UCD Earth Institute announces inaugural Climate Fellows
The UCD Earth Institute is delighted to announce the launch of our inaugural Climate Fellows initiative, welcoming thirteen exceptional academics and early-career researchers to the programme. This dynamic interdisciplinary fellowship programme aims to support the wider dissemination of climate research and the career development of leading-edge climate academics and researchers, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the societal impact of climate research.
The Fellows are drawn from ten UCD schools and five of the university's six constituent colleges, representing an impressive breadth of expertise across and between disciplines. From climate science and environmental policy to economics, social justice, and civil engineering, the Fellows will drive innovative research and engagement that creates new opportunities for academic and societal impact.
The thirteen new Climate Fellows are:
- Dr Saule Akhmetkaliyeva (School of Biology and Environmental Science)
- Dr Graham Benham (School of Mathematics and Statistics)
- Dr Tomas Buitendijk (Quinn School of Business)
- Dr Grace Cott (School of Biology and Environmental Science)
- Dr Shauna Creane (School of Civil Engineering)
- Dr Soumyabrata Dev (School of Computer Science)
- Dr Orla Kelly (School of Social Policy, Social Work, Social Justice)
- Assoc. Prof. Oliver Kinnane (School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy)
- Dr Ronan McDermott (School of Agriculture and Food Science)
- Dr Shane McGuinness (Schools of Geography and Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy)
- Lorcan McLaren (School of Politics and International Relations)
- Dr Fiachra O'Loughlin (School of Civil Engineering)
- Dr Fabiola Schneider (Quinn School of Business)
The Climate Fellows programme offers structured support including stipends, expert advice, and networking opportunities, aimed at fostering new avenues for societal and academic impact. Fellows will also participate in public engagement initiatives, policy events, and collaborate across disciplines to ensure that their work contributes meaningfully to efforts about climate, sustainability and environment work and research.
Professor Eoin O’Neill, Director of the UCD Earth Institute said, “We are very pleased to welcome such a talented and diverse group of academics and researchers into the first cohort of UCD Climate Fellows. The climate crisis demands urgent, innovative, and cross-disciplinary approaches. With this new and exciting programme, we are creating a platform for UCD researchers from various fields to come together and create tangible impacts through their research. The diversity of backgrounds and perspectives within this group is one of the greatest strengths of the programme and we are excited to see the new collaborations and solutions that will emerge.”
The 2024 UCD Climate Fellows were officially announced at the launch of the Climate Change Advisory Council’s (CCAC) Annual Report on Wednesday 23 October 2024. Announcing the Fellows, Marie Donnelly, chair of the CCAC said:
The first recipients of UCD Climate Fellowships reflect the breadth of academic disciplines and research approaches that are contributing to our understanding of the climate crisis. I congratulate the new Fellows and UCD on the launch of this new interdisciplinary climate programme and look forward to seeing the work of the fellows help shape our policies and approaches for tackling the climate crisis in the coming years.
Further information
For more information on the UCD Climate Fellows Programme, please visit www.ucd.ie/climatefellows or contact us at earth.institute@ucd.ie.
