundred SME’s in each country will be contacted by the institutions involved to identify the training needs in each sector > Biomedical Engineering across the six countries. Five trades that are deemed to be > Quality most critical in energy performance of buildings will then be selected and knowledge gaps will be identified for each trade. > Project Management CAMMS will utilise the expertise of the Building Services > Manufacturing Engineering department to lead the development of training material for trainers and trainees for the five chosen trades. During the pilot phase of the project, 35 trainers and 350 craftsmen will be trained across the six partnering countries. Trainers will attend a two week training course in Biberach, Germany. The trainers will then train 50 craftsmen in each partnering country.
Niall Morris presents CAMMS Control & Automation Offerings to Industry Participants
86 CAMMS hosts FANUC Robotics Roadshow CAMMS supports HSE South, in conjunction with launch of new Robotics Reconfiguration of Acute Services, Lean Programme Sigma Initiative CAMMS is currently developing CPD Programmes in the area of CAMMS is currently supporting an extensive Lean Sigma initiative Control and Automation and has recently launched a new Robotics with the HSE South, Reconfiguration of Acute Services. Eighteen programme. The course incorporates FANUC virtual software with members of a multidisciplinary team from hospitals across the a FANUC manufacturing cell (kindly donated by Boston Scientific). region have undergone the CAMMS, Lean Sigma Practitioner Students have the opportunity to develop programmes offline, test Training Programme. On completion of their onsite lean event, them for functionality and safety, and then put theory into practice they will receive full HETAC accreditation for this work based by running their programme on the manufacturing cell. learning approach. FANUC Robotics has been a long term supplier to automotive Lean Sigma is a technique used in manufacturing and service and many other industry sectors. On 22nd April, CAMMS hosted industries to gain advantages of effectiveness and efficiency the FANUC Robotics Roadshow. The roadshow, aimed at both through respect for people inside and outside the organization. students and industry, was perceived as a great success. The The focus of Lean Sigma events is to encourage staff to operate presentation focused on how robots have not only benefited high in an environment of continuous improvement, use their own volume manufacturers, but also manufacturers of low volume knowledge to identify problems and work in teams to identify and and diverse product ranges. Case studies were accompanied implement solutions. Recent developments in Lean in Healthcare with return on investment information to assist in understanding have yielded significant improvements in the Patient Experience the benefits that robots and automation can achieve. CAMMS, in and additionally in cost savings, in better efficiencies and in a partnership with FANUC robotics, aims to become a dedicated significant improvement in staff morale. trainer of FANUC robotics systems using the FANUC virtual The programme consists of assessment of theory by examination, software. This partnership approach will allow for industrial as well as assessment of practice by portfolio. The portfolio focused education whilst also retaining an emphasis on the is based on the achievement of certain project milestones by underlying academic theories. There has already been great candidates, as defined by the programme requirements at each interest from industry including requests for further development level. During the course of the programme, participants will build of more advanced Robotics programmes. up their lean portfolio through focused Kaizen events. 5S was chosen as the focused Kaizen event for this project in order to show significant benefits from a simplified approach. This will lead to more advanced Kaizen events, e.g. in Value Stream Mapping, for future projects. 5S is a system of organising workplaces to ensure that everything that is needed is available when it is needed. This has been implemented successfully in many organisations to improve areas where; space is a problem, storage and inventory are non standard, inventory control is lacking , work flow is disrupted by lack of available tools and equipment, staff spend time searching for work related requirements. It is based on the fact that workplaces should only have in them that which is needed for the planned work that day. It engages all staff in using their ideas to organise the workspace and maintain it from then on using rules they develop for themselves. The acute hospital’s Lean project is focusing on desks, storage areas and workspaces for staff. The 5S Ward project for the acute hospitals took a huge step forward last month when the first ward in Bantry General Hospital Mark Stockil, leader, undertakes process mapping was completed. The team comprised of people from each hospital, exercise in CUH a key to success of initiatives such as this is communication. To this end some of the team provided a series of information sessions on Lean and 5S to general staff. All participants will now be involved in the rollout of the region wide 5S programme in wards at Bantry General Hospital, CUH, KGH, MUH, SIVUH and SMOH.
87 Engineering Award Ceremony
Michael Loftus 26th November 2009 Head, Faculty of Engineering & Science
The Faculty of Engineering & Science is delighted l seen the emergence of our sustainable energy and engineering to see you all here this evening, participating in programmes as major pillars in our portfolio of offerings; this event honouring the achievements of our l achieved world class success at the World Skills Olympics in Calgary; graduates. l introduced new programmes in architecture with industry-backed On behalf of the Faculty, I wish to add my enhancement of CIT’s facilities in this area; congratulations to those already offered this evening, to everyone who is receiving an award l strengthened our ties internationally in areas such as Germany, India and here, and I want to wish you well in the future in China, and with our near neighbours, UCC. your chosen careers. I know that many of you will In this context, I must pay tribute to the outstanding leadership shown by my go on to work in industry either here locally or colleagues in the Faculty of Engineering & Science. They have consistently further afield. Others amongst you will continue developed and delivered programmes of an excellent standard and I am to study and become involved in postgraduate indebted to them for their efforts. programmes and research. Either way, I believe that you will be excellently equipped to deal with Also, a number of staff will be retiring from the Faculty this year and I wish to the challenges that we see developing in the world pay tribute to them. Their work has made a difference and is appreciated by currently. us. Ireland faces many economic challenges at present. In addition, we are particularly pleased to have present with us today friends These will have a direct bearing on the career and colleagues from industry. Cooperation and engagement with industry opportunities available to all of you, our graduates. has been a differentiating characteristic of the CIT educational experience. Some will find work in Ireland, some will travel Through good times and bad, local businesses have continued to work with further afield and some will continue with their us, providing placement opportunities for our students, providing advice studies. Regardless of the path chosen, the value of and feedback regarding new course proposals and developments, helping your qualifications will be high and will stand you in shape our research vision and activity. In turn, we have attempted to develop good stead throughout your careers. graduates who can make an immediate contribution in the work place but also who are equipped with the broad base of education so important to long As award winners, you have achieved a level of term career and social development. We are indebted to the sponsors who are excellence in your chosen fields of study. If you have present here this evening and we look forward to continuing to develop and the inclination, I suggest that you consider seriously deepen these relationships over time. the option of continuing your studies. It is becoming clearer by the day that Ireland needs to produce From a more general perspective, as a country we face significant challenges a higher number of talented scientists, engineers at present. Education is one the key areas in which we must continue to and technologists. For our country to thrive in an develop to drive the economy forward. Education in science, engineering and era in which our position will be defined by our technology is vital in this context and CIT will continue to play a full part in ability to innovate, move quickly and adapt to ever- contributing in this areas. changing circumstances, we will need more people like you than ever before. I hope that many of you I would like to congratulate all of you, our award winners, on your great will realise your potential in this context and that we achievements. We wish you well in your future careers and we look forward will be able to provide the means by which you can to staying in contact with you in the years to come and to celebrating your accomplish this goal. successes. To this end, we have set up a new online networking group for the Faculty using the LinkedIn system and I wish to extend an invitation to all of During the past year, Engineering in CIT has had you to join. many new accomplishments which contribute directly to the development of our graduates and In addition, I wish to congratulate your parents, partners, supporters and the creation of additional opportunities for them families on this special day. The academic journey is seldom travelled in going forward. isolation and without your support, many would not have seen it through to conclusion. We have: To conclude, I would like to voice my appreciation for the efforts of all involved l developed multi-million euro research facilities in the organisation of today’s event. Norma Welch and Frances Teahan, senior in areas such as wireless and embedded members of our Faculty administration team, have been to the fore in this systems, and medical technologies, areas of regard and the hotel staff has provided us with an excellent service. Perhaps direct relevance to the knowledge economy; we might give them a round of applause. l successfully introduced a new common entry option for our engineering programmes which has proved to be very popular with school Thanks for your attention. Enjoy the rest of the evening. leavers; l produced our first cohort of graduates from the BE (Hons) in Biomedical Engineering, an area of key strategic importance to the region and the country at large;
88 (L – R) Tom Knox, Section Head, Department of Architecture; Philip Wallace, Chairman, Cork Branch of the Master Painters & Decorators Association of Ireland; Pat Mahon, Lecturer, Painting & Decorating, CIT; Fergal and Catherine Feehely presenting the Liam Feehely perpetual trophy to Shane Crowley, student in Painting & Decorating; Katherine Keane, Head, Department of Architecture; George Treacy, Lecturer, Painting & Decorating CIT; Eddie Feehely; Martin Sneyd, Section Head of Trades DIT, Bolton Street.
Daithi Fallon, Head, Department of Manufacturing, Biomedical & Facilities Daithí Fallon; Pat Magner presenting the Cliona Magner Scholarship to Engineering; Murtagh Murphy, Boston Scientific Ireland Ltd, Sponsor; Ciara McKenna, student; Matt Cotterell; and Michael Loftus. Vera Cahill, Best Student in BEng (Hons) in Biomedical Engineering; Matt Cotterell, Head, School of Mechanical & Process Engineering; and Michael Loftus, Head, Faculty of Engineering & Science.
John O’Shea, Acting Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dan Dillon, John O’Shea; Paul Moriarty, MSL Motors Cork, Sponsor; Kae Dowling AR Brownlow, Sponsor; John O’Brien, Best Apprentice in the trade of Fitting & presenting the Bernard Dowling Perpetual Trophy to Maria Rafferty, Best Turning; Matt Cotterell; and Michael Loftus. Level 7 Project in BSc in Transport Management & Technology; Matt Cotterell; and Michael Loftus.
89 Michael Loftus; Dr Joe Connell, Head, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering; Colm P O’Brien, Best Degree Student, Department of Electronic Engineering; and Matt Cotterell.
Dr Joe Connell; John O’Sullivan, Arup Consulting Engineers, Sponsor; Donal Caples, Best Student in BSc (Hons) in Electrical Power Systems; Matt Cotterell; and Michael Loftus.
Des Walsh, Head, Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering; John Hogan of John A Wood Ltd, Sponsor; William Tobin, Best Student in BEng (Hons) in Structural Engineering; Dr Joe Harrington, Head, School of Building & Civil Engineering; and Michael Loftus.
Dr Daniel Cahill, Head, Department of Construction; Brian O’Driscoll, Society of Chartered Surveyors, Sponsor; Gavin O’Flaherty, Best Student in BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying; Dr Joe Harrington; and Michael Loftus.
90 Katherine Keane, Head, Department of Architecture; Eamon Murphy, Gypsum Industries, Sponsor; Kieran Cronin, Best Student in the trade of Plastering; Dr Joe Harrington; and Michael Loftus.
John O’Shea, Head, Department of Chemical & Process Engineering; Amy Fitzgerald, GlaxoSmithkline, Sponsor; Stephen Purdon, Best Student in BEng (Hons) in Chemical & Biopharmaceutical Engineering; Matt Cotterell; and Michael Loftus.
Dr Joe Harrington; Dr Daniel Cahill; Barry Dennigan, Gold Medal Winner in Carpentry & Joinery at the 40th World Skills Competition held in Canada in September 2009; and Michael Loftus.
Retired Staff members from the Faculty of Engineering Niall Shanahan; Finbarr Heffernan; Frank Smith; John Walsh; Liam F. Hodnett; Ray Kennedy; Len Curtin; and Charles Purcell. 91 Pulling the Plug at Blackrock Castle Observatory
On 27th March, CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory (BCO) participated in a truly global event called “EarthHour” when over 1 billion people from over 125 countries around the globe turned off their lights for one hour.
In Ireland, Government buildings such as Leinster House, the Custom House and the Four Courts plunged into darkness. National monuments such as the Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle and Trim Castles also turned of its lights. Internationally landmark buildings such as “The Empire State Building”, “Sydney Opera House”, “The London Eye”, “The Eiffel Tower” and the world’s largest building “The Burj Khalifa” in Dubai also took part.
In the three years since it began “EarthHour” has become a global call to action to every individual to turn off non-essential lights in a symbolic gesture to highlight concern about climate change and the way the world’s limited resources are being wasted. This event symbolises what mankind can do when the world acts together to deal with climate change. It is about empowering the individual with a sense of being part of something great. Places as remote as Nepal have joined with countries such as Canada to make this a truly global event which affects all nations and its citizens.
IOTI launch Yearbook
Dr Jude Wilson, Technical Specialist Research,IOTI, Dr Niall Smith, Head of Research, CIT; and Dr Orna Duggan, Senior Executive Research, IOTI at the launch of the IOTI Research and Innovation Yearbook 2009.
Cork Science Café
CIT BCO in association with UCC, Tyndall National aims to demystify science and increase awareness and Institute, the Cork Electronics Industry Association, and understanding of technology, innovation, research and the Cork City Learning Forum announced the launch of Cork sciences generally”. Science Café at Blackrock Castle. The guest speaker in April was Dr Dylan Evans who explored the Cork Science Café is affiliated to the international network theme of time and risk perception. Dr Dylan Evans revealed how of Café Scientifique first organised in the UK in 1998 based he set up a social experiment in 2006 to explore what life would on the French Café Philosophique. While French scientists be like if civilisation collapsed in the first half of this century and thought they ought to inform the public more on topics asked whether this is a good way to explore possible futures. within the science community, in the UK the movement was Dr Evans is a lecturer in Behavioural Science at the School of started by members of the public who wanted to know more Medicine, University College Cork. He writes regularly for The about science. In both countries it moved out of an academic Guardian and has made frequent appearances on radio and structure into popular locations, attracting wider audiences. television, and given numerous talks at festivals of science and Cork Science Café is a place where anyone can come to literature. In 2001 he was voted one of the twenty best young explore the latest ideas in science and technology and their writers in Britain by the Independent on Sunday, and is the impact on our culture. Meetings take place monthly in the author of several popular science books, including Emotion: relaxed surrounds of the Castle Bar and Trattoria before the The Science of Sentiment (Oxford University Press, 2001) and headline speaker at Blackrock Castle Observatory’s First Placebo: The Belief Effect (Harper Collins, 2003). Fridays at the Castle. Commenting on this new programme, Clair McSweeney, Facilities Manager at CIT BCO said “Cork Science Café
92 Paris in the winter time
Paris may not seem the most obvious destination seminal building, as well as the Villa La Roche-Jeanneret. Less well-known for a mid-winter field-study trip, but students from is the innovative Maison de Verre designed by Pierre Chareau around the Second Year of the Cork Centre for Architectural 1928. Whilst many of the great examples are now open to the public, this Education braved snow and driving sleet to make the breathtaking steel and glass gem is privately-owned, tucked away behind annual field trip there. Accompanied by CIT tutors a stolid townhouse courtyard and viewed by appointment only; but the 90 Sarah Mulrooney and Jim Harrison, as well as Adam minute guided tour proved to be highly rewarding for those lucky enough to D’Arcy, Fiona Hughes and Alastair O’Cadháin from be there. UCC, the 39 hardy architects-to-be made an intense As well as early 20th century works, the group also spent time at significant but satisfying series of visits to some key architectural later buildings including Richard Rogers’ high-tech Pompidou Centre, Jean examples from the last eight centuries. Nouvel’s Centre du Monde Arabe with its photosensitive sunscreens, I. M. Much more than just a history lesson, the experience Pei’s Louvre Pyramid and the impressive National Library. But as well as of buildings of different eras, comprehensive urban making photographic records, it was also an academic requirement for planning forms and a panorama of technological everyone to keep a sketchbook with impressions of each building visited. innovation is invaluable to the education of the With below-freezing temperatures and several centimeters of snow, architect. Paris offered the group not only the students stoically experienced the subtle delights of drawing wearing gloves. stunning Mediaeval ecclesiastical buildings of Notre Groups of students were assigned the task of graphically recording five Dame and Sainte Chapelle, the Renaissance buildings separate examples of elegant “Hotels de Ville”, typical courtyard houses of of the Louvre or Place de Vosges, and the grand pre-Revolution Paris. This forms the basis of a 3-week studio assignment on urban gestures of Haussmann’s city remodeling but return to Cork. also some of the most important exemplars of 20th After such hectic days the students (and some tutors too) still found Century design. opportunities to experience a lively range of other aspects of French life and The group made the pilgrimage to Le Corbusier’s culture. 1929 Villa Savoye, possibly the architect’s most
Staff and students on the roof terrace of Villa Savoye, Poissy, designed by Le Corbusier.
Facades: Hotel de Marle, Paris, by Gemma Twohig.
Students bearing the elements, sketching Perspectives of Hotel Carnavalet Facade detail, Hotel Carnavalet by at Place de Vosges. by Eva Gould. Amy Hore.
93 Sport Bursaries & Scholarships
Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar and Vice President for Academic Affairs, CIT; and Guest Speaker Olive Loughnane, 2009 World Athletic Championships Silver Medallist presented 84 Sport Bursaries & Scholarships.
The presentation of the CIT Sports Bursaries & Scholarships took place on the 1st of December. A total of 84 bursaries were presented to athletes from 17 different sports. The Guest Speaker was Olive Loughnane, Silver Medalist at the 2009 World Championships in the 20km walk. Olive was recently named “Athlete of the Year” at the National Athletics Awards, as well as being the recipient of a “Texaco Sportstar award”.
The bursaries and scholarships are a reflection of CIT’s commitment to the development of a comprehensive sporting policy and are awarded to students who display high achievement levels, commitment and dedication to their chosen sport and very importantly, loyalty to that sport within the Institute. The standard is exceptionally high with ABOVE: many recipients boasting All-Ireland medals, Irish Dr Barry O’Connor, Registrar Champion titles, Eircom league medals, World titles and Vice President for and Irish caps. While representing both CIT and Academic Affairs, CIT; and Guest Speaker Olive their home clubs at the highest level, many have Loughnane with Senior also represented their province as well as their Award Recipients for Soccer: country. Thomas Houlihan, CIT; James Groake, CIT; Valerie The sports bursaries & scholarships provide Leahy, Lakewood Rangers; valuable assistance to students in their quest for and Colin Kearney, CIT. sporting excellence. It is hoped that the recognition will encourage recipients to continue to train at RIGHT TOP: Cadbury’s GAA Recipient for the levels required and to continually strive for Football Aidan Walsh and excellence in their chosen sports and ensure Sean Murphy, Cadbury. further sporting success, whilst also hoping that it will act as a further encouragement for students to RIGHT BOTTOM: continue their academic studies and realise their EMC2 GAA Recipient for full potential. Hurling, Patrick O’Connor with Hazel Shanahan, EMC2. In total, 71 CIT funded Sports Bursaries were awarded, 11 Munster Council GAA Scholarships and new additions to the scheme this year was a Cadburys GAA bursary and an EMC2 GAA bursary.
71 Sports Bursaries: Athletics (4), Boxing (1), Basketball (Mens-3, Ladies-3), Camogie (1), Dual GAA (2), Football-Ladies (4), Football-Mens (13), Golf (5), Hockey (3), Hurling (10), Kickboxing (1), Racquetball (1), Rowing (2), Rugby(1), Sailing(5), Soccer (Ladies-1, Mens-8), Table Tennis (2), Tae Kwon Do (1). 11 Munster Council Scholarships: 2 Administration, 2 Camogie, 5 Football (Mens) and 2 Hurling. 1 Cadburys GAA bursary 1 EMC2 GAA bursary
Munster Council Recipients Julie McGrath; Elaine O’Riordan; John Ryan; Gearóid O’Rourke; Paul O’Flynn; Seán O’Hare; Conor O’Driscoll; Chris Murphy; and Noel Galvin; with Jimmy O’Gorman, Chairman, Munster GAA Council. 94 Senior Award Recipients for Sailing: Cian Twomey, Senior Award Recipients for Golf: Daniel Hallissey, Muskerry; Aoife Lowry, RCYC & Cobh; George Kenefick, RCYC; and Joseph Bruen, RCYC. Tipperary; Ross O’Sullivan, Fota Island; and Eoghan Long, Monkstown.
Senior Award Recipients Jonathan O’Keeney, Fermoy - Raquetball; Senior Award Recipients for Rowing: James Davis, Lee Rowing; and and Ross McBride, Cork - Tae Kwan Do. Mark O’Donovan, Skibbereen.
95 Freshers Award Recipients Denis Good, RCYC - Sailing; James Herley, Ballincollig - Table Tennis; and Kevin O’Keeffe, Ballincollig - Table Tennis.
Senior Award Recipients for Hockey: Cliodhna Sargent, Harlequins; Roger Gray, UCC; and David Smith, Bandon.
Freshers Award Recipients Gillian O’Brien, Moyle Rovers - Ladies Football; Deirdre Cotter, Gabriel Rangers - Ladies Football; Maureen O’Sullivan, Beara - Ladies Football; Simon O’Brien, Carrigaline - Hurling; and Christine O’Neill, Courcey Rovers – Camogie.
Senior Award Recipients Pádraig Healy, West Waterford - Athletics; Eoin Murphy, CIT - Boxing; William Hughes, Thurles Crokes - Athletics; and Paul Hazler, Leevale – Athletics.
Freshers Award Recipients Conor Deasy, Blue Demons - Basketball; Elizabeth Mulcahy, Bushido Martial Arts - Kickboxing; Danielle O’Leary, Brunell - Basketball; and Daniel Fowler, Cork City FC – Soccer.
Senior Award Recipients for Basketball: Ashley Campbell, St Pauls; Rebecca Lyall, Brunell; and Stephen Sheehan, Neptune. Freshers Award Recipients Lloyd Dorgan, Highfield RFC - Rugby; Cathal Owens, Leevale AC - Athletics; and Philip Spratt, West Waterford - Golf. 96 Sports Awards 2010
The Sports Awards 2010 were presented at a function in the Tourism and Catering Building, CIT on 11th May. The Guest Speaker at the ceremony was John McHale, former Irish Senior Basketball player and Evening Echo Sports Editor.
As well as recognising current sporting heroes, the sports awards afford the opportunity to also recognise graduates. The Graduate Award went to Cork Senior Hurling Manager, Denis Walsh. Denis joins the prestigious list of Graduate achievement award winners such as Juliet Murphy, David Wallace, Eoin Liston, Conor Counihan, Dave Barry, Paul Wallace, Joe Kavanagh, Brian Carey, Brian Corcoran, Sarah Kelleher, Mags Finn, Wesley Bateman, John Cleary and Philly Larkin.
Denis Walsh, Cork Senior Hurling Manager, recipient of the Graduate of the Year award; with John McHale, Evening Echo Sports Editor and former Ireland senior basketball player; and Ed Riordan, Deputy Registrar & Head of Academic Quality CIT.
Members of the Athletics Club, recipient of the Club of the Year award. The Club hosted the South Munster Schools, Munster Schools, All-Ireland School’s Cross Country, and the Intervarsities Cross Country. The club also organised a 5K run under lights at CIT Pitches and Walkway. A remarkable 21 athletes competed at the road relays in Maynooth. The Athletics club also, for the second year in a row, won the Men’s Division 2 title at the Track & Field championships, as well as being crowned Division 3 ladies winners. Special Achievement award recipients (at front) Paul Kerrigan, Gaelic Football; Julie McGrath, Camogie; Cliodhna Sargent, Hockey; and Daniel The “Achievement Awards” were presented to nine students who Goulding, Gaelic Football; and (at rear) Cathal Naughton, Hurling; Colm are in their final year in the Institute and have each excelled at O’Neill, Gaelic Football; Ray Carey, Gaelic Football; Paul O’Flynn, Gaelic either international or senior intercounty level. Football; and Mark O’Donovan, Rowing.
The 2009/2010 academic season has been a CIT also had the honour of successfully hosting the South Munster Schools, Munster Schools, the All-Ireland Schools Cross country, as very successful one for CIT. The Institute featured well as the Intervarsities Cross Country. CIT also hosted the Umbro prominently in events such as Hockey, Soccer, Cup in soccer. CIT looks forward to the official opening of the new Athletics, Boxing, Ladies Football, Tae Kwon Do, athletics stand in June and to the hosting of the Cork City Sports on the 3rd of July. Racquetball, Hurling, Kickboxing, Camogie, Rock Climbing, Karting, Canoeing, Mountain biking, Mixed As well as catering for the competitive athlete, CIT also place a Martial Arts, Volleyball, and Golf. CIT prides itself on big emphasis on participation and fun and this is reflected in the growing numbers who take part. The Sports Office run a number being involved and competitive in so many sports at of activities such as aerobics, circuit training, abs classes, yoga, such a high level. “boot camps” and “fit for life” programs. CIT’s sports facilities are ideally located on campus and are amongst the finest in Ireland. CIT’s excellently maintained sports grounds played host to These include a sports hall, fully equipped gym and weights room, numerous competitions throughout the year. While also catering 9 playing pitches, international standard athletics track, all-weather for training for various intercounty teams including the Cork Ladies astro-turf pitch, tennis court and dance studio. football teams from under-age to senior level, Cork Senior and minor camogies, Cork Minor hurlers and footballers and the Cork CIT has an impressive stand and dressing rooms which U21 hurlers. CIT is also the home grounds for Cork Admirals Flag complement the GAA pitches, soccer pitches and rugby pitches, Football games which provide very entertaining viewing. some of which are fully floodlit. As part of the further development of CIT’s athletics track, the Institute has put in place a state of the art stand which when fully completed will incorporate a warm up area.
97 Members of the Ladies Football Club, recipient of the Club of the Umbro CFAI Cup Finals Year runners-up award. For the first time in its history, the Umbro CFAI Cup Finals, the l Lynch Shield winners for the most prestigious college’s competition in Ireland, took place in first time in the history of the CIT. Ten teams from across Ireland travelled to CIT in their quest Institute; for glory. Over the course of two days, two semi-finals and four l All-Ireland Freshers 7’s finals took place on CIT’s four fantastic soccer pitches. On 9th finalists. March, in the Umbro CFAI Cup semi-finals, Coláiste Idé overcame Letterkenny IT while IT Carlow beat Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa to progress to the main event.
On 10th March, the Plate-Final Cork was represented by the favourites, Cork College of Commerce who were up against South West College Fermanagh. The game took place in front Anne Marie Ryan, Camogie; of CIT’s impressive 1,100 seated stadium and many onlookers Ursula Day and Gillian O’Brien, enjoyed a Cork victory in comfort. The B-Team Cup final saw Ladies Gaelic Football; and (at CIT’s conquerors IT Tralee B overcome IT Athlone B, while in the rear) Billy Allen, Motorsport; Bob Eustace Final, O’Fiaich College beat Inchicore College. Cathal Owens, Athletics; Ronan Kinane, Racquetball; and Ross In the final match of an incredible tournament, the Umbro CFAI McBride, Tae Kwon Do. Cup Final was played out by two top class teams, IT Carlow and Coláiste Idé. The teams needed no motivation as they arrived out to the Irish National Anthem which sounded around the Stadium. Impressed spectators had the benefit of music before the match and at half time, enjoying their burgers and chips while watching the half time entertainment on the pitch provided by CIT’s soccer team, a great atmosphere for a terrific match that took place on the pitch. Nobody could deny the quality that both teams possessed but on the day it was IT Carlow who claimed the biggest prize in an inspiring manner. Ross McBride recipient of an individual award for Tae Kwon The quality of CIT’s facilities was admired by all, top class pitches, Do. 4th Year Business Studies. state of the art dressing rooms and a stand worthy of hosting any l 2010: Gold in the Sparring, tournament. Great facilities for a great event. Black belt section at the Intervarsities l Gold at Intervarsities ’08 & ’09 l Silver at British Championships ’09 l Treasurer of the CIT club 09/10, secretary of the club 08/09 l Student representative on the CIT Sports Council 08/09
Ciaran Sheehan, Gaelic Football, 1st Year Recreation and Leisure; recipient of the Fresher of the Year award. l Captained the CIT Freshers footballers to reach the All-Ireland final; l Also played with the CIT Freshers Eric Marah, CIT Soccer Facilitator; Colin O’Brien, FAI representative; hurlers, reaching the All-Ireland final; Pádraig Carney, Chairman, Colleges Football Association of Ireland l U21 Munster & All-Ireland football (CFAI); John Caulfield; John Quinlan, CFAI Secretary; and Dr Barry medal winner with Cork; O’Connor, Registrar & Vice President for Academic Affairs; at the l Member of the Cork Senior launch of the Umbro/CFAI Cup finals. Football panel at just 18yrs, All- Ireland finalists ’09; l Munster Minor hurling & football medals with Cork.
Ken Murphy recipient of an individual award for Soccer, EPS 4th Year. l Represented Ireland at the World Student Games in Thailand and the CFAI National squad in Italy. l With his home Club Avondale, have won the Premier League in Cork for the past two years.
Pádraig Carney presenting Dr Eamonn Cashell with a thank you trophy for hosting the event. 98 Round Up of the GAA 2009/10 Academic Year
Keith Ricken, GAA Officer CIT
The CIT GAA Club has just finished what was certainly the most over its outstanding GAA Club volunteers (graduates, students and staff) action filled year in the history of Gaelic Games at the Institute. who again pulled off another successful hosting. The statistics make for amazing reading; over 400 hundred The club also ran Foundation and Award 1 coaching courses for over 90 students played with the Club which fielded 13 teams that students - the first Award 1 Coaching Course completed in the third level played in the Higher Education Leagues and Championships; sector for Gaelic Games. 83 competitive games were played with a further 69 practice As we finished with the Higher Education Competitions for the 2009/10 games and tournament games; 213 training sessions; 90 bus Academic Year, we have begun preparations of the 2010 Cork County trips and the Institute was represented in a total of 9 finals. Senior Hurling and Football Championships. Last year, the hurlers And yet the year contained so much heartache….with only reached the semi-finals and while certainly our priorities are the Third one trophy to show for a year that promised so much. It was Level Competitions, there remains a huge interest from our students to Dr Martin Luther King Jr that said “We must accept finite play in these championships and avail of another opportunity to wear the disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope”….but Institute’s colours with pride. even he, had he been a CIT GAA Club member in 2010, would have been tested in the hope department. A Big Thank You Despite all the hard work and huge effort put in by the teams, only the Ladies Football team came home with silverware and The Institute has been very supportive of the development of sport and hearty congratulations to the team. its facilities and to the continued development of Gaelic Games. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Brendan J Murphy, President, Defeated in the Fresher 1 Hurling Championship and and Dr Barry O Connor Registrar and Vice President of Academic Affairs League Final, the Fresher 1 and 2 Championship Final, the for their particular interest shown in the activities of the Club. I would Intermediate Hurling and Football Final, the Junior Football also like to recognise the contribution of Dr Eamonn Cashell, Chair, CIT Final and the Camogie Ashbourne Shield Final, one would be Sports Council, and the various members of the council whose input to forgiven for lamenting such losses. Yet in many respects, it was the development of sport is an enormous contributing factor to the great a good year with record number of activities and reaching the strides we have made in the last few years. The Sports Office, which business end of most of the competitions. comes under the remit of Student Services, is very keen to support and promote the GAA club and has given enormous support, financial and otherwise to help with ensuring the continued growth of the club. Thanks too must go to the Caretakers and Grounds men of the Institute for their patience and flexibility in helping with the scheduling of the many games as well as the Students Services Company for providing meals to our many visiting teams and the warm breakfasts for all those early morning sessions! The club would also like to acknowledge the massive financial contribution that EMC² Ireland has given to CIT GAA Club since 2000 and without whose help, running the GAA activities would be much more On the 6th May, the Ladies Footballers were presented difficult. In particular, we wish to thank Mr Bob Savage, Vice President with their Lynch Shield medals and also Fresher 7-aside and Managing Director of EMC² Ireland and Mrs Kate O’Connor, Director, Runner up medals. Human Resources, for their continued interest. The club wishes to recognise the various Executives of the Higher Having reached the dizzying heights of 2009 we had hoped for a Education sectors and the Executives of the Cork and Munster GAA repeat of these feats for 2010. Alas the senior campaigns didn’t Committees for the continued support of Gaelic Games at the Institute. go according to plan with both teams bowing out before the weekend stages, albeit to the eventual champions. DCU proved Finally I would like especially to thank all the members of the CIT Student the undoing of the Footballers as they bid to retain the Sigerson GAA Club for volunteering their time to help with the running of the club. Cup while NUIG beat CIT to knock them out of the Fitzgibbon. It would be unfair to single out any one member of the various Club and There was no doubt they put in the work, but things simply Selection committees that have done Trojan work in ensuring that things didn’t go their way and nobody will feel this disappointment go smoothly and any of the progress that we have made over the years is more than the players and management of these teams. largely due to their work, commitment and enthusiasm. However, CIT successfully hosted the Ashbourne and Purcell No matter what the outcome of the results are, it is the manner in which Higher Education Camogie Competitions. It was the final part the games are played that truly reflect the spirit, enthusiasm and skill of a unique four in a row, having already successfully hosted level that has always been associated with CIT GAA Club. Its number one the HE Ladies Football Competitions in 2007, Fitzgibbon 2008 priority continues to be that its student members will return to their clubs and Sigerson 2009. It was also historic as it was the first time and communities having made new friends, great memories and renewed in the history of these competitions that both Ashbourne and passion for these wonderful games as well as having an even greater Purcell were held together and with over 400 camogie players affinity to CIT. descended on CIT, it was certainly the single biggest 3rd level So despite the disappointment of this year, the shouts still ring out loudly women competition held in the country. It was another occasion …“CIT Abú!” where CIT could show off its outstanding facilities and more
crossword solutions ACROSS 1 Codify 4 Browse 9 Able 10 Xenophobes 11 Landau 12 Postcode 13 Raspberry 15 Ward 16 Bane 17 Epic style 21 Pastrami 22 Innate 24 Marionette 25 Tied 26 Overdo 27 Galley
DOWN 1 Cabbala 2 Dread 3 Fixture 5 Repose 6 Woodcraft 7 Emended 8 Inappropriate 14 Pinstripe 16 Bravado 18 Chimera 19 Lottery 20 Darned 23 Natal 99 Continuing Education Handbook 2010 - 2011 launched in June offers exciting new programmes this year...
Information/Registration for Adult Evening Courses for the academic year beginning September 2010 will take place at the Institute from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on the following dates:
Thursday 2nd September 2010 Faculty of Business & Humanities: Business Studies & Accounting, Media Studies, Social & General Studies, and Tourism & Hospitality. Monday 6th September 2010 Faculty of Engineering: Chemical, Civil, Structural & Environmental, Construction, Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical & Manufacturing, Nautical, and Transport & Automobile.
Faculty of Science: Applied Physics, Biological Science, Analytical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Computing & Mathematics, and Nautical. Thursday 9th September 2010 CIT Crawford College of Art & Design Enrolment will take place at the CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, Sharman Crawford Street, Cork, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.