NUI Galway Alumni Awards announced

The annual NUI Galway Alumni Awards will be presented at the University's seventh annual Gala Banquet, which will take place at the Radisson SAS Hotel on Saturday 4th March 2006.

This year's Banquet will celebrate the inaugural year of the University's International Scholarship Programme which is part of NUI Galway's mission in international education. The event will focus on the University's role as an international force for change in improving educational opportunities for students from developing countries.

The centrepiece of the Gala Banquet is the presentation of the Alumni Awards, which celebrate the life-long value of an NUI Galway education and recognise individual excellence and achievements among the more than 50,000 graduates worldwide.

Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway said: "The achievements of the distinguished graduates which we honour each year through the Alumni Awards programme underscore the excellence of an NUI Galway education. This year, the high calibre of Award winners in each of the Award categories reflects the outstanding success of our graduates across many diverse spheres of public and professional life.

These outstanding alumni serve as an inspiration for our current students and are excellent global ambassadors for their alma mater."

Alumni Awards will be presented to the following:

• NUI Galway Award for Law, Public Service and Government: Judge Mary Faherty, BA 1982, LLB 1984 Circuit Court Judge

• Bank of Ireland Award for Business and Commerce: Maria Mahon, BComm, 1990 CEO of IrishJobs.ie

• AIB Award for Literature, Communications and the Arts: Dr Patrick F Wallace, BA 1969 Director, National Museum of Ireland BA 1969, Director National Museum of Ireland, author

• Medtronic Vascular Award for Healthcare and Medical Science: Prof Donald McDonnell, BSc 1983 Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University Medical Centre

• Seavite Award for Natural Science: Prof Frank Gannon, BSc 1970 Director of European Molecular Biology Organisation

• Duais Hewlett-Packard don Ghaeilge (Hewlett-Packard Award for Irish): Máire Mhic Uidhir, BA 1969, ADO 1970 Former Press and Information Officer, NUI Galway

• TBD Award for Engineering, IT and Mathematics: Noel Fogarty, BE 1984, HDip in Eng 1989 Vice President of Operations with Boston Scientific Ireland

Tickets for the Gala Banquet on the 5th March cost €150 each or a table of 10 for €1,500.