Ulysses Medal Recipients
The UCD Ulysses Medal is the highest honour that the university can bestow. It was inaugurated in 2005, as part of the university’s sesquicentennial celebrations, to highlight the ‘creative brilliance’ of UCD alumnus James Joyce. It is awarded to individuals whose work has made an outstanding global contribution.
| Date | Name of Recipient | Details of Recipient |
| 2024 | Professor Dennis Slamon | Professor Dennis Slamon, an American oncologist credited with saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of women worldwide by transforming the treatment of breast cancer, was awarded the UCD Ulysses Medal. UCD recognises that his pursuit of novel therapies for breast cancer for over 30 years have shaped the field of precision medicine and paved the way for other targeted therapies in oncology. The breast cancer drug Herceptin developed from his work is the first gene-based drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to fight cancer. It is now a cornerstone in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. Since then, hundreds of Irish women have taken part in clinical breast cancer trials led by Professor Slamon and the All-Ireland Cooperative Oncology Research group. |
| 2024 | Geoffrey Hinton | Professor Geoffrey Everest Hinton was awarded the Ulysses Medal in recognition of his contributions to the field of computer science, both in conceptual and engineering breakthroughs, that have made deep neural networks a critical component of computing. He spent decades understanding the human brain to draw inspiration to create better computer learning models. Now that these technologies are integrated into products and services we use every day, the moniker of Godfather of AI is not an exaggeration. He has recently been sharing his knowledge with a wider public audience than at any time during his busy career, raising awareness and concerns about how humanity will use and develop artificial intelligence. |
| 2022 | (opens in a new window)Paul Brady | Paul Brady is one of Ireland’s most celebrated and beloved musicians and was awarded the Ulysses Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to arts and culture. The Tyrone native was awarded the honour for his immense contribution and leadership in the performing and recording arts. His distinguished career has been characterised by an unrivalled ability to rediscover and reimagine great songs from the storehouse of tradition and to place them at the epicentre of Irish cultural life once more. |
| 2019 | Dr Michael Somers |
Dr Michael Somers is widely considered to be the most influential public servant of his generation, for his work in managing the public finances of Ireland through good times and bad, and especially for helping the country to navigate its way through the global financial crisis of the past decade. |
| 2019 | Frank Mc Guinness has combined a career in academia with a vocation as a writer. He joined UCD in 1997 as lecturer in English and creative writing. He has traversed topics as diverse as the life of Caravaggio, the Lebanese hostage crisis, Shakespeare in Ireland, the Gunpowder plot and the lives of Lizzie and Mary Burns, the Irish consorts of Engels and Marx in Manchester. He is known to most as a playwright and poet but he has also written film scripts, TV scripts, and libretti as well as a stage musical, Donegal. In recent years he has turned to fiction and written two novels and one collection of short stories. Song and adaptation are the enduring threads running through his body of work. |
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| 2019 | Dr Douglas R Lowy |
Dr Douglas R Lowy, whose research on the molecular biology of viruses led to the development of the HPV vaccine. Chief of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology and Deputy Director at the United States’ National Cancer Institute, his research was undertaken in collaboration with his colleague Dr John Schiller. |
| 2019 | Professor Elizabeth Loftus is the undisputed world leader in the field of false memory and eyewitness testimony. Her key research insights include the recognition that human memory is malleable and suggestible; that false memories of childhood events can be easily implanted; and that that leading questions can have a dramatic effect on the memory and testimony of eyewitnesses. Her work has revolutionised both academic investigations of memory and legal procedure for eyewitness testimony. |
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| 2019 | (opens in a new window)Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara | Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara are the founding directors of Grafton Architects. They boast an impressive list of awards and accolades, including the World Building of the Year award in 2008, RIBA International Award in 2016, and the RIAI Gold Medal in 2018. They have held distinguished academic positions, including the Kenzo Tange Chair at Harvard and the Louis Kahn Chair at Yale, as well as their role as curators of the 2018 Venice Biennale. |
| 2018 | Margaret Atwood is a Booker Prize winning Canadian novelist who received the award for her outstanding global contribution to literature. As a writer and poet, she has written more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays encompassing a variety of themes including the power of language, gender and identity, religion and myth, climate change, and power politics. | |
| 2017 | Professor Cass Sunstein is the most cited legal scholar in the United States. He worked for the Obama administration, as head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). In this role, he was responsible for overseeing his office’s cost-benefit analysis reviews of all regulations passed by the agencies of US government departments. His academic and teaching interests originated with constitutional law and rights and also include administrative law, welfare law, environmental law and jurisprudence. He has also been at the forefront of behavioural economics and behavioural law and economics. | |
| 2017 | Professor Samantha Power made a lasting contribution to human rights and international affairs as a war correspondent, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, human rights scholar, adviser to former US President Barack Obama and UN ambassador. In 2013, President Obama appointed her as US Ambassador to the United Nations, a position she held until the end of his presidency in early 2017. The former diplomat has been named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and one of Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers. | |
| 2017 | Onora O’Neill | Baroness Onora O’Neill dedicated her career to investigating trust and justice in public life. In 2017, she was named winner of the Holberg Prize, awarded by the Norwegian government to outstanding scholars in the arts and humanities, social science, law or theology. She came to the attention of the public when she delivered a five-lecture BBC series examining trust and accountability in government and institutions in a post-9/11 world. In 1999, she became a life peer in the House of Lords where she helped to shape the United Kingdom’s policy on stem cell research and human tissue use. She was chair of the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission from 2013 – 2016. She served as President of the British Academy from 2005 – 2009. She was Principal of Newnham College, University of Cambridge from 1992 – 2006 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2007. |
| 2016 | Jeffrey Sachs | Professor Jeffrey Sachs is widely considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on economic development, global macroeconomics, and the fight against poverty. His work on ending poverty, overcoming macroeconomic instability, promoting economic growth, fighting hunger and disease, and promoting sustainable environmental practices, has taken him to more than 125 countries with more than 90 percent of the world’s population. For over thirty years, Professor Sachs has advised dozens of heads of state and governments on economic strategy, in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He is Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Sustainable Development Goals, and previously advised both UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the Millennium Development Goals. |
| 2016 | Susan Haack | Professor Susan Haack is an ardent defender of the ability of science to advance the pursuit of human knowledge and inquiry. She received the Ulysses medal in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the arts, in particular, philosophy and law. She is Distinguished Professor in the Humanities, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts and Sciences, Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Law at the University of Miami. Her scholarship focuses on the philosophy of logic and language, epistemology – theory of knowledge – philosophy of science, philosophy of law, feminism and philosophy of literature. Among her seven published books is her 1998 collection of writings, ‘Manifesto of A Passionate Moderate’. In the essays, Haack rails against the ‘New Cynics’ – including radical feminists and multiculturalists – who disputed the idea of scientific knowledge as worthy of pursuit. |
| 2016 | Leroy Hood | Dr Leroy Hood is a visionary scientist who has been the cornerstone of many key technological transformations in the area of modern molecular biology. He has been a seminal force in modern biological investigation, in particular his key role in the Human Genome Project and in his efforts since then to reap the fruits of this knowledge for clinical and commercial utility. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential and impactful biomedical scientists of our time. He studied biology at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) before going on to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where he was awarded an MD in 1964. He then returned to his alma mater to complete a PhD in Biochemistry focusing on the structure, genetics, and evolution of immunoglobulins. Dr Hood was involved in the development of five instruments critical for contemporary biology—automated DNA sequencers, DNA synthesisers, protein sequencers, peptide synthesizers, and an inkjet printer for constructing DNA arrays. |
| 2016 | Axel Honneth | Professor Axel Honneth was awarded the Ulysses Medal for his lifetime contribution to social philosophy and critical theory. He was instrumental in developing research programmes dealing with the effects of capitalist modernisation, social relations and struggles for social recognition. He is unique in his ability to engage with a diverse range of traditions and disciplines and for his willingness to enter into productive dialogue with a range of thinkers. Professor Honneth is director of the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, the institutional home of the Frankfurt School. The Frankfurt School was formed as an alternative to the dominant capitalist versus socialist debate in the 1920s. He has played a key role in advancing the philosophy of the School, particularly with his idea that social conflict is caused by a lack of recognition. |
| 2016 | Thomas Kilroy | Thomas Kilroy began the first of a series of associations with UCD in 1953 when, on a university scholarship, he did a BA in English. He then took a Higher Diploma in Education and worked as a schoolteacher and ultimately headmaster in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He had an important influence as a university teacher of dramatic literature, first as lecturer in the Department of English at UCD from 1965 to 1973 and later as Professor of Modern English at NUI Galway from 1979 until 1989. For fifty years, he has been at the forefront of Irish drama, producing a succession of profound and memorable works which have developed, extended and deepened the nature of the contemporary stage. |
| 2015 | Arlie R Hochschild | Prof Hochschild has produced an influential body of work exploring the ways in which humans manage emotions in their personal lives as well as in the workforce, an area she calls ‘emotional labour’. Her work in this area has been mentioned in over half a million publications and cited in more than 10,000 academic papers. |
| 2015 | Diana H Wall | A passionate soil ecologist and environmental scientist, the American academic has devoted her research career to raising awareness of the importance of soil biology. She is actively engaged in research exploring how soil biodiversity contributes to healthy, productive soils and thus benefits society, as well as the consequences of human activities on soil sustainability. |
| 27 March 2014 | Mr Justice Albie Sachs | Mr Justice Sachs’s contribution to the transition to a peaceful and multiracial South Africa was unique. He took part in the drafting of the new South African Constitution, in setting out the terms of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and served as first judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. |
| 16 June 2014 | Mary McAleese was the eighth President of Ireland, holding office for two terms. The theme of her presidency, ‘Building Bridges’, culminated in 2011 when she became the first Irish head of state to host a visit by a reigning British monarch to the Republic of Ireland. |
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| 12 December 2014 | Professor Buchwald is one of the most influential and frequently-cited organic chemists in the world. His pioneering research revolves around the theme of organic synthesis, but includes elements of physical organic chemistry and organometallic chemistry. | |
| 14th October 2013 | A member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, Professor Trost is the Tamaki Professor of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University. He is one of the most highly cited chemists in the world, with over 63,000 citations of his 966 publications. | |
| 11th September 2013 | Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly | Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine at the University of Cambridge and Honorary Consultant Physician at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Professor O’Rahilly’s research has made an outstanding contribution to the understanding of the genetic causes of diabetes and endocrine obesity |
| 15th June 2013 | Tom Murphy | Renowned 20th century Irish playwright, theatre director, novelist and screenwriter for RTE, Thames Television, and the BBC. He is a member of Aosdána, a patron of the Irish Theatre Institute and holds several honorary degrees. |
| 02nd April 2013 | Professor Noam Chomsky | One of the world’s leading intellectuals and political activists. Professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he is credited with the creation of the theory of generative grammar, often considered the most significant contribution to the field of theoretical linguistics of the 20th century. |
| 28th November 2012 | Kevin Roche | Ireland’s most famous architect, UCD graduate Kevin Roche who is globally recognised as a leader in his field, was presented with the Ulysses Medal on the centenary of the foundation of the UCD School of Architecture. |
| 18th September 2012 | Dr Denis Selkoe | Medical doctor and Vincent and Stella Coates Professor of Neurologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School, Denis Selkoe is a world-renowned researcher working to advance the understanding of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases |
| 16th June 2012 | Dr Tony Scott | Physics researcher specialising in atmospheric pollution and the structure of human corneas, gifted teacher and founder of the Young Scientist Exhibition which has grown over the years from 230 participants and 5,000 visitors to over 1,600 entries attracting over 37,000 visitors. |
| 22nd September 2011 |
Professor Peter Doherty | Professor Doherty won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1996 (with co-recipient Professor Rolf Zinkernagel) for his groundbreaking research into the role of T Cells in the body’s immune system. |
| 16th June 2011 | Seamus Heaney | “While elsewhere the role of the public intellectual is the preserve of the philosopher, in Ireland it is the poet who stakes that claim; challenging us through his and her interpretation of what is commonplace in our lives, stretching our imaginations, questioning our values and presenting us – through their words – with a view of the world that shakes us out of our complacency.” |
| 30th September 2010 | Bill Clinton | 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, was presented with the Ulysses Medal by the President of University College Dublin, Dr Hugh Brady, in recognition for his ongoing commitment and contribution to the peace and prosperity of this island and to the elimination of poverty, disease and suffering worldwide. |
| 16th June 2010 | Professor Jürgen Habermas | Regarded as the single most influential philosopher and social theorist in the world today, Habermas’s extensive work spans a wide range of disciplines, engaging with questions of central concern to philosophers, social and political theorists, legal theorists, psychologist, educationalist and historians. |
| 21 September 2009 | Professor Eric R Kandel | Nobel prize-winning scientist who is recognised for his outstanding contribution to Neurobiology and the mechanism of memory formation. |
| 15 October 2009 | Professor James Smith | US health economist Professor Smith received the award in recognition of his global contribution to the study and understanding of health economics. |
| 16 June 2009 | Brian Friel | Widely recognised as Ireland’s greatest living playwright, Friel’s works include: Philadelphia, Here I Come (1964), Aristocrats (1979), Translations (1980) and Dancing at Lughnasa (1990). |
| 15 June 2009 | Professor Richard A Lerner | The world’s leading chemist working on the immune system, his discovery of combinatorial antibody libraries has revolutionised immunochemistry. |
| 14 May 2009 | Professor Richard Ernst | Professor Ernst received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1991) for his methodological developments within nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. As a result of his scientific developments, which enabled a dramatic increase in both the sensitivity and the resolution of the instruments, NMR spectroscopy has possibly become the most important instrumental measuring technique in chemistry. |
| 24 April 2009 | Dr Michael Smurfit | UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School Business School, the graduate arm of the UCD Business Schools, was established in 1991 as a result of a substantial contribution from Dr Michael Smurfit. |
| 24 April 2009 | Lochlann Quinn | The new building of the UCD Quinn School of Business, the undergraduate arm of the UCD Business Schools, was opened in 2002, following a substantial contribution from Lochlann Quinn and his wife Brenda. |
| 16 March 2009 | John L. Hennessey | Stanford University’s 10th President, John L Hennessey in recognition of his outstanding global contribution to academic research, innovation and university education |
| 16 June 2008 | Thomas Kinsella | Poet - in recognition of his works, which reverberate with what the poet calls ‘established personal places’, the city of Dublin being at the heart of his work. |
| 23 May 2008 | Professor Shuh Narumiya | Professor of Cell Biology - in recognition of his scientific research and discoveries in the area of cell biology |
| 23 November 2007 | Dermot Desmond | In recognition of his outstanding contribution to business innovation and enterprise in Ireland |
| 17 September 2007 | Professor Ferid Murad | Nobel Prize winning scientist - in recognition of his discovery of the use of nitric oxide in drug development and disease therapy |
| 13 July 2007 | Professor Robert H. Grubbs | US Nobel Laureate - in recognition of his ground-breaking work in organic chemistry. |
| 5 March 2007 | Professor Hilary Putnam | US Philosopher - in recognition of his outstanding lifetime contributions to the world of philosophy |
| 15 June 2006 | Edna O'Brien | Novelist - in recognition of her contribution to Irish literature over five decades. She has written plays, children's books, essays, screenplays and non-fiction works about Ireland |
| 7 June 2006 | Professor James Heckman | University of Chicago, winner of a Nobel prize for economics (2000). Presented with Ulysses Medal for his contribution to research in economics and human behaviour |
| 13 May 2006 | Professor Klaus Schwab | Founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum - in recognition of his work for entrepreneurship in the global public interest over the past 35 years. |
| 10 March 2005 | Dr Phillip Sharp (MIT) | Nobel Prize winner for his discovery that an individual gene does not have to be a single, continuous stretch of DNA, but instead can be made up of several DNA segments. Inaugural Ulysses Medal for his outstanding contribution to biomolecular discovery and to advances in medical treatment of diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, hepatitis and cancer. |