Professor Gerard Fealy – the badge of quality and the weight of history
“… your University is now part of an elite group of universities worldwide. But elitism does not mean that we are not concerned with the everyday issues of our society and those of our fellow citizens…”
Professor Gerard Fealy spoke at a conferring ceremony that included graduates of Nursing and Medicine. However these health practioners were joined by students from Agriculture, Engineering, Architecture, Sports Management and Veterinary Medicine.
Professor Fealy urged graduates to take pride and inspiration from the many UCD alumni who have gone before them. He noted that while UCD will continue to shape the future of modern Ireland, he had no doubt that many of graduates would contribute in very distinct ways in forming the next chapter of Irish history. “In shaping that future I urge you to be critical. Being ‘critical’ is one of the marks of a graduate, it means being able to make informed judgements and choices based on accumulated evidence, being alert to factors and forces that seek to shape your lives and the lives of others, for good or ill, and especially being able to stand up for the vulnerable and the weak in our society. These critical skills are needed now more than ever in modern Ireland.”
Gerard Fealy is Associate Professor of Nursing at the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems. A registered nurse, he has a background in intensive care nursing, and is currently involved in researching aspects of older people's health. Professor Fealy is a nursing historian and is Director of the UCD Irish Centre for Nursing & Midwifery History. He is the author of a number of books, including a 2009 history of the Adelaide Hospital School of Nursing.