UCD scholarship recognised as top academics elected to Royal Irish Academy
Posted 28 May, 2024
The (opens in a new window)Royal Irish Academy has welcomed five professors from University College Dublin to sign its members book, the highest academic honour in Ireland.
The cohort were among 28 new RIA members elected to the Academy in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the sciences, humanities, and social sciences, as well as to public service.
The UCD professors newly elected to the RIA on Friday, 24th May 2024 were:
• (opens in a new window)Professor David Brayden, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine
• (opens in a new window)Emeritus Professor Patrick Clancy, UCD School of Sociology
• (opens in a new window)Professor Niall English, UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering
• (opens in a new window)Professor Porscha Fermanis, UCD School of English, Drama and Film
• (opens in a new window)Professor Graeme Warren, UCD School of Archaeology
Also invited to sign the RAI’s members book was distinguished UCD Physics graduate and Emeritus Senior Lecturer at the UCD School of Physics, Dr. John A (Tony) Scott.
Welcoming the newest entries for 2024, RIA President (opens in a new window)Professor Pat Guiry said Ireland should be immensely proud of “these 28 women and men who have been elected by their peers and have brought international acclaim to our country through their distinct areas of research”.
“As Members of the Royal Irish Academy they will support and strengthen our capacity to achieve our strategic goals and objectives as we look to the launch of our Strategic Plan 2024-2028 in the coming weeks.”
The RIA has been honouring Ireland’s leading contributors to the world of learning since its inception in 1785.
Membership is drawn from the whole island of Ireland, and admittance to the Academy is regarded as among the highest academic distinction.
Those elected are entitled to use the designation ‘MRIA’ after their name after they have subscribed to the Member’s Declaration of Obligations and sign the Roll Book of Members.
Begun with 88 members; the Academy now has 681, of whom 98 are Honorary Members, almost equally divided between the sciences and the humanities.
Notable current members include Nobel Laureates William C. Campbell, Peter Agre, Paul Nurse and John O'Keefe; Frances Ruane, economist; Philip Lane, European Central Bank; Fabiola Gianotti, Director General CERN; Brigid Laffan, Irish political scientist; and Geraldine Byrne-Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America.
Past Members have included Nobel laureates: WB Yeats, Ernest Walton, Max Planck, Erwin Schrödinger and Seamus Heaney.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
