2006 University College Dublin DECEMBER Celebrating the past, creating the future www.ucd.ie/ucdtoday Julia Sigwart Dr Niamh Dr Jens Eoghan Rice tells Claire Hardiman Nielsen dicovers the O’Connell speaks to explains the wisdom in about the Louise Holden applications Irish proverbs captivating about Irish of enzymes with Professor Blaschka Social and to Sean Duke Aidan Moran models Political Attitudes 3 7 8 11 Students are ambassadors for UCD Thirty exceptional UCD students have been selected to represent the university to prospective The Student Ambassador programme aims to ease the transition to third level education by giving students as part of the new Student Ambassador programme. One of their key tasks is to prospective students the opportunity to speak to an existing university student in a friendly and conduct tailored campus tours for schools, groups or even individuals. relaxed atmosphere. The Ambassadors are important points of contact for potential students when they visit the The Ambassadors, who were nominated by UCD staff, are from diverse backgrounds and areas of university and even before they set foot on campus. They are contactable by email and there are study. All are “high-achievers”, typically with experience as team leaders or class reps. They have all plans for them to visit secondary schools alongside UCD staff on schools liaison. They are also on completed at least one year of study and some are at postgraduate level. hand for Open Days. The initiative was officially launched on 22 November in the new Welcome Centre in the Clinton Institute. Transition year students from St. Colmcille’s Community School, Knocklyon took part in the first official campus tours. inside 3 Crystal creatures on display what’sJulia Sigwart tells Claire O'Donnell about the fascinating, anatomically-correct glass models of marine animals to be found in the UCD Ambassadors and scholars - School of Biology and Environmental Science Research brought to life 5 in unique image competition students show their mettle Captivating images from the recent Picture This competition, showcasing the depth and diversity of work from UCD's research community With forty-one students entering UCD on 600 points and a further This year the average CAO points were also included to give a more 107 on sufficiently high points to earn an entrance scholarship across realistic picture of the range of students. For example, the minimum Inside the mind of the Irish voter thirty-eight degree areas, there is ample evidence that UCD is CAO points for omnibus science was 330 but the average was 420. 7 attracting a substantial percentage of Ireland's top students. Dr Niamh Hardiman speaks to The breadth of degrees and the national reach of UCD means Louise Holden about the recently-published Irish Social and Political Attitudes With places still at a premium it is not surprising that 19 of the 20 that talented, bright students are not just those who attain students on entrance scholarship to medicine achieved 600 points in entrance scholarships. Enzyme answers their Leaving Certificate. Of greater interest are the many school 8 students who choose degrees that do not require exceptionally high Our new student ambassadors are drawn from throughout the Dr Jens Nielsen explains to Sean Duke some of university to guide prospective students around the campus and to the applications of enzymes and how their points. These students are spread across eleven degree programmes give them a sense of what student life is really all about. These performance can be improved ranging from psychology to commerce, from architecture to arts. The extraordinary 900-point student, Ronan McGovern from ambassadors display consistent qualities in community participation, many excel at sport, others have Gaisce awards, held class rep and Wise old words Newbridge, Co Kildare chose omnibus engineering. captain roles at school and club level and all have adapted to 11 Professor Aidan Moran, co-author of Timeless Wisdom explains to Eoghan Rice why some old There is a belief abroad that choosing a degree requiring lower points university life with great enthusiasm. Irish proverbs are as relevant now as they were than a student expects to achieve is “a waste of points”. Not so, as centuries ago the ten BA scholars with well over 200 points “to spare” They are, as their name suggests, true ambassadors for the university. demonstrate. Those of us inside the education system know that School students have a greater comfort level talking to someone Out and about students who choose their degree on the basis of interest will closer to their own age. Stepping foot on campus can be daunting. 17 Photos and stories from the Foundation Day particularly enjoy their university life and perform better. The friendly face and welcoming hand helps overcome anxieties and dinner, the Ruby and Silver Jubilee celebrations the practical advice plays an important role in helping students make and other social events Our undergraduate prospectus aims to describe and explain each the choices that are best for them. degree to students so that they can make informed choices in UCD Sports respect of their CAO application. The information includes the Eilis O’Brien 18 A round-up of recent sporting events, including minimum CAO point for students entering in the previous year. Director of Communications the Dublin Senior Football Championship and the 97 sports scholarships awarded to UCD sporting stars Contributors: Design: Suzanne Bailey, Christian Barry, Loman Cusack Design Caroline Brophy, Deirdre Brophy, Damien Print: Dempsey, Sinead Dolan, Orla Donoghue, eBrook Marie Ennis, Moss Garde, Niamh Hardiman, Paul Harkin, Louise Holden, Thanks to: Emma Kavanagh, Suzanne Kealy, Patricia Padraic Conway, JP Donnelly, Kelly, Kevin Kiely, Jim Kinsella, Anne Catherine Godson, Maurice Manning, Lavelle, Rosaleen Loughman, Ita McGuigan, Cliona de Bhaldraithe Marsh, Niamh Milne, Clár i Bhuachalla, Kevin Damien McLoughlin, Patrick Wall Nolan, Valerie Norton, Aonghus Ó hAirt, In the compilation of this publication, every Claire O'Connell, Aoife O’Donovan, care has been taken to ensure accuracy. Any Geraldine O'Neill, Elaine Quinn, Eoghan errors or omissions should be brought to the Rice, Eileen Scott, Mark Simpson, Julie attention of UCD Communications Tritz, Micéal Whelan, Nerys Williams ([email protected]) Produced by: We also welcome your suggestions for Eilis O Brien, Claire Percy, articles in future editions. Dominic Martella, Sara Fogarty This publication is also available online at www.ucd.ie/ucdtoday. 20062 Crystal creatures on display Julia Sigwart tells Claire O'Connell (BSc 1992, PhD 1998) about the fascinating, anatomically-correct glass models of marine animals to be found in the UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science. Science and programme director of CoBiD creatures then later set up salt-water aquaria seen in the live animal are faithfully reflected (Collections-Based Biology in Dublin). to keep and observe their subjects in real life. in the glass model. While the Irish collections focus on marine And with other, smaller collections in Trinity biology, the largest individual Blaschka Sigwart, a marine biologist who specialises in College Dublin, University College Cork and NUI collection is a series of 4,000 plant and flower molluscs, agrees that the models are highly Galway, Ireland has an unusually high density of models commissioned by Harvard University accurate. ‘They are fantastic,’ she says. the rare glass models. ‘We are swimming in in Boston. ‘The Blaschkas wouldn’t have known the them!’ says Sigwart. biology of every group, they were gentleman But despite their global recognition, the naturalists, but what comes out is that they The NHM and Irish universities first started to Blaschkas and their methods remain something had a remarkable eye for detail which is really invest in Blaschka models in the 1870s, steadily of an enigma, with few recorded notes about a crucial skill for being an organisational building up collections totalling over 500 their lives or techniques. They kept largely to biologist.' models, mainly of soft-bodied marine animals themselves as they provided museums all over such as squid, cuttle-fish and octopus. The real the world with exquisite and scientifically Blaschka models are on permanent display Julia Sigwart, programme director of CoBiD creatures on display in museums were accurate models that bridge art and science. at the Natural History Museum, Merrion St, preserved in alcohol, which maintained their Knowledge about their collections remains Dublin 2. A special, temporary display of UCD’s corridors hold many hidden treasures, anatomical features but dulled their vibrant fragmented, which is why Dublin held the first ‘Crystal Creatures’, which include many of the but some of the most spectacular are glass colours, and the glass models provided more annual Blaschka Congress last September, UCD-held models, will run until after Christmas models of marine animals that nestle life-like, aesthetically pleasing alternatives. explains Sigwart, who chaired the organising on the ground floor of the unassumingly in the zoology cabinets of the Glass models could also enlarge small, even committee. museum. For opening hours UCD School of Biology and Environmental microscopic, creatures to better display their visit www.museum.ie Science. beauty and complexity. The aim was to put experts in the same room so they could swap information and join up Claire O’Connell Crafted by father-and-son team Leopold and The creators, Leopold Blaschka (1822-1895) and some of the dots. (BSc 1992, PhD 1998) Rudolf Blaschka more than a century ago, these his son Rudolf (1857-1939), came from a family is a freelance journalist. faithful glass reproductions of marine and tradition of glass craftsmanship dating back to Speakers included the botanist Susan microscopic creatures are a visually stunning the 15th century. Originally from Bohemia, they Rossi-Wilcox, who manages the Harvard Glass fusion of art and scientific detail.