Welcome to the UCD College of Business Global Campus. To support your studies at UCD, we have a multi-faceted team trained to provide a quality student experience. Please find here the staff contacts for the different programmes offered through the UCD College of Business Global Campus.
Dr Orna O’Brien
Director
Orna joined UCD in 2002, after graduating with an MBS (Michael Smurfit Graduate School). In 2010, Orna completed her doctorate at University of Edinburgh in educational policy. She has also completed qualifications in University Teaching and Learning, Training and Continuing Education and Education Technology. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). Orna is module coordinator for undergraduate and postgraduate HRM and Research Methods modules in Ireland and overseas.
Dr Christina Burke
Programme Manager, Singapore Programmes
Christina is the Overseas Programme Manager for Singapore programmes in the Global Campus. Prior to this, she has held a number of positions in the university. She has previously been employed in various roles in the private sector including the insurance industry. Christina holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Degree in Economics & History and a Master’s Degree in Economic Science from University College Dublin. She holds her Doctorate in Education from the University of Glasgow and has completed qualifications in University Teaching and Learning.
Dr Kate Collins
Programme Manager and Learning Support Officer
Kate has been a programme manager in UCD Global Campus since 2016. She holds a BA from UCD, an MSc in Marketing and a PhD from Dublin Institute of Technology. In recent years she has pursued a Professional Diploma in University Teaching and Learning, along with a Professional Certificate in Creativity & Innovation for Education. Kate has also completed the AHEAD Start course and earned a Digital Badge in Universal Design for Teaching and Learning. Kate has taught a diverse array of modules at both undergraduate and master's levels. These encompass transferable skills, business research, and skills for higher education.
Michele Connolly
Overseas Programme Manager
Michele is the Oversea's Programme Manager for the Centre for Distance Learning. Previously, Michele worked in the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School UCD as both Programme Administrator and Manager. Prior to joining UCD, Michele worked as a Hotel, Conference & Banqueting Manager and holds a Higher Certificate in Hospitality Management from DIT Cathal Brugha Street. Michele holds a Bachelor of Business Studies Degree from UCD and a Master’s in Business Studies specialising in HRM.
Gerard Dooley
Programme Manager/Learning Support Officer, MSc Programmes
Gerard is the Programme Manager and Learning Support Officer for the Smurfit School’s PT MSc in Management (Online) programme. He holds a B.A in English and History from the University of Limerick, an M.A in Modern Irish History from UCD, and a Professional Diploma in Education from UCD. He joined UCD in 2012 and since 2015 he has held Assessment, Programme Management, and Admission roles in the Global Campus. He has managed the PT MSc in Management since 2020.
Sarah Kelly
Overseas Admissions Manager
Sarah is the Admissions Manager for all of the School’s overseas programmes. She has been in UCD since 2008 previously working as an Administrator in the Admissions Office, UCD Adult Education Centre, Veterinary Nursing, Medical Bureau of Road Safety in UCD, as well as previously working as the Programme Administrator for the Singapore programmes here in Global Campus. Sarah holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Economics & Politics from UCD. She also holds a Digital Badge in RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education.
Edna da Silva
Assessment and Accounts Administrator, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sri Lanka Programmes
Edna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Bilingual Executive Secretarial Studies from UNIESP (União das Instituições do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil), an MSc in Management from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, and a Professional Certificate in Financial Advice (APA) also from UCD. Edna has been working in UCD in a number of roles since 2010.
Priya Pillay
Asia Manager
Priya is our Asia Manager supporting student admissions in Singapore for UCD. She graduated from University College Dublin with (Hons.) Degree in Business Studies (Marketing). She is also an UCD alumna representative in Singapore and leader of the UCD Public Speaking Club. She has more than 12 years of hands-on experience in Customer Service where she handled second-level escalations and alleviated customers' concerns. She contributes to strengthening student engagement, partnership relationships, UCD brand awareness and to foster alumni engagement.
Local Faculty - Asia
UCD College of Business has a number of local faculty who are based full-time in Asia to support students. Please find their details below.
Dr Cubie Lau
Faculty Member, Singapore
Cubie is a full-time faculty member for University College Dublin (UCD) based in Singapore. She received her PhD from UCD, and undergraduate degree in Hong Kong and masters degrees from both the UK and Hong Kong. Prior to joining UCD in Singapore, Cubie held a one-year visiting position at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is a member of the Academy of Management and the Society for Business Ethics.
Dr Tiffany Thng
Assistant Professor of Finance
Prior to joining UCD Global Campus, Tiffany was a faculty member at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. She spent several years in the banking industry and graduated with a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Reading. With industry practice, she is keen on learning and developing research ideas in data science and corporate governance.
Dr Markus Vanharanta
Faculty, Hong Kong
Prior to joining UCD's Asian program, Markus held a faculty position at the University of Lancaster. He has been a Senior Fellow in the Foundation for Management Education, a Visiting Fellow in the City University of Hong Kong, and an ASDA-FME Post-Doctoral Fellow in the University of Lancaster. Born in Finland, Markus spent many of his formative years in Japan, Hong Kong, the USA and the UK. He also has extensive international lecturing experience in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Dr Susan Calderon Urbina
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Susan holds a PhD in Marketing from IE Business School at IE University, an MBA from Nanyang Business School, and an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Lima. Before joining UCD, Susan was a lecturer at IE University, the Catholic University of Peru, and the University of Lima, among others. Susan has practical experience as an entrepreneur and has also worked for different global media strategies for brands and products such as Movistar.
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