SEPTEMBER 2015 Vol.18 - No.3 UNIVERSITY NEWS Maynooth University Maynooth Academics Chamber Choir win Enrolled as Members of RIA “Choir of the World 2015” Dr Lorraine Byrne Bodley, Department of Music and Professor Rob Kitchin, National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis, were recently admitted as members to the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) Dr Lorraine Byrne Bodley, Prof Rob Kitchin and Prof Mary E. Daly, President of the Royal Irish Academy Michael Dawson, Director of Maynooth University Chamber Choir with Dr John O’Keeffe, Music Department celebrate the win The Maynooth University Chamber Choir, under the They are among a group of nineteen inductees, including engineers, direction of Michael Dawson (BMus 2011), made historians and a criminologist, who signed the Academy roll book on 29 May. history in July when it became the first Irish choir Dr Lorraine Byrne Bodley is Senior Lecturer in Musicology at Maynooth to lift the coveted Pavarotti Trophy as “Choir of University. She is acclaimed for her research on Goethe, Schubert and the World” at the Llangollen International Musical Zelter. She is the author of two monographs and editor of ten other volumes, and was recently appointed to the board of the Schubert edition (Vienna). Eisteddfod She is writing a biography of Schubert for Yale, and has edited collections Having impressed the judges to win in the ‘Youth Choir’ category, the choir forthcoming from Oxford and Cambridge. then progressed to Choir of the World competition, open to the winner of each Prof Rob Kitchin is a Professor and ERC Advanced Investigator in NIRSA. category. With a sparkling performance, the Maynooth University Chamber He served as Director of the Institute between 2002 and 2013. Professor Choir came first in a field of choirs from Singapore, the USA, Wales and England. Kitchin, along with co-author Martin Dodge, won the Meridian Book Award Speaking of the award, Professor Philip Nolan, President of Maynooth (presented by the American Association of Geographers for outstanding University, said: “While the term ‘world-class’ gets used often, the Maynooth scholarly work in Geography) in 2011, and he was the recipient of the Royal University Chamber Choir is one entity that is truly deserving of that description, Irish Academy Gold Medal for Social Sciences in 2013. and this win clearly demonstrates that. The entire University community is Speaking at the announcement Maynooth University President, Professor extremely proud of the Chamber Choir for this impressive achievement and for Philip Nolan said: “The University is delighted with this well deserved its role in spreading Maynooth’s reputation for excellence around the globe.” recognition of our colleagues, and we extend them our warmest congratulations on this wonderful achievement.” in this issue Geographers Innovative Funds Law Course Developed Recognition The Association of American Geographers (AAG), the largest and most respected organisation of geographers in the world, has recognised two Maynooth University academics. Megan O’Connor, Maynooth University Law student; Liz Grace, Matheson Partner; Prof Michael Doherty, Head of the Department of Law and Minister Simon Harris TD Prof Rob Kitchin Prof Gerry Kearns Maynooth University Department of Law has partnered with Irish law The Association conferred the AAG Media firm, Matheson, to create the first-ever specialised Funds Law course Achievement Award on Professor Rob available at an Irish university Kitchin and naming Professor Gerry Kearns Representatives from Matheson and the Department both of whom were awarded six month internships as its Distinguished Historical Geographer of Law met with Simon Harris TD, Minister of at the law firm. for 2015. State at the Department of Finance with Special Professor Michael Doherty, Head of Maynooth Professor Rob Kitchin was awarded the AAG Responsibility for International Financial Services, University Law Department, said: Media Achievement Award in recognition to brief him on the employment potential of this “This collaboration with Matheson is hugely of his exceptional work both on media and specialised Funds Law course. important for us. The Funds Law course moves in media, with the Association noting that A unique feature of the course is that Matheson beyond the traditional legal curriculum to open rarely has a geographer engaged with media directly employs graduates from the course, fast- students’ experience to much broader areas of legal on so many levels. tracking them into the sector. Matheson currently practise that are at the centre of Ireland’s economic Professor Gerry Kearns’ achievements in has two full-time employees from the first year of development and also areas where Ireland is a the field of historical geography, society the course, Andrew Norry and Megan O’Connor, global player.” and spatial justice, were cited as “greatly enriching historical geography.” Professor Kitchin’s scholarly work on media MAP Recognises Exceptional Achievement of and social media has made important contributions to the field of media Second Level Students and Teachers geography, from advancing understanding of how to comprehend space (cognitive Maynooth mapping) through current and future spaces University (from cyberspace to science fiction). He has published twenty-one books and over 130 presented awards articles and book chapters. He was awarded for exceptional the AAG’s Meridian Book Award in 2011 for achievement to his book with Martin Dodge, ‘Code/Space: Software and Everyday Life.’ more than 120 Professor Kearns’ work is at the intersection second level of historical, political and medical themes students and 31 in geography. His book ‘Geopolitics and Empire’ won the Murchison Award from the teachers from Royal Geographical Society in 2009 as the Kildare, Offaly, most significant contribution to geographical West Dublin and scholarship that year. He is currently writing about the cultural politics of AIDS for his Kilkenny latest book, ‘Making Space for AIDS.’ The awards are granted by the Maynooth Access Programme (MAP), which FROM THE EDITOR works with second level Award winners James Cawley, Bao Nguyen and Dr Andrew Hogan with Prof Aidan Mulkeen, Maynooth University Vice-President Academic/Registrar and Rose Ryan, Director of Access schools to encourage University News is published three under-represented groups to enter third level. subject area and 6th year winners are nominated times a year by the Maynooth University The MAP Second Level Awards are given to by their school. Another group of winners, 6th Year Communications and Marketing Office. students who have shown outstanding application, Inspirational Student Award winners, also nominate For questions, or to submit stories dedication and progress at school, often in the face a teacher or member of their school staff for awards and ideas any time of the year, contact of challenging circumstances. Third year students that recognise their extraordinary effort, ability to [email protected]. are awarded for significant advancement in a school support and inspire students to achieve their goals. 2 Experts on Climate Justice Address Major Conference at Maynooth Leading experts on climate justice addressed a Prof Philip Nolan, major conference, Meeting the Challenges of Climate President, Maynooth Justice: From Evidence to Action on 22-23 June hosted University and Eamonn by Maynooth University, Trócaire and St Patrick’s Meehan, College, Maynooth Executive Director of The conference opened with a keynote address from Mary Robinson, former Trócaire President of Ireland and now President of the Mary Robinson Foundation for welcome Mary Climate Justice and the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Climate Change. Robinson Other speakers included Professor Jean Pascal Van Ypersele, Vice Chair of to the the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and Bill McKibben, conference Founder and Senior Adviser of 350.org, one of the world’s most influential campaigning websites on climate change and author of The End of Nature. path towards a more sustainable future as world leaders prepare to make a 2015 is a critical year for addressing the climate emergency and charting a new climate agreement at the UN Summit in Paris in December. Maynooth University Crowned Education Forum Analyses Champions of 2015 Enactus Ireland Educational Disadvantage Maynooth University were announced as the winners of the prestigious 2015 Enactus Ireland National Competition for its Access Earth project Prof Deborah Youdell, University of Birmingham and Muiris O’Connor, HEA The winning team celebrates with Peter Robbins, Maynooth University lecturer and Terence O’Rourke, Enactus Ireland The third annual Maynooth Education Forum heard Access Earth is an app/service that allows the user to find reliable and up- expert international research on a critical current to-date accessibility information about a place or business. The win builds issue for Ireland – the provision of top quality, on Access Earth’s international profile following its success at Microsoft’s international competition, the Imagine Cup. universal and affordable pre-school education The winning team led by 3rd year law student Darren Smith will now represent The theme for the 2015 Forum was ‘Educational Disadvantage’ - Critique, Ireland at the 2015 Enactus World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa, which Challenges and Solutions. The Forum heard that the elimination of education takes place in October. inequality for pre-school children