Fusarium researchers visit

The four-year research project called FUCOMYR (Novel tools for developing Fusarium resistant and toxin-free wheat for Europe) has a total budget of 1.9m euro and involves Ireland, UK, Austria, Denmark and Germany. 

The Irish contribution is under the joint supervision of Dr Fiona Doohan and Professor Mike Cooke from the Department of Environmental Resource Management. 

Pictured at the recent project co-ordination committee meeting held in the Agriculture and Food Science Building in March are (back) Dr Roy Browne, Post-Doctoral Research Scientist, UCD; Dr Hermann Buerstmayr, Senior Scientist, Institute for Agrobiotechnology, Tulln, Austria; Dr Paul Nicholson, Research Leader, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK; Professor Dr Akos Mesterhazy, Head of Wheat Resistance Laboratory, Cereal Research non-profit Co, Szeged, Hungary; and Dr Fiona Doohan; (front) Khairul Ansari, PhD student at UCD; Prof essor Dr Peter Ruchenbauer, Head of Institute for Agrobiotechnology, Tulln, Austria, Project Co-ordinator; Dr Uwe Scholz, Institute for Agrobiotechnology, Tulln, Austria; Project Manager; and Professor Mike Cooke.

Recent changes at the Conference Office will help to raise UCD’s profile as an important centre for conferences and events. They will also help internal events to run more smoothly. 

Caroline Dowling has been appointed as full-time Conference and Events Manager. She will work with Gary Moss, the College’s Commercial Manager, and will market the College as a venue for events as well as providing support on the ground for event organisers. 

The Conference Office will work closely with academic staff to identify potential events and will offer a portfolio of facilities and catering on Belfield Campus, Blackrock Campus and in Newman House. 

O’Reilly Hall is central to UCD’s conference facilities and will now be managed by the Conference Office. 

Any event can be organised through the Office, including conferences, gala dinners, product launches or meetings. Contact Caroline Dowling at (01) 716 2827. 

Outstanding Contribution by UCD Psychologist

Dr Alan Carr, director of the Doctor of Psychological Science programme in clinical psychology at UCD, has received the Psychological Society of Ireland's Special Award of Merit for an outstanding contribution to psychology. The award was given in recognition of Dr Carr's contribution to the development of clinical psychology training in Ireland and for his publications. Dr Carr's Handbook of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology (Routledge, 1999) has become a standard textbook for clinical psychology course in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Engineering graduates and UCD employees Elizabeth Dunne and Michael Rafter were among the 111 members of the IEI to receive the title of Chartered Engineer at a special ceremony last month. Elizabeth is a Project Engineer with the Building Services Department and Michael is the College’s Safety Officer. At the Conferring of Titles Ceremony, IEI president Liam Connellan pointed out the huge growth in the numbers of applications for IEI titles. He told how Chartered Engineer applications had doubled from 127 in 2000 to 298 in 2001. 

We learned with sorrow of the death of Owen Cullen, a 2nd Year Arts student. We extend our deep sympathy to his parents Declan and Susan, and his sisters Cliodhna and Susan. 

We have learned with sadness of t he death of Dr Kevin Danaher, who retired in 1983 from the Department of Irish Folklore. We extend our condolences to his wife Anna, sons Donal and John.

 JAMES GOWAN 

We are deeply saddened at the death of Dr James Gowan who retired from the Department of Chemistry in 1990. Our sincere sympathy to his wife Margaret, sons Dermot and Desmond; his daughter Rosemary. 

It is with deep regret that we have l earned of the sudden death of Brian McCormack, a first Commerce International (French) student. We offer our sincere condolences to his parents Noel and Mary, brother John, sisters Theresa and Grace. 

It was with great sadness we heard of the death of Cormac Mehigan MRCVS who retired from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 1994. To his wife Lucy, sons Stephen, Paddy, Jim, Cormac, Roc and Sean, we offer our sincere sympathy. 

It was with deep regret we learned of the death of Kevin O’Shaughnessy, a PhD student in Development Studies. To his brother Des and sister Eithne (McGuinness) and extended family, we offer our sincere sympathy.

Elain Orr, Paul O'Callaghan, and and Susan Bardon -psychology winners

Paul O’ Callaghan, a student in 4th Science Psychology, won second prize in the undergraduate category at the 24th Annual Congress of Psychology Students of Ireland, hosted by the Department of Psychology, NUI Galway. He gained the award for his work on Field Dependence/Independence among Irish and Ghanaian children. Susan Bardon of 3rd Arts Psychology won a commendation for her work on the effects of gender and location on helping behaviour, while Elaine Orr, 3rd Arts Psychology, was commended for her research on the extent of gender stereotyping on Irish and German TV advertisements. They were among 20 UCD students who presented their research at the event.