Dr Anne Graham Cagney
President
president@irishfulbrightalumni.com
Anne is a Senior Lecturer in Professional Learning and Development at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). Anne is Programme Lead of the MA in Management in Education, a TCD Research Fellow and Fulbright Ambassador at WIT. She is current lead on an Irish Research Council funded research project on international scholarly networks and research partnerships and PI on two research grants from SCoTENS for cross-border studies on professional development and outward facing assessment in higher education.
Anne’s post-doctoral research interests are in individual and organisational learning and development. She is currently exploring the links between useable knowledge and organisation development that support educational, business and organisational success.
Anne was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship award in 2013-2014 and travelled to the US to conduct research on ‘Enhancing Teaching-Learning Environments (TLEs) in Professional Development Programs in Education’.
Dr Liam Carr
Vice President & Treasurer
treasurer@irishfulbrightalumni.com
Dr Liam Carr is a critical environmental geographer examining the use and management of Ireland’s coastal and marine resources, with a focus on marine spatial planning. He investigates how policy decisions impact communities and economies dependent upon the health of those natural resources.
He began at the University of Galway in 2015 as a visiting US Fulbright Scholar, and has since joined the faculty in the Discipline of Geography as Lecturer, Director for the MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments, and most recently has taken on the role as Head of Geography. When he’s not busy balancing budgets or handing out seasickness tablets, he can be found around Galway playing jazz piano or practicing his Irish.
Ms Áine Ní Shúilleabháin
Honorary Secretary
secretary@irishfulbrightalumni.com
Áine holds a BA International in English & French, a Diploma in Irish, and an MA in Advanced Language Skills from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She has worked as a translator, project manager, and business services manager in the translation industry. She was a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) at Idaho State University in 2016-17. She is currently the Irish Language Officer at Trinity College Dublin.
Tá BA Idirnáisiúnta sa Bhéarla & Fraincis, Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge, and MA in Ardscileanna Teanga ag Áine ó Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh. D’oibrigh sí cheana mar aistritheoir, bainisteoir tionscadail, and bainisteoir seirbhísí gnó i dtionscail an aistriúcháin. Mhúin sí Gaeilge mar Chúntóir Múinteoireachta i dTeanga Iasachta (FLTA) in Ollscoil Stáit Idaho in 2016-17. Is Oifigeach Gaeilge í anois i gColáiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath.
Dr Rita Melia
Membership Secretary
membership@irishfulbrightalumni.com
Dr Rita Melia is an Early Years Specialist working with Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Quality Assurance Directorate. Rita has a background in nursing, early childhood education and care, child and youth research and adult education. A lifelong learner Rita`s passion is to support learning which supports high levels of wellbeing and involvement or engagement in the learning processes across the lifespan starting in the early years.
Rita was a Fulbright Scholar at Harvard Graduate School of Education Boston MA 2016-2017, where she undertook ethnographic research in Reggio inspired and Play based preschool settings for her PhD research; ‘My Self- Image and Your Interactions’: The influence of the preschool educator’s image of the child as a learner on children’s wellbeing and involvement. Rita has developed a framework, learning for Wellbeing (Melia & Forkan, 2020) which identifies the importance of autonomy supportive learning environments in supporting learners high levels of wellbeing and involvement.
Mr Pa Sheehan
Board Member
Pa holds a BA in Applied Languages as well as a Professional Master’s of Education in Languages (Irish and French) from the University of Limerick. He has worked as a post-primary teacher of Irish and French in Ireland as well as completing his Fulbright scholarship as a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) for the academic year 2016/17 at the University of Montana. He has spent the past year as the Teagascóir Gaeilge at Memorial University of Newfoundland as part of the Ireland Canada University Foundation (ICUF) Awards and will spend the coming academic year in the same role at the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto.
Tá BA i dTeangacha Feidhmeacha chomh maith le Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas i dTeangacha (Gaeilge agus Francís) ag Pa ó Ollscoil Luimnigh. D’oibrigh sé cheana mar mhúinteoir iarbhunscoile na Gaeilge agus na Fraincíse in Éirinn chomh maith leis an scoláireacht Fulbright a rinne sé mar Chúntóir Múinteoireachta i dTeanga Iasachta (FLTA) don bhliain acadúil 2016/17 in Ollscoil Montana. D’oibrigh sé le bliain anuas mar Thegascóir Gaeilge i Memorial University of Newfoundland mar chuid den dámhachtainí de chuid na Fondúireachta Ollscoile Éireann Cheanada (ICUF) agus beidh an ról céanna aige don bhliain acadúil atá romhainn in University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto.
Dr John Sheppard
Newsletter Editor
John Sheppard holds a PhD in Cybersecurity from UCD and is a lecturer in cybersecurity and digital forensics at Waterford Institute of Technology.
As a Fulbright TechImpact Cybersecurity Scholar, John will visit Georgetown University in Washington D.C. to conduct research into wearable technologies and will investigate the ethical implications of data associated with such devices.