UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
HONORARY CONFERRING
Tuesday, 16 June 2015 at 11.30 a.m.
TEXT OF THE INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PROFESSOR PAT GUIRY on 16 June 2015, on the occasion of the conferring of the Degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa on DERVILLA DONNELLY
President, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Professor Dervilla Donnelly is one of the most respected and influential alumni of this great University as she has had a truly extraordinary career combining contributions in teaching and research with leadership in science policy and a range of public service contributions. It is a great pleasure to honour her today with a Doctorate in Science from her alma mater.
Dervilla was born in Dublin and attended the Sacred Heart Convent School, a school which had an emphasis on languages, not science, as evidenced by the lack of a chemistry laboratory. With a career in pharmacy in mind during her Leaving Certificate year, this posed a problem which was solved by Dervilla studying Chemistry privately before matriculating. She was an outstanding undergraduate student, graduating with a First Class Honours degree and then remained at UCD for her PhD in flavonoid chemistry with Professor Tom Wheeler. Following postdoctoral studies at UCLA with Professor Ted Geissman, she returned to UCD as a Lecturer in Chemistry.
Dervilla rapidly gained international renown in her field of phytochemistry, the study of chemicals with biological activity derived from plants. Wood chemistry was a particular interest, and she applied her research to a variety of problems encountered within the Irish forestry industry. Her research employed a combination of organic synthesis, structural studies, mycology and ecology and it provided an excellent training for students interested in pursuing careers in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, or academia.
She was a leader in promoting the benefits of collaborating across disciplines and countries and, from stays as a visiting scientist in Stockholm and Gif-sur-Yvette in France on numerous occasions, she developed and managed one of the first academic research networks in Europe in the 70's (a long way from Horizon 2020!) and then extended her impressive collaborative network to include the USA, South Africa and South America. Her group research, including such collaborations, led to over 150 research publications and insightful review articles and the graduation of 85 PhD students. Of equal impact were her research results which had significant implications for the work of the forestry industry in Ireland and abroad. She was elected a Member of the Royal Irish Academy in 1968 and appointed Professor of Phytochemistry in 1979. In recognition of her research she holds honorary doctorates from the University of Nottingham, The Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin and the National University of Ireland.
Dervilla’s skills and her commitment to European research were recognised by her election as Chairman of the European Science Research Councils in 1985, Vice-President and Member of the Executive Council of the European Science Foundation 1990-1997 and Vice-President and Member of the European Science and Technology Assembly in 1994. A selection of her other international appointments through the 80s and 90s included her role as President of the Phytochemical Society of Europe 1982-84, Vice-President of the Society of Chemical Industry in the UK and a member of Council of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 2000 she was appointed to the Austrian Council for Science and Technology, a position she held for 10 years.
Her leadership experience and ability to chair boards and committees, work well with people, to clearly identify both the problem and the solution were also recognised by the Irish Government and a range of public and private bodies in Ireland.
She has had a long and fruitful association with the Royal Dublin Society and was its first woman President from 1989-1992. Many important decisions were taken during this period to enable it to flourish and she continues to play important roles there as she is a member of the committee, an Honorary member of its Council and Chairman of the RDS-Irish Times Boyle Medal National Committee, a medal she helped to revive.
Dervilla was President of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland (1994-1996); Governor of the Irish Times Trust and Director of the Irish Times Limited (1992-2002). In a seamless transition from chemistry and science policy, Dervilla moved into property development when she was appointed by the Taoiseach as Chairman of the Custom House Docks Development Authority from 1991 to 1997. This proved highly successful, returning over €400 million per annum to the exchequer.
She was appointed by the Minister for Education to chair the National Education Convention in 1994 and the Forum on Early Childhood Education in 1998. In 1995 the President of Ireland, on the nomination of the Taoiseach, appointed her as Chair of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and she played a key role in revitalising and regenerating this important body over a 5 year period. She was a Member of the Science and Technology Innovation Council (2001) and Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland (2001-2002). She was the Chairman and Director of the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction between 2000-2005 at the request of the Minister for Health.
Dervilla has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours as recognition for her outstanding work and contributions. These include the Boyle-Higgins Medal of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland in 1999, the UCD Charter Day medal in 2000, for her many contributions to the country and to the university and she was honoured by a Fellowship of the Hibernian Academy in 1994. In 2010, she was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class for ‘superior creative and commendable services in the areas of the sciences or the arts’. In 2011 she was the recipient of the Inaugural Life Achievement Award of Women in Technology and Science.
Ever active, her current appointments include Chairman of the Foundation Board, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and a member of its Audit committee; Board Member of the National Museum of Ireland and Chairman of its Audit committee and Board Member of the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and horse racing and is a regular race-goer at Leopardstown and Punchestown with her sister, Kyra.
Dervilla has inspired generations of UCD science students through the clarity of her lectures to being such a superb role model, in particular for female scientists. She also inspired second level students across Ireland through her role as a judge from the very first year of the Aer Lingus Young Scientist Exhibition in 1964, a role she continued for 40 years. On a personal note, having been one of her 85 PhD students, I know I speak for all her research family when I say that we are thankful for her support, career advice and kindness. Above all she instilled in us a high standard of scientific rigour and integrity that remains with us throughout our careers.
It is indeed a very happy occasion today for University College Dublin to recognise the extraordinary contributions of Dervilla Donnelly by conferring upon her the Degree of Doctor of Science.
_____________________________________________________________________
Praehonorabilis Praeses, totaque Universitas,
Praesento vobis hanc meam filiam, quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina habilem et idoneam esse quae admittatur, honoris causa, ad Gradum Doctoratus Scientiae; idque tibi fide mea testor ac spondeo, totique Academiae.