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From early scientific endeavours to
today’s UCD Science
Towards a history of the
UCD College of Science
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Front cover
Top row left to right
Newman House, St Stephens Green, Dublin 2
Merville House, Belfield, Dublin 4
Ardmore House, Belfield, Dublin 4
Merrion Street, Government Buildings, Dublin 2
Bottom row left to right
Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2
UCD Science Centre, 1960s building, Belfield, Dublin 4
UCD O’Brien Centre for Science, 2013 building, Belfield, Dublin 4
For communications regarding UCD Science history contact: [email protected]
2611UK2015
Page 1 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Introduction
The history of science education and research in Dublin reflects the contribution
organisations and individuals made to its development. Drawing on a range of
sources and documents, this publication seeks to trace and uncover factors that
shaped the College of Science at UCD today.
‘From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science’ is aimed at UCD
Science Alumni, UCD Science faculty and staff and people interested in an
informal history of the College of Science. It is hoped that the document’s
electronic format will allow for additions and updates as they become available.
2014 marked 50 years of Science at UCD’s Belfield campus, a stage in the
College’s history where Science undergraduate education had reached an all-
time high in popularity among Irish students.
The UCD College of Science covers core and applied disciplines, including
biological, chemical, geological, mathematical, physical and computer sciences as
well as finance, actuarial science, meteorology and biopharmaceutical sciences.
Increasingly big questions require answers that draw on a multitude of skills
often situated at the interface of disciplines. For this reason UCD Science is a key
contributor to several UCD Institutes and Centres, which connect knowledge
across boundaries, to address complex questions confronting modern society
including green energy and sustainability, biomedical research, harnessing the
power of vast amounts of data, nanotechnology, sensors and the interface of
biology and technology.
Based in the UCD O’Brien Centre for Science, UCD Science is determined to
represent the best of modern education and relevant research. Today, UCD
Science offers an extensive portfolio of undergraduate and graduate
programmes in addition to research expertise that impacts the global scientific
community, society at large and the economy.
2611UK2015
Page 2 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Scientific Environment & Early Scientific
Endeavours
In the 18th and 19th century Ireland, particularly Dublin was home to several institutions with
scientific research and teaching interests. Some of them, like ‘The Royal College of Science for
Ireland’, were later subsumed into different institutions, while others, like ‘The Royal Dublin
Society’ or the ‘Royal Irish Academy’, continue to form part of Ireland’s scientific landscape
today.
The Royal Dublin Society (RDS)
Founded in 1731, The Royal Dublin Society
aimed at improving the poor economic
condition of the country by promoting
agriculture, arts, industry and science in Ireland
through dissemination of knowledge and new
ideas. By presenting Ireland's premier science
award, the Boyle Medal (inaugurated in 1899),
the RDS carries on recognising scientific
research of exceptional merit to this day.
Since its inception The Royal Dublin Society
developed into an invaluable resource from
which grew major national institutions including
the National Botanic Gardens (1795), the
Veterinary College (1800), the National Gallery
of Ireland (1854), the National College of Art
and Design (1877), the National Museum of
Ireland (1877), the Natural History Museum
(1877), the National Library of Ireland (1877)
and the Radium Institute (1914).
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA)
Founded in 1785, its royal charter, granted the
following year, declared the Royal Irish
Academy’s aims to be the promotion and
investigation of the sciences, polite literature,
and antiquities, as well as the encouragement
of discussion and debate between scholars of
diverse backgrounds and interests.
Still today election to membership of the
Academy is the highest academic honour in
Ireland; the Academy has currently
approximately 460 members.
Museum of Irish Industry (MII) and
Government School of Science
The Museum of Irish Industry and Government
School of Science applied to Mining and the Arts
grew out of the Museum of Economic Geology
(founded in 1845 due to the work of the
scientist Sir Robert Kane). Its mission was to
exhibit the rich and varied materials from the
mining and manufacturing industries existing in
Ireland and to give courses of lectures to the
public on related subjects. It was the
responsibility of the Board of Trade,
Department of Science and Art. Before its
establishment, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and
the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) monopolised
scientific instruction in Ireland. The educational
functions of the museum were divided between
the two institutions.
The abolition of the museum was
recommended by a Treasury committee in
1862. Collections, except those emanating from
the Geological Survey of Ireland, were
commended to the care of the RDS. The RDS
was also to be entrusted with direct scientific
instruction in certain subjects by means of
public lectures.
Page 3 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Royal College of Science for Ireland (RCScI)
The Royal College of Science for Ireland (RCScI)
came into existence as a result of a Treasury
decision in 1865 which converted the Museum
of Irish Industry and Government School of
Science applied to Mining and the Arts into the
RCScI. Sir Robert Kane was its first dean; it was
his work which lead to the foundation of the
Museum of Economic Geology in 1845, out of
which grew the Museum of Irish Industry in
1847. In 1867 the Museum of Irish Industry
became the Royal College of Science for Ireland
(RCScI) at 51 St Stephen’s Green.
The minutes of the council meeting held on 11
September 1867 state that "The object of the
Royal College of Science is to supply as far as
practicable a Complete Course of instruction in
Science applicable to the Industrial Arts,
especially those which may be classed broadly
under the heads of Mining, Agriculture,
Engineering, and Manufactures, and to aid in
the instruction of Teachers for the local Schools
of Science" The heads were slightly extended
later to include "Mining, Engineering, and
Manufactures, and in Physics and Natural
Science". The RCScI had chairs of Mining and
Mineralogy, Physics, Chemistry, Zoology,
Botany, Geology, Applied Mathematics and
Mechanism, Descriptive Geometry and
Engineering.
The RCScI was administered by the Department
of Science and Art until 1900 and then by the
Department of Agriculture and Technical
Instruction for Ireland until 1922. It was
absorbed into UCD in 1926 to form the basis of
the Science Faculty—the first faculty to move to
the new Belfield campus in the 1960s. The
premises originally used by the RCScI were
those of the former MII at 51 St Stephen's
Green East. In 1897, recommendations were
made for a new building, the foundation stone
of which was laid in Merrion Street by King
Edward VII on 28 April 1904 and the building
was opened by King George V on 8 July 1911.
When the RCScI was transferred to UCD, the
Science Faculty remained in Merrion Street until
the 1960s when it moved to Belfield.
The Catholic University (CU)
In response to the government’s establishment
of three non-sectarian Queen’s Colleges in
Belfast, Cork and Galway in 1849 a Catholic
University (CU) was founded in Dublin and in
1851 John Henry Newman (1801–1890) was
appointed the first rector of this university.
Newman was installed in 1854, professors and
lecturers were appointed and the CU opened its
doors later that year. The new university was
housed at 86 St Stephen’s Green. The following
year a Catholic University medical school
opened in Cecilia Street. The CU never obtained
a charter from the government or the power to
grant degrees; however, the recognition of
certificates of the medical school in Cecilia
Street by the Royal College of Surgeon in 1856
ensured the latter’s success. Newman resigned
after four years.
The passage of the Royal University Bill in 1879
established the Royal University (RUI) as an
examining body for approved teaching
institutions. All its Roman Catholic Fellows were
professors at the Catholic University. Student
numbers continued to decline however. Its
premises at 86 St Stephen’s Green became a
teaching institution known as University
College, whose students were awarded degrees
by the Royal University. University College was
handed over to the Jesuits on 26 October 1883.
Fr William Delaney was appointed president
and the college revived remarkably. The
Catholic University survived notionally as an
institution in the person of the Rector, Dr
Gerald Molloy (d.1906) and the School of
Medicine at Cecilia Street.
In 1908 the Irish Universities Act dissolved the
RUI and replaced it with the National University
of Ireland (NUI), with University College Dublin
Page 4 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
(UCD) as a constituent college together with University College Cork and University College Galway. The somewhat rundown Earlsfort Terrace headquarters of the RUI, together with the laboratories there, were transferred to UCD.
Despite equipment and laboratory constraints in the old Catholic University building, the work of professors such as Thomas Preston, John Alexander McClelland and Arthur Conway established the name of the university in the annals of scientific research.
University College Dublin (UCD)
1908 the Irish Universities Act brought into being the National University of Ireland (NUI), with its constituent colleges, including University College Dublin (UCD). Dr Denis Coffey, Dean of the Medical School in Cecilia Street, was appointed first President of UCD. Coffey was to hold the position for 30 years. The Medical School in Cecilia Street became the UCD Medical Faculty. 36 chairs and 15 lectureships were established at UCD focusing on: medicine, Celtic studies, classics, modern languages, English, political economy, mathematics, philosophy, education, history, national economics, civil engineering, mathematical physics, experimental physics, chemistry, geology, zoology, architecture, commerce, law, botany, and pure mathematics. In the early decades of the 20th century UCD’s campus covered: Earlsfort Terrace, Cecilia
Street, College of Science Merrion Street, Albert College Glasnevin and St Stephen's Green. As a result of the University Education (Agriculture and Dairy Science) Act the Royal College of Science in Merrion Street and Albert Agricultural College in Glasnevin were transferred to UCD in 1926. During the first half of the 20th century UCD made several attempts to find suitably sized, long term premises in Dublin city centre, which would allow the university to grow. However, Dr Michael Tierney, who succeeded Dr Arthur Conway as President of UCD in 1947, was convinced that the future of the university lay in the suburbs. A piece of land on the Stillorgan Road, Belfield House, situated on 44 acres of land, had already been purchased in 1933/34. Tierney became intimately involved in UCD's fever of purchasing several hundred acres in the neighbourhood of Belfield over the next 17 years. UCD established an Architectural Advisory Board in 1952 to plan the development of the Belfield site, and as further property had been acquired, another plan was produced two years later. It was not until 1959 that a Government Commission approved the move to Belfield. The commission also recommended the planning and design should be dealt with by an International Board of Assessors. The College decided that a competition should be held for the overall layout of the site. The Science Buildings were already under construction and had to be included into the design. The plan was to develop an architectural harmony in the grouping of buildings, landscaping and planting of trees, creating a sense of unity to faculties then on different campuses, with sports grounds and residences incorporated into the scheme. The inspiration for the plan came mostly from universities in Stockholm and Goteborg in Sweden as well as some models from the US.
Page 5 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
The move of UCD Science disciplines from the city centre and other location to Belfield took place in several stages and over an extended period of time:
1956 Industrial Microbiology established at Ardmore House, Belfield 1960 The Medical Research Council of Ireland established a Unit of Cell Metabolism at Merville House,
Belfield with Professor Conway as Director. Pharmacology research activities transferred to Belfield, as the first science department on the new campus.
1964 The Science block is officially opened on the 24th of September by UCD President Dr Michael Tierney in the presence of the Minister for Education, Dr P.J. Hillery and the Minister for Agriculture. The Experimental Physics Department is the first of the science departments to move to the new purpose‐built buildings in Belfield. The Chemistry department follows soon after. Botany, Zoology and Geology transfer to Belfield during the Christmas break.
1993 Biotechnology Building ‐ first semi‐circular fronted part of today’s UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research opens.
2003 Biochemistry moves from Merville House (now NovaUCD) at Belfield to the extended, second phase of the Conway Institute for Bimolecular & Biomedical Science in August 2003.
2005 In August 2005, the UCD Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology (CSCB) building, comprising 2,200 square metres of research space, was completed. It was officially opened by An Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern TD in February 2006.
2011 The first completed phase of the new UCD Science Centre was officially opened by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny in September 2011. It represents a refurbished and extended Science South, eastern wing of the original Chemistry building. The newly opened building is given the title of Centre for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery. It is designed to house a number of interdisciplinary research activities which cover academics from UCD Science and beyond.
2013 Formal official opening of the UCD O’Brien Centre for Science (phase 2 of the refurbishment and extension of the original UCD Science Centre) by the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn TD, in October 2013. Centre piece of the new O’Brien Centre for Science forms the newly built East building, which houses state‐of‐the‐art atrium spaces, modern learning facilities and space for interdisciplinary research (Insight Centre, UCD Earth Institute, UCD CASL). The entire complex, Science South, West, North and the Hub plus the new East building formally receive the overall name of UCD O’Brien Centre for Science.
Faculty of Science Overall the modern Faculty of Science came into existence in 1908 following the establishment of UCD as a constituent college of the National University of Ireland. However, some of the Departments that contributed to the Faculty of Science’s teaching programmes have their origins in the Catholic University, while others claim descent from the fusion of disciplines represented in the Museum of Irish Industry, founded 1847, and its successor, the Royal College of Science, founded in 1865 and transferred to UCD under the terms of the University Education (Agriculture and Dairy Science) Act, 1926. Two Departments, Chemistry and Botany, trace the origins of teaching and research in their respective disciplines to the Chairs of Chemistry and of Botany instituted by the Royal Dublin Society in 1796. Departments of more recent origin established since 1908 also existed. Since 1964 the main teaching and research activities of UCD Science are conducted on the campus at Belfield.
Page 6 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Mer
rio
n S
tree
t, D
ub
lin 2
Page 7 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Lab
ora
tory
of
Pro
fess
or
Co
nw
ay
– D
r. E
. Ca
rlto
n &
Dr.
R. K
ern
an
Page 8 of 63
B i o c h em i s t r y
1932 Establishment of the department in Earlsfort Terrace Edward J. Conway appointed as first Professor of Biochemistry and Pharmacology
1933 Development of the ‘Conway Unit’, used during the 1957 British expedition to the Colombian Andes
1964 Professor M.G. Harrington appointed as Head of Department and Professor of Biochemistry
1967 Official opening of the new teaching laboratories by the Minister of Education Mr Donagh O’Malley, TD
1968 Professor E.J. Conway awarded the Royal Dublin Society Boyle Medal
1993 Professor Stephen G. Mayhew appointed Acting Head of DepartmentCareers conference for all Biochemistry students in Ireland hosted by department
1994 Professor Paul C. Engel appointed as Head of Department and Professor of Biochemistry
1997 Professor J Paul G. Malthouse awarded the Royal Irish Academy medal for BiochemistryIntroduction of the annual Merville Lay Seminar competition – Science for the Public
1999 Professor JPG Malthouse awarded €1 million from the Wellcome Trust to establish the Biochemistry NMR Centre
2000 Professor Stephen G Mayhew elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy for research on Flavoprotein mechanismsDr Therese Kinsella awarded the Royal Irish Academy medal for Biochemistry
2001 Professor Paul Engel elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy for research on Enzymology and Protein Engineering
2002 Professor J Paul G Malthouse appointed as Head of Department
2003 Department moves from Merville House (now NovaUCD) to the UCD Conway Institute for Bimolecular & Biomedical Science
Page 9 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Page 10 of 63
1796 The Dublin Society appoints Walter Wade MD (ca 1740 – 1825) Professor of Botanythis follows the establishment of the Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin in 1795
1799 Wade begins his public lectures and practical classes in the Botanic Gardens, the first comprehensive course on Botany taught in Ireland; Wade was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1811
1825 RDS appoints Samuel Litton MD (1781‐1847) Professor of Botany
1848 William Henry Harvey MD (1811‐1866) appointed RDS Professor of Botany; he continues the tradition of public lectures at the Botanic Gardens. After 1854 he teaches in the new Government School of Science; Harvey was unquestionably the most distinguished Irish botanist of the 19th century
1872 William Ramsay McNab (1844‐1889) appointed Professor of Botany at the RCScI; first to introduce students in Ireland to contemporary experimental methods being developed by German plant physiologists
1882 George Sigerson (1836‐1925) appointed Professor of Botany & Zoology in the Catholic University School of Medicine; he became Professor of Zoology in University College, Dublin in 1909 and retired in 1924, aged 88
1890 Thomas Johnson (1963‐1954) appointed Professor of Botany in the RCScI. As Government Botanist he founds (1891) the Botanical Division of the National Museum of Ireland (later National Herbarium); establishes the first official Seed‐Testing Station in Ireland and Britain (1901) and initiates the study of plant pathology in Ireland; 1926 he transferred to UCD as Professor of Botany
1911 James Bayley Butler (1884‐1964) appointed first Professor of Botany in UCD; subsequently transferred to the Chair of Zoology on Sigerson’s retirement in 1924
1924 Joseph Doyle (1891‐1974) appointed Professor of Botany in UCD; his work on the reproductive biology of conifers leads to national and international recognition. By 1950 he had diversified the department at UCD setting the core pattern of teaching and research programmes
1926 RCScI is transferred to UCD; until 1928, both Johnson and Doyle are Professors of Botany
1961 Phyllis Clinch (1901‐1964) succeeds Doyle as Professor; her research on plant pathology led to award of the RDS Boyle Medal, she is among the first four women elected to the RIA in 1949
1973 John Moore SJ appointed Professor; internationally recognised for his work on Irish vegetation; he retires early in 1963 to pursue his Jesuit ideals of service in southern Africa
1984 Martin Steer appointed Professor; he introduces innovative research in plant cell biology using modern microscopic techniques
Bo tany
Page 11 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Fore
gro
un
d: A
uto
sa
mp
ler;
ba
ckg
rou
nd
: org
an
ic r
eflu
x re
act
or
Page 12 of 63
1796 Chair of Chemistry in the RDS established by Irish Parliament; William Higgins, F.R.S. appointed as first Professor of Chemistry (1796‐1825)
1826 Edmund Davy F.R.S. (Cousin of Sir Humphrey Davy) appointed Professor of Chemistry in the RDS (1826‐1854)
1854 Chair transferred to Museum of Irish Industry in Dublin. W. K. Sullivan appointed Professor (1854‐1867); Catholic University established and W.K. Sullivan appointed as first Chair of Chemistry in the new university in 1856 (1856‐1873)
1867 Chair transferred to RCScI; W.K. Sullivan continues as Professor until 1873
1873 Robert Galloway succeeds Sullivan as Professor of Chemistry in the RCScI (1873‐1879);John Campbell succeeds Sullivan as Professor of Chemistry in the Catholic University
1879 Sir Walter Hartley F.R.S appointed Professor of Chemistry in the RCScI (1879‐1911); Chair transferred to University College and John Campbell continues as Professor of Chemistry (1879‐1899)
1899 Hugh Ryan appointed Professor of Chemistry at University College
1908 University College, Dublin becomes a constituent college of the NUI Hugh Ryan continues as Professor of Chemistry until 1926
1912 Sir Gilbert Morgan F.R.S. appointed Professor of Chemistry in the RCScI (1912‐1916)
1916 W. E. Adeney appointed Professor of Chemistry in the RCScI (1916‐1923)
1926 RCScI transferred to UCD; Hugh Ryan holds single Chair of Chemistry (1926‐1931)
1931 T. J. Nolan succeeds Ryan as Professor of Chemistry at UCD (1931‐1945)
1945 Thomas Wheeler succeeds T. J. Nolan as Professor of Chemistry at UCD (1945‐1962)
1962 Eva Philbin succeeds Wheeler as Professor of Chemistry at UCD (1962‐1979)
1964 Department moves from Merrion Square to custom‐built Science Block in Belfield, the first new building to be erected on the site
Separate Chairs of Chemistry in the three major chemistry divisions (Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry) are established in the 1960s:
Organic Chemistry Eva Philbin (1962‐1979); Frank HegartyInorganic Chemistry David Brown (1964‐1994); Michael McGlincheyPhysical Chemistry David Feakins (1970‐1988); Kenneth Dawson
Chem i s t r y
Page 13 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Nei
l Po
rter
& P
hil
Mo
ria
rty
pic
ture
d w
ith
UC
D’s
fir
st c
om
pu
ter,
an
IBM
16
20
, ori
gin
ally
ho
use
d in
UC
D P
hys
ics
as
at
this
tim
e C
om
pu
ter
Scie
nce
ha
d n
ot
bee
n e
sta
blis
hed
as
a d
isci
plin
e in
its
ow
n r
igh
ts y
et.
Page 14 of 63
Compu te r S c i e n c e
1962 First academic computer, an IBM 1620, installed at UCD
1964 Science Faculty moves to Belfield and the computer is moved to the new Experimental Physics DepartmentProgramming courses begin and are offered to staff, post graduate students,4th year students and some 3rd year BSc (Gen) students
1968 Bernard Reardon and Brendan Byrne recruited to give computing courses to engineering; courses and exams in this subject established sometime before or by 1968
1970 Computer centre completed; an IBM 360‐50 purchased and an RJE link set up between the computer centre and the engineering faculty in MerrionSquare; BSc (Gen) course in Computer Science approved and Bruce Russell recruited
1972 First group of BSc (Gen) in Computer Science graduated; Bruce Russell becomes first PhD in Computer Science at UCD; as there were no academics in Computer Science at UCD at this point in time; Professor Timony from Mathematics acts a formal PhD supervisor
1976 Professor Denis McConalogue appointed to Chair of Computer Science
1977 Dermot Devereux appointed Assistant Lecturer
1978 Dr Franz Geiselbrechtinger appointed and put in charge of first BSc (Hons) class
1979 Conferring of first BSc (Hons) in Computer Science at UCD; McConalogue and Devereux resign, Frank Anderson takes over as acting Head of Department; John Kelly appointed College Lecturer; Michael Sherwood‐Smith appointed Lecturer; HDip in Computer Science starts
1980 Professor Keith van Rijsbergen appointed Chair of Computer Science; Arthur Carter, Fionn Murtagh and Roger Gimson appointed as members of staff
1986 Keith van Rijsbergen resigns; Professor John Dean of Library and Information Studies takes over as acting head
1989 Frank Anderson becomes acting head
1990 Frank Anderson promoted to position of Associate Professor
1995 Frank Anderson retires and Michael Sherwood‐Smith takes over as acting head
1997 WBT Systems, a UCD spin‐out company founded by Duncan Lennox, EamonnWebster and Henry McLoughlin, wins prestigious US competition for its Top Class software
Page 15 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Magnet designed by Thomas Preston, Part of Collection of UCD School of Physics
Page 16 of 63
1873 Monsignor Gerald Molloy appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy and Vice‐Rector of the Catholic University; gained a reputation as excellent public lecturer, whose lectures on physics and wireless telegraphy included many demonstration experiments
1897 Thomas Preston discovers what subsequently became known as the “Anomalous Zeeman” effect; appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy at University College in 1891 and awarded the RDS Boyle Medal in 1899
1900 John McClelland appointed Professor of Experimental Physics; he established the Atmospheric Physics research group in the Earlsfort Terrace Laboratories
1910 J. J. Dowling appointed lecturer; he appears to have been the longest serving of those present at the first formal meeting of the Faculty of Science held in 1909; he was later appointed Professor of Technical Physics and retired in 1958
1920 J. J. Nolan succeeds as Professor of Experimental Physics; under the guidance of the brothers J. J. and P. J. Nolan, the Atmospheric Physics group gains international recognition as the ‘Nolan School’; P. J. Nolan appointed Professor of Geophysics in 1953; he was awarded the Boyle Medal by the RDS in 1971
1932 Thomas Nevin joins the Experimental Physics staff; he re‐established a Spectroscopy Laboratory and subsequently started the Nuclear Emulsion Group which evolves into the Particle Physics Group; he was appointed Head of Department in 1952
1964 Experimental Physics Department is the first of the Science departments to move to the new buildings in Belfield; research interests of the department are broadened to include astrophysics and plasma physics; existing research groups in atmospheric physics, molecular spectroscopy and particle physics continue to thrive; first general meeting of the Irish branch of the Institute of Physics is held in UCD; Professor Felix Hackett was the first chair
1977 Members of the Particle Physics Group make the first observation of the decay of a neutral charmed particle
1979 Thomas Nevin retires 55 years after entering UCD as an undergraduate and more than 25 years since being appointed Head of Department and Professor of Experimental Physics; Neil Porter, Professor of Electron Physics, appointed Head of Department; Denis Weaire, with research interests including condensed matter theory, appointed to the Chair of Experimental Physics
1985 Alex Montwill appointed Professor of subject
1988 P. K. Carroll, Professor of Optical Physics, awarded Boyle Medal for his work in atomic and molecular spectroscopy
1999 Tony Scott awarded the Kelvin Medal, for championing the cause of physics, by the Institute of Physics
2002 Martin Grünewald appointed Professor of Experimental Physics and particle physics research is re‐established at UCD
E xpe r imen ta l Phy s i c s
Page 17 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Geo
log
ica
l La
bo
rato
ry a
nd
Tea
chin
g C
olle
ctio
ns;
Sep
ia m
ou
nte
d s
tud
io p
ho
tog
rap
hs
take
n b
y th
e W
illia
m L
aw
ren
ce s
tud
ios,
Du
blin
of
RC
SI r
oo
ms
in M
erri
on
Str
eet
Page 18 of 63
Geo l o g y
1795 William Higgins appointed as Professor of Chemistry and Mineralogy at the Dublin Society
1814 Sir Charles Lewis Giesecke appointed as Professor of Mineralogy at the Dublin Society
1835 John Scouler appointed as Professor of Mineralogy and Geology at the Royal Dublin Society
1845 Establishment of Museum of Economic Geology (later becoming the Museum of Irish Industry ‐MII) at 51 St Stephen’s Green East
1854 Expansion of the Museum of Irish Industry to incorporate a Government School of Science. Appointment of Joseph Beete Jukes, FRS, Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland, as Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the School of Science
1869 Appointment of Edward Hull, FRS, Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland, as Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the RCScI (successor to the Museum of Irish Science)
1890 Appointment of Grenville A.J. Cole, FRS, as Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the RCScI
1909 Appointment of Henry J. Seymour as Professor of Geology at UCD, a constituent college of the National University of Ireland and successor to the Royal College of Science for Ireland
1947 Appointment of James C. Brindley as Head of Department
1955 Appointment of James C. Brindley as Professor of Geology
1965 Transfer of the Department of Geology from the buildings at Upper Merrion Street (the old College of Science of Ireland building) to the new campus at Belfield
1976 Department acquired the first Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectometer in Ireland for research purposes
1978 Appointment of Kevin H. O’Kelly as Acting Head of Department
1980 Appointment of Michael J. Kennedy as Professor of Geology and Head of Department
1999 Appointment of Patrick M. Shannon as Head of Department. Department’s annual research grants exceeded £1 million for the first time
2000 Fault Analysis Group transferred from University of Liverpool to Geology at UCD
2003 Department received all‐time highest number of research grants (19) in one year, totalling €1.4 million. Departmental numbers stand at 10 academic staff, 6 technical and administrative staff, 12 contract researchers and 25 research students
2004 Appointment of Patrick M. Shannon as Professor of Geology. Department acquired a second Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometer for research work on geochemistry
Page 19 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Page 20 of 63
1956 Establishment of Department of Industrial Microbiology by A. Guinness Son and Co. (Dublin) Ltd and Bord na Mona as an essential resource for Irish bioindustryEberhard Küster appointed as first Professor of Industrial Microbiology
1962 Teaching of Industrial Microbiology to agriculture students commences
1971 Michael J. Geoghegan appointed as Head of Department and Professor of Industrial MicrobiologyConferring of first graduates with a B.Sc. (Honours) degree in Industrial Microbiology
1972 Establishment of the Irish Branch of the Society for General Microbiology (SGM) in Department Official opening of new purpose built teaching laboratories
1976 Establishment of first M.Sc. in Biotechnology in Ireland in Department
1981 Joint meeting of the National Board for Science and Technology, the Royal Irish Academy and the Society for General Microbiology ‘Microbial Aspects of Biotechnology’ hosted by the Department
1984 William M. Fogarty appointed as Head of Department and Professor of Industrial Microbiology
1989 Expansion of teaching and research laboratories
1993 Society for General Microbiology ‘New Developments in Microbial Catalysts’ meeting hosted by Department
1995 Introduction of undergraduate industrial research placement programme
1996 Opening of new fermentation facility, lecture/seminar room and new research laboratories
1997 Society for General Microbiology “Microorganisms – the answer to environmental pollution?” meeting hosted by Department
1999 Professor Catherine T. Kelly appointed as Head of Department of Industrial Microbiology
2000 Department becomes a member of the newly formed Division of Biosciences along with the Departments of Botany and Zoology
2002 Dr Evelyn Doyle appointed as Head of Department of Industrial Microbiology
2003 Society for General Microbiology ‘Biocatalysis and Biodegradation’ meeting hosted by Department
I n du s t r i a l Mi c rob i o l o g y
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Professor Arthur Conway (1875-1950) Mathematician and UCD President portrait by Leo Whelan's (Leo Whelan, RHA, 1892–1956)
[image: courtesy UCD Archives]
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1854 Opening of the Catholic University at St Stephen’s Green, Dublin Edward Butler, graduate of TCD, appointed Professor of Mathematics
1859 James Kavanagh appointed Professor of Elementary Mathematics
1860 William Penny, graduate of Oxford, appointed Professor of Mathematics
1873 John Casey, graduate of TCD, appointed Professor of Applied Mathematics and Mathematical Physics at Catholic University
1879 Royal University of Ireland established as an examining body for university colleges throughout the country
1886 Publication of Casey’s Sequel to Euclid, an important work in triangle geometry
1891 Death of Casey; Henry McWeeney, graduate of University College appointed Professor of Mathematics
1901 Arthur Conway, who studied at University College, St Stephen's Green, appointed Professor of Mathematical Physics
1926 Royal College of Science for Ireland (RCScI) transferred to UCD; William McFadden Orr, graduate of Cambridge and formerly of RCSI, appointed Professor of Pure and Applied Mathematics
1935 Rev. Michael Egan, graduate of University College, succeeds McWeeney as Professor of Mathematics
1947 Phillip Gormley, graduate of University College, appointed Professor of Mathematics
1966 James R. Timoney, graduate of UCD, appointed Professor of Mathematical Analysis
1970 Mathematics Department moves from Earlsfort Terrace to new offices in the Arts Building, Belfield
1975 Donald McQuillan, graduate of University College Galway, appointed Professor of Mathematics
1979 Seán Dineen, graduate of University College Cork, appointed Professor of Mathematics
1999 Retirement of McQuillan
2001 Stephen Gardiner, graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast, appointed Professor of Mathematics
2003 Mathematics Department moves to new offices in Science Lecture Building / HUB
Mathema t i c s
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Thomas Preston, Professor of Natural Philosophy
Page 24 of 63
Mathema t i c a l Phy s i c s
1891 Thomas Preston appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy at University College; during his time at University College he wrote ’The Theory of Light’
1891 W. McFadden Orr, FRS, appointed Professor of Mathematics at RCScI and Professor of Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics when the college merged with UCD in 1926; he retired in 1933. McFadden Orr is linked to the Orr–Sommerfeld equation; this equation is named after William McFadden Orr and Arnold Sommerfeld, who derived it at the beginning of the 20th century
1901 Arthur Conway, FRS, MRIA, who studied at University College, St Stephen's Green, appointed Professor of Mathematical Physics at University College. When University College became a constituent college of the NUI, Conway was appointed to the Chair of Mathematical Physics, which he held from 1909 to 1940. He was member of the seventy‐strong Pontifical Academy of Science – the first Irish scientist to be so honoured. Conway is remembered for his application of quaternion algebra to the special theory of relativity. He is author of the very first book on the theory of relativity
1933 George Keating, MRIA, appointed Professor of Mathematical Physics at UCD
1939 Erwin Schrödinger, Nobel Laureate, delivers course of lectures in UCD (1939‐1940)
1949 Sheila Tinney is one of four women, who were the first women to be admitted to RIA ‐two scientists and two in the humanities. The two scientists were Sheila Power (later Tinney), lecturer and later Associate Professor of Mathematical Physics (Quantum Theory) at UCD and Phyllis Clinch, lecturer and later holder of the chair in Botany, UCD
1969 Ciaran P. Ryan together with Robert E. Marshak and Rizuddin author the ‘Theory of Weak Interactions in Particle Physics’
1974 Michael Hayes, MRIA, appointed Professor of Mathematical Physics; research on Bivectors and Waves
1991 Professor Broberg , Professor of Solid Mechanics at the Lund Institute of Technology “retires” to Ireland in 1991; UCD welcomes him as Senior Academic Fellow in the Department of Mathematical Physics; K. Bertram Broberg, member of the Swedish Academy of Sciences, wrote the first ever paper on moving cracks in 1937
1994 Adrian Ottewill, MRIA, current Professor of Mathematical Physics, joins Department
1994 Daire O’Brien, UCD mathematical physics alumnus and well known TV presenter and comedian, – class of ‘94
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Dr Roy Geary (1896-1983), perhaps the most eminent statistician Ireland ever produced.
[Image taken from Science uncovered 2004 Department of Statistics poster]
Page 26 of 63
< 1986 Statistics was taught in UCD as part of mathematical science programmesOver the years, UCD produced some outstanding statisticians but perhaps none more influential than Roy Geary. Roy Geary graduated from UCD in 1917, became the first Director of the Central Statistics Office and later Director of the Economic and Social Research Institute. He published over 100 papers, was awarded several honorary doctorates, and played a prominent role in the statistics community both in Ireland and overseas
1986 Establishment of Chair in Statistics, filled by Dr Philip J. Boland. Summer: Department staff members increase with the addition of Dr Adrian Dunne (formerly of the Pharmacology Department), Dr David Williams (formerly of the Mathematics Department), and Ms Marie Doyle (Administrator)
1987 Introduction of Statistics as a subject in the Arts degree programme at UCD
1988 Statistics offered as a full subject in the Science programme at UCD
1989 Dr John Connolly joins department (from Teagasc), broadening the applied research interests to include ecology and environmental statistics
1990 Dr Gabrielle Kelly joins the department (from University College London and Middlesex School of Medicine) to deepen research presence in epidemiology (with Dr Williams)
UCD confers its first graduates majoring in statistics. Department offers a Masters degree in Statistics and establishes the degree programme, Bachelor of Actuarial and Financial Studies (BAFS). Over the subsequent years this course proves popular, raising entry requirements to be amongst the most demanding of any degree offered in Ireland
1996 Gareth Colgan, Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, joins department from the life assurance industry establishing a research presence in actuarial science
1999 Patrick Murphy joins the growing department from the Central Statistics Office, creating a research group in econometrics and official statistics
2001 Oxford University Press publishes a graduate textbook in mathematical statistics by Professor Yudi Pawitan, based on courses he delivered while in UCD from 1991 to 1999. Shane Whelan, Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries, joins the team to expand the research group in actuarial science
2002 UCD ranks in the top 10 universities in the UK and Ireland by new entrants to the actuarial profession (a ranking that includes Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics). Graduates from the BAFS programme amount to 40% of the students and qualifying fellows entering the actuarial profession in Ireland
2004 Department of Statistics changes name to the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science to better reflect its research and teaching emphasis
S t a t i s t i c s & Ac t u a r i a l S c i e n c e
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
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1932 Professor Edward J Conway appointed Professor of Biochemistry & Pharmacology; he was the first Professor to hold a specific title of Pharmacology in UCD; his new Department was located in Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2
1950’s In the 1950’s & 1960’s Pharmacology in UCD was taught to Medical, Dentistry and Pharmacy students before the transfer of Dentistry and Pharmacy to TCD
1958 Professor Paul Cannon appointed Professor of Pharmacology
1960 UCD Biochemistry & Pharmacology are the first science departments to move to UCD’s new suburban campus (Merville House); laboratory classes continued in Earlsfort Terrace and later transferred to Merville House. In 1965, following retirement of Professor Conway, Pharmacology became a separate Department with Professor Cannon as Head of Department
1969 Michael P Ryan, later appointed Professor of Pharmacology & Head of Department , joined UCD Pharmacology; Pharmacology was introduced for u/g Science students
1973 Alan Keenan, who later is appointed Associate Professor of Pharmacology, joins Dept.;he received the Conway Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland in 2005
1977 Finian Martin, who later is appointed Associate Professor of Pharmacology, and AdrianDunne join Department. Professor Martin is awarded the Conway Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland in 2010
1980 Ciaran Regan, who later is appointed Professor of Neuro‐Pharmacology, joins Dept.; he received the Conway Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (1999), the Royal Irish Academy Medal for Achievement in Pharmacology & Toxicology (2000)
1981 Professor Muiris X FitzGerald, Professor of Medicine, Head of Department (until 1987)
1988 Professor Michael P Ryan becomes Head of Department (until 2005); he receives the Conway Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland in 1988
1989 Dr Kathy O’Boyle joins Pharmacology; she receives President's Prize for Research, UCD in 1999 and goes on to become a prominent teacher and Science educator at UCD
1990’s A number of staff, who contributed to the success of the Department, including Drs2000’s Kay Ohlendieck, Paul Moynagh, William Gallagher, Carmel Hensey, Breandan
Kennedy, Keith Murphy, Tara McMorrow joined. Professors Paul Engel (Biochemistry) and Michael P Ryan play key roles in designing the concept of and obtaining funding for the Conway Institute; move from Merville House to new, purpose built location, the UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research in 2003
Pha rma co l o g y
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
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1857 Appointment of first Professor of Zoology J.R. Kinahan, who published extensively on local zoology and botany
1874 Appointment of A.L. Adams, FRS, originally an army surgeon, who specialised in fossil mammals and published a Monograph of British Fossil Elephants; the appointment of medical graduates to the Chair became a recurring event
1880 Appointment of A.C. Haddon, FRS, who originally worked on the marine fauna, especially anemones of Dublin bay, led expeditions to Torres Straits and Papua, thereby establishing the tradition of marine biology and of departmental expeditions
1904 Appointment of G.H. Carpenter, a seminal figure as the founder of Irish economic entomology; originally appointed to the Museum of Science and Art (later national Museum) he made significant contributions to anthropod taxonomy; co‐founder of The Irish Naturalist, he published several books and numerous articles on insects and arachnids, a research tradition that persists
1909 Appointment of G. Sigerson, physician and neurologist, to UCD who had wide ranging interests and published ‘Cannibiculture in Ireland’; particularly concerned by the prevailing social conditions, he wrote widely on these; a leading figure in the Nationalist movement, the intercollegiate GAA Sigerson Cup is named after him
1924 Appointment of J. Bayley Butler, a medical graduate, who promoted field studies on the fauna of Dublin Bay, the Dublin mountains and the Burren; he founded a marine laboratory at Colemore Harbour, enabling the study of Dalkey Sound; founded the Natural History Club, antecedent of the present Biological Society in UCD
1956 Appointment of Carmel F. Humphries, MRIA, who was active in the taxonomy of freshwater insects; in the improving economic climate she was able to greatly expand the department, introducing new research specialities in ecology, developmental biology and biochemical genetics
1979 Appointment of E.J. Duke, who specialised in and promoted biochemical topics, including animal genetics and the study of the ribosome
2003 Appointment of Thomas Bolger as Professor of Zoology with interest s in terrestrial ecology and biodiversity
Zoo l o g y
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
UCD Deans of Science (As per UCD Co l l ege Ca lendar at UCD Arch i ves )
1910 – 1920 Professor
John A. McClelland (Experimental Physics)
1920 – 1925
No Dean
1925 – 1930
Professor Hugh Ryan (Chemistry)
1931 – 1941 Professor
John J. Nolan (Experimental Physics)
1942 – 1944 Professor
Thomas J. Nolan (Chemistry)
1945 – 1951 Professor
Joseph Doyle (Botany)
1951 – 1962 Professor
Thomas S. Wheeler (Chemistry)
1963 – 1976 Professor
Thomas E. Nevin (Experimental Physics)
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
1976 – 1984 Doctor
George. A. Baird (Geology)
1984 – 1987 Professor
David A. Brown (Chemistry)
1987 – 1993 Doctor
John A. (Tony) Scott (Experimental Physics)
1993 – 1999 Professor
Gerry J. Doyle (Botany)
1999 – 2005 Professor
M. J. (Ben) Kennedy (Geology)
2005 – 2007
No Dean - Modularisation
2007 – 2011 Professor
Mark Rogers (Biology)
2011 – date
Professor Joe Carthy
(Computer Science & Informatics)
Associate Dean of Science (2011-14) Professor Peter Duffy (Physics)
Associate Dean of Science (2014-date) Dr Tasman Crowe (Biology &
Environmental Science)
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
From Faculty to College & Department to School
In 2005 the Faculty of Science comprised fourteen Departments, all of which contributed to the science programmes of study offered. Of these, nine Departments were administered by the Faculty of Science, which were: • Department of Biochemistry • Department of Botany • Department of Chemistry • Department of Computer Science • Department of Experimental Physics • Department of Geology • Department of Industrial Microbiology • Department of Pharmacology • Department of Zoology
The following four Departments contributing to science degree programmes were administered by the Faculty of Arts
• Department of Mathematics • Department of Mathematical Physics • Department of Psychology • Department of Statistics The Faculty of Medicine administered the Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology.
From 2005 onwards however, following the election of Dr Hugh Brady as new President, UCD underwent a substantial reorganisation.
In education this transformation included the introduction of a modularised curriculum, with UCD Horizons becoming synonymous for the University’s new undergraduate curriculum.
To facilitate UCD’s new strategy new academic structures came into effect on 1st September 2005. Five Colleges and 35 Schools replaced over 90 Departments and 11 Faculties.
These newly formed Colleges were:
UCD College of Arts and Celtic Studies UCD College of Business and Law UCD College of Engineering, Mathematical
and Physical Sciences UCD College of Human Sciences UCD College of Life Sciences For science teaching at UCD it meant that twelve former Departments formed the basis of seven newly established Schools, each of which was involved in delivering the undergraduate Science curriculum.
Former Department Newly formed SchoolBiochemistry Biomolecular and Biomedical Science Botany Biology and Environmental Science Chemistry Chemistry and Chemical Biology Computer Science Computer Science and Informatics Experimental Physics Physics Geology Geological Sciences Industrial Microbiology Biomolecular and Biomedical Science with some joining
Biology and Environmental Science Mathematical Physics Partly joined Mathematical Sciences and partly Physics Mathematics Mathematical Sciences Pharmacology Biomolecular and Biomedical Science Statistics and Actuarial Science Mathematical Sciences Zoology Biology and Environmental Science
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Between 2005 and 2011 these seven new
Schools belonged to two different Colleges,
the UCD College of Engineering, Mathematical
and Physical Sciences (EMPS) and the UCD
College of Life Sciences (LS).
The undergraduate Science curriculum
consequently spanned two individual
Colleges; EMPS, which included: Computer
Science and Informatics, Physics, Geological
Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences and LS
which included Biology and Environmental
Science, Biomolecular and Biomedical Science,
and Chemistry and Chemical Biology.
During this period the role of College Principal
was separate from the role of Dean of Science
and was held by different individuals. Colleges
were headed by a College Principal and the
Science Undergraduate Office by a Dean of
Science.
A renewed part-restructuring of University
College Dublin, which came into effect in
September 2011, meant moving from five
Colleges (see above) to seven Colleges (see
below), which were:
UCD College of Agriculture, Food Science and
Veterinary Medicine
UCD College of Arts and Celtic Studies
UCD College of Business and Law
UCD College of Engineering and Architecture
UCD College of Health Sciences
UCD College of Human Sciences
UCD College of Science
This renewed change re-introduced a
College of Science as a comprehensive
entity, covering all subjects taught in
the undergraduate Science curriculum.
The role of the College Principal of Science
and the role of Dean of Science once again
were formally held by one individual. UCD’s
Science undergraduate teaching, which over
the years had become the nation’s preferred
science education, now is further supported
by an Associate Dean of Science, who takes on
leadership functions solely dedicated to
undergraduate science matters.
UCD Science Centre complex at Belfield as first built in 1960’s. A central Lecture Block, later known as Hub, is surrounded by three flanking structures: Science South (Chemistry building), Science West (Biology building, also housing Geology), and Science North (Physics building) Connecting first floor level glass walkways linked each of these three buildings to the central Hub.
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
In January 2014 Prof Andrew J. Deeks took
over from Dr Hugh Brady as UCD President. At
the start of the academic year 2015/16, to
better align the university and its Schools with
international practice, slight adjustments to
UCD’s overall structures were introduced
resulting in six UCD Colleges:
UCD College of Arts and Humanities
UCD College of Business
UCD College of Engineering and Architecture
UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences
UCD College of Science
UCD College of Social Sciences and Law
The UCD College of Science remained
unchanged in composition, yet four out of
seven Schools modified their names slightly.
Before 2015/16 they were School of:
Biology & Environmental Science
Biomolecular & Biomedical Science
Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Computer Science & Informatics
Geological Sciences
Mathematical Sciences
Physics
In September 2015 they became School of:
Biology & Environmental Science
Biomolecular & Biomedical Science
Chemistry
Computer Science
Earth Sciences
Mathematics & Statistics
Physics
UCD Science Knowledge, Research and Expertise
Most research undertaken in UCD Science’s
seven Schools fits into four out of six UCD key
research themes, with most Schools
contributing to more than one:
ICT
Environment
Health
Agri-Food
UCD College of Science - People and Programmes in 2015
Staff: UCD Science has a headcount of 542
members of staff. This consists of 217
academic staff, 203 research and 122
professional, administrative and technical
staff.
Students: In education and teaching UCD
Science caters to 2,660 (FTE - full time
equivalent) undergraduate and 1,379 (FTE)
graduate students on its Dublin campus. In
addition it looks after 543 full time equivalent
undergraduate students on UCD’s overseas
campuses.
Education: The UCD undergraduate Science
degree is one of the University’s flagship
common entry programmes. First
preferences increased from 187 in 2007 to
776 in 2014. Today UCD Science
undergraduate programmes continue their
strong performance with the highest number
of CAO first preferences nationally and
increasing international demand.
Over the past years, in addition to its
established research masters and PhD
programmes, UCD Science developed a broad
portfolio of graduate taught masters.
Generally one year in duration, taught
masters offer students a career oriented
option and are in high demand with
international cohorts. Many taught masters
include industry internships at the end of the
programme, thus providing an ideal transition
from university education to a professional
career.
All of the College’s education is strongly
informed by UCD Science being a research
intensive College.
2611UK2015 Page 36 of 63
School of Biology & Environmental Science
www.ucd.ie/bioenvsci
Key expertise Environmental Biology
e.g. Environmental Impact Assessment, Biogeography and Field Biology, Marine Community Ecology, Microbes and Man
Cell and Molecular Biology e.g. Molecular Basis of Disease, Advanced Biological Imaging, Regulation of Gene Expression
Plant Biology e.g. Plant Biotechnology, Plant Cell Growth & Signalling, Plant-Climate Interactions, Developmental Plant Genetics
Zoology e.g. Animal Behaviour, Evolutionary Biology, Animal Physiology and Anatomy, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Biological Invasion
Application areas Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries Environmental management and conservation Biological research in public and private sector Science journalism Support for industries requiring natural resources (agriculture, freshwater & marine fisheries) World heritage management Education
Insect Ecophysiology Group Laboratory of Molecular Evolution & Mammalian Phylogenetics (Batlab) Marine Biodiversity, Ecology & Evolution Plant Palaeoecology & Palaeobiology Group Ecological Modelling Group Area 52 Lab (conservation, ecological and population genetics of deep sea) MarBee Lab (marine biodiversity, ecology and evolution) Ecophysiology Research Group Integrative Biology Lab Cell Screening Lab
Centres & Initiatives
Collaborations & Partnerships
School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science
www.ucd.ie/sbbs/
Key expertise Biochemistry Genetics Microbiology Neuroscience Pharmacology Computational biology
Application areas Biotechnology Synthetic Biology Therapeutics & diagnostics Drug Discovery and Development Model Organisms for Biomedical ResearchDiabetes and vascular biology Neuroscience Cancer Infection biology & immune system dysfunction
Centres & Initiatives UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research is an interdisciplinary research centre exploring fundamental mechanisms of chronic disease for novel diagnostic & therapeutic solutions
UCD Earth Institute research helps identify, clarify, and find solutions to the most pressing environmental problems facing us today
Systems Biology Ireland (SBI) designs new therapeutic approaches to diseases with a focus on cancer based on a systems level, mechanistic understanding of cellular signal transduction networks.
Complex and Adaptive Systems Laboratory (CASL) is a dynamic interdisciplinary research community advancing scientific knowledge through mathematics and computation.
Collaborations & Partnerships
Spin-Outs
School of Chemistry
www.ucd.ie/chem
Key expertise Organic chemistry Inorganic chemistry Physical chemistry Chemical Biology Catalysis and new transformations Bio/nano Inerface Advanced spectroscopy
Application areas New materials for magnetic, medicinal and electronic applications Carbohydrate chemistry Synthetic chemistry / (Bio)Catalysis Nanotoxicology & bionnanoscience / materials Glycochemistry Environmental & sustainable chemistry
Centre for Synthesis & Chemical Biology is a collaboration in the chemical sciences between UCD, TCD and the RCSI. The UCD centre forms part of the UCD Conway Institute
UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research is an interdisciplinary research centre exploring fundamental mechanisms of chronic disease for novel diagnostic & therapeutic solutions
Centre for BioNano Interactions (CBNI) is a multi-disciplinary platform for Nanotoxicology and NanoMedicine
SSPC Research Centre
Centre for Nano Medicine combines the expertise of world-leading researchers in supramolecular chemistry, nanotechnology, biology and advanced imaging to develop new diagnostic techniques and drug delivery method
Centres & Initiatives
Selected Collaborations & Spin - Outs
School of Computer Science
www.ucd.ie/csi
Key expertise
Application areas
Centres & Initiatives
Collaborations & Spin - Outs
Software and Systems Engineering Networks and Distributed Systems Knowledge Discovery Language and Cognition
Big Data Bioinformatics Cognitive Science Computational Creativity Computational Linguistics and Natural Language Processing Computer Forensics and Security Data Analytics Data Mining Distributed Systems Embedded Systems Evolutionary Software Engineering Formal Methods Geographical Information Systems Green Computing High-Performance Computing Information Hiding Intelligent Agents Intelligent Information Access Machine Learning Natural Computing Next Generation Networks Performance Engineering Recommender Systems Sensor Technologies Software Design
Insight Centre for Data Analytics CASL Complex and Adaptive Systems Laboratory PEL Performance Engineering Laboratory CeADAR Centre for Applied Data Analytics Research CCI Centre for Cybersecurity & Cybercrime Investigation
• Lero The Irish Software Research Centre • NCRA Natural Computing Research & Applications
Group PCRG Parallel Computational Research Group DigitalFIRE Digital Forensics Investigation Research Laboratory StratAG Strategic Research in Advanced Geocomputation HCL Heterogeneous Computing Laboratory SAT Boolean Satisfiability Decision & Optimization Creative Language System Group AmMBio Adaptive Modelling for Molecular Biology
Petroleum exploitation Triassic Sand Provenance Irish Offshore Basin & Petroleum Prospectively Natural hazards & risks Geological Faults Energy & resources Geothermal Energy -Mapping Climate reconstruction Ecology & evolution
Key expertise
Application areas
Centres & Initiatives
Selected Collaborations
Palaeobiology Palaeoclimatology Marine & petroleum geology Geochemistry Seismology Mineralogy Structural geology
School of Earth Sciences
www.ucd.ie/geology
Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG) This UCD led SFI Centre covers the following areas:
• Raw Materials - Mineral/Aggregate • Marine - Marine Geoscience • Groundwater - Hydrogeology/Hydrology • Hydrocarbons - Petroleum Geoscience • Geochemistry, Geophysics, 3D Geological Modelling
Partner institutions include: Trinity College Dublin, NUI Galway, University College Cork, NUI Maynooth and Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
Fault Analysis Group Geometry and growth of faults on geological time scales through to earthquakes | Structure and content of fault zones and their impact on fluid flow | Numerical modelling of faults and fractures | Structural controls on the mineral deposits of Ireland
Geochronology, Petrology and Isotope Geochemistry Group Origin and evolution of the lower crust in and implications for metal enrichment | Geochemical heterogeneity of Earth’s mantle and PGE element enrichment in ophiolites and layered intrusions | Genesis and beneficiation of base metal ore deposits | Petrogenesis and economic potential of Li-bearing pegmatites | Development of novel sedimentary provenance techniques | Strategies for geothermal energy exploration
Marine and Petroleum Geology Research Group Sedimentary basin development: structural controls and sedimentary fill | Integrated petroleum systems: well, seismic and sequence stratigraphic analysis of rift and passive margin basins | Sandstone reservoir architecture: gravity flow processes and depositional geometries | Sand provenance: source-to-sink grain tracking | Neogene to Recent depositional systems in deep-water basins
Palaeobiology Research Group Applied palaeontology: High precision dating & correlation using microfossils (biostratigraphy) - expertise in Carboniferous microfaunas and macrofaunas, especially relevant to exploration and mining of metals in Ireland | Bioherms and coral reefs in Morocco | Evolutionary ecology of ecosystems: Evolutionary biology of first complex animal communities | Exceptional new biotas in Morocco, first direct evidence for the colour of feathered dinosaurs
Palaeoclimate Research Group Palaeoclimate reconstruction during past 500,000 years | Weathering and
other climate-carbon feedbacks, implications for climate models, Last Glacial Terrestrial Climate Reconstruction using U-Series dating on speleothems | The North Atlantic Oscillation and other large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns and their interactions | Implications for spatio-temporal variations in wind energy resources
National Centre for Isotope Geochemistry facilitates inter-disciplinary research in radiogenic and heavy stable isotope
geochemistry by academics from UCD, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Cork (UCC), as well as international collaborators
School of Mathematics
& Statistics www.ucd.ie/mathsciences
Applied & Computational Mathematics Meteorology and Climate Science Mathematics Statistics Actuarial Science
Key expertise
Application areas Data analytics Quantitative finance Cryptography Energy, waves, climate and the environment Risk modelling Fluid dynamics and weather mapping The UCD Meteorology and Climate Centre
is Ireland's leading academic centre for research and education in meteorology and climate science.
Claude Shannon Institute for Discrete Mathematics, Coding, Cryptography and Information Security supports research in coding theory and cryptography, and all related areas of mathematics including discrete mathematics, algebra, algebraic geometry and number theory and creates a network of mathematicians, engineers, computer scientists and industry partners.
Complex and Adaptive Systems Laboratory (CASL) is a dynamic interdisciplinary research community advancing scientific knowledge through mathematics and computation.
UCD Earth Institute research helps identify, clarify, and find solutions to the most pressing environmental problems facing us today
The Insight Centre for Data Analytics combines the skills of leading researchers with cutting-edge technologies from diverse research areas working closely with industry partners to develop next-generation data acquisition and analytics solutions for important and diverse application areas.
Centres & Initiatives
Collaborations & Partnerships
School of Physics http://www.ucd.ie/physics/
Key expertise
Application areas
Collaborations, Partnerships & Spin-outs
Astrophysics Particle physics Atomic & plasma physics Medical and radiation physics Plasmonics, nanophotonics and ultrafast nano-optics Theoretical modelling of complex systems Condensed matter theory Liquid atomic force microscopy Spectroscopy Laser physics Space science
Imaging and microscopy Light source development Detector technology Diagnostics & therapeutics Radiation oncology Nanotechnology Novel technologies for energy harvesting Drug design Nuclear fusion Citizen science Data science Magnetic Storage
Complex and Adaptive Systems Laboratory (CASL) is a dynamic interdisciplinary research community advancing scientific knowledge through mathematics and computation. UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research is an interdisciplinary research centre exploring fundamental mechanisms of chronic disease for novel diagnostic & therapeutic solutions.
Centres & Initiatives
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
50 Years of Science Teaching at UCD
Patricia Boyle presents a series of ten
programmes on ‘Biology for Beginners’
as part of the RTÉ television series
TelefísScoile. In the subsequent years,
many other UCD staff members – such
as Frank Anderson and Alex Montwill –
produce science themed programmes
for secondary school students (1965)
The first PhD thesis from Department of
Geology is awarded to J.G. Thieme
(later Director of the Geological Survey
of Zambia) (1965)
Martin Steer of the Department of
Botany publishes Ultrastructure and the
Biology of Plant Cells. The book soon
becomes the leading text in the field
(1975)
The Department of Geology launches
the first taught masters programme
(MSc in Petroleum Geology, directed by
Dr Pat Shannon) in the Faculty of
Science. It is officially inaugurated by
Mr Dick Spring, Tánaiste and Minister
for Energy (1984)
An RTE series, ‘Written In Stone’,
describing the geology of Ireland,
commissioned by the Geological Survey
of Ireland, is written and presented by
Dr Padhraig Kennan (1995)
The Merville lay seminars are launched
by Professors Engel and Ryan, allowing
PhD students in the departments of
Biochemistry and Pharmacology to
showcase their work to members of the
public (1997)
A BA degree in Mathematical Science is
launched in response to growing
demands from industry, commerce,
science and technology for professional
mathematicians (2000)
The Computer Science Department
launches a joint degree with Fudan
University, Shanghai. UCD becomes the
first Irish university to establish a joint-
degree with an Asian university (2002)
The School of Biomolecular and
Biomedical Science introduces a new
degree in Genetics (2006)
The School of Biomolecular and
Biomedical Science introduces a new
degree in Neuroscience (2006)
The School of Mathematical Sciences
launches the Undergraduate
Ambassadors Scheme which awards
academic credit to undergraduates,
who have successfully developed
transferable skills while working with
maths teachers in local secondary
schools (2008)
A Masters in Forensic Computing and
Cybercrime Investigation is launched
(2009)
Page 44 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
50 Years of Science Research & Innovation
Biology & Environmental
Science
John J. Moore produces the first
comprehensive classification of peat-land
vegetation in Western Europe (1968)
Dr E.J Wise compiles a taxonomy of Irish
Tricoptera (Caddisfaly), identifying one
hundred and forty-two species (1973)
Alongside two colleagues, Hubert Fuller
identifies the sexual behaviour of a
common microscopic fungus
called Aspergillusfumigatus which is a major
cause of death in people with weakened
immune systems. The discovery was made
by Céline O’Gorman, Hubert Fuller and Paul
Dyer and was published in the leading
scientific journal Nature (2008)
TSE (Transmissibl Spongiform
Encephalopathy) diagnostic technology is
developed by Dr Mark Rogers. A rapid test
for BSE is pioneered using this technology.
It reduced diagnosis time from 14 days to
3.5 hours. The test has been approved for
distribution by both the EU and the United
States department of Agriculture (1996)
Emma Teeling establishes the Batlab. The
lab is in the vanguard of research in
Phylogenetic relationships and the
evolutionary history of bats and other
eutherian mammals (2006)
Cell Biologist, Dr Emmanuel Reynaud from
the UCD school of Biology and
Environmental Science plays a lead role in
the most advanced study undertaken of
planktonic life. Dr Reynaud co-ordinated
the microscopy and cytometry equipment
on the three year voyage undertaken by
The Tara, a thirty-six metre schooner fitted
with the most advanced technologies for
investigating planktonic life (2009)
Dr Emma Teeling leads Ireland’s
participation in a unique international
project to map the DNA sequences of
10,000 vertebrate species. The Genome 10K
Project is the most ambitious study of
animal evolution ever attempted and will
lead to the creation of the ‘genomic zoo’
(2009)
UCD researcher Dr Jennifer McElwain
receives a special award from the President
of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, for her
leadership of the OXYEVOL project. The
project identifies atmospheric oxygen as a
driver of plant evolution over the past 400
million years. It also ranked 1st in the
European Research Council Starter Grant in
the Ideas area (2011)
Biƻmolecular & Biomedical
Science
Professor Ciaran Regan champions
academia-industry research programmes
conducting joint research projects with
Daiichi (1991-1998), American Biogenetic
Sciences (1993-2001) and GlaxoSmithKline
(2000-2005)
Professor Engel’s group achieve targeted
genetic alteration of enzyme specificity
providing the basis for a campus company
making diagnostic kits for neonatal
screening. He was elected a member of the
RIA in 2001 and the Biochemical Society’s
Irish Area Section Medal for 2010
Professor Ciaran Regan spins out the
successful UCD Campus Company Berand
Neuropharmacology (2004)
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Jens Nielsen develops a computer
programme that aids enzyme improvement.
The model also assesses protein stability,
protein dynamics, ligand binding and
solubility (2006)
Professor William Gallagher co-founds
OncoMark Ltd, a private company centred
on the development and application of
biomarker panels and associated
technologies, on both tissues and biological
fluids (2007)
Dr Kevin O’Connor and the Biocatalysis Lab
work on chemical degradation of plastic
(2007)
Professor Geraldine Butler leads a large
international effort (18 scientific
departments in 6 countries) that report the
genome sequences of 6 fungal species,
many major causes of infection. The study
identified several gene families associated
with virulence and the sexual cycle (2009)
Professor Gallagher is co-ordinator of the
Target-Melanoma programme, which
received €1.73 million in funding as part of
the Marie Curie Industry-Academia
Partnerships and Pathways Programme in
2009.
Research by Dr Brendán Kennedy indicates
that treatment of diabetic blindness should
look at protecting the neurons responsible
for colour vision in the eye and not just
targeting the blood vessels - as is currently
the practice (2010)
Dr Oliver Blacque's nematode research
demonstrates for the first time in
multicellular organisms a role for
endocytosis genes in regulating ciliary
membrane homeostasis (2012)
Chemistry & Chemical
Biology
Rory More O’Farrell publishes a key paper
in the Journal of the Chemical Society which
makes his name known internationally. In
the paper, he outlines two-dimensional
representations of multiple reaction
coordinate potential energy
surfaces for chemical reactions that involve
simultaneous changes in two bonds. These
plots become known as ‘More O’Farrell
Diagrams’ (1970)
Analysis of two soft wood
trees, Pinuscontorta and Piceasitchensis
(pine and spruce), by Dervilla Donnelly
identifies a new fungal disease
(Fomesannosus) that attacks these species
(1977)
Dervilla Donnelly identifies a horticultural
fungus (Armillariamellea) and insects that
cause forestry diseases (1987)
In Physical Chemistry, Howard Sidebottom
attracts considerable funding from the
European Union for studies of atmospheric
chemistry. He is also a member of the
(large) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change which was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize jointly with Al Gore in 2007
A team led by Pat Guiry develops new and
efficient catalysts for synthetic chemistry
with an emphasis on steroselectivity and
efficiency. Their focus is targeted on a class
of compounds known as lipoxins, which
have anti-inflammatory properties (2008)
UCD scientists solve a ten year problem in
the production of homoallenylation, which
provides building blocks for the
advancement of new chemical compounds
used in drug discovery and development.
The team is led by Professor Pat Guiry
(2010)
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Computer Science &
Informatics
Computer Scientists Barry Smyth and Paul
Cotter launch an innovative internet service
called PTV, a TV listing site that compiles a
personalised TV guide based on viewing
habits. The success of PTV leads to the
creation of Changing Worlds, a company
that develops personalised data services for
online, and telecom service providers,
including the Irish Times, Vodafone and
others (1999)
Michael O’Neil and Anthony Brabazon of
UCD’s Natural Computing Research and
Applications Group (NCRA) use biologically
inspired algorithms to develop computer-
driven financial models that help develop
successful trading strategies and assess
credit risk (2006)
ChangingWorlds is acquired by Amdocs Inc.
for $60m after the company expands to
employ 150 people with offices in Europe,
Asia and the US (2008)
Barry Smyth, Dr Peter Briggs and Dr
Maurice Coyle launch HeyStaks, a web-
browser plug-in which provides users with
the ability to create so called ‘search staks’
as a way to organise and share their Google
searches (2008)
Geological Sciences
Research by Professor Pat Shannon and
Dave Naylor (Adjunct Professor) leads to
the publication of the first comprehensive
map of Ireland’s offshore Atlantic
petroleum basins. It provides a formal
nomenclature system for offshore
geological features (1999)
Dr Frank McDermott is lead author of a
Science paper providing a high-resolution
oxygen isotope record from a speleothem
in SW Ireland, indicating previously
undetected early Holocene cooling events
and suggesting that natural climate
oscillations may moderate future
anthropogenic warming (2001)
The UCD Geophyscis Group leads an 18-
partner, EU 6th Framework funded
multidisciplinary project (VOLUME) with
researchers from Europe and Latin America.
The combination of scientists helps to
improve understanding of subsurface mass
movement in volcanoes, thereby improving
volcanic eruption forecasting abilities
(2005)
Maria McNamara, a palaeobiology PhD
researcher working with Dr Patrick Orr at
UCD School of Geological Sciences,
discovers the first example of fossilised
bone marrow, found in 10-million-year-old
remains of frogs and salamanders (2006)
The Fault Analysis Group, led by Professor
John Walsh, Dr Conrad Childs and Dr Tom
Manzocchi, receives the NovaUCD 2010
Innovation Award in recognition of ground-
breaking research on the geological and
engineering properties of faults. Their
commercial software products are used by
major oil companies to predict the impact
of faults and to analyse the flow of
hydrocarbons in geological reservoirs
(2010)
Dr Peter Van Roy and Dr Patrick Orr, of UCD
School of Geological Sciences, are first two
authors of a paper in Nature (featuring on
the front cover of the journal) documenting
exceptionally preserved Burgess-type
Ordovician fauna (2010)
Mathematical Sciences
Peter Lynch, MRIA, UCD Professor of
Meteorology, authors ‘Richardson, the
Emergence of Numerical Weather
Predictions’ which is published in 2006
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
A team led by Professor Gary McGuire
verify that a minimum of 17 clues are
required to give a unique Sudoku solution
(2012)
Physics
Members of the Particle Physics Group
make the first observation of the decay of a
neutral charmed particle (1977)
Dr Tony Scott is part of a team that
develops the ionisation smoke alarm. To
date more than 40 million units have been
produced (1977)
UCD physicists play a key role in identifying
the X-ray emissions by ultra-high energy
cosmic rays released by Cygnus X-3, a star
on the other side of our Galaxy. Fourteen
different astronomy groups, in seven
countries scattered around the world,
simultaneously observed this star (1984)
A UCD team of three physicists and three
research assistants, led by Dr Alex Montwill,
collaborate with a team at CERN in the
discovery of the ‘beauty’ quark - one of the
six fundamental building blocks of matter
(1985)
Members of the Astrophysics Group
discover ultra-high energy gamma-ray
emission from the Crab Nebula after a 25
year search (1989)
Ronan McNulty is part of a team that
assesses the quality of ‘W’ and ‘Z’ bosons at
the Large Hadron Collider, CERN. These
experiments provide an early insight into
the Higgs boson. When the Higgs boson
decays, it often produces W and Z bosons.
Therefore, being able to reconstruct W and
Z bosons is a necessary first step in the
reconstruction of Higgs (2008)
A team of scientists involving physicists
from UCD capture the first direct images of
monopoles in spin-ice. A monopole is a
magnet, a hypothetical particle that is an
isolated magnet with only one magnetic
pole (2010)
Page 48 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Notable UCD Scientists & Scientific Achievements
Throughout the history of science at UCD, or forerunner institutions, notable scientists gained wider
recognition in their field. Two high profile Irish institutions, the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) and the Royal Irish
Academy (RIA) repeatedly recognised their work through awarding the (RDS) Boyle Medal and (RIA) Academy
Membership respectively.
Boyle Medal Laureates
Inaugurated in 1899, the Boyle Medal continues to recognise scientific research of exceptional merit
and remains to this day Ireland's premier science award; several scientists with links to science at
UCD are among the awardees:
1899 Thomas Preston 1917 John A. McClelland 1928 Walter E. Adeney 1933 Paul A. Murphy 1942 Joseph Doyle 1945 Thomas J. Nolan 1959 Robert McKay 1961 Phyllis E. M. Clinch
1967 Edward J. Conway 1969 Vincent C. Barry 1970 Thomas J. Walsh 1971 Patrick J. Nolan 1979 Cormac O'Ceallaigh 1981 R. C. Geary 1986 James Robert McConnell 1988 P. Kevin Carroll
Thomas Preston
Thomas Preston’s research was concerned with heat, magnetism, and
spectroscopy. During his lifetime he established empirical rules for the
analysis of spectral lines, which remain to this day associated with his
name. Preston was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy in 1891 and
continued his mathematical studies while teaching at University College,
Dublin.
John A. McClelland
Professor John Alexander McClelland (1870−1920) played an integral role in
research on the newly discovered X-rays, cathode rays (electrons), electric
discharges and electric conductivity of gases. He is best remembered as the
instigator of the UCD tradition of research into atmospheric electricity and
atmospheric condensation nuclei, which was continued with such
distinction after his death. In 1900 Professor McClelland returned to
Ireland where he was appointed Professor of Physics at University College,
at the time under the charge of the Society of Jesus. During his tenure he
managed to carry out useful work in spite of the lack of funds available to
the college, receiving permission to use the better-equipped laboratories in
Earlsfort Terrace.
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Walter E. Adeney
The work of Professor Walter Ernest Adeney was principally devoted to
research into the problems arising out of the discharge of sewage and
waste products into rivers and tidal estuaries. From 1917 to 1921 he
held the post of Professor of Chemistry in the Royal College of Science
for Ireland. During this short period he established a school of research
into fundamental problems in the self-purification of polluted waters.
Paul A. Murphy
Dr Paul Murphy’s first contributions to science were made under the
guidance of Dr George H. Pethybridge in the years 1911 to 1913. This joint
work on the bacterial and fungal parasites of the potato is best known by
their contributions to knowledge of the genus Phytophthora especially the
potato blight fungus and its long-sought resting spores. Murphy was
appointed Professor of Plant Pathology when this activity transferred to
UCD in 1927.
Joseph Doyle
Professor Joseph Doyle's work had a profound effect on the understanding
of plant and conifer reproduction. In one of his early papers he showed
how the grafting of a bud on a leaf stalk converts the petiole into a stem.
He was able to prove that in addition to adapting the functions of a stem,
supporting new leaves and supplying them with water and nutritive
substance from the soil, the petiole is fundamentally changed in form and
internal structure, and acquires the physical and biological characteristic of
a stem. He was appointed Professor of Botany at University College in
1924.
Thomas J. Nolan
Professor Thomas Nolan was well known for his distinguished work in
organic chemistry and its technical applications. He had a wide knowledge
of and experience in general analytical work also. In 1925 he succeeded Dr
Joseph Reilly as Assistant State Chemist in Dublin and six years later he
became State Chemist. 1932 he followed Hugh Ryan as Professor in
University College Dublin. During the remaining thirteen years of his life he
and his students principally investigated products derived from our native
lichens. Professor Nolan died in 1945 at the age of 56.
Robert McKay
Robert McKay was one of the foremost plant pathologists of his time. His
earliest work was carried out in co-operation with Professor Paul A.
Murphy to whom he was an assistant, and whom he later succeeded as
Professor of Plant Pathology at University College Dublin. Professor
McKay’s name will forever be associated with the pioneering investigations
on virus disease, particularly those associated with the potato. One of the
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
most interesting phases of this work was concerned with the establishment of virus‐free stocks of pure varieties. From 1938 he acted as adviser in Plant Pathology to the Department of Agriculture. This gave him still wider contacts with fungal disease affecting economic crops and with their incidence and distribution throughout the country.
Phyll is E. M. Clinch
Phyllis Clinch was a world renowned scientist in the field of plant viruses. She played an integral role in raising the standard of potato and other plant crops, first in Ireland and then in many other countries. She succeeded Doyle as Professor at UCD. She is best remembered for her study of degenerative diseases in potato plants. She was able to identify symptomless viruses and importantly, damaging viruses that affected potato stocks. The knowledge she gained was made available to the Department of Agriculture and was soon applied to develop stocks of virus free potatoes, which in turn were supplied to farmers. This revolutionised the quality of potato stocks in Ireland, and quickly made an international impact as Ireland became the standard bearer for disease‐free potato stocks. Phyllis Clinch was the first woman to have received a Boyle Medal.
Edward J. Conway
Professor Edward Conway was a respected biochemist whose early research into kidney function and the laws governing excretion by the kidney earned him international acclaim. He was appointed to the new Chair of Biochemistry and Pharmacology at UCD in 1932, a post he held until his retirement in 1964. He is commonly remembered for his invention of the ‘Conway unit’, which is a simple but accurate method of measuring minute quantities by distillation using a glass dish with two concentric chambers. The method has been used to measure levels of ammonia, carbon dioxide or glucose in blood. Professor Conway’s brilliance was widely acknowledged and he received many honours including Fellow of the Royal Society (1947), Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry (1957) and Member of New York Academy of Science (1960). The Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research at University College Dublin, which opened in 2003 is named in his honour. He died in 1968.
Vincent C. Barry
Vincent Barry was a distinguished chemist whose research aided the development of important drugs in the treatment of tuberculosis and human leprosy which are still used to this day. He graduated from University College Dublin in 1928 with a first class honours degree in Chemistry. Following a period in University College Galway as assistant to Professor Thomas Dillon, he returned to Dublin in 1943 with a fellowship
Page 51 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
from the Medical Research Council of Ireland to investigate the
chemotherapy of tuberculosis. He set up his laboratory in UCD’s chemistry
department in Merrion Street and commenced his investigations. The
laboratory team grew, with Barry appointed director, and moved to larger
premises in Trinity College Dublin in 1950.
Thomas J. Walsh
Thomas Walsh was not only an internationally renowned scientist, but he
also worked untiringly for the development of Ireland’s natural resources in
general, and for the agricultural and food industries in particular. At an
early stage in his career he realised that research had an essential part to
play in the solution of problems besetting Irish agriculture. He realised also
the importance of adapting research findings for an application under
different conditions and as he himself said many times “research is not
finished until the results are applied”. He joined the staff of University
College Dublin where he lectured in soil science from 1938 to 1945, and
from 1945 to 1952 he worked as Soil Advisory Officer in the Department of
Agriculture. In 1952 he was appointed Senior Inspector in that Department,
with responsibility for soils and grassland research. When An Foras
Taluntais (now Teagasc) was established in 1958, he was appointed by the
Government as its first Director.
Patrick J. Nolan
Patrick J. Nolan was to become an outstanding physicist, specialising in the
area of atmospheric physics. In 1954 a Chair of Geophysics was established
in University College Dublin, to which Nolan was appointed and this post he
held until his retirement from teaching in 1964. His greatest contribution in
the field of Atmospheric Physics has been the development of the
Photoelectric Nucleus Counter which he did with the late Professor L. W.
Pollak at University College, Dublin, in the early 1940s. This counter became
the standard instrument in use throughout the world for the measurement
of Condensation Nuclei. With this counter it was possible for Professor
Nolan and his research students to determine the size, charge distribution
and coagulation coefficients of the nuclei. By operating the counter at
higher overpressure he discovered the existence of ultra small nuclei.
Cormac O’Ceallaigh
Professor Cormac O’Ceallaigh is one of the most distinguished physicists in
Irish history. His research field was that of cosmic rays and elementary
particle physics, to which subjects he made many seminal contributions.
Having completed his undergraduate studies at University College Dublin
he travelled to Paris in 1934 to work in the laboratory of the great French
cosmic ray physicist Pierre Auger and later to Cambridge(1935 to 1938)
where he worked in the field of nuclear physics, coming directly under the
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
eye and the influence of Lord Rutherford. Professor O’Ceallaigh’s most
important work involved the strange new particles in cosmic ray interaction
events which were just beginning to be discovered at the time, in particular
the K mesons. In 1953 he was appointed Senior Professor and Head of the
Cosmic Ray Section in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
Roy C. Geary
Roy C. Geary was undoubtedly the most eminent Irish statistician and
economist of the twentieth century. He is best known for his contribution
to mathematical statistics, notably the sampling theory of ratios, normality
testing and the estimation of relationships where the variables are subject
to errors of measurement. His scientific prowess is highlighted by the
number of statistical terms named after him including ‘Geary's Ratio’, the
‘Geary-Khamis Dollar’, the ‘Stone-Geary Utility Function’, and ‘Geary's
Theorem’. His contributions to economics, statistics, demography and
national accounting remain to this day central to study in these fields.
Having graduated in 1916 from University College Dublin with a first class
BSc, and undertaken further study at the Sorbonne in Paris.
James R McConnell
Reverend James R. C. McConnell was best known for his research into
rotational Brownian motion, the electric and magnetic properties of matter
and the theory of the negative proton (or anti-proton) whose existence was
not confirmed until 1955. Born in Dublin in 1915 he entered University
College Dublin in 1932 and graduated four years later with a first-class
honours degree in mathematics. Ordained in 1939, he completed his
studies at the Lateran University of Rome in 1940 and gained the degree of
Doctor of Mathematical Sciences from the Royal University of Rome (La
Sapienza) in 1941.
P. Kevin Carroll
Professor Peter Kevin Carroll is an Emeritus Professor at the School of
Physics in University College Dublin. Having worked extensively in the area
of high-resolution molecular spectroscopy his later work has concentrated
on the emission and absorption spectroscopy of hot dense plasmas, in
particular laser-produced plasmas. He began his research in UCD in 1948.
He obtained a PhD in 1953 having completed his research between UCD
and Queen’s University Belfast. Following a year spent working at the
Aerospace Research Centre in Bedford Massachusetts he returned to take
up an Associate Professorship of Optical Physics in UCD. After receiving a
D.Sc. from the National University of Ireland in 1977, he became Chair of
Optical Physics at University College Dublin.
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Royal Irish Academy – RIA Presidents and Membership Awardees
In the 20th Century, UCD Science is associated with four outstanding scientists at the helm of the
Royal Irish Academy, who served as Presidents:
1937 Arthur William Conway, D.Sc., F.R.S. (1876–1950) mathematical physicist, became later
President of University College Dublin (1940 and 1947)
1949 John James Nolan, M.A., D. Sc. (1888-1953) physicist, served prior to this role as UCD
Dean of Science (1931-1940)
1964 Joseph Doyle, D.Sc. (1891-1974) botanist, served prior to this role as UCD Dean of
Science (1945-1951)
1970 Vincent Christopher Barry, D.Sc.,F.R.I.C. (1908-1975) is a UCD graduate (1928 first class
honours degree in Chemistry); he is known for his work on leprosy and tuberculosis
Celebrating its bicentenary in 1985, the Royal Irish Academy can doubtlessly claim a
longstanding history. To become an elected member of the Royal Irish Academy represents a
great honour for awardees.
Page 54 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
The College of Science is proud to be linked to several members elected to the RIA (Table 1).
Ye
ar
Of
Ele
ctio
nFi
rst
Na
me
Su
rna
me
Qu
ali
fica
tio
ns
1960
Pau
l Jo
hn
Can
no
nM
B, M
Sc, M
A (
NU
I), B
A (
Du
bl)
, FC
Il, F
SB F
orm
er
Pro
fess
or
of
Ph
ysio
logy
, UC
C a
nd
Em
eri
tus
Pro
fess
or
of
Ph
arm
aco
logy
, UC
D
1960
Pe
ter
Ke
vin
Car
roll
MSc
, Ph
D, D
Sc (
NU
I), E
me
ritu
s P
rofe
sso
r o
f O
pti
cal P
hys
ics,
UC
D
1962
Dav
id A
rth
ur
Bro
wn
BSc
, MSc
, Ph
D, D
Sc, E
me
ritu
s P
rofe
sso
r o
f C
he
mis
try,
UC
D
1967
Dav
id J
.Ju
dge
MA
, MSc
, Ph
D (
NU
I), E
me
ritu
s P
rofe
sso
r o
f M
ath
em
atic
al P
hys
ics,
UC
D
1967
Joh
n J
Mo
ore
DSc
(N
UI)
, Le
ctu
rer
in T
he
olo
gy. F
orm
er
Pro
fess
or
of
Bo
tan
y, U
CD
1973
Gw
ilym
Ow
en
Evan
sM
Sc, P
hD
, DSc
(W
ale
s), E
me
ritu
s P
rofe
sso
r o
f A
gric
ult
ura
l Zo
olo
gy, U
CD
1974
Wil
liam
Ivo
O'S
ull
ivan
BSc
, MSc
, Ph
D (
NU
I), R
eti
red
Se
nio
r Le
ctu
rer
in C
he
mis
try,
UC
D
1976
Dav
idFe
akin
sB
Sc, P
hD
, Sc
(Lo
nd
), E
me
ritu
s P
rofe
sso
r o
f P
hys
ical
Ch
em
istr
y, U
CD
1980
Mic
hae
l Alp
ho
nsu
sH
aye
sB
Sc, M
Sc (
NU
I), P
hD
(B
row
n, R
I), D
Sc (
NU
I), R
eti
red
Pro
fess
or
of
Mat
he
mat
ical
Ph
ysic
s, U
CD
1981
An
tho
ny
Fran
cis
He
gart
yB
Sc, P
hD
, DSc
(N
UI)
, , U
niv
ers
ity
Co
lle
ge D
ub
lin
1981
Tho
mas
Laff
ey
BSc
, MSc
(N
UI 1
964,
196
5), D
Ph
il (
Suss
ex
1968
), A
sso
ciat
e P
rofe
sso
r o
f M
ath
em
atic
s, U
CD
1983
Ale
xan
de
rM
on
twil
lM
Sc, P
hD
, DSc
(N
UI)
, Em
eri
tus
Pro
fess
or
of
Ph
ysic
s, U
CD
1986
Joh
n R
aph
ael (
Ray
).B
ate
sB
Sc (
UC
D 1
962)
, Ph
D (
MIT
196
9).,
Em
eri
tus
Pro
fess
or
of
Me
teo
rolo
gy, U
niv
ers
ity
of
Co
pe
nh
age
n; A
dju
nct
Pro
fess
or
of
Me
teo
rolo
gy,,
UC
D. O
n C
ou
nci
l: 2
009-
2012
.
1987
Seán
Din
ee
nB
Sc ,
DSc
, MSc
(N
UI 1
964,
196
5), D
Sc (
NU
I 197
5), P
hD
(U
niv
ers
ity
of
Mar
ylan
d 1
969)
, Pro
fess
or
of
Mat
he
mat
ics,
UC
D
1988
Jose
ph
Pu
léB
Sc (
Mal
ta 1
967,
Re
adin
g 19
69),
DP
hil
, DSc
(O
xon
197
2, 1
990)
., A
sso
ciat
e P
rofe
sso
r o
f M
ath
em
atic
al P
hys
ics,
UC
D
1989
Bri
an P
hil
ipM
cBre
en
Ph
D (
NU
I), E
me
ritu
s P
rofe
sso
r o
f Ex
pe
rim
en
tal P
hys
ics,
UC
D
1990
Ro
nan
Ge
rard
O'R
ega
nM
B, B
Ch
, BA
O, B
Sc, P
hD
(Lo
nd
), M
D,,
Re
tire
d P
rofe
sso
r o
f P
hys
iolo
gy a
nd
His
tolo
gy, U
CD
1990
Mar
tin
Wil
liam
Ste
er
Ph
D (
QU
B),
DSc
(B
rist
)., E
me
ritu
s P
rofe
sso
r o
f B
ota
ny
UC
D
1994
Ke
nn
eth
Ad
rian
Daw
son
MSc
, DP
hil
(O
xon
), P
rofe
sso
r o
f P
hys
ical
Ch
em
istr
y, U
CD
1994
Pe
ter
Au
gust
ine
Ho
gan
BSc
(19
69),
MSc
(19
70),
Ph
D (
1972
), D
Sc (
1988
), P
rofe
sso
r o
f M
ath
em
atic
al P
hys
ics,
UC
D
1997
Dav
id J
oh
nFe
gan
BSc
, MSc
, Ph
D (
NU
I 196
6, 1
967,
197
0), P
rofe
sso
r o
f P
hys
ics,
UC
D
1997
Ro
de
rick
Ian
S.
Go
wP
hD
(Li
ver)
, Ass
oci
ate
Pro
fess
or
of
Mat
he
mat
ics,
UC
D
1997
Ad
rian
Ch
rist
op
he
rO
tte
wil
lM
A, D
Ph
il, D
Sc (
Oxo
n),
Pro
fess
or
of
Mat
he
mat
ical
Ph
ysic
s, U
CD
2000
Ste
ph
en
Jam
es
Gar
din
er
BSc
, MSc
, Ph
D, D
Sc (
QU
B),
Pro
fess
or
of
Mat
he
mat
ics,
UC
D
2000
Ste
ph
en
Ge
org
eM
ayh
ew
BSc
, Ph
D (
She
ff),
Pro
fess
or
of
Bio
che
mis
try,
UC
D
2001
Pau
lEn
gel
BA
(O
xon
196
5), M
A (
Oxo
n),
DP
hil
(O
xon
196
8), P
rofe
sso
r o
f B
ioch
em
istr
y, U
CD
2003
Pat
rick
Mar
ySh
ann
on
BSc
, Ph
D, F
EI, F
Inst
P, P
Ge
ol,
Eu
rGe
ol,
Pro
fess
or
of
Ge
olo
gy, U
CD
2004
Ge
rard
D.
O'S
ull
ivan
BSc
, Ph
D (
NU
I 197
5, 1
980)
, Ass
oci
ate
Pro
fess
or
of
Ph
ysic
s, U
CD
2005
Do
nal
dFi
tzm
auri
ceB
Sc, P
hD
, DSc
(N
UI 1
985,
198
8, 2
000)
, Pro
fess
or
of
Ch
em
istr
y, U
CD
2005
Jon
ath
an P
aul G
asco
ign
eM
alth
ou
seB
Sc, P
hD
(Lo
nd
197
3, 1
977)
, Ass
oci
ate
Pro
fess
or
and
He
ad o
f B
ioch
em
istr
y, U
CD
2006
Bri
dge
t Th
ere
seK
inse
lla
BSc
, Ph
D (
NU
I), A
sso
ciat
e P
rofe
sso
r o
f B
ioch
em
istr
y, U
CD
2006
Pet
er Ia
nM
itch
ell
BSc
, Ph
D (
NU
I), C
Ph
ys,,
Dir
ecto
r, R
ad
iati
on
Ph
ysic
s R
esea
rch
La
bo
rato
ry, U
CD
2008
Mic
hae
l Jam
es
McG
lin
che
yB
Sc, P
hD
(M
anch
est
er
1965
,196
8).,
Pro
fess
or
of
Ino
rgan
ic C
he
mis
try,
UC
D
2011
Bar
rySm
yth
BSc
, Ph
D, D
igit
al C
hai
r o
f C
om
pu
ter
Scie
nce
Dir
ect
or,
CLA
RIT
Y, U
CD
2012
Pe
ter
Lyn
chB
Sc, M
Sc, P
hD
). P
rofe
sso
r o
f M
ete
rolo
gy, U
CD
.
2013
Pat
rick
Je
rom
eG
uir
yB
Sc, P
hD
, CC
he
m, F
RSC
, FIC
I, P
rofe
sso
r o
f Sy
nth
eti
c O
rgan
ic C
he
mis
try
and
He
ad o
f Sc
ho
ol o
f C
he
mis
try
and
Ch
em
ical
Bio
logy
, UC
D
Tab
le 1
: Ele
cted
mem
ber
s to
th
e Ir
ish
Ro
yal A
cad
emy
(RIA
) w
ith
lin
ks t
o U
CD
Sci
ence
. Lis
t b
ased
on
RIA
pu
blis
hed
mat
eri
al.
Page 55 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
A close up of Asteroides calycularis polyps (Pallas, 1766); recreated in glass, made by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka in 1885 for A.C. Haddon, Professor of Zoology at the Royal College of Science. Image: Courtesy Emmanuel G. Reynaud. UCD 2010
Page 56 of 63
Sources used
Scientific Environment & Early Scientific Endeavours
The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?p=104&n=151
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) o http://www.ria.ie/About.aspx
Museum of Irish Industry (MII) and Government School of Science
o http://www.ucd.ie/archives/collections/universityarchives/items/collectionname,235374,en.html#accordion2
Royal College of Science for Ireland (RCScI) o http://www.ucd.ie/archives/collections/uni
versityarchives/items/collectionname,235376,en.html#accordion1
o http://www.ucd.ie/merrionstreet/download/the_building_of_the_state.pdf
The Catholic University (CU) o http://www.ucd.ie/archives/collections/uni
versityarchives/items/collectionname,235373,en.html;
o http://www.ucd.ie/merrionstreet/download/the_building_of_the_state.pdf
University College Dublin (UCD) o http://www.ucd.ie/150/history_timeline.ht
m o UCD News October 1994 – ‘30 years on’ o ‘Science uncovered’ 2004 timelines o UCD Science Timeline 1960-2013.doc
Timelines Biochemistry
o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were part of the UCD 150 year celebration
o 1933 - Conway Unit: date communicated by Bartholomew Masterson, PhD, Research Associate, School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences
Botany o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Chemistry o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Computer Science o Based on information received from Henry
McLoughlin & UCD News - September 1997
Experimental Physics o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Geology o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Industrial Microbiology o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Mathematics o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Mathematical Physics o Based on information received from
Michael A Hayes, Emeritus Professor of Mathematical Physics UCD & David Judge, Emeritus Professor UCD
o Wikipedia o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration o http://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-
century-history/better-without-the-ladies-the-royal-irish-academy-and-the-admission-of-women-members/ http://www.ucd.ie/engscience/bertram_broberg.html
o Dictionary of Irish Biographies, Cambridge University Press
o Peter Lynch, UCD Prof of Meteorology o Adrien Ottewill UCD Prof of Mathematical
physics o UCD Alumni Office
Pharmacology
o Material used based on information from UCD Archives, Prof Michael P Ryan, Prof Alan Keenan, School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science and Dr Tara McMorrow. Approved by Prof Ryan, former Head of Department
Statistics & Actuarial Science o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Zoology o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
From Faculty to College & Department to School
o http://www.ucd.ie/foi/foi/sci_vet.pdf 5.9 Faculty of Science
o Report of the President 2005/2006
Page 57 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
o Verbal communication UCD Science members
UCD Deans of Science
o Information based on ‘UCD College Calendar’ (UCD Archives) & portraits of Deans (at the care of the College of Science)
UCD Science in 2013/2014 o Staff & Student infographic taken from UCD
Report of the President 2013/2014 o UCD Strategic Research Priority Areas taken
from UCD Research website.
School posters Based on communication with individual Schools and their Head of School; posters formed part of display for ‘Science 50’ at the UCD O’Brien Centre for Science on 7th June 2014
50 Years of Science Teaching at UCD o Material compiled by David Flynn based on
conversations with Schools in 2013
50 Years of Science Research & Innovation o Material compiled by David Flynn based on
conversations with Schools in 2013
Notable scientists and scientific achievements
Boyle Medal Laureates Thomas Preston
o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=805&n=245&p=182
John A. McClelland o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=801&n=245
&p=182
Walter E. Adeney o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=798&n=245
&p=182 o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were
part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Paul A. Murphy o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=796&n=245
&p=182 o ‘The Building of the Sate’
Joseph Doyle
o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=793&n=245&p=182
o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Thomas J. Nolan
o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=784&n=245&p=182
Robert McKay
o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=789&n=245&p=182
Phyllis E. M. Clinch
o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=788&n=245&p=182
o Science uncovered 2004 panels which were part of the UCD 150 year celebration
Edward J. Conway o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=787&n=245
&p=182 o CLASSIC PAPER: Conway’s Microdiffusion
Analysis: eighty years on and still counting!, Bartholomew Masterson, Biochem. J. (2013),(Printed in Great Britain), doi:10.1042/BJ20131140
Vincent C. Barry o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=786&n=245
&p=182 o ‘The Building of the State’
www.ucd.ie/merrionstreet, p33
Thomas J. Walsh o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=785&n=245
&p=182 Patrick J. Nolan
o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=784&n=245&p=182
Cormac O’Ceallaigh o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=778&n=245
&p=182 Roy C. Geary
o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=780&n=245&p=182
James Robert McConnell
o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=778&n=245&p=182
P. Kevin Carroll o http://www.rds.ie/index.jsp?a=777&n=245
&p=182
Royal Irish Academy – RIA Presidents and Membership Awardees
o The Royal Irish Academy – a bicentennial history 1785-1985
o http://www.ria.ie/about/Membership/Member-List.aspx as per 10th April 201
Page 58 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
UCD Science relate material
UCD News:
May 1973 The Campus criticized – an architect’s account
Oct 1974 Prof Maurice Kennedy, Department of Mathematics, appointed new Registrar
Oct 1974 Science Buildings - constructed 1962 – 65
Jan 1976 Physics in Industry
Jan 1976 Computer Advisory Group
March 1976 Physics Department looks East ….
May 1976 Department of Geology – Relating to the needs of expanding sectors of Irish
industry
Jan 1977 Charm is elusive..
Jan 1977 UCD Nuclear Emulsion Group
June-Sept 1977 Magnifies 200,000 times ….
May 1978 Cormac O’Donohue, BSc, is a second year PhD……
Oct 1978 John Stirling, operating an electron microscope……
May 1979 Inaugural meeting of UCD Biological Society
Jan 1980 Chairs in Mathematics (Sean Dineen) and Zoology (Edward J. Duke)
Feb 1980 New Head of Computer Science (Professor van Rijsbergen)
Feb 1980 Physics Chair (Dennis L. Weaire)
June 1980 Satellite system contract for Physics Department
Feb 1982 Thomas Preston discovered ……
March 1982 Genetic Engineering
June 1982 Maths.Soc.
Dec 1982 Carmel Humphries Lecture
April 1983 Irish Physicist in “Geneva Event” (Prof A Kernan & A Montwill)
April 1983 Biotechnology And University College Dublin
June 1983 Faculty of Science by Dr George Baird
June 1983 The University that was never built
Dec 1983 J P Nolan retires from Chair of Geophysics in Aug 1964
Oct 1984 Trailblazers! Article by Tony Scott on move to Belfield
Nov 1984 UCD Graduate Nobel Prize winning experiment “W” and “Z” found (Prof Ann
Kernan)
1985 Fingerprinting Atoms
1985 Nuclear Research Collaboration (Prof Montwill & F Kavanagh)
1985 The Flying Swan [Cosmic & Gama Rays]
April/May 1986 Elected to European post Professor Donnelly
April/May 1986 Appointed to Nuclear Energy Board Dr Mary Upton, Department of Industrial
Microbiology
Summer 1986 The effects of Chernobyl by Alex Montwill
Dec 1986 Statistics – new Department formed
Feb 1987 The Chemical Society by E Philbin and J Gowan
April 1987 Prof Hugh Ryan: Founder of two chemical organisations
June 1987 Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology [UCD Graduate]
June 1987 UCD linked Boyle Medal awardees [UCD Graduate]
Dec 1987 Space Agency Contract by Professor A Montwill
May 1988 UCD hosts Mathematics Conference by Dr Fergus Gaines
June 1990 UCD leads ozone depletion probe (Dr H oward Sidebottom)
June 1990 Combined effort needed in forests study (Prof Donnelly)
Page 59 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Dec 1990 UCD Interview – Peter Start – UCD Safety Officer
May 1992 New large plant growth cabinets (projects supervised by B Osborne)
Oct 1992 What we do: Department of Pharmacology
April 1993 What we do: Department of Biochemistry
Dec 1993 Biotechnology Building opened (Conway round building)
Oct 1994 30 Years on – how the Belfield Campus was created
Nov 1995 What we do: Department of Mathematics
Nov 1995 Merville Memories
Jan 1996 What we do: Department of Mathematical Physics
Feb 1996 Interview with Prof Frank Hegarty
Sept 1997 UCD spin-off beats big software challengers – WBT Systems
Jan 1998 Major grant for UCD Nanochemistry Group
Jan 1998 Wheeler lecture
Summer 1998 UCD teams add up to success in international mathematics contest
Summer 1998 UCD leads key bogland study
Dec 1998 Petroleum industry issues detailed by Prof Shannon
Dec 1998 Computer Science course is a continuing success
March 1999 UCD computer scientists make breakthrough in automated teleservices
(B Smyth & M Keane)
March 1999 New NMR spectrometer will dramatically expand biochemical investigations
Sept 1999 UCD involvement in tracking eclipse
Sept 1999 New Conway Institute will bring world-class UCD expertise under one roof
(H Brady)
Oct 1999 Radical change on way for Pharmacology research
Jan 2000 UCD computer scientists win British award
May 2000 Computer Science Graduates showcase work
Oct 2000 Well, the memories are still the same… Paddy O’Flynn revisits the former
College of Science
Dec 2000 Major donation of NMR equipment
I r ish Photographic Archive
Archival images of 1960’s Science Centre
http://irishphotoarchive.photoshelter.com/gallery/1964-Exterior-of-new-university-buildings-at-Belfield/G0000MiKjkrzO6tE/C0000GWLQb3pv9b8
Dictionary of Ir ish Biography
http://dib.cambridge.org
Algar, Joseph (1890–1958), chemist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a0106&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Anderson, Alexander (1858–1936), physicist and university administrator http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a0137&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Beirne, Bryan Patrick (1918–98), entomologist and pest control exper http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a9594&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Boylan, Eugene (Richard Kevin) (1904–64), physicist, monk, and writer
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a0840&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Butler, James Bayley (1884–1964), biologist and academic, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a1261&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Carpenter, George Herbert (1865–1939), entomologist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a1495&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Carroll, John (1903–86), agricultural zoologist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a1504&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Clear, Thomas (1911–94), forester http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a1719&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Clinch, Phyllis E. M. (1901–84), scientist, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a1754&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Conway, Edward Joseph (1894–1968), biochemist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a1982&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Cotter, Brigid Mary (1921–78), chemist and barrister http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a2089&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Donnelly, John (1934–1991), chemist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a2703&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Doyle, Joseph (1891–1974), botanist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a2756&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Hackett, Felix Edward (1882–1970), physicist, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a3697&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Humphries, Carmel Frances (1909–86), zoologist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a4158&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Johnson, Thomas (1863–1954), botanist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a4298&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Kane, Sir Robert John (1809–90), chemist and scientist, http://dib.cambridge.org/advancedsearch.do?searchBy=&_currentPage=3&_pageSize=25&_sortBy=name&_sortOrder=asc
Keane, John (1899–1971), chemist, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a4401&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Keefe, (Thomas) Dennis (1930–90), physicist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a4423&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes McClelland, John Alexander (1870–1920), physicist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a5597&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes McConnell, James Robert (1915–99), mathematical physicist and priest http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a5610&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes McKay, Robert (1889–1964), horticulturist and plant pathologist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a5712&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Molloy, Gerald (1834–1906), priest and scientist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a5865&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
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From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
Murnaghan, Francis Dominic (1893–1976), mathematician http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6064&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Nevin, Thomas Edwin (1906–86), physicist, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6169&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Nolan, John James (‘J. J.’) (1888–1952), experimental physicist and academic http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6223&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Nolan, Thomas Joseph (1888–1945), chemist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6229&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Ó Ceallaigh, Cormac (1912–96), nuclear physicist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6976&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Ó Raifeartaigh, Lochlainn Séamus (1933–2000), theoretical physicist, scholar http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6424&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes O'Reilly, Joseph Patrick (1829–1905), chemist, engineer, and mineralogist, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6996&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Orr, William McFadden (1866–1934), mathematician http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a7133&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Philbin, Eva Maria (1914–2005), chemist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a9516&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Preston, George Dawson (1896–1972), physicist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a7486&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Ryan, Hugh (1873–1931), chemist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a7867&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Sigerson, George (1836–1925), physician, biologist, poet, and author http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a8072&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes Ryan, Philomena Frances (Phyllis O'Kelly) (1895–1983), chemist http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a6839&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Wheeler, Thomas Sherlock (1899–1962), chemist, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a8989&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Winder, Frank (Francis Gerard Augustine) (1928–2007), biochemist, naturalist and mountaineer, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a9546&searchClicked=clicked&quickadvsearch=yes
Further reading
General:
A Boost for Ireland’s Young Scientists, Development Magazine, May 1964
The Building of the State – Science and Engineering with Government on Merrion Street,
Published by University College Dublin, 2011 electronic version: www.ucd.ie/merrionstreet
Page 62 of 63
From early scientific endeavours to today’s UCD Science –Towards a history of the UCD College of Science
The Building of the State – Science and Engineering with Government on Merrion Street,
Published by University College Dublin, 2011 electronic version: www.ucd.ie/merrionstreet
Biology & Zoology:
The Blaschka collection at University College Dublin - Rebuilding its history, Eric Callaghan, Hazel
J. Doyle and Emmanuel G. Reynaud, Journal of the History of Collections vol. 26 no. 1 (2014) pp.
63–71, http://jhc.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/1/63.full.pdf+html
George Herbert Carpenter, Proceedings of the IX International Colloquium on Apterygota, Dublin
1996, Thomas Bolger, Dept. of Zoology, University College Dublin, Pedobiologia 41, 1-2 (1997),
Gustav Fisher Verlag Jena
Chemistry:
Philbin, Eva Maria in: Who’s Who What’s What and Where in Ireland, in association with The Irish
Times, Geoffrey Chapman Publishers, London Dublin 1973
Eva Maria Philbin – Brilliant Chemist who helped establish industry, Irish Times, July 9th 2005
(Obituary)
Prof Eva Maria Philbin – An Appreciation, Prof David A. Brown, Irish Chemical News, 28/8/2007,
pp. 22-23
Schools of Chemistry in Great Britain and Ireland - III, The Dublin Schools, (B) University College,
Prof T.S. Wheeler, Reprinted from Journal of the Royal Institute of Chemistry, March 1953,
pp.113-121
Sudden death of Prof. Thomas S. Wheeler at UCD, The Irish press, December 14, 1962
Obituary Notice – Thomas Sherlock Wheeler 1899-1962, E.M. Philbin, Reprinted from
Proceedings of the Chemical Society, May 1963, pp 154-156
The Boyle Higgins Medal (for Prof Brown), AGB Science News, spring 1998, p. 1
Top scientists for Dublin talks – Irish mining on agenda, The Irish Press, August 20, 1974
Mathematical Sciences related:
Mathematics in U.C.D. 1854 to 1074, J.R. Timoney, University College Dublin,
www.maths.tcd.ie/pub/ims/news03/M0301.pdf
William Rowan Hamilton - IRELAND'S GREATEST MATHEMATICIAN, Professor William Reville,
University College Cork; article published in The Irish Times, February 26, 2004
To the glory of God, honour of Ireland and fame of America: a biographical sketch of Francis D.
Murnaghan, Mathematical Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 103A (2003) 101-112, David
W. Lewis
Irish Mathematical Society Newsletter, 1980, No 3,
www.maths.tcd.ie/pub/ims/news03/M0301.pdf
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