Professor Sarah Gleeson named new iCRAG Director
5 March 2025
Professor Sarah Gleeson is the new Director of (opens in a new window)iCRAG – the Research Ireland Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences at University College Dublin.
In her new role, Professor Gleeson will oversee the Centre’s efforts across ten different institutions and 150 researchers to create innovative and sustainable solutions to decarbonisation, protecting groundwater and marine resources, and safeguarding against natural hazards such as floods and landslides.
As iCRAG Director, she succeeds outgoing director (opens in a new window)Professor Murray Hitzman, who is the new Chair of UNESCO’s International Geoscience Programme Council.
The appointment comes alongside the announcement that Professor Gleeson will also lead a new €4.5 million research programme at the UCD School of Earth Sciences as a Research Ireland Professor.
This project, which will employ 13 researchers over the five years, will seek to identify new sources of the raw materials needed to enable green and digital transitions.
It will also compile openly available geological, geochemical, geophysical, and remote sensing data from selected areas across Ireland, and elsewhere, so that it can be utilised by sectors beyond mineral exploration including agriculture and environmental health.
“I am delighted to join the UCD School of Earth Sciences as Full Professor of Sustainability Geoscience,” said Professor Gleeson.
“Having worked in the UK, Canada and Germany, it is particularly gratifying to return to Ireland. I aim to contribute to the School's long-standing tradition of collaborative research fostered by its outstanding staff and training the next generation of geoscientists.
“Through my Directorship of iCRAG, I look forward to building on the excellent work led by Professor Murray Hitzman and his team in advancing applied geosciences as a vital research area of national significance,” she continued.
The Research Ireland Professorship Programme is designed to attract leading researchers to Ireland to help build its expertise and reputation in critical areas.
Professor Gleeson’s expertise and experience in metal resources research and collaborations with government and industry partners will have a significant impact on the Irish geosciences sector, said Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland.
“New exploration tools are vital for assisting in the mining of critical metals for use in renewable energy systems, such as electric vehicles. Professor Gleeson’s work in developing new techniques to find mineral deposits will ensure that Ireland remains a global leader in minerals research.”
Professor Gleeson most recently held the position of leader of the Inorganic and Isotope Geochemistry Section at GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam and, concurrently, a Professorship in the Institute of Geological Sciences at Freie Universität, Berlin.
Her research expertise focusses on the genesis of sedimentary rock-hosted mineral deposits, Ni-Co laterite ore deposits, aqueous fluid processes, and water/rock interactions in crustal environments.
Welcoming Professor Gleeson to UCD, Professor Kate Robson Brown, Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact at University College Dublin said “her leadership will advance UCD’s and Ireland’s position as a global hub for minerals research”.
“Her Research Ireland-funded programme will also foster the development of a skilled new generation of researchers to tackle our decarbonisation challenges.”
Head of the UCD School of Earth Sciences, (opens in a new window)Professor Peter Haughton added: “As Full Professor in Sustainability Geoscience in the UCD School of Earth Sciences… Professor Gleeson’s appointment will further strengthen our research and teaching at the intersection between geoscience and sustainability.
“Furthermore, I would like to thank outgoing iCRAG Director Professor Murray Hitzman for his superb leadership of iCRAG since 2018. During this time, the Centre has undergone transformative change and delivered strong scientific research and industry collaboration, and will continue to deliver impact under Professor Gleeson’s leadership.”
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
