The annual School Prizes and Awards Ceremony took place in the Moore Auditorium, O’Brien Centre for Science on 20th November 2024.
This year’s event saw a total of 53 awards were presented to students and graduates including medals, certificates and monetary awards totally over €64,000 in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements.
Following the awards our distinguished UCD alumnus, Christopher Cahill who was recently announced as FBD Farmer of the Year addressed the audience on his experiences of studying Agricultural Science at UCD and this career journey since graduating.
Christopher is a Dairy Business graduate as well as completing the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. He owns Cavan Grassland Consultancy, a grass measurement and management service provider across the north midlands area.
The following awards were presented on the night.
AIB Best in Class Awards
AIB makes two annual awards to recognise excellence in our Food and Agribusiness
Management and Dairy Business programmes. The award comprises of a monetary prize and is presented annually to the stage 4 students who achieves the highest final GPA in the
two programmes.
AIB Best in Class: Food and Agribusiness Management Recipient: Noirin O'Malley
AIB Best in Class: Dairy Business Recipient: Daire Cregg
Agricultural Economics Society of Ireland Award
The Agricultural Economics Society of Ireland makes an annual award, presented to
the Food and Agribusiness Management student who obtains the highest aggregate grades in the Stage Four modules, Farm Business Management and Agricultural Policy. The award consists of a medal and a monetary prize.
Recipient: Noirin O'Malley
Agricultural Science Association - Basic Science Award
The ASA has represented the Agricultural Science profession since 1942. This award
is presented to the student who receives the highest combined grades in Animal Biology
and Evolution, Cell and Plant Biology, Introductory Chemistry and Physics for Agricultural Science in their degree program. The award consists of a monetary prize.
Recipient: Sophie Hill - Animal Science
Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, Human Nutrition Medal
Danone sponsor an annual award to recognise a student in the Human Nutrition Degree
Programme. The award consists of a silver medal and is awarded to the undergraduate
student with the highest overall grade in the Human Nutrition Research Project in Stage 4.
Recipient: Zuzanna Gwizdz
Fertilizer Association of Ireland - Soil Science Award
The Fertiliser Association of Ireland award is presented to the student who obtains the
highest grade in the module Soil Science Basics in Stage Two of the BAgrSc degree
programme. The award consists of a monetary prize.
Recipient: James Hickey - Animal Science
Glanbia Human Nutrition Medal
Glanbia PLC sponsor an annual award to recognise a student in the Human Nutrition Degree
Programme. The award consists of a silver medal and is awarded to the undergraduate
student with the highest overall GPA in Stage 2 of the Human Nutrition Degree Programme.
Recipient: Alison Níc Craith
Grant Thornton Awards in Financial Planning and Control
Grant Thornton has provided work placements over several years for students undertaking the Professional Work Experience module as part of the Food and Agribusiness
Management degree programme. Grant Thornton sponsor three monetary awards to the
students with the highest overall grade in the module: Financial Planning and control.
Recipients:1st Prize. Ciaran Rice. 2nd Prize. Unathi Gulubane. 3rd Prize. Martin O'Dwyer
Hussey Prize in Agribusiness
This award was established on the retirement of the late Mr F. P Hussey, in appreciation of
His years of service to UCD. The Hussey Prize in Agribusiness is awarded annually to the
Food and Agribusiness Management student who obtains the highest aggregate grades in
International Food Marketing and Food and Agribusiness Strategy in Stage Four. The award consists of a monetary prize.
Recipient: Molly Ryan
Ian Gordon Award
The Ian Gordon Award is presented annually to the student who obtains the highest grade in Animal Reproduction in the Stage Three University Examination in Agricultural Science.
The award consists of a medal.
Recipient: Aisling Moran - Animal Science- Equine
Irish Tillage and Land Use Society Award
Recipient: Caoimhe McGahern -Animal and Crop Production
Kepak Best in Class Award: Animal Science and Food Science
Kepak Group sponsor two awards in Animal Science and in Food Science for the Best in class in Stage 4 in the Animal Science and Food Science programmes.
Animal Science Programme Recipient: Joanne Hanifin
Food Science Programme Recipient: Ava Moran
Kerry Human Nutrition Medal
Kerry Group sponsor an annual award in the Human Nutrition Degree Programme. The
award consists of a silver medal and is awarded to the undergraduate student with the
highest final degree GPA in the Human Nutrition degree programme.
Recipient: Hannah Goodfellow
Nutricia Human Nutrition Medal
Nutricia sponsor an annual award in the Human Nutrition Degree Programme. The award
consists of a silver medal and is awarded to the undergraduate student with the highest overall performance in Clinical Nutrition in Stage 4 of the Human Nutrition degree programme.
Recipient: Hannah Goodfellow
Paddy O'Keeffe Dairy Business Project Award
This award is given in memory of Mr Paddy O'Keeffe who was editor of the Irish Farmers
Journal. It is awarded to the student that completes the best Dairy Business Project
in the 3rd year of the Dairy Business programme. The award consists of a medal and a monetary prize.
Recipient: Stephen Fennell
Patrick Dempsey Memorial Prize
The prize is provided by the family of the late Mr Patrick Dempsey who lectured in the UCD Department of Horticulture from 1970 until 1985. The prize is awarded annually to the
student who obtains the highest grade in the module Landscape, Trees and Shrubs and who
also reaches a sufficiently high standard in the Stage Three University Examination in
Agricultural Science and comprises a monetary prize.
Recipient: Christopher Feeney
Patrick Hogan Memorial Scholarship
This award is made annually to commemorate Patrick Hogan, first Minister for Agriculture
in the Irish Free State. This award comprises a monetary prize, this year four students received the same GPA in the same major.
Recipients: Wolfgang Von Teichman (Food and Agribusiness Management) and Tom Downey (Food and Agribusiness Management).
The Teagasc Denis Minogue Memorial Award
Teagasc sponsors an award in memory of Mr Denis Minogue. The award comprises a
monetary award and a silver medal. It is awarded to the student who presents the most innovative project as part of their examination of Irish farming and advisory service practices.
Recipient: Bryan Twomey
UCD Professional Work Experience Excellence Awards
The School of Agriculture and Food Science has had a Professional Work Experience
programme in place for over 60 years. We recognise the importance of Professional Work
Experience in the education and training of our undergraduate students. Students gain work experience across the Agriculture, Food, Nutrition, and Environmental sectors in Ireland and abroad.
20 students will be awarded certificates, one student will be receiving a medal and 6 students will be receiving monetary awards for excellence from our very generous sponsors.
Agricultural Consultants Association PWE Excellence Award
The Agricultural Consultants Association is the largest professional advisory system and are
the sole representative body for private agricultural consultants and advisors in Ireland.
The award consists of a Certificate and a monetary prize.
Recipient: Cliona Beirne - ACP
Agricultural Trust PWE Excellence Award
The Agricultural Trust publishes the two leading publications on the island for the farming and equine industries, the Irish Farmers Journal and The Irish Field. Over the years many
research projects and scholarships have benefited our students and graduates with this PWE award. The award consists of a Certificate and a monetary prize.
Recipient: James Higgins - Dairy Business
Carbery Human Nutrition Work Placement Medal
Carbery Group sponsor an annual award to recognize a student in the Human Nutrition
Degree Programme. The award consists of a silver medal and is awarded to the undergraduate student with the highest overall grade in the Human Nutrition Professional Work Experience Module.
Recipient: Mia Faye Stone
Grant Thornton PWE Excellence Awards
Grant Thornton is Ireland's fastest growing professional services firm. They deliver solutions to all business challenges. By providing local knowledge, national expertise and
global presence to help businesses succeed. Grant Thornton sponsors two Professional
Work Experience awards. The award consists of a Certificate and a monetary prize.
Recipients: Macy Connellan (FAM), Cian Sinclair (Forestry)
Kepak PWE Excellence Awards
Kepak Group sponsors two Professional Work Experience awards in memory of their late
colleague, Jim O'Neill. Jim first started working in Kepak in the Company's I.T. Department,
and over the course of the next 17 years, he progressed to become the Head of I.T. The
award consists of a Certificate and a monetary prize.
Recipients: Tressan McCambridge (Food Science), Maria Halley (Animal Science)
Paul Mulhere Award
The award was established in memory of the late Mr Paul Mulhere, a member of staff in
the former UCD Faculty of Agriculture. The award is presented annually to the Stage Three
Animal and Crop Production student who achieves a Distinction grade in the Professional
Work Experience module and achieves the most outstanding performance while on PWE.
The award consists of a medal and a monetary prize.
Recipient: Keith O'Mahony
PWE Excellence Awards:
To recognise 9 outstanding students with a certificate of Excellence for Professional Work
Experience.
Recipients:Tom Larkin, Animal & Crop Production, Amy McGovern,Animal Science, Hairong Sun,Crop Science,Matthew Reynolds, Food Science, Christopher Feeney,HorticultureIsabel McDermott, Animal Science Equine, Mia Faye Stone, Human Nutrition, Sarah Lavery, Agri-Environmental Science, Ava Pierce, Food & Agribusiness Management, Darragh Scully, Agricultural Systems Technology.
FBD Trust Health and Safety Awards
The FBD Trust sponsor three monetary awards, to champion Health and Safety in
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition. The award is to the three best students based on a
combination of their mark attained in Health Welfare & Safety in Agriculture
and an interview. Students who receive this award agree to champion Health and
Safety for the following year until the next awards are granted. The award consists of a
Monetary prize.
Recipients: Kevin Swift (Animal Science), Lucina Ho (Agri-Environmental Sciences), Alison NicCraith (Human Nutrition
FBD Trust Health and Safety Certificates
To recognise five outstanding students with a certificate.
Recipients:Jie Ru Chai, Animal Science,Lily Nadir, Animal Science Equine, Rory Kavanagh, Animal Science,James Hickey, Animal Science, Kathryn Way, Food Science, James Corrigan, Forestry.
Other University Scholarships Based on Student Academic Performance in 2023/24 – For Noting
University Stage Scholarships
Bachelor of Agricultural Science - Stage 2 Scholarships
Greene Ronan- Agri-Environmental Sciences, Komorska Karolina - Animal Science - Equine
Bachelor of Agricultural Science - Stage 3 Scholarships
Lucina Ho - Agri-Environmental Sciences, Chai Jie Ru - Animal Science
Bachelor of Agricultural Science - Stage 4 Scholarships
Wolfgang Von Teichman and Tom Downey- Food & Agribusiness Management (joint recipients)
Christopher Damian Feeney – Horticulture
Emily Cassells, Cian Thomas O'Connor and Sam Evans – Animal & Crop Production (joint recipients)
Aine Molloy - Agri-Environmental Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Food Science - Stage 2 Scholarship
Elena Hendrick
Bachelor of Science in Food Science - Stage 3 Scholarship
Kathryn Way
Bachelor of Science in Food Science - Stage 4 Scholarship
Shauna Conaty
Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition - Stage 2 Scholarship
Chloe O'Halloran
Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition - Stage 3 Scholarship
Alison Nic Craith
Other University Scholarships
Ad Astra Elite Scholars
Vessel Yang,Food Science, Academic
Christopher Feeney, Horticulture, Academic
Mikayla Power, Human Nutrition, Elite Sport - Hockey
Andrew Sparrow, Ag. Science, Elite Sport - Rugby
Sports Scholars
Michael Walsh , Hurling, Animal Science
Ben Nyhan, Hurling, Dairy Business
Daire Cregg, Men's Football, Dairy Business
Ruben Moloney,Rugby, Food & Agribusiness Management
JamesDuggan, Hurling, Food & Agribusiness Management
JamesDunne, Rugby Food & Agribusiness Management
Malachy Stone, Men's Football, Food & Agribusiness Management
Matthew McGrath, Basketball [Men's], Food & Agribusiness Management
Global Excellence Scholars
Lexi Dixon, Human Nutrition
Maria Regina Gonzalez Zentella, Humanitarian Action
Adrian de Vos, Business Food Strategy
Lauren Drabenstott, MSc Sustainable Agriculture& Rural Development
Denisse Alejandra Vega Solis, Wildlife Conservation & Management