Provost Awarded Honorary Degree from Queen’s University Belfast
Posted on: 02 July 2008
In acknowledgement of their services to higher education, Dr John Hegarty, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, and Dr Hugh Brady, President of University College Dublin, were awarded honorary Doctorates of Laws from Queen’s University Belfast on Monday 30 June.
Also honoured were the Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Frank Gannon for distinction in medical science and haematologist Dr Chitra Bharucha, Vice-Chairperson of the BBC Trust for services to medicine and for public service.
Delivering the citation for Dr Hegarty, Queen’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson said: “Last year Trinity College Dublin, the oldest university in Ireland, won the Sunday Times Irish University of the Year title. The accompanying editorial referred to Trinity’s forward-thinking approach to academic life and its commitment to innovation. These qualities also aptly describe the University’s leader, Dr John Hegarty. Since his election on a reform ticket as Provost of Trinity in 2001, Dr Hegarty has overseen a major re-structuring of the College, a streamlining of its academic organisation and the introduction of a suite of new courses to meet the needs of 21st century students. At the heart of Dr Hegarty’s vision for Trinity is the need to meet what he calls the ‘challenges of modern Irish society’ while viewing the University’s centuries-old tradition as inspiration for the future.
An eminent physicist, Dr Hegarty has spent many years researching the use and effect of lasers and has designed new courses in this field. His international academic experience includes five years as an Adjunct Professor in the University of Georgia, USA, in the early 1990s, and a Visiting Professorship in the University of Tokyo and Sony Corporation, Japan in 1995. He is a member of the Higher Education Authority, the Science Foundation Ireland Technical Advisory Panel on Information and Communications Technologies and the Royal Irish Academy.
UCD President Dr Hugh Brady, was described by the Vice-Chancellor in his citation as an internationally-renowned renal specialist who, in his distinguished medical career and as an academic leader “has displayed intellect, sound judgement, the ability to lead and to harness the energy and skills of others to gain results.” Professor Gregson said: “UCD has played a key role in the history of the modern Irish State; under Dr Brady’s leadership it is now playing a leading part in shaping the future of Ireland, north and south.”
Professor Frank Gannon, Director of Science Foundation Ireland was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Medical Science in recognition of service to medical science. Delivering Prof Gannon’s citation, Queen’s Professor of Medicine Ian Young, said: “Originally from Galway, Professor Gannon is best known for his leadership of the European Molecular Biology Organisation in Heidelberg. In July 2007 he became Director General of Science Foundation Ireland where his leadership and international standing will prove pivotal to Ireland’s efforts to recruit and retain world-class scientists, as well as in attracting high-tech corporate research and development.
Also awarded a Doctorate of Medical Science was Dr Chitra Bharucha, Vice-Chairman of the BBC Trust. For almost 20 years, Dr Bharucha was Deputy Director of the NI Blood Transfusion Service and Consultant Haematologist at Belfast City Hospital. Since then, she has held a number of professional appointments including non-executive director on the Board of UK Transplant Authority; a member of the World Health Organisation Expert Advisory Panel for Blood; and the President of the Medical Women’s Federation. Dr Bharucha has made many significant contributions to medical practice, in particular, to blood transfusion in Northern Ireland, including the development of cord blood banking and the early implementation of an immunisation programme against Hepatitis B in neonates.