Academic biography

Joe O’Hara is a Full Professor of Education and a member of the School of Policy and Practice at the DCU Institute of Education. He is Director of EQI – The Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection – and an affiliated member of the Centre for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

He is a former President of the Educational Studies Association of Ireland and served on the Teaching Council of Ireland (2012–2016). He was Head of the School of Education Studies at DCU from 2010 to 2016, and a member of the Council of the European Educational Research Association (2008–2013). Earlier roles include board membership of the Association for Personal Services Overseas (2002–2004).

Joe O’Hara is a founding member and Director of the Irish Evaluation Network and sits on the Board of the Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland. He serves on the Board of Advisors of EUNICE – the European University Alliance – and the Research Advisory Board for the Teaching Council of Ireland/Department of Education’s Teachers’ Professional Journeys Project.

He was President of the European Educational Research Association (2018–2023) and currently serves as President of the European Alliance for Social Sciences and Humanities. He is also President-Elect of the World Educational Research Association.