Ad Astra Academy welcomes 60 new student scholars
17 February 2025
Sixty new scholars have been accepted into the UCD Ad Astra Academy, the flagship scholarship programme at University College Dublin for exceptional students.
At a ceremony welcoming the new scholars, where each were formally awarded their scholarships, UCD academic mentors, heads of schools and college principals celebrated their admission into the Academy - whose membership for 2024/2025 now stands at 186.
This year there were 33 Academic Scholarships, 18 of which were awarded to students based on exceptional academic performances in their first year at UCD, 22 Elite Sports Scholarships, and 5 Performing Arts Scholarships.
Ad Astra Academy Director and Dean of Graduate Studies(opens in a new window)Professor Barbara Dooley welcomed the new scholars, saying that the Academy is “an environment where students with exceptional ability, creativity and drive are motivated, challenged and inspired".
"[It] is an expression of the mission of UCD as a whole; to provide a supportive community in which every member of the University is enabled to achieve their full potential.
“The Academy nurtures exceptional students by offering them unique supports and opportunities to further develop their talents,” she continued.
“Our scholars benefit from a scholarship, mentoring and discipline specific supports, as well as personal and professional development opportunities.”
Highlighting the achievements of past and current Ad Astra scholars, Professor Dooley noted many had distinguish themselves both during and after their time at UCD, and that a great deal had pursued further studies at world’s top ten universities including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, University of Oxford, and Imperial College London.
In recent years several Fulbright Irish Student awardees were Ad Astra scholars, and where now undertaking opportunities across a number of other top universities.
Some scholars, she said, have taken on leadership roles in global companies such as Google, Amazon, Salesforce, Goldman Sachs, MSD Ireland, Permira and JP Morgan, whilst others have gone on to set up their own companies including Fresh Graze, exVal and SQUID.
"Our Ad Astra Elite Sports programme too continues to excel on the national and global stages, with several current and former scholars representing Ireland at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."
Among those highlighted were Paris gold medallist Paul O’Donovan, the first ever Irish Olympian to win medals at three different Games, Athletics Ireland Field Athlete of the Year Nicola Tuthill, a rising star in Irish field events whose stellar season in 2024 culminated in her Olympic debut in the hammer which saw the 20-year-old narrowly miss out on a bronze finish, and U21 World Sailing Champion Eve McMahon, named Irish Sailor of the Year and UCD’s ‘Sportspersons of the Year' for her phenomenal success in capturing four world championships so far in her career.
"In rugby, current student Gus McCarthy made his international debut during the 2024 November series... [and] joins fellow scholar Jack Boyle and alumni Garry Ringrose, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, and Andrew Porter, in Simon Easterby’s squad for the 2025 Six Nations, as Ireland looks to build on their successes from 2023 and 2024," Professor Dooley added.
Elsewhere Performing Arts scholars and alumni continue to be seen on the stage and screen including Caitriona Ennis, who recently filmed Richard Linklater’s feature Blue Moon alongside Ethan Hawke. There were performances developed for the National Gallery of Ireland, Smock Alley Theatre, the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and the Dublin Fringe Festival.
Founded in 2011, the UCD Ad Astra Academy is supported by alumni and friends of University College Dublin through donations to the UCD Foundation.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
