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Dr Eilish McLoughlin receives National Academy honours for Excellence in Teaching

09 November 2010

Five inspirational individuals were honoured at the National Academy’s Annual Awards for Excellence in Teaching ceremony which was held in Dublin Castle today. The Awards were presented by the Hon. Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness who noted the outstanding contribution of the award recipients to both teaching and research in Higher Education.

The award winners come from diverse disciplinary backgrounds but display a shared commitment to and passion for teaching while also being innovative researchers.

Westport native, Dr Eilish McLoughlin is a leading figure in science education research nationally and has been described by her students as one of the major positive influences for them over the course of their studies in Dublin City University.

Dr Conor Carroll from Kemmy Business School in the University of Limerick has received numerous accolades for both his case study writing and his teaching. His case studies have been adopted by institutions nationally and worldwide ensuring that his contribution to the teaching of marketing extends far beyond the boundaries of his own university.

Dr Ann O’Shea is credited with the establishment of a Mathematics Support Centre in NUI Maynooth which facilitated over 7,000 visits this year. Dr O’Shea has played a key role in redesigning curricula and in developing courses and teaching resources to enhance the teaching of Mathematics both in her institution and in second and third level institutions nationwide.

English literature is the disciplinary focus of Dr Patricia Kennon an Award recipient from Froebel College of Education. Among her numerous accolades Dr Kennon has been described as someone who “incites curiosity and instils enthusiasm in her students by virtue of the love and passion she has for her subject”.

Dr Dagmar Stengel from NUI Galway received specific praise for her approachable and empathetic manner with students “which encourages them to strive for her high standards of excellence”. Her inclusion of new research in lectures and her ability to relate marine botany and plant science to the local area was also noted particularly as this enables the students to investigate the topics for themselves and greatly enhances their own learning and their interest in the subject.

The winners of the five Awards were nominated by their institutions and selected by a committee which included international representatives as well as representatives of the Irish University Association, the Institutes of Technology Ireland and the Union of Students in Ireland. The committee was chaired by Áine Hyland, Emeritus Professor of Education, University College Cork.

These Awards testify to the fact that excellence in teaching and in creative and scholarly work go hand in hand. They also highlight the inspirational benefits of bringing cutting edge research into third level classrooms, an activity that is supported by the National Academy in all Higher Education Institutes in Ireland.