Alumni Spotlight - Tomás and Julie O’Leary As RTE’s 'Dancing with the Stars' comes to an end we chat to one of its earlier contestants, former rugby international Tomás O’Leary and his wife, Julie. Love blossomed for the couple while they were both students at UCC and the stylish pair are now partners in the premium watch brand, TOLD & Co, which offers luxury watches at attainable prices (www.toldandco.com). They also manage to find time for another business interest, Redzone Recruitment, a UK based Recruitment Company specialising in the energies sector. We talk to Tomás and Julie about their memories of UCC! Course/Subjects studied at University College Cork: Julie: Tomás studied a BA in English & Geography. I studied a BSc in General Nursing in 2003. I subsequently completed a conversion course in Management and Marketing in 2007. As soon as I began the course, I knew it was the right choice for me. Tomás was offered a professional contract with Munster rugby while studying for his degree and was grateful for the support he gained from lecturers to be able to juggle both. Best memory of UCC: Julie: Friday night barbeques down in the 'Western Star' in April/May! Tomás: The nursing ball where I made a fantastic impression on all of Julie’s friends!! How has your time at UCC helped you to get to where you are now? Julie: My time at UCC has been invaluable to me. I met many of my closest friends there and it is where our courtship began! I have so many happy memories there. My experience in UCC gave me the first taste of setting up our own business. One of my favourite subjects was Small Business Ventures, it's a fantastic practical course as you have to put a business plan together and pitch it in a Dragon's Den style interview, it was great! We lived in France last year, while Tomas played rugby with Montpellier, so we are looking into doing a part-time course in French in UCC and try to keep up the language! We are lucky to have UCC on our doorstep and plan to continue taking advantage of the great courses that are on offer. Tomás is looking at the new IMI courses to help with the businesses. Tomás: UCC has also helped build an invaluable network of friends & associates which will help in all aspects of business, sport & social life. What is your advice to current UCC students? Julie: My advice to current students would be if you aren't happy in your current course, work hard and try your best to finish it. At least once you have your degree you can always go back and do a post-graduate course into something that you are really interested in but in the current competitive landscape you need to have a foundation to work off. At the same time, savour every minute of your UCC experience, it goes by way too quickly. Make the most of the opportunity and push your boundaries. Take part in activities, go on J1 visas, travel and make the most out of your college experience. Tomás: Enjoy the college experience. Join a society or a club and try and get some real life work experience. It will help you stand out from the crowd and also give you some extra pocket money to enjoy life. What person/people at UCC had the most positive influence on you? Julie: Laurence Dooley was fantastic and had such a positive influence on my career. Tomás: My English lecturer Andrew King inspired me to enjoy my Elizabethan drama & also helped me develop a deep appreciation for Frank Sinatra’s music......long story. Were you involved in any Clubs or Societies? Julie: I was Class Rep for Masters and Management Course. I tried out the tennis club and the trampolining club along the way! Tomás: I was playing rugby full time with Munster while combining my study so I was unable to commit to any club or society. This was the part of the UCC experience I missed but the sacrifice was worthwhile! Favourite UCC legend or superstition Julie: Don't walk on the UCC crest by the West Wing. Tomás walked on it loads! Remember, you automatically become a lifelong member of the UCC Alumni Association when you leave UCC. Keep in touch! Register for events and update your details at https://community.ucc.ie/

Free Lunchtime Concert - Friday, 23 March 2018 1.10 pm, Aula Maxima, UCC The Bugallo- Williams Piano Duo 21st-century works for solo piano and piano duet The Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo Microludes for György Kurtág and works for two and four hands by Amy Williams, Rebecca Saunders and Joseph Michaels. Hailed as “beyond brilliant” (San Francisco Classical Voice) and “simply stunning” (Gramophone), the Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo has been presenting innovative programs of contemporary music around the world since 1995. Helena Bugallo and Amy Williams perform cutting-edge new works and masterpieces of the 20th century for piano four-hands and two pianos. They have premiered dozens of works, many of which were written for the Duo, and they have worked directly with such renowned composers as David Lang, Louis Andriessen, Lukas Foss, Tania León, Bernard Rands, Carola Bauckholt, Peter Eötvös, and Steve Reich. They also collaborate with composers who explore new approaches to the piano through multimedia applications, electronics, and extended techniques. They frequently perform with additional players in works for multiple keyboards, chamber works for duo piano and instruments, and concertos. In addition to the Duo, Amy is a composer, festival organizer and professor of composition/theory at the University of Pittsburgh.She is a Fulbright Scholar at the Department of Music UCC, 2017/2018. Helena is a piano teacher at the Musik Akademie Basel and a musicologist primarily researching the music of Conlon Nancarrow.

Just the book you need to feel knowledgeable on your seaside walks - a guide to the plants and animals found on Ireland’s shores by Lucy Taylor and Emma Nickelsen, both 2016 graduates on the MSc in Marine Biology. The book, ‘Ireland’s Seashores – A Field Guide’ is in bookshops now and online at https://www.collinspress.ie/irelands-seashore.html.

Alumni Spotlight - Conor Lyden, Trustap An app designed to take the fear out of buying online from strangers has garnered much success for its creator, Conor Lyden. His company Trustap, has been selected for the prestigious Touchdown Austin accelerator programme in Texas and Conor will also compete in the finals of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur Awards. He talks to us about his college days and how IGNITE UCC helped make his start-up dreams a reality! Course/subjects studied in University College Cork BE Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering. I graduated in 2016 and then took part in the UCC IGNITE programme. Best memory of UCC I have so many brilliant memories from UCC. I would probably say that my best memories came from the extra-curricular activities I did during my four years there. I loved taking part in events like the Comm Cup and the Engineering Cup. Fresher's week and R&G week were always events I would look forward to during the year too because of all the great activities that were happening. I actually really enjoyed some of the group projects we were given too, especially in Final Year where they were a lot more practical. What is your advice to current UCC students? I would say, don't be afraid to do what you want to do with your career. I didn't know what I wanted to do when I got to college and still didn't really know four years later. I've seen people just pick a degree and go for it, even if they realised halfway through that they didn't really like it or it wasn't for them. There are always options available to you if you want to take a different route and the Careers department in UCC are there to help too. What person/people at UCC had the most positive influence on you? So many people in UCC influenced me positively throughout my time there. It's difficult to choose between my friends, my classmates, my team mates and all the lecturers, but if I had to pick one, I would say Eamon Curtin who is the director of the IGNITE Program, based in the Western Gateway. He helps create a great environment for starting a business and without that I definitely wouldn't be where I am today. Were you involved in any Clubs or Societies? I was involved more on the Clubs side of things, than the Societies. I was a member of the Sailing Team for four years and had a great time representing the College at all the events up and down the country. I dabbled in a couple of other sports too over the years and used to spend a lot of time in the Mardyke and even used to attempt to play squash the odd time too! Favourite UCC legend or superstition I know there were a couple of different superstitions doing the rounds. I'm not that superstitious usually but I would never dare stand on the crest by the Aula Maxima or stand on the quad until I graduated for fear of failing exams. I think most people steer clear of that one! Remember, you automatically become a lifelong member of the UCC Alumni Association when you leave UCC. Keep in touch! Register for events and update your details at https://community.ucc.ie/

Wishing UCC alumni and friends around the world a very happy St. Patrick's Day!

Alumni Achievement Awards 2018 - Nominations now open! Know of a distinguished UCC graduate who has achieved excellence in their field? Why not nominate them for an Alumni Achievement Award! See the following link for more information: https://www.ucc.ie/en/alumni/events/awards/

Alumni Spotlight - Claire Ivers, Human Rights Advocate Claire Ivers worked for Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Brussels for over a decade where she was responsible for the organisation’s advocacy work with the EU and its institutions. During this time, she also co-chaired the influential Human Rights and Democracy Network, a coalition of over 50 human rights and democracy organisations. Claire left HRW late last year and set up a human rights consultancy practice that provides advisory and capacity building services to national and international human rights organisations. Amongst other projects, she is currently leading a project at the EU level for Anti-Slavery International focusing on forced and child labour in global value chains. She talks to us about her time at UCC. • Course/subjects studied in University College Cork Bachelor degree in Law and French (BCLF) at UCC School of Law. In my third year, I had the opportunity to study law at Robert Schuman University in Strasbourg and also interned for an Irish member of the European Parliament. • Best memory of UCC This is a difficult question as there are so many great memories to choose from. One year I was chosen to represent UCC at the Model United Nations in Oxford which was an excellent learning experience for me. Besides receiving a great education, I had the opportunity to get to know people from across Ireland and further afield. Law balls and dinners were definitely a highlight as was hanging out with friends in the old bar and the ‘Mini’ restaurant. My wonderful grandmother would also travel up to Cork city to meet me once a week for lunch. I miss those days! • How has your time at UCC helped you to get to where you are now? In my final year, I had the opportunity to study human rights law and something just clicked. I knew that this was a field that I wanted to work in so after graduating from UCC I pursued a Masters in Public International Law, specialising in human rights, at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. My education combined with my Erasmus year experience allowed me to break into the human rights world starting with an internship at Amnesty International's EU office and I then moved onto Human Rights Watch. • What is your advice to current UCC students? Time passes by too quickly so enjoy every moment of university life. Join Societies and Clubs, party but don’t skip lectures (!) and open your hearts and minds to students from different cultures and backgrounds. You’ll learn from them as they will from you. Also, don’t worry if you are struggling with what to do with your life post UCC. Follow your passions and interests and see where that takes you. Some of the most successful and interesting people I know changed fields numerous times before finding the right path for them. • What person/people at UCC had the most positive influence on you? This is an easy one. My parents, especially my mother Ethel, played such a pivotal role in me getting to where I am today. My mother unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to go to university but always understood the value of education. She did everything in her power to ensure that my sisters and I studied at UCC. Academically I learned so much from all my lecturers and peers over the years. • Were you involved in any Clubs or Societies? I loved attending UCC Philosophical Society meetings and participating in the sometimes-heated debates. I remember well one of the first meetings being cancelled due to security concerns as hundreds of students were protesting the participation of controversial right-wing historian. There was never a dull day at UCC! In my final year, I joined UCC Dramat society and acted in ‘The Year of the Hiker’ production at the Granary Theatre. This was an amazing experience. • Favourite UCC legend or superstition The superstition that sticks in my mind that if walk through the central path of the Quad then you are destined to fail your exams. I was never brave enough to prove this superstition wrong. Remember, you automatically become a lifelong member of the UCC Alumni Association when you leave UCC. Keep in touch! Register for events and update your details at https://community.ucc.ie/

Free Lunchtime Concert Friday, 9 March 2018 1.10 pm, Aula Maxima, UCC The Vanbrugh with Michael McHale Schubert, Piano Trio in E flat D.897 Schumann, Piano Quartet in E flat Op.47 The FUAIM Concert series presents a performance of The Vanbrugh, with guest pianist Michael McHale. The three string players, former members of the Vanbrugh Quartet, need no introduction to Cork audiences; Belfast-born Michael McHale is one of Ireland’s leading pianists and has developed a busy international career as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician.

Alumni Spotlight - Mairín Hughes To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March, we meet our oldest known female graduate, 103-year-old Mairín Hughes. Mairín qualified with a BSc and HDE from UCC in the 1930’s. After graduating, she worked in the Pathology Lab in the Dept. of Medicine for 14 years before marrying her late husband and relocating to Dublin. With a keen interest in music, literature and nature Mairín is as lively today as she was in her college days! She talks to us about her time at UCC. • Course/subjects studied in University College Cork BSc 1935 - majoring in Chemistry, H. Dip in Education. • Best memory of UCC Watching matches in the Quarry and spending time with friends in the Women’s Club and the Restaurant. • How has your time at UCC helped you to get to where you are now? UCC gave me my job in the Pathology Lab in the Dept. of Medicine where I worked for the late Prof. Billy Donovan. In those days the hospitals did not have Pathologists so we would run the blood tests for them. I loved my job and felt like I was making a difference and helping people. • What is your advice to current UCC students? Make the most of it! • What person/people at UCC had the most positive influence on you? Nancy Hayes, who worked in the Physics Department. She had been ahead of me in St. Aloysius School and went on to study Science at UCC. She inspired me to follow the same path. Our school did not offer science subjects but I always had a keen interest in the natural world growing up. My father was an outdoors man, I would go walking with him and learn about the local plants, trees and rocks – I knew the difference between sandstone and limestone from an early age! • Were you involved in any Clubs or Societies? An Chuallacht. I also attended the Philosoph debates and Prof. Alfred O’Rahilly’s Theology Group. • Favourite UCC legend or superstition The Dairy Science building had just opened during my time at UCC and a group of students decided to post up a slogan saying ‘Where Finbarr taught, let Munster Churn’! Remember, you automatically become a lifelong member of the UCC Alumni Association when you leave UCC. Keep in touch! Register for events and update your details at https://community.ucc.ie/ Photo: Clare Keogh

Free Lunchtime Concert Friday, 2 March 2018 1.10 pm, Aula Maxima, UCC The Vanbrugh with Michael McHale Schubert, Piano Trio in E flat D.897 Schumann, Piano Quartet in E flat Op.47 The FUAIM Concert series presents a performance of The Vanbrugh, with guest pianist Michael McHale. The three string players, former members of the Vanbrugh Quartet, need no introduction to Cork audiences; Belfast-born Michael McHale is one of Ireland’s leading pianists and has developed a busy international career as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician.

Deep Maps: West Cork Coastal Culture An invitation to explore a new web resource in the company of the UCC researchers who developed it. Deep Maps: West Cork Coastal Cultures is a website that visualises the interconnected past and present of the West Cork coastline in order to help promote a better future for this precious resource. By combining information about history and literature with an up to date account of current environmental priorities, the website prompts users to consider cultural and biological riches of our coastline. The project is funded by the Irish Research Council New Horizons scheme. Tea, coffee and scones will be served. We will be seeking your feedback on the website so, if possible, please bring an internet-enabled device with you, such as a tablet, laptop or mobile phone. Professor Claire Connolly, School of English, University College Cork. On behalf of The Deep Maps: West Cork Coastal Cultures team https://www.eventbrite.com/e/deep-maps-west-cork-coastal-cultures-tickets-43173660581?ref=enivtefor001&invite=MTM4NzYwMzcvY2xhaXJlY29ubm9sbHlAdWNjLmllLzA%3D&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=inviteformalv2&utm_term=attend

Qualcomm sponsor CAD Lab in UCC Electrical & Electronic Engineering Dept. Qualcomm, the electronic engineering giant whose microelectronic chips power today’s most advanced mobile devices, has been established in Cork since 2013. The type of research conducted by UCC generates specific talent which is of particular interest to Qualcomm. In alignment with Qualcomm strategy, a significant number of UCC graduates have been hired by the company. Since its establishment in Cork, Qualcomm has engaged in significant collaboration with the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department at UCC which also incorporates the Embedded.Systems@UCC research group. Last autumn, Qualcomm sponsored the upgrading of the CAD lab in the Department where students across Engineering will benefit from state of the art computing facilities. The upgraded lab was opened by Steve Halter (Senior Director of Engineering, Qualcomm San-Diego) and Paul Kelleher (Senior Director of Engineering, Qualcomm Cork).