NUI Galway is pleased to announce a series of public talks on Sports Technology, commencing on Tuesday, 8 November at 6pm. In recent years a clear trend has developed in sport toward the increased use of technology to monitor and enhance elite sports performance. The series of talks, which are free and open to the general public, will cover a broad range of sports from elite cycling, running, swimming, to Gaelic games, as well as referring to the casual exerciser. The first event, which takes place in room 2002 of the new Engineering Building, is called ‘The Age of the Virtual Trainer’. NUI Galway’s Shane Lowe will focus on the emergence of new exercise monitoring technologies in the world of exercise and fitness. Whether the goal is to manage weight, maintain health or to improve fitness or sport performance, increasing physical activity has multiple health benefits. A significant challenge for most people is to adhere to an exercise regime. Keeping track of how well you are progressing with your exercise programme is one way to increase adherence to the programme and to also enhance the outcomes. Shane Lowe is currently in the third year of his PhD studies in the Bioelectronics research cluster of the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science at NUI Galway. The focus of his research is on the development of wearable electronics for the monitoring of everyday physical activity and specifically its application with older adults. “In the past, detailed monitoring of exercise performance was reserved for those who obtained the services of a personal trainer. However, with the availability of smart phones and low cost sensing technologies, a new era in exercise monitoring has begun. Exercise technologies now allow close monitoring of performance including changes in heart rate, running speed, adherence to your recommended training zone etc.” The range of these technologies now available will be discussed and compared and Shane Lowe will comment on how he sees these systems evolving in the future.The series of Sports Technology talks is being organised by Professor Gearóid Ó Laighin, Course Director of NUI Galway’s degree programme in Sports & Exercise Engineering. His students are being given the skills and expertise to design innovative sports systems and devices. According to Professor Gearóid Ó Laighin: “Sport plays a central role in Irish life - it brings joy to us as we celebrate our teams’ success and perhaps brings despair at their failings! Sport brings communities together, can galvanise a nation to overcome its difficulties and provides endless material for lengthy discussion and debate. A new wave of technologies is transforming sports performance, training and preparation. We welcome all with an interest in these developments to come to our series of talks to learn more.” For more information on the Sports Technology talks, which are supported by the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers, visit www.ExerciseEngineering.com or call 091 492728.   -ends-

Professor Abhay Pandit, Director of the Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB) at NUI Galway, has recently returned from Taiwan, where he delivered a plenary lecture at the 2011 International Symposium on Recent Advances in Pluripotent Stem Cells. The lecture took place at Taipei Medical University, and coincided with the 7thAnnual Meeting of the Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research.  Professor Pandit’s wealth of experience and international reputation in functionalised biomaterials, particularly in delivery of stem cells, led to the invitation from the Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research. Speaking at the opening session of the symposium, Professor Pandit’s lecture, entitled ‘A functionalised scaffold for modulation of inflammation to permit stem cell survival in myocardial infarction’ drew on his research results achieved at the NFB, NUI Galway.  The NFB is an SFI-funded Strategic Research Cluster, focused on developing the next generation of biomaterials while developing collaborations with industrial partners at a regional, national and international level. These collaborations have now placed NFB research in a global context.  Speaking about the invitation, Professor Pandit said “I was very pleased to receive the invitation to give a plenary lecture in Taiwan. Asia is the major emerging market in the biomedical sector, so all opportunities to showcase Irish research there should be welcomed.”   -ends-

NUI Galway student, Trevor Glavey, has been named as one of the 23 winners of the Undergraduate Awards, an awards programme open to undergraduate students on the island of Ireland and, recently, the USA. Trevor, originally from Dunblaney, Dunmore,  Co. Galway, was awarded the Oscar Wilde Gold Medal for academic excellence by Guest of Honour, President Mary McAleese, at the Undergraduate Awards Ceremony that was held at Dublin Castle on Friday, 28 October. As the winner of the Undergraduate Awards Law category, Trevor was awarded for his essay entitled “Enforcement of EU Competition Law and Respect for Human Rights”. Having graduated top in his class from Corporate Law at NUI Galway, Trevor credited his lecturer, Dr Laurent Pech, from the School of Law for his Undergraduate Award win and cited the University as “a fantastic place to study, full of great people doing tremendous work.” There were 2,381 submissions to the 2011 Undergraduate Awards programme, of which 237 were shortlisted. Of these 237, 23 winners were selected.  NUI Galway had 11 students in the shortlist.   --ENDS—

Mayor of Galway, Hildgarde Naughton, will officially launch ‘Zambian Perspectives’ photographic exhibition in Áras Moyola, NUI Galway on Wednesday, 23 November at 6.30pm. The images on display are part of a collection taken by Research Fellow with the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway, Sheila McArdle, as part of her research study.  The study contributes to the ongoing work of the UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement held by Professor Pat Dolan.   In 2009, Sheila travelled to Zambia, Central Africa, to complete research fieldwork in six different communities. Photographs of everyday scenes were taken to provide a visual backdrop to the information provided by young people (12-14 year olds) and adults (18 years plus).  The exhibition images provide an opportunity to glimpse at the reality of Zambian daily life. The images are accompanied by direct quotes from some of the participants to provide a sense of what Zambian young people want for the future.     Whilst in Zambia, Sheila became seriously ill and was cared for by a Tipperary nun, Sister Molly Moloney, a qualified nurse who has lived and worked in Kaoma, Zambia for over thirty years.  Sister Moloney, with her team, operates a number of enterprise projects and orphanages, which care for infants, children and teenagers and are invaluable in the community. The team are hoping to establish a dairy farm in the community which will create employment, provide fresh milk for the orphanages and contribute to the sustainability of the community.  Contributions from the exhibition will go to Sister Moloney and her team to continue their work in Zambia.   The exhibition contributes to the UNESCO Chair partnership endeavours with Foróige and The Alan Kearns African Projects to promote positive child and youth outcomes.  The exhibition should appeal to a wide audience anyone interested in youth, gender issues, anthropology, photography, or a desire to assist projects to support young people, families and communities to become sustainable are sure to enjoy the event.   Tickets for this event are €10 per person, including light refreshments and entertainment.  Further information is available from Sheila McArdle at s.mcardle3@nuigalway.ie or 087 918 7224.   -Ends-

For more information on Michael D and NUI Galway click Michael D. Higgins, Adjunct Professor with the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway, has been elected the ninth president ofIreland. Michael D. has been associated with NUI Galway for almost 50 years, entering the University as a mature student in 1962; serving as President of the Student Council; and going on to become a highly regarded lecturer in Sociology & Politics for many years. He has served as Adjunct Professor at the University’s Irish Centre for Human Rights since 2006. His impressive record in defense of human rights made his role with the Irish Centre of Human Rights a natural enhancement of his long association with the University.  Speaking after the election results were announced, NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne said of Michael D.: “The Office of President has been increasingly to the fore in national life in recent years. Michael D.’s talent and integrity, along with his commitment to service in public life, will ensure that he will be an inspirational and visionary President, following those who have held that office with great distinction and honour. On behalf of the University, I congratulate him on the unique leadership role which he has played to date in shapingIreland's future. I wish him every success and fulfilment in writing the next chapter ofIreland’s history.” Amongst his many distinctions, Michael D. Higgins was honoured in 2003 by his alma mater with the NUI Galway AIB Award for Literature, Communication and the Arts.  He graduated with a BA in 1965 and a BComm in 1966 from what was then UCG. Michael D. was most recently on campus during an impromptu visit on the eve of the election, when staff and student well-wishers turned out to lend their support. NUI Galway takes pride in the success of its alumni, many of whom have distinguished themselves as leaders in various fields of endeavour inIrelandand abroad. The current administration boasts a number of former University students including: An Taoiseach Enda Kenny; Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore; Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte; Attorney General, Máire Whelan; Minister for Research & Innovation, Seán Sherlock; and numerous deputies and senators.  -ends- Is é Michael D. Higgins ó OÉ Gaillimh an Naoú Uachtarán ar Éirinn Táthar tar éis Michael D. Higgins, Ollamh Cúnta san Ionad Éireannach um Chearta an Duine in OÉ Gaillimh, a thoghadh ina naoú uachtarán ar Éirinn.    Tá baint ag Michael D. le hOllscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh le beagnach 50 bliain, ó tháinig sé chun na hOllscoile mar mhac léinn lánfhásta i 1962; bhí sé ina Uachtarán ar Chomhairle na Mac Léinn; agus ina dhiaidh sin bhí sé ina léachtóir le Socheolaíocht agus Polaitíocht ar feadh na mblianta.   Tá sé ina Ollamh Cúnta san Ionad Éireannach um Chearta an Duine, OÉ Gaillimh, ó 2006.   Chaith sé na blianta ag cosaint chearta an duine agus rinne an ról a bhí aige san Ionad Éireannach um Chearta an Duine an ceangal a bhí aige le fada leis an Ollscoil a neartú.     Ag labhairt dó nuair a fógraíodh torthaí an toghcháin, bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne faoi Michael D.: “Ta ról níos larnaí ag an Uachtaránacht i saol na hÉireann le blianta beaga anuas.Cinnteoidh na buanna ar leith atá ag Michael D., a ionracas agus a dhílseacht don saol poiblí, gur sár-Uachtarán a bheidh ann agus go mbeidh fís aige, díreach mar a bhí ag na daoine a tháinig roimhe. Thar ceann na hOllscoile, ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis as an obair cheannaireachta ar leith atá déanta aige go dtí seo le cruth níos fearr a chur ar Éirinn san am atá le teacht. Guím gach rath air agus é ag tabhairt faoin gcéad chaibidil eile a chur le stair na hÉireann.” Is iomaí gradam a bronnadh air agus orthu sin bhí Gradam AIB OÉ Gaillimh don Litríocht, an Chumarsáid agus na hEalaíona a bhronn a alma mater air sa bhliain 2003.   Bhain sé céim BA amach i 1965 agus BComm i 1966 ó COG, mar a thugtaí uirthi an uair sin. Bhí Michael D. ar an gcampas go deireanach an oíche roimh an toghchán nuair a thug sé turas gan choinne orainn. Tháinig idir fhoireann agus mhic léinn amach lena dtacaíocht a léiriú dó. Tá OÉ Gaillimh an-bhródúil as na héachtaí atá déanta ag alumni na hOllscoile. Tá go leor acu ina gceannairí i réimsí éagsúla den saol in Éirinn agus thar lear.   Tá cúpla iar-mhac léinn de chuid na hOllscoile sa rialtas faoi láthair:  An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny; An tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála, Eamon Gilmore; An tAire Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha,PatRabbitte; An tArd-Aighne, Máire Whelan; An tAire Taighde & Nuálaíochta, Seán Sherlock; agus Teachtaí Dála agus Seanadóirí go leor. -críoch-