News

Graduation 2011

David McMullin, recipient of this year's Chancellor's medal at undergraduate level

Paul Conroy, recipient of this year's Chancellor's medal at postgraduate level

Over 2,500 students graduated from Dublin City University at ceremonies held in the Helix on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 November 2011.

The highlights of this year’s ceremonies were the two Chancellor’s Medals, which for the first time ever, were awarded to both an undergraduate and a postgraduate graduand. This award is usually made to an individual student who has achieved not just academic excellence, but who has also demonstrated an outstanding commitment and dedication to the non-academic aspects of third-level.

David McMullin is the recipient of this year’s Chancellor’s medal at undergraduate level. As a graduate of the Electronic Engineering programme, he achieved first-class honours in all four years of his studies, graduating at the top of his class.

Not content with just being a first class honours student David also immersed himself in the university’s society life. He was heavily involved in the DCU Juggling Society, his organisational talents being apparent from as early as first year when he was elected onto the Committee as Webmaster. However David’s most impressive achievement as part of the Juggling Society must be “Unigalway”. This was a five-day charity event that took place in March 2008. David and two other members of the DCU Juggling Society travelled from St. Stephens Green, Dublin to Eyre Square, Galway - by unicycle. In total the event raised over €5,000 for the four RAG week charities.

Paul Conroy, who received his PhD from the Faculty of Science and Health, is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, where he is helping new postgrads with their Ph.D. projects. He is working closely with industry on outputs related to his own Ph.D. research and their potential commercialisation and is developing a range of collaborations that will see him visit major research laboratories throughout the world. Throughout his years as an undergraduate, and during his postgraduate studies, Paul undertook local community work, completed a 100km cycle supporting Hospice in Ireland, and cycled to raise funds for Temple Street children’s hospital. He also ran the Dublin City Marathon in October supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Paul’s involvement in Clubs and Societies as an undergraduate at DCU was recognised by a Uaneen award at undergraduate graduation in 2007. Additionally, in recognition of Paul’s longstanding association with sports club development in DCU he was the recipient of a ‘Full Colours’ award at the Clubs and Societies awards in 2010-2011. He has played a key role in many meetings organised in DCU, including the recent conference on ‘The University and Economic Recovery’.