Ruth McMenamin

Ruth is working on her HRB fellowship from 2011 onwards. 

Lecturer
Tel:  353-91-495204
Email:  ruth.mcmenaminnuigalway.ie

Background and Qualifications

Ruth McMenamin joined the Discipline of Speech and Language Therapy at NUI Galway in November 2004. Prior to taking up this position she worked as a senior speech and language therapist in Neurology at the Mater Misericordiae hospital. She obtained a BSc with 1st class honours in Speecha and Language Therapy from the University of Ulster, at Jordanstown in 1996 and awards for both academic excellence and clinical excellence. Ruth studied for a Masters degree in Health Informatics at the University of Dublin, TCD and graduated in 2004. In 2010 Ruth obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Academic Practice at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Ruth is currently reading for a doctorate degree at NUI Galway. Her research is focused on evaluating a Conversation Partner Programme from the perspective of people with aphasia.

Teaching Responsibilities

Ruth's teaching responsibilities in the undergraduate BSc programme cross a number of strands and include acquired communication and eating, drinking and swallowing disorders. Ruth also co-ordinates and implements the Aphasia Outreach Programme in collaboration with the Speech and Language Therapy department at PCCC, HSE West.  Additionally, Ruth contributes to a number of interdisciplinary teaching modules including Cognitive Neuropsychology, Neuroanatomy and Neurology. Ruth is responsible for the introduction and embedding of service learning into the speech and language therapy curriculum since 2005/2006. Ruth acts as supervisor for a number of the 4th year undergraduate research projects annually.

Ruth was a member of the editorial committee for the Journal of Clinical Speech and Language Studies in 2008 and has acted as a reviewer for Medical Education (Wiley-Blackwell) in 2012.

Committees & Associations

• Member of the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (IASLT)
• Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
• IASLT Website Committee
• Member of Meitheal (Service Learning Group) NUIG
• Member of the Stroke Steering Committee, Galway
• Member of the Education and Assessment Committee, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, NUI Galway

Research Interests

Ruth is currently a Health Research Board (HRB) fellow having secured a HRB Research Training Fellowship for Healthcare Professionals in 2010.  This 2 year fellowship will focus on research evaluating Conversation Partner Programmes from the perspective of people with aphasia.

Ruth’s other research interests are focused on acquired communication and swallowing disorders, civic engagement and service learning in Higher education, involving service users in research using innovative methodological approaches and student attitudes to Communication Disability. 

Publications

McMenamin, R. & McGrath, M. (2010). 'Impacts of service learning on Irish healthcare students, educators and communities'. Nursing and Health Sciences, Volume 12, Issue 4, December 2010, Pages: 499-506.

McMenamin, R. & McGrath, M. (2010). “An exploration of the impacts of Service Learning on Healthcare students, Community Partners and University” (Nursing and Health Sciences – in press). 

McGrath, M, & McMenamin, R. (2010). ’Impacts of Service Learning on Undergraduate Healthcare Students – A Review of the Literature’ (submitted to Nursing and Health Sciences – in review).

McMenamin, R. & McGrath, M. (2009). ’Exploring the impact of service learning on students, community partners and academic staff’ In LinLan, P. (Editor) The Third International Symposium on Service Learning: Service Learning in Higher Education: Educators, Communities and Students’ 23^rd – 24^th November University of Indianapolis-Athens, Athens Greece.  Indianapolis: University of Indianapolis p. 81a. 

McGrath, M. & McMenamin, R. (2009). ’Putting the caring back into healthcare: examining the impact of a civic engagement pedagogy.’ Educación Médica 12 (Sup 2) pp S 17.

McGrath, M., McMenamin, R., Shiel, A. & Lyons, R. (2008). Innovative pedagogical strategy in undergraduate healthcare curricula at the National University of Ireland, Galway: Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy. Physical Therapy Reviews 13 (3) pp. 197 -225.

Articles under Review

McMenamin, R., Lyons, R., Finn, Y. & Dinneen, S. 'Reflections on a pilot interdisciplinary service learning experience (in review with Medical Education).

O'Neill, J. & McMenamin, R. 'Voice use in professional soccer management' (in review with Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology).

Platform Presentations at National and International Conferences

McMenamin, R. & McGrath, M. (2009). Researching Community-University Partnerships: Results from an Irish study investigating community University and Student Collaboration. The International Conference of Education Research and Innovation (ICERI); 16^th – 18^th November 2009 Madrid Spain. 

McMenamin, R. & McGrath, M. (2009). An Investigation of the Impacts of Service Learning on Educators, Communities and Students at the National University of Ireland, Galway. 3rd International Symposium on Service Learning Athens, Greece. 

Lyons, R., McMenamin, R., Carroll, C., Antonijevic-Elliot, S., O’ Malley, M.P. & Loftus, L. (2009). “Building research capacity in Speech and Language Therapy; sharing the learning” Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists Biennial Conference 22^nd- 23^rd October 2009, Galway.

McMenamin, R. & McGrath, M. (2009). The National Academy for Integration of Research & Teaching & Learning. NAIRTL’s 4^th Symposium in the Bologna series (Abstract submitted with McGrath, M. decision pending).

McGrath, M, & McMenamin, R. (2009). “Putting the Caring back into Healthcare: Examining the impact of a civic engagement pedagogy” International Association for Medical Education Conference (AMEE) Malaga, Spain.

McGrath, M, & McMenamin, R. (2009). “An investigation of the impact of Service Learning on Students, Community Partners and Academic Staff in Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy at NUI Galway” Campus Engage International Conference, Dublin.

Lyons, R., McMenamin, R., Dinneen, S. & Finn, Y. (2009). The community as a learning environment: Engaging with people with communication disability through a pilot interdisciplinary service learning experience”. Campus Engage International Conference, Dublin.

Poster Presentations

Leavy, D., Leonard, R. & McMenamin, R. (2011). The relationship between amateur singers' knowledge of voice care and perceptions of vocal health, at the Irish Association of Speech & Language Therapy Biennial Conference, Dublin, November 2011. 

McMenamin, R., Lyons, R. & Flynn, C. (2009). “Reflections on three years of implementing the conversation partner programme – lessons learned and future directions”. Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists Biennial Conference 22^nd- 23^rd October 2009, Galway.

McMenamin, R. & McGrath, M. (2009). “Community – University partnerships, benefiting students, communities, educators and clinicians”. Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists Biennial Conference 22^nd- 23^rd October 2009, Galway.

McMenamin, R., Stack, A., Mc Dermott, P., Plunkett, AM, Ní Chiardha, R. (2009). “Civic Awareness – how important is it for healthcare graduates?”. Campus Engage International Conference Dublin.

McMenamin, R., Ward, O., Skehan, C., Keegan, S., Moore, S. & Hanmore, C. (2009). “Students & Academic Staffs’ Perceptions of the Value of Service Learning in the Undergraduate Curriculum“. Campus Engage International Conference Dublin.

McMenamin, R., Keohane, S., Mc Loughlin, A., Gill, C. & Montague, O. (2009). “What people with aphasia and their caregivers think about the Conversation Partner Programme”. Campus Engage International Conference Dublin.

Crehan, S. & McMenamin, R. (2009). “Teachers’ Professional Voice Use: Voice Care Knowledge, Voice Complaints and Voice Care Behaviours”. Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists Biennial Conference 22^nd- 23^rd October 2009, Galway.

O’Neill & McMenamin, R. (2009). “A qualitative study of Irish Professional Soccer Managers with voice use in their everyday life”. Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists Biennial Conference 22^nd-23^rd October 2009, Galway.

Mc Manus, M., Crehan, S., Duggan, A., Jones, C. & McMenamin, R. (2009). “How will Service Learning Impact your role as an SLT in training on clinical placement?”. Campus Engage International Conference Dublin.

Grants Awarded

2010 -  “Evaluating Conversation Partner Programmes – perspectives of people with aphasia”. HRB Research Training Fellowship for Healthcare Professionals 2010.  Amount awarded 155,000 Euro. Principal Investigators - Ruth McMenamin with supervision from Professor Peter Cantillon, Discipline of General Practice, NUI Galway and Professor Anne MacFarlane, Professor of Primary Healthcare Research, Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick and Dr. Rozanne Barrow, Speech and Langauge Therapy Manager, Beaumont Hospital (Clinical sponsor).

2008 - “An investigation of the impact of service learning on students, community partners and academic staff in occupational therapy and speech and language therapy in NUI Galway”. National Association for Integration of Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL) and matched funding from NUI Galway.  Amounted awarded 40,000 Euro. Principal Investigators - Ruth McMenamin and Margaret McGrath.

2007 - “An investigation of student attitudes to communication disability”. Millennium Fund, NUI Galway. Amount awarded 8,500 Euro. Principal Investigators - Ms. Mary Pat O’Malley & Ms. Ruth McMenamin.

2006 - “Establishing a service learning module in BSc (Speech and Language Therapy)”. Principal Investigator – Ruth McMenamin. Collaboration with http://www.nuigalwaycki.ie/  http://www.ukconnect.org/

Other Research Activities

McMenamin, R. Member of the project team for the DARES Project (2008) (School of Nursing and Midwifery at NUI Galway). HRB Grant awarded over 3 yrs to investigate the impact of a structured staff education programme on dementia, incorporating reminiscence on the quality of life and levels of agitation of people with dementia. 

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