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Congratulations to DCU lecturer Marie Louise O'Donnell on Seanad nomination
Marie Louise O'Donnell, lecturer in DCU School of Communications, has been nominated as a member of Seanad Eireann.
Marie-Louise is one of the 11 nominees to the Seanad announced by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny on Fri 20th May 2011
Marie Louise, who has been lecturing in DCU for 23 years, has also lectured extensively in Ireland, Europe and the USA in Education, Irish Drama, Irish Culture and Language. She is a regular reviewer and media contributor and presents a weekly show on RTE's 'Today with Pat Kenny.'
In the early 90s she pioneered a series of dynamic arts and culture programmes on the young DCU university campus to include initiatives such as The Ford Society Awards, The Larkin Concert Series, The Writer in Residence Programme, The Wilde Space Theatre, DCU Arts Week, Open Air Opera, The Children's Arts Days, the RIAM graduate concerts and the performance of The Royal Shakespeare Company on campus.
The development of all of these initial artistic programmes culminated in the imaging, building and launch of The Helix in 2002.
Commenting on her nomination Marie Louise said: "My appointment to the Seanad is an affirmation and recognition of a life working in third level education. I am thrilled and honoured to have been selected to the Upper House of the Oireachtas. I will serve it with clarity of purpose, vision and action.
"I am also delighted for the university but especially for The School of Communications and all my outstanding colleagues who have been part of my life and the School's development in DCU over the past 23 years.
"I have a very simple idea about definitions of education and indeed my own approach to it as a lecturer in DCU.
"At the 'deep hearts core' of education lies the quality of imagination and energy. The kind of imagination which allows us to know that new things and new ways, fresh combinations and unearthed ideas, can happen, can exist and can belong. And the understanding that energy is the propeller and the fuse which can bring all these elements into being.
"Now, more than ever in Ireland we need this combination. I hope to bring both of these qualities to the Seanad"
Marie Louise, who studied English and Education at Nottingham University, has a Masters in Education at NUI Maynooth, an M.A. in Modern Drama at UCD and Theatre and Voice at The Guild Hall School of Music and Drama in London.
She became head of Drama at Carysfort Teacher Training College, a Theatre Director and a professional actress.