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Mickey Whelan receives PhD from DCU and receives first 'Darren Sutherland Memorial Award'
Mickey Whelan, former Dublin player and manager, today received his PhD from Dublin City University.
According to Dr Catherine Woods, Head of the School of Health and Human Performance, "Mickey has been a true inspiration to all undergraduate and postgraduate students alike. He has taught on and contributed to the establishment of the degree in Physical Education, and has achieved excellence in sport in many ways, most recently being a member of the management team of Dublin which won the GAA senior mens final".
In a separate ceremony, Dr Whelan also received the first Darren Sutherland Memorial Award from DCU President, Professor Brian MacCraith.
In a citation on behalf of all the staff in the School of Health and Human Performance, Dr Giles Warrington said that Darren had made an enormous contribution to the school and it was appropriate to mark this contribution on graduation day.
Darren's association with DCU began in 2005 when he applied for a place on the Sports Science and Health degree programme through the elite athlete entry route.
"During his interview, he immediately created an impression with the staff as an articulate, confident and passionate student who stood out from the crowd. As well a being a world class athlete in his own right, Darren also excelled in his studies, something he took great pride in. He broke the mould in the school in many ways. He was one of the first world-class athletes to attempt to combine full-time training and study in the school, a task he managed impeccably with tremendous dedication and determination. It was his ability and success at balancing both his academic and sporting careers that allowed the school to approach the university with a model of formally extending the initiative to other athletes. This is a tribute to Darren and one of his great legacies.
"Darren was an unforgettable student. His desire to understand, his curiosity, attention to detail and determination to make a success of his time in DCU were inspirational both to staff and fellow students. Darren was truly a role model to all those who came in contact with him. His results at the end of first year were exceptional; First Class Honours and joint first in a class of 55 students. It would be fair to say that Darren raised the bar and set new standards for future students.
"He always followed through on his commitments and was appreciative of the flexibility provided to him by the School and the University. As well as targeting competing at the Beijing Olympics, Darren made a commitment to complete year two of the Sport Science and Health programme in 2008. So when he achieved his sporting goal at the Olympic qualification event in Athens in April 2008, whilst his fellow Olympians celebrated qualification and took a break, Darren was straight back to the books in preparation for his end of year exams.
"His magnificent performance in the 2008 Olympics and his move to professional boxing are well documented. Despite all his wonderful sporting achievements, Darren always kept his feet firmly fixed on the ground and always appreciated the importance of balancing his athletic endeavours with his academic career and was determined to return to DCU to complete his degree when he eventually hung up his gloves. This is something the school and DCU were happy to facilitate.
"Despite being extremely busy and constantly in the public eye, Darren was always very giving of his time and readily engaged in conversation with his fellow students and athletes as well as the staff here at DCU. Such was his friendly nature and infectious personality that many of the campus community who were not fortunate to come into contact with Darren felt like they knew him.
"Due to the very high standards Darren set himself, the school staff consider him to be one of the most outstanding students on the Sport Science and Health programme over the past 10 years. Without any doubt it was clear that Darren had the potential to succeed at the highest academic level. He had an enormous influence on staff and student alike and portrayed a very positive image for the School and the University to the wider community. His death has profoundly shocked and saddened us all. Darren you may be gone but you are not forgotten. May you rest in peace".