I think NUI Galway is a fantastic University. I am currently in the middle of my sixth year of engineering education here, beginning with General Engineering in 2015, to the first year of my PhD in Civil Engineering this year, which I began after completing my Masters of Energy Engineering in 2020.
As an engineer, I am interested in the way things work and in the problems with the way things work. In recent years I have been drawn majorly to the problem of the unsustainability of our society. I am currently trying to apply this interest to NUIG through the means of my PhD project. It involves measuring NUIGs carbon footprint and overall sustainability, before moving on to setting up community-based projects with the goal of improving NUIGs standard of sustainability.
Sustainability has become a blanket term for an ever-growing range of societal aspects. This does not just mean burning fewer fossil fuels (although that is certainly important). It also means addressing issues in areas such as:
- Biodiversity
- Wellbeing
- Procurement
- Food & Dining
- Waste Management
- Diversity
- Affordability
- University Investment
- Academic Curricula
- And many more
The reason I pursued the path of this PhD project is the same reason I am pursuing the member role on Údarás na hOllscoile. I wish to apply myself in the most effective way to the problem of unsustainability in our society, and that would certainly be on my manifesto as a member.