DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama presents Annual Prizewinners Concert
Thursday 17 May, 7pm
Gleeson Theatre, DIT Kevin Street

15th May 2012: The Conservatory of Music and Drama has had another successful year in national competitions and to celebrate the many student achievements there is a Prizewinners Concert on Thursday 17th May at 7pm in the Gleeson Theatre, DIT Kevin Street. The concert will be just over one hour and you will have the opportunity to hear the stars of the future on piano, violin, cello, clarinet, guitar, voice and opera.

DIT’s Healthcare professionals acknowledged for improving patient communication

14^th May 2012: The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Student Health Centre was amongst the winners at today’s Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards for their project, ‘No Umbrella Campaign.’ At a ceremony in Dublin, the DIT Student Health Centre team was awarded for their project, which they developed after noticing that many young men were not attending testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as they feared a painful and invasive test called an ‘Umbrella Test.’ DIT won first place in the category, ‘Best Project in General Practice’ for  developing a simple but effective campaign to reassure the students that this test was no longer necessary and that STI testing is simple and easier than ever before. They did this by using a colourful, humorous and clearly designed poster that dispels the ‘umbrella’ myth and removes any fear associated with testing.

Pictured from left, Conor McGinnity, joint winner for his RTÉ Radio 1 documentary, My Dads Depression; Dr Inez Bailey, director, NALA; Deirdre Adamson and Louise O'Donnell, joint winners, DIT Student Health Centre; and Dr Neil Boyle, managing director, MSD. Photograph: Shane ONeill / Fennells

“The DIT Student Health Centre’s project showed a clear understanding of the false impressions that young men have about STI screening. They used humour and clear visuals to communicate their message in this innovative and easy-to-replicate campaign,” said Dr Gerardine Doyle, UCD School of Business and chairperson of the Crystal Clear Awards judging panel. 

Deirdre Adamson, Conor McGinnity and Louise O'Donnell

Speaking about her team’s win, Louise O’Donnell, Practice Nurse, DIT Student Health Centre, said, “We are delighted to have won a Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy award. It is an honour to be recognised for our work. When we saw that uptake amongst our target group was low, we knew that we had to communicate in a way that would resonate with them. This has proven to be highly effective as it has not only promoted sexual health amongst our total student population, but it has also resulted in an improvement in their overall health and well-being.’’

Louise O'Donnell, Conor McGinnity and Deirdre Adamson

DIT’s winning initiatives was selected from nearly 150 entries which had to demonstrate how they addressed the issue of health literacy. Health literacy is a person’s ability to understand and use basic health information, whether they receive it in writing, in person or over the phone.  Health literacy also involves a person having the knowledge to understand their options and make informed decisions about their own health.

Deirdre Adamson, Louise O'Donnell, and Conor McGinnity

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Ms Ciara O'Rourke, judge and External Affairs Director, MSD, said, “Four out of ten people in Ireland have trouble with health literacy and can have difficulty understanding health information. That is why it is so heartening to see so many initiatives that are helping patients to have a better understanding of their health. All the winners and finalists that have been recognised today have empowered patients to take a more active role in the management of their own lifestyle, condition or illness and so make more informed decisions about their own health.”

14th May 2012: That’s the question that the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and DIT Students’ Union (DITSU) will be putting to their members from 1am on Tuesday May 15^th until Tuesday May 22^nd.

On the table are six different options;

• 100% Exchequer funded
• 100% upfront fees
• Student loans
• Graduate tax
• Student contribution
• None of the above

Students will have an opportunity to vote online at www.usi.ie, where they can also find more information on the six different options.

Once the votes are tallied, a special meeting of USI Congress, the union’s highest decision making body, will convene on Wednesday May 23^rd, where the USI’s funding policy will be decided.

DITSU President, Ciarán Nevin, has urged students to use this opportunity, saying, “Access to high quality education has long been a central cause of the student movement. A quality education system requires adequate funding and we want students to have their say on where that funding should come from. Please take some time to consider the options put before you so that you can make an informed choice.”

You can find more information on www.usi.ie or www.usivote.com.

Green Light for first Strategic Development Zone in Dublin City

14th May, 2012: An Bord Pleanála today gave approval for the planning scheme for the new Grangegorman urban quarter in Dublin 7. The development, which will incorporate a major education and health campus, as well as sport, recreation and other public amenities, is the first to be approved as a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) in Dublin City.

Mr. Michael Hand, CEO of the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA), said the decision reflects the significance of the Grangegorman site and the surrounding area. Strategic Development Zone designation is available only to major projects which are deemed to have national social and economic importance.

He said “This project will have a transformative effect on the city of Dublin, as well as contributing an employment stimulus to the construction industry in particular. It was important that the overall development was agreed from the outset to ensure that it is in keeping with the Development Plan for the city and so that everyone knew exactly what would be built on site.”

He continued “Today’s decision provides a planning framework for the development of this 73 acre site into the future and will contribute significantly to regeneration in this part of Dublin’s city centre.”

The development will incorporate health facilities, a primary school, a public library and other amenities. It will become home to Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), ultimately bringing over 20,000 students and staff to the campus.

President of DIT, Professor Brian Norton said “DIT is part of the fabric of Dublin city and we work closely with the communities around us. It is very important to us that our new campus will not only provide a leading edge educational environment for DIT students, but that it also contributes to the development of the city and its economy. Our primary role is to develop graduates who will contribute to building Ireland’s future and this news is very positive for our future graduates.”

Professor Norton congratulated the GDA, the Agency charged with realising this vital regeneration of Dublin’s north inner city, and the excellent design team of Moore Ruble Yudell and DMOD. He said “The quality of this project has been recognised by a number of major international awards already, including an Honour Award conferred by the American Institute of Architects just this week. Approval of the planning scheme ensures that the plan can be realised.”

Michael Hand said that following the An Bord Pleanála decision the project was now “shovel ready” and he was delighted to be able to say that an enabling programme of work can now start on site almost immediately.

He said “the first tranche of work on site will include significant refurbishment of protected structures to bring them into educational use. While any stimulus in the construction sector is to be welcomed, the nature of this work is more labour intensive than new build and therefore delivers a bigger employment dividend, estimated at 500 man years. It is also very important work for the integrity of the site – the best way to preserve historic buildings is to occupy them!”

Work is currently underway on construction of new mental health facilities on the North Circular Road side of the site and this is due to be finished by the end of this year. The next scheduled ‘new build’ will be the PRTLI-funded Environmental Health Sciences Institute (EHSI) and a design team has just been appointed. EHSI is a DIT-led initiative, in collaboration with Dublin City Council and the HSE, which aims to ‘develop practical solutions to environmental health problems’.

For further information see http://www.dit.ie/about/grangegorman

Britain’s Got Talent Judges predict a great future for DIT Student O’Shaughnessy

14th May 2012: DIT Music student Ryan O’Shaughnessy wowed audiences and won the hearts of millions of viewers in the Britain’s Got Talent live final on Saturday night.  Ryan may have been pipped to the post in the final by Ashley and her dancing dog Pudsey, but despite losing out Ryan has been branded a huge star with a bright future.

The 19 year old singer-songwriter from Loughshinny in north Co Dublin was among the bookies favourite to win after topping the voting in the semi final on Thursday.  The talented DIT Student won over the hearts of the UK and Ireland and secured the most votes after performing a love song dedicated to his friend. 

BGT judge Simon Cowell said: "I think you are a brilliant songwriter and I also think you are a brilliant singer”.

The DIT music student, who joined the Billie Barry stage school at four, played the part of Mark Halpin in Fair City for nine years before leaving to join boy band Mission 4.  He also recently showcased his talent on The Voice of Ireland after getting through blind auditions and making it on to Brian Kennedy’s team.

17 May 2012, 3.00-5.00pm
Seminar and panel discussion
Dublin Institute of Technology, Aungier Street

14th May 2012: ‘Digital literacy’ or ‘e-skills’ is crucial to children’s use of the internet, as promoted by Europe’s Digital Agenda. The more digitally literate young people, the more they can gain from online opportunities. Yet, evidence from EU Kids Online shows that 9-16 year olds,  Ireland's 'digital natives', do not always take up the full range of activities or have the skills to exploit the potential of the online world.

This seminar will present further analysis of EU Kids Online findings on young people's use of internet technologies and will consider:

• How do levels of digital literacy in Ireland compare to European counterparts?
• What does media literacy policy mean for supporting young people's digital skills and potential?
• How can education unlock creativity and digital literacy for maximum benefit?
• How can industry, education and civil society assist young people better negotiate a digital 'ladder of opportunities'?

Speakers include:

• Brian O'Neill, researcher, national contact for EU Kids Online network, PI for Digital Childhoods project (IRCHSS), DIT
• Thuy Dinh, postdoctoral researcher, Digital Childhoods (IRCHSS), DIT
• Jim Devine, Media Consultant, former President IADT
• Anne White, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
• Helen Doherty, IADT, Member of European Commission Media Literacy Expert Group
• Helen Shaw Athena Media, Producer of "The Media Show", RTE Radio 1

Register online: http://tinyurl.com/May17-seminar

Venue: The Boardroom, Dublin Institute of Technology, Aungier Street.
Arrive: from 2.30pm for tea or coffee. Starts at 3.00pm ends at 5.00pm.
Further information:  brian.oneill@dit.ie  (402 3481)  or thuy.dinh@dit.ie  (402 4173)
See our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/digitalchildhoods

Supported by the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences

14 May, 2012: A team of 2^nd year Electrical Engineering students from DIT have been declared the 2012 Robo Sumo Grand Final Winners. Karl Lawlor, Eamos Fennell and Stephen Hanney, claimed the top spot with their custom built bot ‘ FRANK’.  Robo Sumo, a real life robot wrestling contest and an international phenomenon which sees custom-built robots battle it out to be king of the ring. These robots are so-called automatons - robots that sense their own surroundings and make decisions about what actions to perform. For the 2012 Robo Sumo Grand Final held in DIT Kevin Street, the robots were designed, built, tested and refined to be battle ready by DIT engineering students as part of a practical learning challenge.  The students have spent countless hours working on their robots, grappling with budgets, dealing with component failures, scavenging parts to ensure they are fighting fit and able to withstand the unpredictable assault of another team’s robot.

The 2012 Robo Sumo Grand Final Winners – Karl Lawlor, Eamos Fennell and Stephen Hanney , 2^nd year Electrical Engineering, DIT with their custom built bot ‘ FRANK’

Brainstorming, critical thinking, teamwork, and resourcefulness - these are all stepping stones to great robot design and the teams that perform best in RoboSumo are those with the abilities that make for successful technology entrepreneurs - in short, the ability to work hard, work smart and work together to turn an original vision into reality. According to Damon Berry, DIT College of Engineering & Built Environment: “RoboSumo is very different from what a lot of people picture as engineering education. The RoboSumo challenge leads students on a journey of discovery through an Aladdin’s cave of the incredible technology that powers modern smart devices.  Today these students conquer the sumo ring, tomorrow the world of robotics!”

DIT Engineering Student Eamos Fennell from Arklow with his custom built bot 'FRANK' winner of the 2012 Robo Sumo Grand Final held in DIT Kevin Street.

DIT Engineering Student Clodagh Brady from Tallaght with her custom built robot 'Daisy'

DIT Engineering Students Clodagh Brady with her custom built robot ‘Daisy' and Graham Burns with his bot ' Rocky'

David Daly, a 2^nd year Electrical & Control Engineering Student at DIT with his custom built bot ‘Rocky’ pictured at the 2012 Robo Sumo Grand Final held in DIT Kevin Street.

Robo Sumo – Let the battles begin

10th May 2012: John Walsh, Lecturer in Product and Furniture Design at the School of Art Design and Printing in DIT has been elected President of the Institute of Designers in Ireland. 

Celebrating 40 years this year, the Institute of Designers in Ireland is a professional body representing Designers and the Design Industry in Ireland. Its function is to promote high standards of design, to foster professionalism and to emphasise designers’ responsibility to society, to the client and to each other. The Institute represents designers from different disciplines including Product and Industrial Design, Interior and Exhibition Design, Visual Communications, Motion Graphics & Production Design, Digital Media and Fashion and Textile Design. The IDI is recognised at national, EU and international level as the representative body for the Irish design profession.

In his speech, John, who has previously held the post of Product and Industrial Design Representative on the Council of the IDI, looked forward to an exciting year as President, sighting the important role Design has to play in our country’s economic recovery.

12.30pm, 10th May 2012

Artists : Niamh O’Doherty, Laura Smith, Becky Wallace

NCAD/UCD: Urban Interventions in collaboration with DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama

“Orchestral Osmosis” is a project undertaken as part of the NCAD/UCD Urban Interventions module, in collaboration with DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin City Council Public Art Programme and! the Grafton Street Quarter Improvement Project.

The intervention will take place on Thursday, 10th May 2012 and involves the streaming and amplifying of music live from the D.I.T. Conservatory of Music and Drama on Chatham Row. The sound of musicians’ practice sessions will be amplified into Chatham Row and Clarendon Row to create a kind of impromptu, un-choreographed street concert which is invisible to the eye but resonates through the space.

The music will be amplified for a period of half an hour to an hour and will provide an interesting, ephemeral experience for passers-by. The work will push the boundaries between public and private space, allowing the inner workings to become public.

http://orchestralosmosis.wordpress.com

9th May 2012: DIT are delighted to announce that graduates from the MSc in Strategic Management, full and part-time programme, are now eligible for Graduate Membership of the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors (IMCA). The IMCA provides a forum for the advancement of management consulting as an identifiable profession. The IMCA has established a number of local member networks to facilitate members to work together, network, form business partnerships and host local events. A number of graduates from the MSc in Strategic Management take up positions in Consulting Houses each year so membership of the IMCA is an additional benefit to programme graduates.

Students on the part-time MSc in Strategic Management programme attending a workshop delivered by the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors at DIT, Aungier Street on 3^rd May.

Micheal Reddington, Tom Malone, Miriam Ahern, President of the IMCA, Paul Aylward

Aisling Tumelty, Niall Moran and Kate O’Donoghue, students on the full-time MSc in Strategic Management programme attending a workshop delivered by the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors at DIT, Aungier Street on 3^rd May.

Students on the part-time MSc in Strategic Management programme attending a workshop delivered by the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors at DIT, Aungier Street on 3^rd May.

Prateek Sachdeva, Miriam Ahern, President of the IMCA , Ruth Dunne

Attending the IMCA workshop in DIT, Aungier Street on 3^rd May

Dr. Katrina Lawlor, Head of Graduate Business School, College of Business

Miriam Ahern , President of the IMCA

Geraldine Lavin, Board member of the IMCA

Sebastian Neumann, student on the full-time MSc in Strategic Management who attended the IMCA workshop in DIT, Aungier Street on 3^rd May.

Dr. Phil Hanlon who runs the MSc in Strategic Management attending the IMCA workshop in DIT, Aungier Street on 3^rd May. Graduates from this programme are now eligible for graduate membership of the IMCA.

DIT hosts the 2012 Robo Sumo Grand Final 2pm, May 10^th in DIT Kevin St.

4th May 2012: In a large, sparsely-furnished workshop in Dublin city centre, not far from the bustling activity of Camden St, a group of people stand in a huddle shouting, whistling, clenching their fists. In their midst stands a black circular table on which an epic battle is being contested. The combatants are not human - they are two small robots, each no bigger than a lunch box. These robots are so-called automatons - robots that sense their own surroundings and make decisions about what actions to perform. In this case, each robot has been carefully programmed to hunt down its opponent and push it out of the arena. And these robots are tenacious - tirelessly scuttling back and forth, spinning in search of their opponent, charging forward to propel it off the table. Each parry and thrust of the tiny robots is met with cries of joy and anguished howls from the spectators. That the crowd are emotionally invested is beyond question. They call this RoboSumo and it’s an international phenomenon.

In fact, this heated contest is no more than the warm-up training session before the real contest which will take place in early May in DIT Kevin St. That day will represent the culmination of three months of intensive work by about 25 teams of engineering students. In groups of two, three or four, these young engineers have designed, built, tested and refined a cohort of battle-ready automatons. There is something eerie about watching these robots navigate around the table under their own direction. Some waltz elegantly, while others lurch aggressively; all are purposeful. It’s easy to imagine that in the autonomous movement of these painstakingly constructed robots, a glimpse of a future is visible; a future in which ever smarter robots will play an increasingly important role in all our lives. 

RoboSumo is very different from what a lot of people picture as engineering education. Rather than delivering a course of lectures based on a fixed curriculum, learning takes place primarily in a lab or workshop. Lectures are delivered as needed to address learning needs that students encounter in the course of their work. This “problem-first” approach allows students to appreciate the value of each thing they learn, since they already have a practical context to apply it in.

In project-based learning, students’ learning is driven by a practical goal, a problem they work in teams to solve. Teachers become facilitators, creating an environment in which students naturally grow their own knowledge. The element of competition taps into students’ natural instincts. It’s not that the effort is removed from learning - the students know they’re working hard to create something great - but RoboSumo provides a context in which many students find that motivation comes naturally. Learning becomes hard to resist.

Of course, the choice of problem is critical to the effectiveness of project-based learning. The RoboSumo challenge leads students on a journey of discovery through an Aladdin’s cave of the incredible technology that powers modern smart devices.

The teams that perform best in RoboSumo are those with the abilities that make for successful technology entrepreneurs - in short, the ability to work hard, work smart and work together to turn an original vision into reality. Brainstorming, critical thinking, teamwork, and resourcefulness - these are all stepping stones to great robot design - but above all else, RoboSumo is a practical challenge. DIT prides itself on its track record of combining academic excellence with the real-world application of knowledge. To create a good RoboSumo robot, a team will have to take the theory they have learned and apply it in a world of uncertainty, far outside the walled garden of blackboard examples and textbook exercises. They will have to grapple with budgets, contend with component failures, scavenge parts, and most of all withstand the unpredictable assault of another team’s robot.

The 2012 RoboSumo Grand Final takes place on Thursday May 10th at 2pm in the Gleeson Hall in DIT Kevin St.

4th May 2012: Professor William Miller, from University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO), is the first Adjunct Professor to be appointed by DIT.  Professor Miller, whose recent visit to Dublin coincided with the European Academy of Optometry & Optics Conference, delivered his inaugural lecture to final year students of Optometry on the subject of Contact Lens Fitting of Keratoconus.

Professor Miller is pictured here with colleagues outside the National Optometry Centre, DIT:  left to right, Professor Michael Devereux, Professor Ellen Hazelkorn,  Declan Hovenden, Eva Doyle, Professor Miller, Dr. John Doran and Professor Brian Norton.

The 2012 conference of the European Academy of Optometry & Optics (EAOO) took place in Dublin for the first time. The conference sessions were hosted in the Croke Park Convention centre while the National Optometry Centre at DIT hosted the clinical workshops. The event was attended by more than 200 delegates from over 30 countries. Several members of the Department of Optometry at DIT made poster and oral presentations.

Further details on the conference are available from the EAOO website at

http://www.eaoo.info/en/Dublin_2012/   

2nd May 2012: The College of Business at DIT has a great tradition and a continuing commitment to providing lifelong learning opportunities for anyone hoping to enhance their career through further study and qualification.

Now is a good time to consider whether you are ready to undertake part-time study next September and to work towards a Business qualification that may help you in your current career or assist you in developing a new career path.

Click on the video to see how getting down to business helped other students:

Here are four part-time programmes in the College of  Business that may interest you – click on any programme for further information about what’s involved and how to apply:

30th April 2012: An historic agreement was signed by Professor Brian Norton and Rector Mukhadin Eskindarov on 18^th April 2012 between the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Finance University under the Government of the Russian Federation. The Rector was accompanied by Professor Vsevolod Dumny, International Advisor and Professor Valery Sumerokov, Head of Department of International Economics. Paul O’ Sullivan, Dean and Director of the College of Business, welcomed the visitors to DIT and confirmed the continued commitment of the Institute to the development of further linkages between the two institutions.

The next stage in the process is the launch of a dual Masters in International Banking & Finance.  This programme, already at an advanced stage of design, will be available in both institutions and will confer on successful graduates a Master’s level award from both the DIT and the Finance University.  Insights from an information economy such as Ireland and a natural resource rich economy such as the Russian Federation will deliver a unique perspective to potential graduates that will be of interest to employers worldwide. The College of Business hopes to welcome the first students from Moscow on this programme in September 2012.

This agreement is the culmination of significant work over a period of years between the College of Business and the Finance University under the Government of the Russian Federation. Since 2009 staff from the School of Accounting & Finance within the College of Business including Dr Joseph Coughlan and Marie O’ Flynn have given guest lectures at the Finance University. Valentina Tarkovska, Dr Jim Hanly and Dr Lucia Morales have also delivered academic papers at ‘Round Table’ discussions at the Finance Univeristy. Valentina Tarkovska has co chaired a number of webinars in which Academic Staff and Professors shared ideas about joint research projects. As the ‘Green light’ was given to this important relationship, Professor Eskindarov talked about this being the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between DIT and the Finance University in the years to come.

30th April 2012: Three Irish academics were invited to Westminster last week to brief the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee of the House of Commons on their research into international lobbying regulations. Dr. John Hogan (DIT), Professor Raj Chari (TCD) and Professor Gary Murphy (DCU) are joint authors of Regulating Lobbying: A Global Comparison (published by Manchester University Press).

The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee is charged with reviewing  issues surrounding the introduction of a lobbyist register in the UK.   The issue is of considerable public interest, given the forthcoming legislation and the high profile Levenson Enquiry currently  taking place in London.  While Professor Murphy was unavailable, Professor Chari and Dr. Hogan attended the Committee session.  In their submission, they spoke to the Committee about their  research findings which offer a means for benchmarking potential regulatory regimes.  The session was broadcast live on the House of Commons television channel and an audio recording is available here:  http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=10686

The research undertaken by Dr. Hogan, Professor Chari and Dr. Murphy was funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS).  On previous occasions they have presented their findings on lobbying regulations internationally to members of parliament in the Czech Republic and to members of the Oireachtas in Ireland.  They are currently consulting with the Government Reform Unit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to the introduction of a lobbying register in Ireland by 2013.

Dr. John Hogan lectures in the College of Business, DIT; Professor Raj Chari is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, TCD; and Professor Gary Murphy is Associate Professor in the School of Law and Government, DCU.  Their ‘Regulate lobbying’ website can be accessed at http://regulatelobbying.com/

Raj Chari TCD, after committee meeting in Portcullis House, Westminster, UK

John Hogan, DIT, following committee meeting in Portcullis House, Westminster, UK

John Hogan, DIT
Palace of Westminster, UK

Prof Gary Murphy, DCU

30th April 2012: The Grangegorman Masterplan has won its second major award of the year. This makes a total tally of 6 international awards for this important project in Dublin’s north inner city.

The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), the largest independent organisation focused on campus planning and design in the world, has just announced the Grangegorman Masterplan as the recipient of its Honour Award for 2012.

Speaking about the award Principal designer James Mary O’ Connor, a native of the Dublin 7 area and now based in California, said that he was hopeful that this prestigious award will help to publicise and further increase the support and momentum for this important project.

O’Connor, who is also a DIT graduate of architecture, said  “Our goal for Grangegorman is to create a place which will enrich the city fabric, a place full of vitality to serve the needs not only the immediate users of the quarter but indeed the entire community”.

This latest accolade follows the American Institute of Architects  Honour Award for Regional and Urban Design 2012. This will be presented to the designers at a major convention in Washington in May.

This exciting news  comes at a time when the Minister for Education and Skills has urged the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) to make every effort to keep the project progressing, despite the deferral of major infrastructure funding, and to do everything possible to bring the Grangegorman site into use as soon as possible.

To this end the Agency and DIT are examining the options available to enable the project proceed in the best possible way.  Chief Executive Officer of the GDA, Mr. Michael Hand, believes that despite the difficult circumstances there is a lot of support for the project.   “We know that we are not faced with an easy task. However, to continue to receive recognition such as we have, with the SCUP and AIA awards, reminds us again that this is a great project and gives us added momentum in its delivery”.   He said  “Coupled with the invaluable support from all sectors, we are focused on ensuring that the Grangegorman project proceeds. Sometimes one just has to be innovative and creative to find the way forward. That is what we are currently doing.”

The Grangegorman Planning Scheme was the subject of an An Bord Pleanala Oral Hearing in November 2011 and it is expected that a decision will be given soon.

Michael Hand, CEO, and John Fitzgerald, Chairperson of the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA), with the model of the multi-awarded masterplan

2nd May 2012: The DIT School of Hospitality Management and Tourism invites all CAO applicants to visit them at Cathal Brugha Street next Wednesday, 02 May from 15:00-17:00. There will be presentation on programmes in hospitality tourism, leisure and event management, work placements, careers and campus life in general. There will also be lots of opportunities to talk to class tutors, students and the students’ union, so do come along and find out about building a career in this growing area of the economy.

26th April 2012: This summer the DIT Soccer Club will host an official FAI Summer Soccer Schools Camp in Grangegorman this summer. The camp will take place from August 13th to 17th and will cater for 6-14 year old boys and girls of all playing abilities. According to John O’Carroll, FAI Sports Officer, “As well as attracting children from the local area I am also hoping to promote this camp to DIT staff whose children might be interested in attending”. 

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit www.summersoccerschools.ie where you can also book online. 

Alternatively you can contact John by email at john.ocarroll@fai.ie, or by phone at 086 7954371.

26th April 2012: The DIT Inventor Competition 2012 is now open for entries from DIT staff and students. Now in its 6th year, the competition run by Hothouse Technology Transfer Office, promotes and recognises innovation and creativity in DIT.

The competition is divided into the following award categories:

• Best Overall Invention Award sponsored by Hanna, Moore & Curley-prize €1,500
• Best Staff member, Post Grad and Researcher Invention Award sponsored by DIT Hothouse-prize €500
• Best Undergraduate Student Invention Award sponsored by DIT Hothouse-prize €500

To enter simply email a description of your invention answering the the following questions to hothouse@dit.ie

• What have you invented?
• What are the advantages?    
• Where will it be used?

Please note entries should be no more than 600 words in total.

Applicants should make sure that their idea/invention is not already on the market. 

Closing date Wednesday 23rd May 2012

All entries are scored on their originality, benefits, market potential, and development / commercialisation feasibility. For further information visit www.dit.ie/hothouse

24th April 2012: Awards were presented today to 140 DIT students who volunteered their time to participate in mentoring second level students and encouraging them to consider continuing their education to third level.  The Volunteering Awards were hosted by the DIT Access Service and Chaplaincy, and the Awards were presented by the President of DIT, Professor Brian Norton.

The Volunteering Awards acknowledge the work of DIT students who participated in three initiatives developed by the Access Service.

• Peer Mentoring Programme: this initiative involves current Access students undertaking to mentor 1^st year Access students.  The mentors undertake a day long training course in September and throughout the year they stay in regular contact with first year Access students.  The new students benefit greatly from the experience of their peer mentors with whom they can discuss issues ranging from academic and financial to more social topics.
• Supervised Study: DIT students link with students from inner city secondary schools for supervised study.  The secondary school students regularly visit DIT where they receive academic support from DIT students. Feedback has shown that secondary school students who participate receive high marks in their leaving cert ‘mocks’ as a result of this additional tuition from DIT students.
• Shadowing Day:  Again, students from inner city schools ‘shadow’ DIT students during a typical day of college, from lectures to library and the students union.  The schools have lower rates of progression from second level to third level, and this initiative gives them an opportunity to experience a little of what college life is like.

Congratulating the student volunteers, the President of DIT, Professor Brian Norton, said that these initiatives reflect the degree of engagement that DIT has established within the inner city schools and community.  He said engagement was an important part of the DIT mission and he thanked the students for their commitment and support.  He also acknowledged the work of colleagues in the Access Service and Chaplaincy in encouraging and motivating the spirit of volunteerism.

Also present to congratulate the students were Dr Noel O’Connor, Director of Student Services, Dr Micheal Mulvey, Director of Academic Affairs, Ms Liz Fitzpatrick, Guidance Counsellor in Presentation School, Warrenmount, and Mr. Richard Haywood Jones, DIT Lecturer and Supervised Study Coordinator.  were also presentat the event alongside staff of the DIT Access Service and Chaplaincy.

25th April 2012: The popular Donal Skehan, ‘kitchen hero’, has a new cooking series on RTE 1 (Mondays, 8.30) and next Monday’s episode shows Donal with students of Culinary Arts in DIT.  Donal, who says he learned his cooking skills at home, was curious to find out what it’s like to study culinary arts.  The DIT students were delighted to welcome him into their classes, kitchens and restaurant, along with lecturer/chef John Clancy, and to show him how they do it.

Tune in on Monday 30th April, RTE 1, 8.30 pm

Donal Skehan in the DIT kitchens

Donal Skehan with Culinary Arts students and staff

24th April 2012: Mr Ronan King, Chairman of The Green Way, was the guest speaker at a DIT Corporate Partnership Network event last week. The Green Way is a clean technology cluster organisation in Dublin. It was founded in 2010 when a number of key regional stakeholders, including DIT, came together to encourage green economic growth through the stimulation of the cleantech sector.

Addressing the audience of Network members from the tourism, energy and ICT sectors, Mr King highlighted the work that the Green Way is undertaking, including the recent signing of a collaborative agreement with the Environmental Business Cluster (EBC) in San Jose, Silicon Valley, California. The agreement will create trade opportunities for Dublin cleantech companies in the U.S. market, as well as attracting the next generation of cleantech companies from Silicon Valley to Ireland.

Mr Ronan King, Chairman of The Green Way, addressing the DIT Corporate Partnership Network

The Greenway's mission is to facilitate the transformation of the Irish economy into a sustainable green economy by supporting existing green economy companies and eco-innovation in the Dublin region, secondly, to foster and accelerate new job creation in green economy start-ups and thirdly, to facilitate multinational corporations capable of bringing transformative green economy jobs and investment to the region.

Mr David Kirk, Head of Corporate Partnerships in DIT, and Mr Ronan King, Chairman of the Green Way at the DIT Corporate Partnership Network event in DIT Aungier Street

DIT is one of the founder partners of The Green Way alongside Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Fingal County Council (FCC), Dublin City Council (DCC), Ballymun Regeneration Ltd (BRL), Dublin City University (DCU) and North Dublin Chamber (NDCC).

24th April 2012: DIT student Simon Clarke has won the 11th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition in Ireland and will now represent Ireland at the international competition. Some 120 students from around the world will participate in the finals which will take place in Beijing. Simon is a student in year 2 of BA (Hons) Chinese and International Business (DT565).

This prestigious competition is sponsored and organized by Hanban (affiliated with China's Ministry of Education) as well as the Confucius Institute Headquarters. It is aimed at college students outside China who study Chinese.  Participants must showcase traditional Chinese skills or a talent, such as music, singing, dance, calligraphy, reciting poetry, story-telling, acrobatics martial arts, and painting.  As well as this, the participants must demonstrate their knowledge of Chinese culture, history and the language itself.

This is the second time that a student in BA Hons Chinese and International Business (DT565) has been selected to represent Ireland at the finals of the  International Chinese Proficiency Competition in Beijing.

24th April 2012: GAA stars and equestrian winners, international heroes and local legends, team players and title holders from across DIT all came together for the 15th annual DIT Sports Awards ceremony held at the Gleeson Theatre in DIT Kevin Street, Dublin on April 19.

Each year DIT recognises the outstanding contribution of individual student athletes across many diverse sporting disciplines for their achievements in sport. This year’s awards ceremony was extended to reflect not only the achievements of individual students in DIT but also the contribution of the sports clubs to campus life and the importance of participation by all students in sport and recreation. Guest of honour for the ceremony was Shane Horgan, former Ireland and Leinster Rugby Legend.

Speaking at the awards ceremony Professor Brian Norton, President of DIT complimented the hard work of all involved in DIT Sports “Active involvement in sports is something DIT encourages and the DIT Sports and Recreation service has developed a comprehensive programme of sports activities that caters from the novice to elite level across the whole spectrum of sporting disciplines from archery to waterpolo.”

The annual Sports Awards have been in existence since 1998 and aim to recognise the accomplishments of DIT students on the sporting fields and arenas of Ireland and abroad.   According to Sinead McNulty, Head of Sport, “This has been a successful year for DIT sport with a number of our teams and individual students securing nationally recognised titles and winning intervarsity trophies. For example, DIT won the All Ireland Junior Football Championship, became Leinster Junior Hurling Champions, and Leinster Junior Football Champions. Our students won Division 1 Ryan Cup Championship, are Division 2 Camogie League Champions, winners of the Lynch Shield in Ladies Football and winners of Division 3 League …and that was just in GAA!”

DIT students are involved in more than forty different sports and distinguished themselves in many arenas.  For example, DIT proved its martial arts capabilities by winning the O’Connor Cup in Shotokan Karate for the third year running, and took the silver medal in the Karate Intervarsities and bronze in the Men’s Team event in the Judo intervarsities. In Archery DIT set a new team record with Sarah Deegan becoming Irish Student ladies Compound Champion and John Smith becoming the Irish Student Indoor Men’s Compound Champion. DIT Ladies are the Senior Water polo Intervarsity Champions and winners of the Men’s CUSAI Hockey League. Aaron Smith is also this year’s Young Irish Driver of the Year, while Niall O’Mhurcu won the Intermediate Scull Single Race in Rowing Intervarsity and DIT Sailing Club were awarded IUSA Club of the Year 2011/2012.

DIT Club of the Year goes to…

This year 14 awards were presented from individual All-Star Awards to the Club of the Year Award.  Also presented on the night were medallions to acknowledge some individual DIT students and staff members for their outstanding contribution to DIT Sports throughout the year.

One of the biggest clubs in DIT with more than 500 members, and a very active calendar of events, the Snow Sports Club were declared DIT Club of the Year.

Honours were also bestowed on individual students for their achievements including Sinead Goldrick from the DIT Ladies Gaelic Football Club, Aron Smith from DIT Karting Club, Colm Hill from DIT Athletics Club, Daragh Curran from DIT Rugby, Iain Walker from DIT Hockey and Philip Duffy from DIT Swimming Club. Outstanding Contribution Medallions were presented to Stephen Brandon of DIT Caving Club, Aoife Delaney of DIT Ultimate Frisbee Club and Gavin Hughes of DIT’s Snow sports Club.

This year’s recipients will now join DIT’s sporting hall of fame which includes an illustrious list of previous award winners like David Gillick, Mark Vaughan, Eamon Zayed, Steve Collins, & Shane Horgan to name but a few.

 Shane Horgan is pictured with Daragh Curran, DIT Rugby, winner of a All Star Award at the DIT Sports Awards 2012.

Former Leinster and Ireland rugby legend Shane Horgan (right) is pictured with Scott Cahill, Alex Hughes, Adam McGuigan and Emma Lowe of the DIT snow sports Club, winners of the Club of the Year at the DIT Sports Awards 2012.

Shane Horgan is pictured with Iain Walker DIT Hockey, winner of an All Star Award at the DIT Sports Awards 2012.

 Shane Horgan is pictured with Charlie Farrell of the DIT Canoe Club, winner of the Club Exec of the Year at the DIT Sports Awards 2012.

 Shane Horgan is pictured with Graham Higginbotham, Ciaran Nevin, Eric Fitzgerald and David Keogan at the DIT Sports Awards 2012

DIT Sport Service Staff with Shane Horgan

24th April 2012: Third year Visual Communication students entered the Nokia Digital media awards, answering a project brief: ‘A Story of Global Development’. This project asked students, who worked in pairs, to look at the development of digital technology towards better communication around the world.

The Nokia Digital Media Awards took place on March 30th, 2012, at the Convention Centre, Dublin.
All students are from Dublin.

Student Digital Award

Winner: ‘The Global Dancefloor,  -  Aine Gibbons & Karen Kearney

Gold Finalist: ‘500,000 Years of Human Communication’,  -  David Stanley & Karl Doyle

24th April 2012: Prof. Pat O'Connor (UL) will present on "Women, Men and Management in Irish Universities: A Recent Study" on Friday 11th May.

Prof. O'Connor's seminar will be held in the Boardroom, 3rd Floor, DIT Cathal Brugha St., starting at 1.30pm (running until 3pm). For more information about Prof. O'Connor and her presentation, please click here.

Tea, coffee, biscuits and water will be served from 1pm. Please feel free to bring your lunch. Contact martin.ryan@dit.ie for more information. Further details about HEPRU seminars will be made available on the HEPRU website, as they become available.

Higher Education Policy Research Unit, DIT Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1.

http://www.dit.ie/cser/cserexpertise/hepru/

A play of treachery and bloodshed, of violent deeds and haunting remorse that ventures into the darkest places of the human experience

DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama – BA in Drama (Performance) First Year Production
Theatre, DIT Conservatory of Music & Drama, 163-167 Rathmines Road Lower
1, 2, 3 May, 7.30pm
Tickets: €5 at door
Info: (01) 402 7858

23rd April 2012: Over 400 years after it was first written and performed, William Shakespeare’s tale of ambition, political intrigue, murder and remorse remains as relevant as ever. Many people are familiar with the tale of the ambitious Scots nobleman who goes on a murderous rampage following a prophecy of power from three mysterious witches only to discover that you should be careful what you wish for.

Adapted for a contemporary audience and presented by an ensemble cast of DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama First Year Drama Students from the BA in Drama (Performance), this production highlights the continuing relevance of this masterpiece.

Director Mary Moynihan, Artistic Director and Theatre Consultant for Smashing Times Theatre Company and a full-time lecturer at the Conservatory, offers a new take on the timeless tale, whilst retaining the compelling qualities that make this story so engaging.

DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama

For over 60 years, DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama has been committed to practical drama training and education. The Honours BA in Drama (Performance) is a three-year, full-time course which includes actor training, movement, Shakespeare in performance, Irish drama, performance for radio and camera, as well as theatre in education and performance analysis. In their final year, students perform in a full-scale production and in an acting showcase for an industry audience. Graduates have worked in the Abbey Theatre, RTÉ, the Royal Shakespeare Company, London’s West End and TEAM Theatre Company, among others. For further information visit www.dit.ie/conservatory.

Butlers - leading the way in Innovative Marketing Communications

Kathy Smyth, Marketing Manager, Butlers Chocolates will present a seminar on integrated marketing practice at Butlers Chocolates, Ireland’s favourite luxury chocolatier.

Thursday, 26th April 2012, DIT Aungier Street

Room 3-100, 6–7pm

Further information

For further information contact Deirdre Duffy at: dee.duffy@dit.ie or download our poster

19th April 2012: Coinciding with the centenary of the Bolton Street building, two DIT graduates of Architecture have completed a feasibility study of the DIT building at Bolton Street. Kieran Donnellan and Paul O' Brien have been working on the study for four months and have created varying scales of intervention which exploit the full potential of the Bolton Street site and surrounds. They have created an exhibition of their work which is now on public display in Bolton Street until early May.

According to Donnellan and O’Brien, “Interventions begin on the smallest scale with a new colour and signage scheme. Part of this plan has already been implemented in the Bolton Street entrance lobby, and marks a big improvement over the previous condition.  The largest scale of intervention is the highly ambitious introduction of a new ten storey library building in the existing car-park, an urban move aimed at future-proofing the site and allowing DIT the extra floor space needed to accommodate a central northside library facility.”

Some of the initial work was completed in time for the visit of President Michael D. Higgins to mark the centenary, including the refurbishment of the entrance hall, now showing off to advantage the plasterwork on the ceiling and the marble floor which features several different indigenous marbles.

The feasibility study is on display on the stage area of the main student concourse and everyone is invited to view it and offer feedback. An accompanying exhibition that celebrates the centenary of Bolton Street, also prepared by Donnellan & O'Brien, is also on view and features very interesting historical photographs as well as a display of the contemporary activities relating to each discipline offered in the Bolton Street campus in engineering, built environment, and printing.

19th April 2012: DIT FM is back ‘live’ on the air next week (Monday 23rd – Friday 27).  Broadcasting ‘live’ from the School of Media’s radio studios in Aungier Street on 107.8 FM and online at dit.ie.  Brought to you by the 3rd year Media Arts and Masters in Journalism students , this schedule sees DIT FM broadcasting ‘live’ each day from Bewleys of Grafton Street between 11.00AM and 1.00PM.  Lots of great music, features and interviews.

Schedule

View the DIT FM schedule here (PDF, 35kb)

Listen

19th April 2012: 1 108 80 is an exhibition of work by 3rd year BA Fine Art students in DIT.

Making references to notions of time, collectivity and process, 1 108 80 introduces a variety of outputs - located within contemporary art practice - that showcase the diversity, enquiry and individual thought that emerges from a collective environment.

Location: The Atrium, Temple Bar Studios, Fownes Street, D2. www.templebargallery.com

Gallery opening hours: 11am to 6pm Wednesday 18^th to Saturday 21st April.

Kim Langton performance during opening with Helen MacMahon tape drawing in the background

Performative work by Conor O'Grady

 Work by Ciara Mitchell, Órla Phelan, Marie Farrington

  3rd year students during a crit at the exhibition with Fine Art lecturers Amy Walsh, Dr. Ronan MCrea and Anita Groener

19th April 2012: This Sunday, April 22^nd is Earth Day, and it marks the start of the 2012 DIT Green Week.  The DIT Mental Planners Society, supported by a range of groups on campus, have put together a huge range of activities across DIT.  Michael Barry, Chairperson of Mental Planners Society said, “Green Week is about sustainability and is a great way to bring this major issue to real life through social evenings, talks and other events. The Mental Planners thought Green Week would be a good learning opportunity while also being great fun. The week is bound to live up to these expectations and we encourage others to get involved to enjoy the same experience”

The brochure for Green Week can be found here, but some of the key events are listed below:

Monday, April 23^rd

Park-ing Day.  The Mental Planners will convert parking spots outside DIT into miniature parks.

Recycling competition.  Our recycling champions will be visiting DIT sites giving advice on how to use the recycling bins. There’ll be spot prizes, and the site that sends the least amount of waste to landfill for the week will receive €250 to spend on their student common area, courtesy of Thornton’s Recycling.

Tuesday, April 24^th

Film – Gasland.  This controversial and topical film about fracking will be followed by a discussion. Time / venue TBC.

Free bike servicing.  The Spokesman will be doing FREE bike services from 1.00 – 2.30pm in the courtyard area in DIT Aungier Street

Wednesday, April 24^th

Bike to College Day.  Lots of freebies and competitions (and possibly buns) for cyclists.

Thursday, April 25^th

Free bike servicing.  The Spokesman will be doing FREE bike services from 1.00 – 2.30pm in the courtyard area in DIT Bolton St

Sustainability discussion and social evening.  Night out in the Button Factory – get in free if you’re wearing Green!

There will be lots of other events happening, so keep your eye out for posters.

Brochure

Broadcast Gallery, April 19 – 21, 2012

18th April 2012: In Conversation with ‘Conversations: Photography from the Bank of America Collection’ is an exhibition about an exhibition - namely the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s presentation of a touring show of photography selected from the bank’s collection.  It will be opened by Mary Cremin Project Curator at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, on Thursday April 19^th at 6pm.

The curatorial approach of this exhibition has been devised and produced by 3^rd Year students of Photography and Fine Art - Barry Keogh, Bobi Murray, Conor O’Grady, Efa Corwell, Emmett Connell, Kathy Gilroy-Barry, Kasia Kaminska, Maciej Pestka, Neil Dorgan, Patricia Klich, Robert McCormack and Sarah Carney - who have chosen the Gallery Context module as part of their studies at DIT.

“Entering into a dialogue with the larger exhibition, we have curated In Conversation with ‘Conversations…’ to incorporate photographs made available through the Flickr website under  Creative Commons licenses. Each image in the exhibition at Broadcast Gallery is free for use  provided it is for non-commercial purposes. Our response asks questions about the exhibition of photography and the curatorial process itself. Additionally, this is an exploration and response to current political, artistic and social codes of practice that are prominent in photography as a medium. The show engages discursively with these topics and widens the scope of the inquiry the original exhibition alludes to and the use of the formal relationships drawn between the images selected.”

A catalogue featuring an introduction and four original essays accompanies the exhibition and is free to take away.

The Exhibition will be on view at Broadcast Gallery, Dublin Institute of Technology, Portland Row, Dublin 1 at the following dates and times and all are welcome to visit:

Thursday 19 April, 11 – 8pm
Friday 20 April, 11 – 4pm
Saturday 21 April, 11 – 4pm

DIT Department of Law: Staff-led discussion seminar
Discussants: Bruce Carolan, Dr. Stephen Carruthers, Dr. Nicola Timoney
Date, Time: Tuesday  24 April 6.00pm-7.00pm
Location: DIT, Aungier Street, Dublin 2.Room 2046 (Second Floor)

Theme: This discursive seminar considers the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance of 2 March 2012  in the context of the Referendum in Ireland on the Treaty on Thursday 31 May and the Speech given by Jörg Asmussen, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the Institute of International and European Affairs, Dublin, 12 April 2012

All are welcome to attend and the seminar is open to the public.

No registration is necessary.

Tea and coffee will be provided after the seminar.

Further queries- contact Elaine.fahey@dit.ie or Stephen.carruthers@dit.ie.

17th April 2012: The 15^th DIT Annual Sports Awards takes place on Thursday 19^th April in the Gleeson Theatre, DIT Kevin Street.  Guest speaker at the event will be rugby legend Shane Horgan, formerly of Leinster and Ireland.  He will be welcomed by Professor Brian Norton, President of DIT, and will join guests who include sports coaching personnel, volunteers and of course the principal guests on the night – the student members of the forty DIT Sports Clubs.

The DIT Sport and Recreation Service has developed a comprehensive programme of sports activities over the last number of years that caters from the novice to elite level.  The Sports Awards aim to recognise the accomplishments of DIT students in their various codes on sporting fields and arenas in Ireland and abroad.  The Awards event is also an opportunity to acknowledge some individual DIT students and staff members for their outstanding contribution to DIT Sports throughout the year. 

Sunday 22nd April 2012, 3pm and 8pm, National Concert Hall

• DIT Symphony Orchestra, DIT Wind Ensemble, DIT Big Band, DIT Irish Traditional Music Ensemble, DIT Junior Ensembles
• Conductors/Directors: David Brophy, John Meehan, Michael Nielsen, Odhrán Ó Casaide, David O’Doherty, Ronan Grant, Kitty Dalligan
• Soloists: Ksenija Baidalinova (piano) and Iulian Pusca (panpipes).

17th April 2012: DIT Ensembles All Together Now showcases the talented students of DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in two gala concerts, featuring the full range of DIT instrumental ensembles in a programme of popular classics and contemporary repertoire for film, stage and concert hall. The 3pm concert features the DIT Junior Wind Band, DIT Concert Band, DIT Big Band and DIT Wind Ensemble. The 8pm concert features the DIT Preliminary Strings, DIT Junior Orchestra, DIT Intermediate Orchestra, DIT Irish Traditional Music Ensemble and DIT Symphony Orchestra.  The 8pm concert will also feature Ksenija Baidalinova (piano) and Iulian Pusca (panpipes) in concerto performances.  

Date: Sunday 22nd April 2012, 3pm and 8pm
Venue: National Concert Hall
Tickets: Available from the National Concert Hall Box Office on 01 417 0000 or online at www.nch.ie

• Prices: €15 (Concessions: €10)
• 10% Discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall
• 10% Discount for Groups of 10 or more

16th April 2012: The annual 12^th DIT Society Awards took place in Gleeson Theatre on the 4^th April 2012. The awards ceremony is designed to highlight the contribution of Societies and individual students who have made an outstanding effort in volunteering to create extra curricular life at DIT. The institute has over 80 societies and 30 special events which provide the student body with a range of cultural, social, political and creative activities. Awards were presented on the night to societies and students that have excelled in engaging the student body throughout the year. This year DIT Societies have raised thousands of euro’s for various charities. The winners went on to represent the Institute in the National Society of the Year Awards, organised by BICS (Board of Irish Colleges Societies) on the 12th of April.

Professor Brian Norton with DIT's Best Society 2012 - The LGBT Soc

A huge thank you to Professor Norton for attending the event and to all the student volunteers who helped with the organisation, Gleeson Theatre looked great!

The winners on the night were;

• Best Photo – DIT Guitar Soc
• Online Presence – DIT LGBT Soc
• Best Course Related – Engineer Soc
• Most Improved Northside – Banter Soc
• Most Improved Southside – Film Soc
• Most Improved Overall – Banter Soc
• Best New Society – Bia Mall
• Best On-Site Event – Inclusion & Integration Week, DIT Sign Soc
• Best Northside Society – Engineer Soc
• Best Southside Society – Nutrition Soc
• Best Fresher – Didi De Zwarte
• Best Individual – Helene Duffy, Max Federov and Siobhan Nic Uidhir
• Charity Event – DIT Christmas Appeal
• Civic Contribution – DIT Sign Soc
• Best Event – Rainbow Week, LGBT Soc
• Best Society – DIT LGBT Soc
• Peoples Choice Award – Engineer Soc

List of final year “Outstanding Contribution Awards” 2012 -

• Gianfranco Palumbo
• Tania Zorrilla
• Colin Campbell
• Keelan Keogh
• Paul Conroy
• Evan Farrell
• Jenny Whitehead
• Ruth Hynes
• Will Meara
• Jess Elmes
• Orla Kinsella
• Martin Lee
• Dearbhla Leddy

DIT Sign Soc

Outstanding Contribution Awards

DIT Engineering Soc

DIT Banter Soc

16th April 2012: DIT Students' Union has been awarded Best Delegation at the Union of Students in Ireland's annual National Congress in Ballinasloe. This is DIT Students' Union's fourth consecutive year to win the award - an unprecedented achievement.

President Michael D. Higgins meets some of the DIT delegates at the USI congress in Ballinasloe

USI National Congress meets annually to debate and approve national policy. Approximately 30 colleges from around the country were represented by almost 300 delegates.

There were 18 DIT students on the delegation, which triumphed over delegations from other colleges including TCD, UCD, UCC and NUIG.

DIT Students' Union President, Ciarán Nevin, said; "Students can be very proud of this achievement, which recognises the respect that their Students' Union commands on a national level. Students of today will be responsible for cleaning up the mess that we as a country have found ourselves in. It is vitally important that students engage in the political process and make their voice heard."

DIT Students' Union submitted five motions, while it co-sponsored a number of motions, including;

• Technological University Status
• Reform of the Irish Constitution
• Continued Improvements to Lecturing Standards in HEI's
• Implementation of the HEA report from the Working Group on Student Contribution
• Students with Learning Disabilities

New DITSU Website Recognised as Best SU Website in Ireland

DIT Students' Union also won the Best Students' Union Website award for its new website which is to be officially launched on the 3rd of May. The judges were hugely impressed with the new website, which is in the final stages of construction.

For more information, visit new DIT Students' Union Website

Guest of Honour - President, Michael D Higgins

The four day conference was attended by a number of informative guest speakers, with President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, addressing Congress as Guest of Honour. President Higgins challenged the national students’ union to be to the fore in “rebuilding Ireland…with an inclusive citizenship and creative society ”, constituting a real republic, according to President Higgins.

Addressing a packed congress floor with over 300 student leaders, delegates and guests, President Higgins urged the national students’ union to be “as imaginative and creative in rebuilding our country” as possible. President Higgins continued to commend the USI as an organisation that has left “an indelible mark on higher education and also on graduates [through] the benefits of its campaigns, its advocacy and representation”.

DIT Team Talk at USI Congress 2012

DITSU wins best delegation at USI Congress 2012

11th April 2012: The team behind Nero-Hero, a new neoprene swimming garment that helps learner swimmers to keep afloat, have won this year’s Bolton Trust/DIT Student Enterprise Competition.

Team members, Daniel Minogue, David Manton, John Healy and Robert McCarthy, who are studying Product Design in DIT Bolton Street, received a €2,000 cash prize. The team’s design is a neoprene garment that raises the body of the user into the correct position while swimming, to improve technique.  

 Daniel Minogue and David Manton of 'Nero-Hero' who picked up the €2,000 first prize in the Bolton Trust Student Enterprise Awards 2012

The four teams shortlisted for the final presented their ideas and accompanying business plans to a panel of expert judges on the night. Nero-Hero were judged to have the best strategy for the manufacture, sale and marketing of their eye-catching invention. They also outlined a series of products that they could develop in the future using the same technology. Dressinade took second prize with their plan to develop a range of marinades and dressings and picked up a special prize for Best Market Research.  The other two business ideas presented were a new craft beer developed by the Red Head Brewing Company, and a smart phone application created by Emergency Services App.

Bolton Trust Student Enterprise Awards judges Robin Blanford (D4H), Ian Lucey (Lucey Technology)  Carole Hurley (AIB), Pat McCormack (Bolton Trust) and Dermot Tierney (DIT Hothouse)

The Bolton Trust Student Enterprise Awards have been running for almost 20 years. The Trust was established in 1986 by staff of the Dublin Institute of Technology to promote new business enterprise in Ireland. Sponsors of the Awards are the Bolton Trust, DIT Hothouse, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Office in DIT, and AIB.

Commenting on the Awards, Mr John Kelly of AIB said, ‘This year is the first year of AIB's involvement with The Bolton Trust / DIT Student Enterprise Competition in a sponsorship which is part of a 3 year agreement. We are delighted to be supporting this initiative as it shows our commitment to students and enterprise and it is an exciting and promising partnership.’

Much has been written about the challenges faced by the hospitality sector, both in Ireland and the UK, but is the reality on the ground really as impossible as some make it sound? 

The School of Hospitality Management and Tourism is delighted to welcome Andreas Scriven, Director and Head of Consultancy at Christie + Co, to give a presentation on the challenges and resilience of the hospitality sector.  He will share insights gained from working across Ireland, the UK and beyond and explain why the sector is more resilient than the headlines would have you believe. He will also touch on the current transactional markets, potential buyers and what motivates them, as well as addressing some of the key operational opportunities and challenges hoteliers will face in the coming months and years. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.

Christie + Co is the leading European specialist hotel and leisure property advisor.

Date: Tuesday 17^th April
Time: 6 – 7 pm
Venue: DIT, Cathal Brugha Street – KOS Theatre

If you plan to attend please RSVP to Fiona Greagsbey 01 402 4519 or e.mail fiona.greagsbey@dit.ie

About Andreas Scriven:

Andreas is the Head of Consultancy at Christie + Co, the leading European specialist hotel and leisure property advisor. He has extensive consultancy and M&A experience across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the USA. Over the last 24 months he has advised a wide variety of clients on over 15bn Euro of hospitality & leisure debt. Andreas joined the Christie+Co from Deloitte, where he spent six years working in the UK and the USA across the Consultancy and Corporate Finance divisions. Prior to joining Deloitte, Andreas was based in Los Angeles as part of Arthur Andersen Hotel Business Consultancy team. He has operational hotel experience in the USA, Switzerland and Hong Kong. He is a graduate of Cornell University -  School of Hotel Administration and speaks fluent German and Swiss-German.

More about Christie and Co.

11th April 2012: With the kind support of the Cultural Service of the French Embassy, DIT School of Media is delighted to welcome Jacques Cluzaud – film director, actor and Academy Award-winning producer – and Francois Serano – oceanographer, scientific advisor, author and mission leader for Captain Jacques Cousteau – who will deliver a masterclass in documentary making.

Where: DIT, Aungier Street - Room 3-067/68
When: Monday 23rd April, 2012, 5pm

While this unique event will be of particular interest to students of journalism, film and broadcasting, anyone with an interest in documentary or in the exceptional work of Jacques Cluzaud and Francois Serano  will be most welcome to attend.

A short reception will follow the event.

www.dublinonecityonebook.ie

03 April 2012: During the month of April, students are being encouraged to join in this year’s ‘One City, One Book’ reading festival when everyone in Dublin is invited to read the same book. The chosen book for April 2012 is Dubliners by James Joyce. International students are also being encouraged to join in and be involved in the festival. An authentic insight into the cultural and historical characteristics of Dublin can be found by reading what is regarded as Joyce’s most accessible book. It is a fun and interactive way of getting to know Dublin, a city where thousands of students study every year.

Meanwhile, you can listen to actor Stephen Rea reading the famous last story in Dubliners - “The Dead” – on Radio 1, at 11 pm Monday to Friday nights, this week and next week. This will also be available on FM, Digital Radio, Saorview, and via the RTÉ Radio Player online and on mobile devices.

Public lecture series 2011-12

Richard Kearney

Narrative and Catharsis

6.30pm Wednesday, 25 April 2012

Lecture Room G6, School of Art Design and Printing

Dublin Institute of Technology, 41 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1

Richard Kearney holds the Seelig Chair of Philosophy at Boston College and has served as a Visiting Professor at University College Dublin and the University of Paris. He is the author of over twenty books on European philosophy and literature (including two novels and a volume of poetry) and has edited or co-edited eighteen more. Recent publications include a trilogy entitled 'Philosophy at the Limit'. The three volumes are On Stories (Routledge, 2002), The God Who May Be (Indiana UP, 2001) and Strangers, Gods, and Monsters (Routledge, 2003). Since then, Richard Kearney has published Debates in Continental Philosophy (Fordham, 2004), The Owl of Minerva (Ashgate, 2005), Navigations (Syracuse University Press, 2007) and Anatheism (Columbia, 2009).Richard Kearney is international director of the Guestbook Project--Hosting the Stranger: Between Hostility and Hospitality.

This talk will address the role of storytelling as a cathartic and therapeutic process. Beginning with Aristotle's understanding of catharsis in the 'Poetics' it will then explore a number of examples from ancient myth and folktale to contemporary debates on the role of narrative in psychoanalysis, holocaust testimony and art.

All are welcome to this free event.

To secure your place, please book by email: indiscussionadp@gmail.com

in|discussion a forum on contemporary issues and current research in typography, art, design, material culture, critical theory, pedagogy, philosophy, society and technology. Updates on the lecture series at: http://indiscussionadp.blogspot.com/

Click here to view slideshow of images

Dublin, 30 March 2012:   President Michael D. Higgins was yesterday the first visitor to an exhibition celebrating one hundred years of excellence in education in Bolton Street.  Accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Sabina Higgins, the President was welcomed to DIT by Dr. Mike Murphy, Director and Dean of the College of Engineering and Built Environment and Mr. John O’Connor, Director and Dean of the College of Arts and Tourism. 

The iconic Bolton Street building, with its imposing façade, was officially opened in January 1912.  As President Higgins entered the building, he was escorted into the original main corridor and through a timeline display of historic photos, from the late 19^th century and through the 20^th century. 

Arriving at the modern extension to the campus, the President and Mrs. Higgins then met staff and students in an exhibition of current student projects and research.  The exhibition, which was curated by Ms Orna Hanly, Head of the School of Architecture, is designed to provide an overview of the seventeen principal disciplines currently offered in Bolton Street, ranging from plastering and printing to building design and space research.  At each stand the President was introduced to a member of academic staff and a current student who gave him a brief description of their area.

Following a whistle-stop tour of the stands, President and Mrs. Higgins were then escorted to the Michael O’Donnell Theatre, where a capacity audience of students, staff, graduates and guests from industry and professional institutes had listened to a short presentation on the hundred-year history of Bolton Street, delivered by Mr. Robert Simpson, Head of the School of Mechanical and Transport Engineering.

Before inviting President Higgins to make his address, Master of Ceremonies Mr. John Lawlor called on Professor John Monaghan to speak briefly about his own experience first as a student and later lecturer in Bolton Street.  Professor Monaghan, a Fellow of  Trinity College, described his personal journey from apprenticeship to PhD, paying tribute to the excellence of his education in Bolton Street and the opportunities that it opened up to him.

President Higgins was then invited to address the assembly, and he began his remarks by paying tribute to Professor Monaghan for his contribution to society, as an educator and  through his involvement with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  He went on to speak about his interest in the background of the Bolton Street building and all that has taken place there during its first one hundred years.  While appreciating the historical artefacts on view in the centenary exhibition,  President Higgins went on to warmly congratulate all of the students whom he met at the showcase of current research and innovation and he urged the students to continue to challenge ideas, to question how things are, and to continue to innovate.

Thanking the President and Mrs. Higgins for coming, Dr. Mike Murphy spoke about the Institute’s pride in its history and its ongoing commitment to its mission.  “We educate our current students to the demands of today’s technological requirements, design potential and building standards, but DIT prides itself on building on the tradition of innovation and craftsmanship from previous generations.  We are very conscious that we must make as significant a contribution today as our predecessors made one hundred years ago and indeed in each successive generation", he said. 

The President unveiled a plaque, commemorating the centenary and his inaugural visit to Bolton Street, and accepted a memento of his visit, presented by Mr. Robert Simpson.

The audience stood to warmly applaud President and Mrs. Higgins as they left, greeting students and staff as they made their way from the auditorium.

30th March 2012: If you are interested in a career in finance, you can take the Bloomberg Assessment Test (BAT) to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and also showcase your abilities to a wide range of financial employers.

On Friday 4th May, students can take the BAT free of charge, on campus in DIT - see below for details:

29th March 2012: BizGrad 2012 has now been cancelled - further details at http://gradcampdublin.wordpress.com/.

28th March 2012: This Saturday, 31^st March, the DIT Aungier Street Campus will host BizGrad 2012. BizGrad consists of a series of workshops aimed at giving entrepreneurs practical advice and direction on starting your own business.

The workshops have been organised by DIT students, Paul Flynn and Chris White, who are currently completing the MSc in Business & Entrepreneurship. Their aim is to bring together young entrepreneurs to inspire and harness each others’ potential.  Speakers who feel they can share their own business and entrepreneurial experience are invited to participate.

The workshops will be opened and closed by key note speakers and there will be plenty of opportunity to network and share your ideas with other ambitious and talented entrepreneurs over the course of the day.

Tickets are priced at €10 and can be purchased online at https://www.eventelephant.com/bizgrad2012. Both organisers and speakers are running these workshops on a voluntary basis so all profits from the online booking charge will be donated to the Simon Community. 

For further information check out the following:  

Blog: http://gradcampdublin.wordpress.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bizgrad
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/biz_grad

Venue: Dublin Institute of Technology, (Gleeson Hall) Kevin Street, Dublin 8.
Date: Saturday, 21st April 2012

This Open Information Day will run from 9.00am to 13.00pm. It is for the all our engineering programmes offered at our Kevin Street Campus as listed below. It will be an opportunity for you to visit our facilities, meet lecturers and students, attend brief presentations on our programmes and to ask questions.

How to register

Register your attendance by emailing: engzone@dit.ie with your name and DIT choice of programme/s before Wednesday April 18th, or register below:

Kevin Street Engineering Programmes

DT081 – B. E. in Computer and Communications Engineering - level 8

DT021 – B.E. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering  - level 8

DT008 – B. Eng. Tech. in Electronic and Communications Engineering - level 7

DT009 – B. Eng. Tech. in Electrical and Control Engineering - level 7

DT097 - Engineering (General Entry) - level 7

DT080 – B.Tech in Networking Technologies - Level 7 

DT010 – B. Eng. Tech. Electrical Services Engineering  - level 7

See more information on our engineering programmes here.

28th March 2012: The12th Annual DIT Societies formal Awards Dinner and Dance is being held in Gleeson Hall, DIT Kevin Street, Dublin 2 on the 4th of April, 2012. 

This awards ceremony is designed to highlight the contribution of Societies and individual students who have made an outstanding effort in volunteering to create extra curricular life at DIT. The institute has over 80 societies and 30 special events which provide the student body with a range of cultural, social, political and creative activities. Awards will be presented on the night for societies and students that have excelled in engaging the student body.

Guests are requested to arrive at 7pm sharp, with dinner being served at 7.30pm. The formal awards ceremony will take place at 8.45pm, and will finish at 9.45pm. There will be a reception in Solas afterwards.

This year DIT Societies have raised thousands for euros various charities and organised many cultural and social events/activities, engaging thousands of DIT students and staff along the way.

The winners at this event will be representing the Institute in the National Society of the Year Awards, organised by BICS (Board of Irish Colleges Societies) on the 12th of April.

For further information please contact awards@socs.dit.ie.

Some of the events organised by DIT Societies;

• Inclusion and Integration Week
• DIT Drama Awards
• World Aids Day
• DIT Fashion Show
• Clubs and Socs Festival
• DIT Society Christmas Appeal
• Skill Masters
• Mature Students Intervarsity
• Volunteering Induction Project
• ASA Ball
• Beast Ball

28th March 2012: The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) is holding a Mathematics Competency Test (MCT) for applicants to its Level 8 (Honours) Engineering programmes that require a minimum grade of HC3 in Leaving Certificate Mathematics. The purpose of the MCT is to offer candidates an alternative route to achieve this minimum entry requirement.

The MCT is not obligatory and no extra CAO points are awarded for successful students. Those students that are successful will have met the minimum entry requirement of HC3 in Leaving Certificate Mathematics. 

The MCT is set at a similar standard as the Leaving Certificate Honours Mathematics examination. Students that have studied the Leaving Certificate Mathematics curriculum at Honours Level are invited to sit the exam.

DIT is currently accepting applications to sit the MCT from those who have applied to DIT for a Level 8 Honours Engineering Programme which have a minimum requirement of a HC3 in Mathematics.

How do I apply?

You can apply directly by emailing your details to Mark Russell at mark.russell@dit.ie  . Details to include are:-

• Your name
• Your address
• Your CAO number
• Telephone contact number

Useful links

• 2008 Entrance Exam Paper in Mathematics (Engineering) (Word doc) 
• 2009 Entrance Exam Paper in Mathematics (Engineering) & Sample Answers (Word doc)
• 2010 Entrance Exam Paper in Mathematics (Engineering) & Sample Answers (Word doc)
• 2011 Special Mathematics Exam Syllabus for Engineering (Word doc) 
• 2011 Entrance Exam Paper in Mathematics (Engineering) (Word doc)

FAQs 

Why is there a Maths Competency Test?

Most Level 8 (Honours) Engineering programmes in DIT have a minimum requirement of an Honours C3 or higher in Leaving Certificate Mathematics. This is an option available to you to meet this requirement, either in April before the Leaving Certificate exam or after the Leaving Certificate results are issued in August.

Who should take this exam?

If you have applied through the CAO for entry to Level 8 Engineering programmes in DIT and are ineligible for consideration due the minimum entry requirement in Mathematics, then you should take this special exam. If you missed the minimum entry requirement by either scoring lower than HC3 or you changed to the Ordinary Level Mathematics paper just prior to sitting the Leaving Certificate Examinations, then you should take this exam.

Am I eligible for my Engineering programme choice?

Please check the minimum requirements for your chosen programme. For the following DIT Level 8 Engineering programmes, the minimum requirement for Leaving Certificate Mathematics is HC3:

• DT021 Electrical / Electronic Engineering
• DT023 Manufacturing and Design Engineering
• DT025 Engineering (Common First Year)
• DT081 Computer and Communications Engineering

What is the MCT?

It is a mathematics exam organised, conducted and examined by DIT.  It is an opportunity for applicants to DIT Level 8 Engineering programmes to meet the minimum entry requirement in Leaving Certificate Mathematics.

When is the MCT?

It will be held twice this year.  The first sitting will be on the 14th April and the second will be on the 22nd August.

How do I apply?

Please contact the Admissions Office, DIT to apply for this exam. You can apply directly by emailing your details to Mark Russell at mark.russell@dit.ie  . Details to include are:-

• Your name
• Your address
• Your CAO number
• Telephone contact number

What do I need to bring on the day of the exam?

• A recognised form of photo I.D.
• Pen / biro
• Calculator 

Maths Tables will be supplied in the exam hall.

When do I hear of my results?

For the first sitting in April, the results will be sent to you by email after the completion of the Leaving Certificate exams.  For the second sitting in August, we will endeavour to furnish you with a result (pass / fail) of the exam within one week. 

What happens next?

If you have been successful in the MCT, you will become eligible for consideration on the specified Level 8 Engineering programme(s) in respect of the minimum entry requirement in maths.  DIT will inform the CAO directly of your eligibility.

The CAO will allocate places on the programmes according to the points system.

Please note that success in the Special Maths Exam does not automatically guarantee a place on a DIT Level 8 Engineering programme.

Can I use the result for entry onto other programmes with similar entry requirements?

No. The exam relates ONLY to DIT Level 8 Engineering programmes. It does not apply to other DIT programmes or to any programme outside of DIT.

Disclaimer

22nd March 2012: The DIT Higher Education Policy Research Unit (HEPRU) is holding a series of seminars over the coming months.We welcome your attendance at these events.

Dr. Fumi Kitagawa (Manchester) will present on "Incentivising Knowledge Exchange: A Comparison of Vision, Strategy, Policy and Practice in English and Scottish Higher Education" on Friday 30th March. Dr. Kitagawa's seminar will be held in room 205 Mountjoy Square, starting at 12pm (running until 2pm). The flier attached to this email contains more information about her presentation.

In addition, HEPRU would like to draw your attention to the current schedule of upcoming seminars in our series. These are as follows:

• April 20th, "The Irish Higher Education Landscape"
• May 11th, Pat O'Connor (University of Limerick): TBA
• May 22nd, Martin Ryan (HEPRU): "The Production of Scientific Output by Early-Career Researchers"
• June 15th, Elaine Ward (HEPRU): "The Value of Arts and Humanities Research in Ireland"
• June 20th, Pamela Eddy (William & Mary): TBA

Further details about these seminars will be made available on our website, as they become available.

Please contact martin.ryan@dit.ie for further information about the seminar series.

DIT Open Day for School of Real Estate and Construction Economics

Guest Speaker: Patricia Power, 11.00 Saturday 24^th March 2012 Room 335 Third Floor Bolton Street, Dublin 1

22nd March 2012: Patricia Power has become the face of quantity surveying through her role on Room to Improve on RTÉ.

Initially, Patricia wanted to be a land surveyor, so she studied for and obtained a certificate in geo-surveying in DIT Bolton Street. But after two years, she really felt she wanted to move into quantity surveying. The good news was that she got some exemptions, but she still had to do the four years of study. So after six years in DIT, Patricia graduated from DIT Bolton Street with a degree in construction economics. “College,” she says, “was a  fantastic experience.”

Patricia is the founder of the Patricia Power Quantity Surveying and Project Management Practice. Prior to her current role, Patricia spent 12 years with a large Quantity Surveying/Project Management Practice. She has worked with Clients, Architects, Engineers, Contractors and Builders across a range of industry sectors to include residential, retail, health, commercial, sport & leisure, industrial and civil. She has a proven track record in the construction industry across Ireland.

As of recent Patricia can be seen on RTE One’s Room to Improve working with her Clients along side Architect Dermot Bannon. Regular viewers will vouch for Patricia’s effect on the projects in the show. She’s always on top of the costings and has a very straight way of telling Dermot what is possible – and what is not.

A new life

Taking the job with Room to Improve did change Patricia’s life. Now a mother to three small girls, she had reached a point where she needed a more flexible and balanced approach to life. Room to Improve allowed Patricia to  set up a consultancy, working from home, with her own clients, and on her own terms. She has some strong observations on the role of quantity surveyors. “It’s quite normal that people don’t understand what I do, but I think the programme has been a big help in changing people’s perceptions of quantity surveyors.” That’s certainly true. What has emerged is something that Patricia feels is a general truth: “Architects are very creative people, but they are not always suited to being good project managers. Quantity surveyors, on the other hand, are particularly suited to project management and are trained to look for the pitfalls and budget over runs.”

A public demonstration

Patricia Power says she is very lucky. The call to work on Room to Improve came at just the right time in her life. It has allowed her to set up her own practice, with her own client base, and work on terms that are appropriate to her current life circumstances. And it’s evident that she loves the mix of work. She’s been a big hit on Room to Improve and that has attracted good business. In doing so, she has also been a powerful public demonstration of the benefits of professional quantity surveying.

21st March 2012: DIT students in Year 3 of the B.Sc. Business and Management (DT 365) programme have recently raised over €24,000 as part of their coursework on the New Venture Creation module.

DT365 B.Sc. Business and Management Year 3 Students Raise €24,000 for Charities

The primary objective of the assignment is to give the student the experience of behaving in an entrepreneurial manner while also contributing to society. The assignment requires the student to generate their own ideas for a charity event, run the event, and then write a paper reflecting upon their experiences. The students work in self-selected groups of two or three students and each group decides what type of event to organise and the benefitting charity to which it donates any money raised. This year charities selected included the Irish Cancer Society, Temple Street Children's Hospital, Special Olympics Ireland, Bothair, RNLI, Make A Wish Foundation, Cancer Clinical Research Trust, Autism Ireland, Cystic Fibrosis and CARI amongst many others. The students meet their charities to learn about their activities, undertake detailed planning for the event that they wish to organise, complete two compulsory online modules regarding Health and Safety, ensure that their events are properly insured, and that their event will effectively promoted through a variety of traditional and social media channels. The types of events organised included Dinner Night, Sponsored Cycle, Race Night, Coffee Morning, Spiral Made of Euros, Comedy Night and No Uniform Day amongst the many different ideas and events that were hosted by the students. One of the events undertaken was a sponsored cycle of the Ring of Kerry and which one of the students followed to create a short video which can be found at http://vimeo.com/37890860.

The charity events are organised under the umbrella of The DIT Programme for Students Learning With Communities which involves DIT students working with underserved community partners (local groups, not-for-profit organisations, etc.) to develop real-life projects. This is known as community-based learning, community-based research, and also service-learning. Learning comes alive for the students as they work on these projects with real clients, applying their specialist subject skills, and receiving course credits for their work. The community becomes part of the teaching process and benefits from the students’ work. These projects give all participants the opportunity to engage in critical thinking and to develop their social awareness. The Programme for Students Learning with Communities ultimately aims to energise participants to work for social change.

The Business and Management Degree programme seeks to develop the knowledge and skills (technical, analytical, conceptual, interpersonal and intrapersonal) necessary for a successful business career and to support these goals, the programme offers many opportunities for experiential learning and also includes a five-month company placement. New Venture Creation is an elective module lead by Professor Thomas Cooney who has published widely on the topic of entrepreneurship particularly with reference to minority communities.

B.Sc. Business and Management (DT 365) Programme Director Dr Eoghan O’Grady commented that ‘the New Venture Creation Class and module leader Professor Tom Cooney deserve great credit for the design, delivery and completion of such an innovative module which has been recognised in reports on entrepreneurship education best practice in Europe, Australia and other regions.  The combination of enterprise education and societal contribution exemplifies the learning philosophy of the programme i.e. “living learning”.  I am sure the students will have very fond and proud memories of this module for many years into the future’.   

21st March 2012:  With Vodafone as Title sponsor, the DIT Fashion Show 2012 is ready to go.  The final nine shortlisted student designs, each portraying the theme of "End of The World – Dawn Of A New Era" have been unveiled for the Vodafone DIT Fashion Show taking place tonight, Wednesday 21st March, in Vicar Street.

The show is now in its ninth year and continues to fill the 1000-seat venue at Vicar Street.  The four members of the judging panel will be stylist Maria Fusco, broadcaster Brendan Courtney, fashion editor at The Irish Independent Weekend Magazine, Bairbre Power, and stylist and writer Angela Scanlon.

This annual event is run entirely by DIT students, and each year a whole new team takes on the challenge of making it happen.  Vodafone Ireland was unveiled as title sponsor of the DIT Fashion Show and Robert Hyland, Sponsorship Manager at Vodafone Ireland ,said: ‘We recognise how important it is to support and nurture young, local fashion talent, especially as Ireland has produced many world-class leaders in fashion and has long had a significant international influence in the industry. We see a tremendous opportunity for Vodafone to really add value to this unique event and we are looking forward to working with the organisers to further develop Vodafone’s involvement with the show.’

Emma Ward ( Designer Michael Power), Niamh Murphy (designer Elaine McGovern), Vita Mak ( designer Aisling Connell), Hana Murphy (designer Tanya Byrne), Odette Devereux (designer Victoria Gryznyk), Coco Jacquot ( designer Hannah Furlong), Gemma Fowler (designer Lisa Wynne), Saoirse Sexton (designer Jennifer Massey), Jessica Cruess Callaghan (designer Ailbhe Devlin).

The competition is intense as usual and the overall winner of the student design element of this annual show run will receive a cash prize of €2,000 and trophy.  Forty-nine student models bring the fashion to the stage, and the award for best male and female model will also be announced.

The nine design finalists in the 2012 Vodafone DIT Fashion Show are:

Lisa Wynne (NCAD) is from Killiney, Dublin and her design is worn by Gemma Fowler who is from Blachardstown, Dublin and studying retail and services management in DIT. Lisa says that her design is a response to the tsunami which hit Japan last year, and the destruction brought upon the victims and communities, destroying thousands of lives. “The construction of each garment is imbued with the element of disruption, echoing the deep disruption that the tsunami brought on Japanese aesthetics; the chaotically cut partially-tailored jacket, the blouse of two completely separate halves, the waves of volume in the culotte trousers.”

Gemma fowler wears design by Lisa Wynne

Victoria Gryznyk (NCAD) is from Thomas Street, Dublin and her design is worn by Odette Devereux from Portobello, Dublin who is studying food innovation in DIT.  Victoria chose her theme of ‘religion in the apocalypse.’  Victoria says, ‘I find people’s innate relationship with religion and all that comes with it fascinating. I see it as intrinsically linked to, and steeped within society around the world.’

Model Odette wears design by Victoria Grysnk

Ailbhe Devlin (Grafton Academy) from Foxrock, Dublin has designed a tsunami inspired outfit worn by Jessica Cruess Callaghan who is from Blackrock, Dublin student of human resource management in DIT.  Ailbhe’s design entry is a structured dress with a combination of different fabrics and textures representing the turmoil, destruction and aftermath of a tsunami.

Michael Power (NCAD) is from Gorey, Wexford and his design which is inspired by the post- apocalyptic world is worn by model Emma Ward from Kells Co. Meath who is studying human resource management in DIT.  Michael says his garment is inspired by the rocks, minerals and crystals which left behind in a post apocalyptic world. He says, ‘The graphic, intricate angles and rich textures found in natural mineral deposits motivated me to use a mixture of fabrics including leather, mesh and wool. The leather and wool has been cut into stripes which are combined in a series of sophisticated folds on a mesh base to produce a floor sweeping garment which bestows upon the wearer a sense of power, strength and movement.’

Model Emma Ward wearing design by Michael Power

Aisling Connell (NCAD) from Knocklyon, Dublin has designed a piece worn by Niamh Walls who is a DIT student. Aisling’s design consists of two garments, a large outer cape and a skin-tight body suit. The body suit is made from over 60 small pieces of grey power net fabric and blue snakeskin sewn together, giving it a fragmented look, like a mosaic. Layered over this is a large cape made from navy felt and power net. She says, ‘To give the felt a more structured appearance I bonded it onto satin with glue, meaning that the inside of the cape is bright blue, starkly contrasting the dark felt outside. I have suspended strings of chain from the end of the cape using transparent fishing line.’

Jennifer Massey (Grafton Academy) comes from Greystones in Wicklow and her design is modelled by Saoirse Sexton from Clontarf, a student of visual and critical studies in DIT. J ennifer says her design is about death and generations, what is passed on and what is lost. She says, ‘I have designed it by looking at my own grandmother's death, at fading memories and exaggerated misconceptions and secrets that are lost forever’.

Model Saoirse wears design by Jennifer Massey

Elaine McGovern (Grafton Academy) is from Ranelagh, Dublin has created ‘The Wallflower’ which is worn by model Niamh Murphy from Drumcondra, who studies baking and pastry arts management in DIT.  Her design is inspired by the strength and force of nature which continues to flourish and thrive in even the bleakest environment. She says, ‘I collected visual examples of decay and deterioration and explored the effects of time and age on the material world. I was greatly inspired by the work of photographer Andrew Moore, who has captured the strange beauty of the many derelict buildings scattered throughout Detroit City which have become overgrown with flowers and plants’.

Hannah Furlong (NCAD) is from Carlow and has designed a piece worn by model Coco Jacquo from Paris who studies business management in DIT. The piece is tailored with an Egyptian cotton white shirt with a black button stand. The collar has rectangular cut out sections, giving it a glimpse of the black under-collar. The colours are dark. The cut is formal but considers a new approach, combining deconstructed elements of menswear, with feminine lines. The overall look is clean, minimal, masculine and tailored.

Model Coco Jacqout wearing design by designer Hannah Furlong

Tanya Byrne (Grafton Academy), from Saggart, Co. Kildare, has designed a piece worn by model Hana Murphy who is from Killiney, Dublin and is studying film and broadcasting in DIT.  Tanya’s design represents re-growth, linking with the ‘Dawn Of A New Era’ theme.  It is a leather/wool coat with leather sleeves with lace up wool trousers.

Tickets and Further Information

Tickets for “End of the World – Dawn of a New Era” – Vodafone DIT Fashion Show 2012 cost €25 or €20 for students and are available from Tickets.ie. 

The DIT Fashion Society is one of 80 clubs and societies in DIT with some 6,000 student members involved in their wide-ranging activities.. All societies place heavy emphasis on the experience students gain from managing and participating in productions, campaigns and events, such as the DIT Vodafone Fashion Show.

For further information, see www.ditfashionshow.ie and http://ditfashionshow.blogspot.com/

21st March 2012: This year we are having 5th edition of international break dance competition Skill Masters taking place traditionally in DIT Kevin St. This year sees the event sponsored by Dublin City Council and Spin Fm 1038. Finals have been preceded by eliminations in countries like: Spain, France, Poland, Great Britain, Ireland and Ukraine.The Final event will be held on the 24th and 25th of March 2012. On the First day the audience at Gleeson Hall Theatre, DIT on Kevin Street will have a unique opportunity to see graffiti jam, dance showcases and take part in workshops with invited bboys from all over the Europe. One the Second day the audience will witness the dynamic and explosive battles for places in the Top 16, where bboys are going to compete for 6 places to join 10 already invited bboys (Great 10) to qualify for the quarter finals, semi finals and final.
Skill Masters is in 1 vs 1 battle system.

Contact: breakdance@socs.dit.ie

Great 10

The Great 10 consist of invited bboys and winners of European eliminations. First from the group is bboy Thomaz from Poland who is the winner of the last year finals and is going to defend his title this year. Next invited bboys are: Blanka from Denmark, Legaet from Portugal.

Winners of elimination in :

Poland – CzuCzu/Funky Masons
Spain – Grazie/Fusion Rockers
Ireland – Little Shane/Flava Floors
France – Kody/97X Crew
UK – Rokas/Bad Taste Cru
Ukraine – Deny Rock/Comix Zone
&
UK - Just Rock/Floor Gangz

Trailer Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTIg7h_ziiU&feature=autoshare

Organizers of the particular elimination of Skill Masters are coming to Dublin this year as a special guests, and these are: Karol – SM Uk/ Flaying Jalapeños, Artist – SM Spain/ Furious Style Crew, Tanya&Egor – SM Ukraine/Jam Masters, Ismael – SM France/FTZ Crew, Ross & Adam – SM Ireland/Flava Floors and two crews from Europe Ghettlow Pirates from UK and Rockafellaz from Poland.

Day 1:

Tickets:

Kids under 16 years free!!!
Day1 - €5
Day1+Day2 - €15
Day1+Day2+AfterParty - €20

Date:

24/03/2012

Time:

• Workshops at 11:00 – 13:00
• Door’s open at 16:00

Venue:

DIT Gleeson Hall, Kevin St., Dublin 8

MC’s:

Dj Timber/MZK,BTC – Ireland

• Max/Momentum – Portugal
• Cmx – Ireland

Workshops

with bboy Blanka: http://www.facebook.com/events/383222435026901/

Graffiti Jam by:

• Dusto
• Crap
• Baqsr

Show's:

• DIT Break Soc - Ireland
• DIT Dance soc - Ireland
• Blitz - Ireland
• Clickety Clique Crew/Flava Floors – Ireland
• Ghetlow Pirates – UK
• DJ & Beatbox – Poland
• Limerockers – Ireland
• RockaFellaz Crew – Poland
• MomentumCrew – Portugal

Day 2:

Tickets:

Kids under 16 years free!!!
Day2 - €10
Day2+AfterParty - €15

Date:

25/03/2012

Time:

• Competitors 12:00 – Sing ups
• Qualification Round 13:00 - Sharp
• Door’s open for general public at 16:00

Venue:

DIT Gleeson Hall, Kevin St., Dublin 8

Judges

This year judges are:
Bgirl Movie One/Lunaticks Crew from Spain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAV3bT8D6N0&feature=player_embedded
Bboy Bartazz/King of Warsw from Poland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDK7fCGwlYA&feature=player_embedded
Dark Marc/Ghost Crew from Norway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tb47gdZ7X0&feature=g-like&context=G27e421bALTzrmQgAUAA

MC’s

All event is going to be conducted by well known Dubliner mc Mexy aka CMX from previous editions of Skill Masters and Max representative of Momentum Crew from Portugal who is also an organizer of one of the biggest break dance event Eurobatttle.

DJ's

- Timber/Mighty Zulu Kingz, Bad Taste Cru – Ireland/ Spain
- Plash/SSS – Poland

Peter Clegg - ‘Sustainability in Practice’
6.30p.m., Thursday 22 March  - Michael O’Donnell Theatre, DIT, Bolton Street, Dublin 1.

20th March 2012: As part of the ongoing calendar of events marking the centenary of Bolton Street, the Dublin School of Architecture is delighted to welcome Peter Clegg to give an open lecture on “Sustainability in Practice”.

Peter Clegg is a Founding Partner of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, having established the practice in Bath with Richard Feilden in 1978.  He is professor of architecture at the University of Bath and is widely regarded as a key pioneer in the field of environmental design.  He has almost 30 years' experience in low energy architecture and is actively involved in research, design and education. He was made a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 2010.

The lecture will take place on Thursday 22^nd March at 6.30 pm in the Michael O’Donnell Theatre, Bolton Street, and it is open to all.

20th March 2012: Many students know that engineering is the career they want to pursue, but until they get to college they’re not too sure which area of the profession would excite them the most.  Responding to that feedback from second-level students and first year college students, DIT has launched an exciting new one-year engineering programme. Simply called Engineering (General Entry) DT097, the programme offers a comprehensive introduction to engineering maths and science, and includes modules that focus  on real engineering design problems.

According to Eddie Conlon, Programme Chair and lecturer, Engineering (General Entry) DT097 is an ideal option for someone who wants to be an engineer but needs to find out more about what is involved.  “This new one-year programme gives students a wide-ranging introduction to the engineering profession.  There is a unique focus on group projects and students will have opportunities to explore aspects of the different engineering disciplines.  Our aim is to give our students a sound basis on which they can base their decision to choose the right degree programme for them.”

Conlon feels that students will really benefit from this hands-on introduction to engineering. 

“After their first year in college they will have access to the full range of engineering programmes in DIT, at both Level 7 and Level 8 and they will know what their choice involves.   I advise any CAO applicant, if you’re not quite sure about your initial choices, take a look here at DT097, or contact me directly to discuss your options.  Remember the CAO offers a ‘change of mind’ facility, so it’s not too late to do just that!”

Eddie Conlon can be contacted at 4024059  or edward.conlon@dit.ie

DT097 replaces Preliminary Engineering (DT020), and qualifies for the free fees initiative.  Successful completion allows for Advanced Entry directly into year 2 of nearly all DIT Level 7 Engineering programmes.  Entry into Year 1 of some Level 8 programmes (DT021, DT025, DT081) will be dependent on a high average mark and a high mark in mathematics.

16th March 2012: Last year, DIT purchased land at Broombridge near Grangegorman to develop much-needed additional playing pitches for our sports teams. The purchase was funded through the Student Development Fund and exchequer funds. 

Plans have now been developed for the 8.2 acres site and will be submitted in the coming weeks for planning permission. The plans can be accessed below, and there is also a list of FAQs which gives some detail on the nature of the site as it is now and what facilities are planned as part of the redevelopment.

We would appreciate your feedback on the propsed development; please send your comments to the Headofsports@dit.ie by Wednesday 28^th March, 2012.

16th March 2012: A team of DIT students and postgrads of Mechanical, Manufacturing & Design Engineering has travelled to the Arctic Circle to launch their Telescobe experiment into space, as part of the REXUS programme, run by the European Space Agency.  The launch takes place next Thursday 22 March from the Esrange Space Station in Northern Sweden.

The DIT engineering team has developed a multi-section boom that collapses to a very compact size in much the same way as an internal television aerial collapses. The whole experiment fits into a module only 25 cm in height and its compact design and simple operation should lead to a more cost effective and reliable method for probe deployment.

Kiruna Airport

Led by postgraduate student Stephen Curran, the team of mechanical engineers includes Paul Duffy, Johnalan Keegan, Mark Wylie, Dinesh Vather, Mark Nolan, Keelan Keogh, Ronan Byrne and Sean Ludlow.  The project advisor is Professor Marek Rebow who is Head of Research in the DIT College of  Engineering and Built Environment.

The Northern Lights

Team Telescobe is the first Irish team to be invited to travel to Esrange and to have their experiment included in the REXUS launch.  It is their second visit, but last year’s launch had a last-minute hitch.   This time the School of Media in DIT have collaborated with their engineering colleagues and have sent two media graduates to document the team’s adventure day by day. The media team are Frankie Whelan, journalism graduate and currently doing a postgraduate programme in creative digital media; and Liane Costello, Media Arts graduate.  They hope to attract interest in the experiment through their blog and stunning photos from the Arctic Circle.

The Ice Hotel

You can follow this exciting project right up to the launch on their blog at http://telescobetagalong.wordpress.com/ or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamtelescobe

The official project site is at : http://spaceresearch.dit.ie/telescobe/

You can watch the launch of the REXUS rocket with the Telescobe experiment on board on Thursday at this link: http://www.livestream.com/rexusbexus

8th March 2012: The 2011 Teaching Excellence Award in the College of Arts and Tourism was presented last week to Mr David Williams from the School of Social Science and Law.   The presentation was made at an event in Mountjoy Square, attended by colleagues and peer professionals. 

Mr. David Williams, winner of Teaching Excellence Award with (left) Dr. Kevin Lalor, Head, School of Social Sciences and Law, and (right) Director and Dean of the College of Arts and Tourism, Mr. John O’Connor

In their assessment of submissions, the Evaluation Panel said that David’s extensive portfolio demonstrated the wide range of teaching and learning approaches  he has adopted.  A detailed statement of his teaching philosophy provided “clear evidence of reflective practice, supported by appropriately chosen methodologies”.  The Panel congratulated David on his well planned pedagogical approach which they said is “active, student-centred and carefully integrated into the subject matter of the discipline.

In their summary, the panel said:

• “David stands out ... his application was reflective, showed a real empathy with students. It was practical and industry focussed. He provided a good rationale and philosophy for his approach to teaching. He clearly shows how his approach has improved the student experience. He keeps himself current through research and is conference active. He has engaged with the LTTC in relation to workshops and various activities.”

David was presented with his Award by Director and Dean of the College of Arts and Tourism, Mr. John O’Connor.

8th March 2012: The Festival begins with 'Reboot' written and directed by Drama Soc's very own Micheál Fleming.  This is a story about Justin, an unemployed, reclusive 23 year-old guy who has no motivation to do anything except play computer games. Then he meets Helen, and this chance meeting inspires Justin to change his ways. A story about overcoming the obstacles we put in front of ourselves.  'Reboot' opens the festival on Thursday 8th & Friday 9th of March.

Second up is Siobhan McGuire's adaptation of 'A Skull in Connemara.' Set in a secluded village in rural Galway, 'A Skull in Connemara' probes into the grim lives of four locals.  This dark comedy is both hilarious and twisted revealing disturbing truths about the cruel and harsh community of Leenane.  Mick Dowd is the local grave digger, and when the grave is full to the brim with dead bodies, he has to dig up the bones to make room for new corpses, but it's more than dead bones that rise to the surface this time. See thid dark comedy on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th of March.

Finally to close the festival will be 'Prime Cut,' another "home grown" play, this time written and directed by Eimear O'Hehir. 'Prime Cut' is set in the kitchen of the stylish Chateau Bleu restaurant. Stories of love, betrayal, loyalty, jealousy and murder run along side by side seemlessly in this play. It deals with "cut throat" restaurant industry, with tragically hilarious consequences. Enjoy this 'Prime Cut' on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th of March.

Tickets €5 for students, €8 for adults. Each production begins at 7 in the Black Box in DIT Aungier Street.

A festival not to be missed!

Cast and Crew Lists

'Reboot'

Written and Directed by Micheál Fleming (Aungier)
Produced by Katie McDougall (Temple Bar)
Lighting - Niall O'Connor (Aungier)
Justin - Oisin McCartan (Kevin Street)
Justin's Inner Voice - Max Madigan (Cathal Brugha)
Helen - Sarah Bennett (Aungier)
Dad - Ronán O'Halloran
Mam - Aisling Crosson (Aungier and Kevin)
Andy - Joe O'Keeffe
Dean - Conor Clarke

'A Skull in Connemara'

Directed by Siobhán McGuire (Aungier)
Produced by Penny McGovern (Aungier)
Lighting - Pat Maher
Hair and Make-Up - Hannah Furey (Mountjoy)
Mick Dowd - Eric Fitzgerald (Aungier)
Mairtin Hanlon - Gareth Fisher (Aungier and Kevin)
Mary Johnny Raftery - Sinéad Kehoe
Thomas Hanlon - Niall O'Connor (Aungier)

'Prime Cut'

Written and Directed by Eimear O'Hehir (Cathal Brugha)
Produced by Emer O'Shea (Aungier)
Hair and Make-Up - Clodagh Daly (Aungier)
Lighting and Sound - Edward Jones (Kevin)
Simon - Gareth Fisher (Aungier)
Vanessa - Eimear O'Henir (Cathal Brugha)
Lulu - Emma Carroll (Aungier)
Greg - Conor Clarke
Ross - Alan Lawless (Kevin)
Jessica - Grace Kiernan (Temple Bar)
Casper - Stephen Fagan
Richard - Richard Power
Georgianna/Denise - Aisling McCooey (Aungier)

7th March 2012: Over the past few months over 4,000 DIT graduates were conferred in St Patrick's Cathedral with awards ranging from Higher Certificate to PhD.  And higher learning was definitely on the agenda with 44 graduates being conferred with PhDs!

Cathedral Chase... Mary Horan (left) with Warren Deacon, Orla McCann, and John Quinn (right) who graduated with diplomas in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and Masters in Engineering at DIT’s annual Spring Graduation

In his address, Professor Brian Norton, DIT President, paid tribute to the Class of 2011 : 'This generation - represented by the graduates here today - is the most highly educated in our history and the future of the country will be shaped by people like you.  The human potential that exists here today in this magnificent cathedral is proof that the country can build for the future.  You have already proven to yourselves and to all of us what you are capable of and I have every confidence that you will go on to play your part and to make a difference.  Seated among you are the leaders, innovators and change makers of the future.  Your challenge now is to continue to educate yourselves, stay curious and seize every opportunity.'

The academic procession leaving St Patrick's Cathedral following Spring Graduations 

In addition to students receiving their awards, a number of academic staff were conferred with the title of Honorary Professor.  The title of Honorary Professor is awarded to those whose academic achievements have been judged by their peers a being of the highest international standard.  According to Professor Brian Norton, President of DIT : 'This honour is a tribute to their individual achievements, but it also reflects honour on their respective Schools and Colleges, and on DIT as an institution, and we are immensely proud of them as our colleagues.' The following academic staff were awarded the title of Honorary Professor:

• Professor Max Ammann, School of Electronic & Communications Engineering
• Professor Jonathan Blackledge, School of Control Systems & Electrical Engineering
• Professor Thomas Cooney, School of Marketing
• Professor Stephen Jerrams, Centre for Elastomer Research
• Professor David Kennedy, Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Professor Fiona Lyng, Radiation & Environmental Science Centre
• Professor Declan McCormack, Head of School of Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Professor Mary McNamara, Head of Graduate Research School
• Professor Aidan O'Driscoll, School of Marketing
• Professor Bing Wu, Head of Asian Partnerships

We'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 'Class of 2011' - we wish you well for the future and look forward to keeping in touch.

DIT - engineering a future for female engineers

7th March, 2012: More than 200 girls from secondary schools across Ireland descended on DIT last week for a unique, ‘Girls Only’ event.  Organised by DIT as part of National Engineers Week 2012, the event, “Women in Engineering - A Role Model Day for 2^nd level students’ was designed to encourage more women and girls to choose engineering as a career.

John Power (Director General of Engineers Ireland pictured with prospective engineering students from local secondary schools)

Currently only 10% of the engineering workforce in Ireland are women and 20% of engineering undergraduates are women. But according to Deirdre Staunton of the College of Engineering and the Built Environment at DIT, and one of the organisers of the event, engineering should not be a man's world. “In China, 40% of engineers are women. In Sweden it's 26%.  Although women continue to be underrepresented in the engineering profession here in Ireland, many women have established rewarding and successful careers in the field” states Staunton.

In trying to encourage girls at second level to consider a career in engineering, DIT decided to showcase a number of women working in a wide variety of roles in engineering.  The day long event provided a unique opportunity for the schoolgirls to meet these working women engineers. It allowed them to hear about real career paths and the day to day reality of life as a woman in engineering.

Student members of DIT WAVES

“It is well-documented that a very effective way of encouraging girls into science, engineering and technology (SET) is through Role Models. In short, girls have to perceive they can be engineers before they can be engineers and nothing conveys that message as effectively as having mentors and role models whose paths they could follow” said Staunton.

The aim of the DIT Role Model Day is to raise awareness that 'engineering is also for girls' by demonstrating the huge potential for women to pursue careers in this field” added Staunton.

Regina Moran (CEO of Fujitsu Ireland and Chairwoman of ICT Ireland), John Power ((Director General of Engineers Ireland) pictured with some secondary school pupils who attended this event

Among those who addressed the students were current female engineering students, recent graduates and women with years of experience in the field.  Anne Butler, Former President of Engineers Ireland and a founding director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and current a member of the DIT Governing Body formally opened the event.  The second level students then heard from a number of women who have succeeded in both traditional and non-traditional areas of engineering.  They heard about the career path of Regina Moran, Chairwoman of ICT Ireland and CEO of Fujitsu Ireland, Pauline Martin, Senior Quality Engineer, SAP Ireland and Clodagh O Donnell, Director, Information Solutions and Services, Aer Lingus.

The first ever female engineering graduate of DIT, Caitriona Lambert also shared her story with the second level students.  In her address to the pupils Caitriona, who is now Senior Executive Engineer in South Dublin County Council said; “Engineering has been very good to me and for that reason I think it’s important to share the experience and encourage others to think about it as career.”

A recent graduate of engineering in DIT, Dr Kirsten Foy also shared her experiences of undertaking a PhD in Mechanical Engineering in DIT.  Finally the second level pupils heard from Eadaoin Cummins, a  3^rd year student in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at DIT and Julie Farrelly, a  3^rd year student in Civil Engineering at DIT.  Eadaoin and Julie shared their experiences of life as a current student of engineering in DIT.  This wasn’t their first experience of DIT’s Role Model Day.  Both students previously attended the DIT 'Role Model Day' as second level pupils themselves where they were inspired to study engineering in DIT.

6th March 2012: As part of their programme, students in their second year of the BSc Event Management must plan and stage a live event. Each group of students must nominate a charity to benefit from their event. This year one such event is entitled “Spray your Support” and the enterprising students managed to persuade a cross-section of well-known Irish people to ‘spray’ a painting, to be auctioned in aid of the ISPCC. Among the luminaries who donated a piece of their art are:

• Christy Moore
• Cian Healy
• Lucy Kennedy
• Bernard Brogan
• Neville Knot
• Derek Mooney
• The Shoos
• Sean O'Brien
• Colin Murphy

Their work has been exhibited for the last week in Dundrum and Blanchardstown Shopping Centres. All the pieces will go up for auction on Wednesday 7th March in Café En Seine, Dawson Street, at 7.30 pm, and the funds raised go to the ISPCC.

If you would like to own an original Christy Moore or a Bernard Brogan, now’s your chance!

For more details see the event Facebook page

Final preparations underway for DIT Fashion Show 2012

5th March 2012: Final preparations are underway for one of the biggest and most exciting events on the DIT calendar, the DIT Fashion Show, which takes place in Vicar Street on Wednesday, 21^st March, 2012.

With the final preparations for the big night being tended to, the semi finalists for the DIT National Student Design competition 2012 have now been announced.  One of the DIT fashion show director’s Brian Conway said "This year's theme The end of the world'-Dawn of a new era is the basis of the brief for this year’s National student design Competition. The response from students around the country has been phenomenal and the standards of the designs are superb. 14 students from four different colleges have now been selected to go through to the semi final."

This year’s Semi Finalists are;

• Emma Ray, DIT, Malahide, Dublin
• Victoria Grzymek, NCAD, Thomas St, Dublin
• Aishling Connell, NCAD, Knocklyon, Dublin
• Hannah Furlong, NCAD, Carlow
• Lisa Wynne, NCAD, Killiney, Co. Dublin
• Michael Power, NCAD, Gorey, Co. Wexford
• Aine Geaghegan, Griffith College, Ballymore Estate, Co. Kildare
• Alexandra Olenka Moore, Griffith College,
• Joye Sillery, Grafton Academy, Crumlin, Dublin
• Jennifer Massey, Grafton Academy, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
• Elaine McGovern, Grafton Academy, Ranelagh, Dublin 6
• Ailbhe Devlin, Grafton Academy, Foxrock, Co. Dublin
• Tanya Byrne, Grafton Academy, Saggart, Co. Dublin
• Sinead Woods, Grafton Academy, Glenegeary, Co. Dublin

The semi finalists will now battle it out on the catwalk in the Banquet Hall, Smock Alley, Temple Bar on the 7th of March to see who gets through to the main event. This years Judges include Brendan Courtney, Maria Fusco, Bairbre Power, Angela Scanlon and last year's winner Umut Kutluk.

DIT is particularly delighted that one of our own students has made it through to the semi final stage.  Emma Ray is from Malahide and is studying Fine Art in DIT.

Emma Ray, DIT

Describing her design Emma Ray said “The dress I designed is based on the visual imagery the Catholic Church presents as the Apocalypse in the "Book of Revelations". One particular character in the depiction that stood out to me visually was the "Whore of Babylon" or the female antichrist: " ...And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones.. and I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints". The description is quite dark but at the same time regal and I think the richness of colour and potential this imagery had really appealed to me. The dress I’ve designed has an elaborated jeweled and beaded collar, with a ruff and the dress itself is long A-line dress with a train, made from red satin, with a trim screen printed in gold acrylic.”

If you would like to attend the semi final please register at http://ditstudentdesignsemifinal.eventbrite.com/

Details will feature on our website. www.ditfashionshow.ie

05^th March, 2012: Interested in going on ERASMUS as part of your degree?

Erasmus is a once-off opportunity for students to study at another European institution for a semester or full year. The benefits (academic, social, personal and cultural) of participating in the Erasmus programme are huge.

Erasmus is rated highly by employers and many DIT students have found that their Erasmus experience has given them the confidence to work abroad after graduation or to continue their studies abroad.

It also gives students the opportunity to take modules that may not be available on your DIT programme; to specialise in a particular area for their final year project and to improve language skills. For some DIT students this will be their first time living away from home. The practical demands of living independently and coping in another country are challenging but the majority of DIT students who have participated in an exchange have had very positive experiences. It is an excellent opportunity to meet new friends; to travel in Europe and to integrate successfully into a different learning environment.

DIT currently has over 120 partner institutions throughout Europe and the list is growing. Many of these partners are listed in the top 400 institutions in the world in the Times Higher Education listing.

There are a number of grants available for students wishing to go abroad as part of their degree to one of our partner institutions in Europe or in some cases on a work placement.

A number of information sessions will be held in the next two weeks, so keep an eye out on the website or as friend us on Facebook for more information.

To register your interest and information on how to apply please visit the ERASMUS section of the DIT website: http://www.dit.ie/study/erasmus/outgoingstudents/

5th March 2012: Based on the international hit format, The Voice of Ireland is looking for the best singing talent that Ireland has to offer. And, it looks like DIT Students are proving that they have what it takes.   24 contestants have now been selected from across the country for the live finals of the RTE Programme The Voice of Ireland.  Four of these contestants are students from DIT.

All the contestants will now battle it out and television audiences will help to decide who remains but only one act will be crowned The Voice of Ireland and win a recording contract with Universal Music.

The DIT Students selected for the Voice of Ireland finals are as follows

• Graham Dowling
  Coach:  Cian Egan
  Graham is studying 'Commercial and Modern music' in DIT
  http://www.rte.ie/blogs/thevoice/contestants/graham-dowling/
• Gavin Kenny
  Coach: Bressie
  Gavin is a student in DIT Aungier Street studying for a degree in Business and Management
  http://www.rte.ie/blogs/thevoice/contestants/gavin-kenny/
• Jessica Pritzel
  Coach: Bressie
  Jessica is in her third and final year studying Music and Drama in DIT.
• http://www.rte.ie/blogs/thevoice/contestants/jessica-pritzel/
• Ryan O'Shaughnessy
  Coach:  Brian Kennedy
  Ryan is a student in DIT doing a music course as part of BIMM (Bristol Institute of Modern Music) Dublin.
  http://www.rte.ie/blogs/thevoice/contestants/ryan-oshaughnessy/
  

2nd March 2012: An evening seminar series has been arranged by the School of Accounting and Finance which will cover the following topics.

• Over-regulation: The long and the short of it
  Presenter: Marie Morrissey, MBS, Compliance Manager, Pioneer Investment
  Wednesday, 7th of March, @6pm, Room 3067/8
• Debt Investing. The case of High Yield Bonds
  Presenter: Peter Carroll, BBs UL, FCA
  Wednesday, 28th of March, @6pm, Room 3067/8
• Contemporary Problems with Asset Valuation. Risk, Reward and Recovery
  Presenter: John Mac Hale, a B A (Mod) in Legal Studies, Portfolio Manager
  Wednesday, 18th of April, @6pm, Room 3067/8

The seminar series will be held in Room 3067/8, DIT Aungier St

For further information contact: valentina.tarkovska@dit.ie

29 February 2012: The Minister for Environment, Community & Local Government, Phil Hogan T.D. got a live preview of “Ballymun Lullaby”, to be broadcast on RTE 1 next Tuesday 6^th March at 10.15pm.  Some members of the Ballymun Music Programme visited the Minister in the Custom House this morning to tell him about the programme, and their CD which is also called “Ballymun Lullaby” and is now on sale nationwide for €7.99.

 Minister Phil Hogan conducts members of the Ballymun Music Programme including Jamie Gallagher, Lauren Ormsby, Aidan. D. Maxwell, Katie Anne Marsh, Kasie Reddin and Sarah Louise Keating on the steps of the Custom House.

The film, directed by Frank Berry, is a musical documentary based on the work of Ron Cooney and the Ballymun Music Programme.  Ron is part of the DIT Access and Civic Engagement programme, and has spent over 15 years teaching music in Ballymun.  The music programme involves over 600 children and teenagers and the film “Ballymun Lullaby” tracks the journey music takes them on and the difference it makes to their lives.  The young musicians have played in many venues, including with the RTE orchestra in the Helix.  They have cut their own CD and have touched the lives of children and adults in Ballymun and beyond.  Their story, as told in Ballymun Lullaby, has been shown at film festivals in Ireland, the USA and Canada. 

The Ballymun Music Programme is funded by the Department for Environment, Community & Local Government.  Minister Hogan said:  “I am delighted that my Department has been able to support and encourage the activities of the Ballymun Music Programme by providing funding through the Local and Community Development Programme. I am very encouraged to learn that involvement in the music programme, not only engages young people with an exciting accessible music programme but also fosters their self esteem, provides a positive social environment and opens the door to future education and careers, while at the same time provides an interest for children that they can continue outside school and keeps young people away from negative influences in the area.”

To experience the magic of the Ballymun Lullaby, just tune in to RTE 1 next Tuesday, 6^th March, at 10.15pm – and if you buy the CD you will be supporting the Ballymun Music Programme in a very direct way.

28^th February 2012: DIT celebrated the ‘Developing Women through Sport and Physical Activity’ programme when 9 women were presented with their sports coaching certificates and certificate for completion of the programme. The graduates represent students of DIT as well as members of DIT’s wider community. 

Presenting the awards, President of DIT, Professor Brian Norton congratulated the participants and the mentors who inspired them.  He said DIT was proud to be involved with this programme and he hoped it would continue.  “You have all given the lead and I hope many more women will follow.  Sport and physical activity is extremely important in student life and I think greater involvement of women at organisational level is key.”

Niamh O’Callaghan, Sports Officer at DIT said the ‘Developing Women through Sport and Physical Activity Programm’ was established last year with the aim of increasing involvement of women at all levels in sporting organisations, not only at college level but more generally also.  “In partnership with Dublin City Council, we teamed up with a number of National Governing Bodies of Sport to develop and deliver an innovative training and development programme designed to give women the knowledge, confidence and new skills to become involved in sport at all levels whether as a participant, coach, official or active leader in sport”.

Acknowledging the Programme Partners, Ms O’Callaghan thanked representatives from Dublin City Council Jim Beggan and Coilin O’Reilly.  Supporters of the Programme include representatives from various  National Governing Bodies of Sport –  GAA, FAI, IRFU, Swim Ireland, Irish Sailing Association, Irish Underwater Council.  “Through the programme we provided access to quality sporting facilities, an excellent teaching and learning environment, advice and support to our participants that assisted them to flourish during their time here in DIT enabling them to achieve their true potential in sport.”

Building on the success of the programme DIT, in partnership with DCC, is recruiting 20 women to participate on the 2012 ‘Developing Women through Sport and Physical Activity’ Programme. This has been made possible through the financial assistance received from the South Inner City Local Drug Task Force.  The DIT Sports Service is extremely grateful for the financial support and for the commitment of a dedicated team of sports professionals from DIT, Dublin City Council and the National Governing Bodies of Sport.

28th February 2012: The 4^th annual Science Open Day takes place at the DIT Kevin Street campus from 10:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday, 24th March 2012.

All CAO applicants, as well as their parents and teachers, are very welcome to attend. The purpose of the day is to help Leaving Cert. students to make an informed decision on their final CAO choice, especially when considering the following areas:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computing
• Food Science
• Mathematics
• Optometry
• Physics

There will be opportunities to meet staff and students from our progressive and career-oriented Science and Technology courses. Tours of the facilities on campus (both educational and recreational) will also be available.

The staff and students of the DIT College of Sciences and Health look forward to meeting you on the day.

Please see www.dit.ie/science if you would like to access information on our courses.

28th February 2012: Each year, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) challenges teams from universities and institutes of technology and from industry to take part in the CIOB Student Challenge.  This year the Challenge took place in Limerick on Thursday 23 February.  The DIT team included Paul Ebbs, Cormac O’Neill, Ross Nolan and John Heffernan, all final year students on the BSc Construction Management programme.  They were supported by James O’Connor, Senior Lecturer in Construction Management.

Final year students of Construction Management, Paul Ebbs, Cormac O’Neill, Ross Nolan and John Heffernan, with (centre) James O’Connor, Senior Lecturer

The competition is very demanding, with each team being given a topical industry problem to address.  Using their  construction skills and knowledge they must come up with suitable recommendations and they are given a very tight timeframe in which to research and prepare their answers.  They then present their rationale and recommendations to a panel of experts that includes potential employers, members of CIOB and other specialists.   Following their presentation, the team is required to defend its proposals under intense questioning from the panel.

According to Garrett Keenaghan, Assistant Head, School of Construction, “The pressure is on from the outset in this Student Challenge and I’m delighted to say that our team did brilliantly, taking 2^nd place in Ireland – evidence that our DIT Construction Management students can compete at the highest level!”

Congratulations to Paul, Cormac, Ross and John and to their mentors and advisers in the School of Construction.

Title of Professor conferred on ten colleagues

27th Feburary 2012: Among the distinctions awarded at the Spring graduation ceremonies on Saturday 18 February, ten colleagues were conferred with the title of Professor in DIT. The title of Honorary Professor is a significant honour as it is awarded in recognition of academic achievements judged by peers in each discipline as being of the highest international standard. Conferring the award the President, Professor Brian Norton, congratulated each recipient on their achievements and on gaining the esteem of their peers.  He said “You have each made very significant contributions to discovery, knowledge and innovation – in areas that are critical to health and disease prevention; to our economic development, including advances in engineering and computing; and to our understanding of entrepreneurship and strategic marketing. This honour is a tribute to your individual achievements, but it also reflects honour on your Schools and Colleges, and on DIT as an institution. We are immensely proud of you as our colleagues.”

The recipients are:

• Professor Max Ammann, School of Electronic and Communications Engineering
• Professor Jonathan Blackledge, School of Control Systems and Electrical Engineering
• Professor Thomas Cooney, School of Marketing
• Professor Stephen Jerrams, Centre for Elastomer Research
• Professor David Kennedy, Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Professor Fiona Lyng, Radiation and Environmental Science Centre
• Professor Declan McCormack, Head, School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Professor Mary McNamara, Head, Graduate Research School
• Professor Aidan O’Driscoll, School of Marketing
• Professor Bing Wu, Head, Asian Partnerships

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Thomas M. Cooney

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Aidan O'Driscoll

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Max Ammann

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Jonathan Blackledge

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Stephen Jerrams

Professor Brian Norton with Professor David Kennedy

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Fiona Lyng

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Declan McCormack

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Mary McNamara

Professor Brian Norton with Professor Bing Wu

DIT’s Hugh McAtamney to officiate at Olympics 2012

27th February, 2012: DIT is to be represented in the 2012 Olympic Games being held in London this summer. Head of Development of Digital Media in DIT, Hugh McAtamney has been selected by the International Triathlon Union to officiate at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Hugh is among 42 Technical Officials from across the world to be selected by the International Triathlon Union to oversee and to officiate the triathlon competition at this year’s Olympics. The selected officials hail from a record number of nations, with 25 different countries represented.

The duties of the Technical Officials are to conduct the competition in accordance with the ITU Competition Rules. They are assigned to Registration, Start, Finish, Transition Area(s), Swim, Cycle, Run, Wheel Stations, Aid Stations, Technology and Vehicle Control.

In addition to his role as Head of Development of Digital Media in DIT, Hugh is one of Ireland’s top technical officials. He is currently Technical Delegate & Official at the International Triathlon Union. A former President of Triathlon Ireland, he was also the mastermind behind the triAthlone and European Triathlon Championships in Athlone in 2010.

Speaking on his selection for this year’s Olympics, Hugh said; “It was a pretty big surprise when the official word came out. It’s an incredible honour and dream come through to officiate the Olympics.”

DIT would like to congratulate Hugh on his selection.

An open forum on athlete preparation, performance, and lifestyle

Venue: Courtyard, DIT Aungier Street, Dublin 2
Date/ Time: 7pm, Thursday 1st March 2012

27th February 2012: This forum will offer information and inspiration to anyone with a genuine interest in sport - whether you’re an athlete, coach, mentor or administrator.

The panel is made up of a wealth of talent and knowledge in the Irish sporting world:

• Michael McGeehin, Director, Coaching Ireland
• Ken Lynch, Head of Talent Development, Irish Institute of Sport
• Dr. Shay Kelly, former professional soccer player whose PhD focused on management styles in the Premiership
• Una May, Director of Anti-Doping at the Irish Sports Council
• Sinéad Goldrick, DIT Sports Scholar, Dublin Senior Ladies Footballer, All Ireland Winner –2010
• Colin Regan, former Leitrim inter-county footballer and National Coordinator of the GAA’s ASAP programme
• Jim Gavin, Manager of Dublin Under 21 Panel and former Dublin Senior Footballer and All Ireland Winner 1995

The event will be chaired by renowned national sports journalist, author and broadcaster, Malachy Clerkin.

All welcome. Entry free.

www.dit.ie
www.ditsports.ie

Brought to you by the DIT Sports & Recreation Service and the GAA ASAP programme

Thursday, 1st March 2012
18:00 until 21:00
Room 3029, DIT Aungier Street

The motion for this debate is "THB Disabled People Are Not Full Citizens of the State."

Proposing this motion will be our special guest Suzy Byrne, blogger for her website www.mamanpoulet.com.

The blog has won Best News and Current Affairs Blog in the Irish Blog Awards in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and won overall Best Irish Blog in 2009. In 2011 Suzy won Blogger/Website of the Year in the National Lesbian and Gay Federation GALAS Awards.

On the opposition will be Mark Higgins, DIT Debate Society member and speaker. Beginning his debate career in secondary school, he's won many awards nationally and is currently competing in the Irish Mace and Irish Times Debating Competitions.

This looks to be an interesting follow on from our highly contentious religion debate of 7th February with Hamza Tzortzis and Michael Nugent.

Public event by DIT BAM SOC and DIT Sign Soc
DIT Aungier Street, Room 3081
17:00 until 18:00

Kevin Kelly is a graduate of the MA in Public Affairs and Political Communications in DIT and is currently parliamentary assistant to independent senator Mary Ann O'Brien.

Kevin is joining us for Think Inclusion Week to talk about his successful broadcasting career; his current work in the Seanad - in particular Senator Mary Ann O'Brien's recent Disability Motion, to whick Kevin made significant contributions; the obstacles he faced and adjustments he made after losing his sight at the age of fourteen; and about disability visibility and awareness in Ireland.

Kevin is a brilliant speaker and this is a wonderful opportunity to hear what he has to say so please join us and do your part for Think Inclusion Week 2012!

Also, just to add to the inclusiveness the event will be signed in Irish Sign Language! (ISL)

DIT EngSoc are hosting a week full of events and activities to promote and celebrate Engineering. They will be based in DIT Bolton Street and DIT Kevin Street.

Monday 27th February

• Design and Build Meeting (lunch provided) - Rm 117 Bolton Street
• Movie night with refreshments provided - Room 281, Bolton Street, 6-9pm

Tuesday 28th February

• Street Collection for Enable Ireland, Grafton Street, 8-10am
• Kevin O' Toole and Guests, Room 281, Bolton Street, 1pm
• John Tierney Enable Ireland Seminar, Room 281, Bolton Street, 6pm

Wednesday 29th February

• WAVES open day, Kevin Street
• 'Engineering the City' by Michael Philips, Central Library, Ilac Centre, 1pm
• Lego Night, Room 281, Bolton Street, 6-8pm
• Bodkins afterwards

Thursday 1st March

• "Engineering Your Career" Seminar hosted by Engineers Ireland, Refreshments provided, 6pm Rm 281
• School students being introduced to Bolton Street, 11am-1pm
• Closing Party, Bodkins for refreshments then DTwo where where DIT Engineering Society have great offers in store for you.

Further details

For more information, see http://www.facebook.com/events/304608916266678/

Date: Saturday, 03rd March 2012
Time: 11.00am, to 3.00pm
Venue: DIT Chatham Row, Dublin 2  

23rd February 2012: All budding young musicians, singers, or those who simply want to learn how to appreciate music are advised to make their way to an Open Day with a difference hosted by DIT’s Conservatory of Music and Drama on Saturday, March 03rd, 2012 from 11.00am to 3.00pm.

The Open Day will take place at DIT Chatham Row, Dublin 2, and is an ideal opportunity for parents, teachers, and prospective students to come and discover the many part-time study options available at the Junior Conservatory of Music and Drama at DIT.

For young students and parents interested in the Junior Conservatory, tutors will be on hand to demonstrate instruments and to answer any questions that parents and students might have. So whether you want to find out what's the best age for your child to start music lessons, or what instrument would suit you, DIT staff will be delighted to help you with any questions that you might have. During the day, adults and children will have an opportunity to ‘try out’ a range of instruments, in order to see, hear and feel the instrument they wish to learn to play.

In addition, throughout the day visitors will be treated to individual and ensemble performances by current Conservatory students of all ages.  What’s more, everyone who enrolls on the day will be entered into a draw for a chance to win some fantastic prizes.

As part of its Junior Conservatory, DIT offers a great range of learning opportunities: the Kids' Club is open to children as young as three, while the Music Workshop caters for five to seven year olds. Seven to eleven year olds interested in learning how to play a wind instrument may start in the Recorder Class and the 'Musical Theatre for Teenagers' is always popular with older students. In addition, individual tuition in the broadest range of instruments and voice is also available. Applications for study at the Junior Conservatory for the ’12 / ’13 Academic year are now open and vacancies exist for individual tuition in all instruments – piano, organ, strings, wind, brass, percussion, and voice.

With a tradition stretching back over a hundred years, the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama has produced many of Ireland’s finest musicians and actors. Graduates of the Conservatory have followed careers in classical and traditional music performance, music education, music technology, composition, the dramatic arts and the other cultural industries. Staff, many of whom are internationally recognised performers, encourage their students at every level to achieve the highest artistic and intellectual standards

For more information on DIT’s Conservatory of Music & Drama, please visit www.dit.ie/conservatory.

DIT is to put disability into focus as it prepares for Think Inclusion Week 2012, a five day marathon of events taking place across the Institute from Sunday 26^th February to Thursday 1^st March.

23rd February 2012: DIT’s Think Inclusion week, an Institute wide event now in its second year, is a deaf & disability awareness week aimed at challenging negative attitudes towards disability.   Comprising of a diverse and unique programme of events, orchestrated by DIT Students, Think Inclusion aims to focus student attention on disability. The objective is to raise awareness by making disability visible, by educating about disability and most importantly by facilitating exchange and interaction between people with disabilities and students in DIT.

The week will be officially launched on Monday, 27^th February with a special talk by DIT Graduate, Kevin Kelly, a parliamentary assistant to Independent senator Mary Ann O’Brien. A graduate of DIT’s MA in Public Affairs programme, Kevin, 24, is the country’s first blind parliamentary assistant.

Last month the 2011 National Survey of Public Attitudes to Disability in Ireland, launched by the National Disability Authority found a significant increase in negative attitudes towards people with disability in Ireland over the past five years. It has also become less common for non-disabled people to actually know somebody with a disability (a drop of 7% since the 2006 survey) and this is shown to contribute to the increase in negative attitudes. With this in mind, DIT students, co-ordinated by the DIT Sign Language Society, have designed a programme that focuses on education and integration with people with disabilities. The events during the week include opportunities for students to mix with people with disabilities who share similar interests along with seminars and workshops that inform and challenge students on disability issues.

There will be events focused on disability sport, including a kayaking trip, a soccer match, and a waterpolo match where DIT’s Waterpolo Club will play against the Irish Deaf Waterpolo Team.  In music and drama there will be a voiceless drama workshop, a life drawing class with a model with a disability and DIT’s Samba Drumming Society has arranged to deliver a drumming workshop in St. Mary’s School for Deaf Girls.

There are also a number of talks scheduled including a talk on the impact engineering and technology has on people with disabilities and a session led by blogger and disability activist Suzy Byrne.  Speaking about the event, Suzy Byrne says “the plans for DIT Inclusion week show how disability in terms of visibility and interaction is omnipresent in society and this is as it should be.  Disability groups sadly remain socially isolated due to attitude and access issues. I believe that the chance for groups to come together and enjoy common activities will be as important for the people with disabilities as they are for the student groups”.

DIT takes great pride in the academic and personal achievements of its many students and graduates with disabilities. Currently over 750 students across the Institute are registered with DIT’s Disability Service.

DIT is committed to providing equal and integrated access to individuals with disabilities to all of the academic, social, cultural, and recreational programmes it offers.

For further information: Please contact

Anita Conway – DIT Societies Officer: 086 637 6374, Anita.Conway@dit.ie

Click here for full details of the events taking place

Click here for details of Guest lecture with DIT Graduate & Parliamentary assistant Kevin Kelly “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” Monday, 27^th 5pm DIT Aungier Street

23 February 2012:  Students of drama in DIT are in final rehearsal for their production of THE THREEPENNY OPERA in the atmospheric surroundings of Smock Alley Theatre.  It will run for four nights, from Wednesday 7^th March (preview) to Saturday 10^th March, with a matinee on Saturday, and the cast of twenty-three young actors will be supported by a ten-piece orchestra, all students of the Conservatory of Music and Drama.

THE THREEPENNY OPERA presents a blackly comic world of gangsters, prostitutes and beggars in London in 1837. Within this alluring but money-grubbing demi-monde, the womanising and murderous gang leader Macheath has married the beautiful Polly, daughter of J.J. Peachum, a profiteering manager of a begging racket. This sets in motion a battle for control of the city’s underworld. The power struggle that ensues threatens to undermine the imminent coronation of Queen Victoria if Tiger Brown, the crooked police chief, cannot contain it. Will the beggars overrun the city? Will the prostitutes destroy Peachum’s plan? Will Macheath’s gang save him from hanging?

Written in 1928, during the economic and political turbulence of Weimar Germany, THE THREEPENNY OPERA takes aim at a society that promotes naked greed, callous opportunism and the ruthless exploitation of fellow human beings. Weill's music, including the hit song “Mack The Knife”, employs bittersweet orchestration under seductively simple melodies, sharply punctuating Brecht’s acerbic satire on corruption and capitalism.

The DIT Conservatory is uniquely positioned to produce this piece of music theatre, as it is one of the only educational institutions in Ireland to deliver full-time practical music AND drama training at degree level. Our production of THE THREEPENNY OPERA is directed by Peter McDermott, Lecturer in Drama, and the orchestra will be conducted by John Meehan, Lecturer in Music.

According to McDermott, “Smock Alley Theatre is a one-of-a-kind space, with its towering brick walls, timber scaffolding and industrial ramps providing a rough, historical atmosphere perfectly suited to Weill and Brecht’s evocation of 19^th-century London.  The actors, the musicians, the full period costumes by Marie Tierney and evocative lighting by Moyra D’Arcy, all contribute to what promises to be a dynamic production, and perhaps a timely social commentary.”

The B.A. in Drama (Performance) Honours Degree programme is a three-year full-time level 8 degree. Students engage in acting, singing, movement, and dance as well as drama facilitation and academic theatre studies. Recent graduate productions include THE ARABIAN NIGHTS, THE CRUCIBLE and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM.

B.A. in Drama (Performance) Graduate Production
THE THREEPENNY OPERA
Music by Kurt Weill, Book and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht
English adaptation by Marc Blitzstein

Dates: 7^th (Preview), 8^th, 9^th, 10^th March at 7.30 pm (also Sat matinee, 10^th March at 2pm)
Venue: Smock Alley Theatre, Exchange Street Lower, Temple Bar
Tickets: €15 / €10 concession and preview
Booking: www.tickets.ie

22nd February 2012: An extensive exhibition of drawings, paintings and digital images by Tom Kelly and John Short of DIT, and Yijia Wang of the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (SIVA) is set to open in Shanghai during St. Patrick’s Week. The images were all created during a collaboration between colleagues and students from DIT and SIVA that started in 2007 and still continues. They are the result of field trips undertaken in Ireland and in China and they feature landscapes, seascapes, streetscapes, interiors and legends from both countries by three artists from three perspectives – culturally, creatively and technically.

The exhibition will be opened on Wednesday 14th march by the Irish Consul General to Shanghai, Mr. Austin Gormley in the V Art Center in Shanghai. Supported by Culture Ireland, the School of Art and Design, DIT, and the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts in Fudan University, it will be on view to the public from 15 March to 15 April.

The 2012 James Daly Lecture

‘Passing on Knowledge’ - Dr. Allan Mann

Gold Medal Address

Date Thursday 8 March 2012
Time 18.00, Reception; 18.30 Lecture
Venue Room 281, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1

The Institution of Structural Engineers and Dublin Institute of Technology are delighted to welcome Dr. Allan Mann to deliver the 2012 James Daly Lecture. Dr. Mann has been involved in truly unique international structural engineering projects over the course of his career, including the London Eye; its successor, the Beijing Wheel; the construction of the Royal Opera House in London; and Wembley International Stadium, to name just a few.

The Institution of Structural Engineers was founded for members to share knowledge and learn from each other. Dr. Mann will consider the enormous complexity of structural information that now exists and how it can be collated and disseminated to successive generations.

Everyone is welcome to attend this lecture, which also forms part of the calendar of events to celebrate the centenary year of technical education in Bolton Street.

22nd February 2011: A short animation film by DIT graduate Johnny Kelly stole the show during the TV broadcast of the Grammy awards last week in the USA.  Johnny’s film, ‘Back to the Start’ was broadcast to an audience of millions during an ad break, advertising a popular US fast food chain, Chipotle Mexican Grill.  The story shows a family farmer becoming disenchanted with factory farming and going back to a more sustainable approach, turning animals out to pasture and greening the countryside.  The soundtrack has Willie Nelson singing Coldplay’s “The Scientist”.

Johnny Kelly is a graduate of Visual Communications in DIT.  His work was on view at the recent Design DIT exhibition of work by DIT graduates shown in Smithfield Plaza during Innovation Dublin 2011.   After graduation, Johnny worked for a number of graphic design studios in both Dublin and London, in addition to pursuing illustration work, before moving towards animation.  He studied at the Royal College of Art in London, where he completed an MA in animation and was awarded the Conran Foundation Award.  He joined Nexus Productions in 2007 and has directed both music videos and commercials, including spots for Adobe, UN, BMW, Bacardi and Google.  He was selected by the Creative Artists Agency for the Chipotle commission.

The film, ‘Back to the Start’, has been a bit hit on YouTube with nearly six millions views to date – you watch it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos&feature=youtu.be

Johnny Kelly’s website is www.mickeyandjohnny.com

18th February, 2012:  Award winning author, Colum McCann and acclaimed Irish pianist, John O’Conor were today conferred with Honorary Doctorates from Dublin Institute of Technology at the DIT Spring Graduation.  The ceremony took place in St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was filled to capacity with hundreds of graduates  with their parents and friends.

The two recipients were chosen by DIT to receive an honorary doctorate for their outstanding achievements and their contribution to the arts.  In his address the President of DIT, Professor Brian Norton, said “The citations we heard earlier gave us a brief snapshot of two remarkable people, whose contributions to the arts have enriched our lives and have drawn the attention of the world to the richness of music and literature for which Ireland is so justly recognised.  For DIT as a teaching institution, it is particularly appropriate that Dr. O’Conor and Dr. McCann are committed to developing and nurturing the talent of the next generation of musicians and writers, and give so generously of their time to their respective students.  We are delighted that you,  and your families, have joined us here today to accept this Award and to be conferred in the company of our graduates and their families.”

Professor Brian Norton, President of DIT, presents the parchment to Dr. John O’Conor in St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Distinguished Irish musician John O’Conor was selected by DIT to receive an honorary doctorate in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the world of music performance and music education.  The citation, read by Dr. Michael Mulvey, described him as a former student, who also taught at the DIT Conservatory of Music & Drama.  “John O'Conor is a classical pianist of international renown, a prolific recording artist; and a master teacher of young musical talent.”  Frequently cited as the greatest living interpreter of the piano music of Beethoven, Dr. O’Conor is currently Professor of Piano at RIAM, and holds the position of Visiting Professor in Showa University of Music in Japan.  He is also Professor of Piano, and Distinguished Artist in Residence, at the Conservatory in Shenandoah University, West Virginia.  A co-founder of the Dublin International Piano Competition, he is  Chairman of the Jury for the competition which has been running since 1988.

Mr. Sean McCann congratulates his son Dr. Colum McCann on his conferring with the award of Honorary Doctorate

Colum McCann studied journalism in the former College of Commerce in Rathmines, now DIT.  Reading the citation Dr. Noel O’Connor said “Colum McCann is a journalist who became a novelist, a proud Dubliner who is equally proud to be an Irish New Yorker, an inspiring teacher of creative writing who believes it is something that cannot be taught.  Most of all, he is both a lover of stories and a consummate storyteller.”   In thrall to newspapers from a young age, McCann had his own column and byline in the Evening Press by the age of 21, but emigrated to the US in the 1980’s at the start of ‘an adventure that continues to this day’.  Colum McCann is the internationally acclaimed author of the novels Zoli, Dancer, This Side of Brightness, Songdogs, as well as Let the Great World Spin, for which he won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 2011.  A member of Aosdána, his work  has been published in thirty languages, and he has received a number of other literary awards including the National Book Award, the Ambassador Book Award, and the award of Legion d’Honneur by the French government. 

Dr. O’Conor was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife Mary and their son, the actor Hugh O’Conor.  His brother Frank O’Conor, and his wife Anne, Ms Ann Fuller of the Dublin International Piano Competition, and Ms Ciara Higgins, Artistic Director of the Festival in Great Irish Houses  were also among the guests.  Dr. Colum McCann, who had travelled from New York the previous day,  was accompanied by his wife Allison Hawke and their three children, by his mother Sally, and by his father Sean McCann, the former features editor of the Evening Press.

Honorary Professors lead the Academic procession into St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the conferring

Get me to the Cathedral! Graduates of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Mary Horan, Warren Deacon, Orla McCann and John Quinn racing to their Graduation Ceremony in St. Patrick’s Cathedral

International Case Study Competition, 2012

21st February 2012: A team of DIT students on the BSc Marketing programme is preparing to leave for the Netherlands this week to participate in the 2012 NIBS International Case Competition, hosted by Rotterdam University. This annual competition, which was hosted by DIT in 2007, attracts teams from leading undergraduate business schools who compete in the week-long event.

Pictured are the competition team members, all from the B. Sc. Marketing: (L to R) back row: Gerry Mortimer, Senior Lecturer in Marketing & NIBS Vice-president, Daniel Fogarty, B Sc Marketing student, Roger Sherlock, Head of Deapartment of Marketing Studies. Front row: Deirdre O’ Flynn, Aoife Walsh and Saragh Kileen, B Sc Marketing students.

Following the first ‘qualifier’ round, ten teams are going through to compete in the finals from 26^th February to 3^rd March. The finalists are drawn from around the globe including  Canada, USA, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and, of course, Ireland.

The DIT team, comprising Daniel Fogarty, Deirdre O’ Flynn, Aoife Walsh and Saragh Kileen,  is led and coached by Gerry Mortimer, Senior lecturer in Marketing, School of Marketing and Roger Sherlock, Head of Department of Marketing at DIT School of Marketing.

The Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) includes over100 business schools from around the world with a shared view that the internationalization of business and the globalization of the economy are essential elements in the evolution of managerial practices.

NIBS Business Schools in the USA, Canada and Europe have become excellent partners in study abroad activity for the College of Business in DIT.

Niamh O’Sullivan
‘The Black Line Drawn Across History’: John Mulvany and Irish Political Imagery

6.30pm Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Lecture Room G6, School of Art Design and Printing
Dublin Institute of Technology, 41 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1

17th February 2012: Niamh O’Sullivan is Professor Emeritus of Visual Culture (National College of Art and Design). She writes on nineteenth century Irish, Irish-American and French art and popular culture. She won the Irish-American Cultural Institute ‘Award for Pioneering Irish-American Scholarship’, in 1998 and 2003. Her book, Aloysius O’Kelly: Art, Nation, Empire was published by Field Day in 2010 . She curated the millenium exhibition Re:Orientations. Aloysius O’Kelly: Painting, Politics and Popular Culture at the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, 1999-2000.  She also has research interests in art and museum education. She is currently a Director of the Irish Museums Trust, and on the advisory committee of the Royal Irish Academy Irish Art and Architecture, vol. 5.

John Mulvany’s nineteenth-century Irish paintings place visual art at the centre an emergent cultural and political nationalism, traditionally perceived as the preserve of poets and playwrights, journalists and politicians. His historical paintings were no incidental exercise in nostalgia, but purposeful, positioning images, designed to press powerful memories into contemporary political use. If out of violence and trauma comes renewed resolve, Mulvany’s Battle of Aughrim may be seen as an exemplification of Ireland’s glorious past.  His Irish political portraits were conceived to summon the injustices of history to mind, and act as rallying calls in the present. Mulvany thus saw himself as creating images of hope, and incitement to action. His commitment to the cause was unwavering, and brought him into the line of fire of one of the most celebrated murders of the nineteenth century.

All are welcome to this free event.

To secure your place, please book by email: indiscussionadp@gmail.com

in|discussion a forum on contemporary issues and current research in typography, art, design, material culture, critical theory, pedagogy, philosophy, society and technology. Updates on the lecture series at: http://indiscussionadp.blogspot.com/

International team prepares for pressure event - via skype!

L-R Lloyd Scott with Final year Architectural Technology student Conor Shaw, 4^th Architecture student Orla Hayes and final year Const Management student Paul Murphy before departure to ASC Design Build competition

14 February 2012:  Three Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) students of Construction Management, Architectural Technology and Architecture - Paul Murphy, Conor Shaw and Orla Hayes -  leave Ireland today to join their three team mates - Bryce McCarthy, Kevin Leach, and Jonathan Radeaugh - at Oklahoma University (OU) to prepare to compete in the annual Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region V TEXO Design Build competition sponsored by Sedalco. 

The six students are all studying in disciplines related to the built environment and they have been working together since early November through Skype and other online systems. They are now preparing to meet in person for the first time. 

This is the third time an international team has entered the challenge, and International Team Coach and Construction Management Assistant Department Head Lloyd Scott has welcomed the continued initiative with the University of Oklahoma.  “The experience has been very positive, and we are continuing the develop and build on what we have learnt over the last two years.  The competition provides an opportunity for students from differing cultures but who have a common area of study to come together and collaborate on a common project.”

With the rise in global construction and the recent down turn in the industry in Ireland, Scott believes that all Built Environment students at DIT must be prepared to consider working in a more global environment. “The ASC Design/Build international competition provides an excellent opportunity for students to work as a team, to learn from their peers in an international context and in turn prepare themselves for their future career.”

The format of the competition is extremely challenging.  Teams are given a Request for Proposal (RFP) to design a project, estimate the cost, schedule the construction process and provide a management plan.  Once they receive the RFP the DIT/OU team will be sequestered on campus in Oklahoma University without access to advisers, and are given 16-hours to complete the challenge.  Following the ‘lockdown’ the students then travel from Norman, Oklahoma to Dallas where they submit their completed design folder and prepare presentations.

The final stage of the competition will take place on Monday 20^th February, when each team will present their design and solutions to a panel of judges at the Texo Head Office.   The DIT/OU international team will be competing in the Design Build section of the competition against teams from Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee, Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Commerce, University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Texas Tech University, University of Louisiana-Monroe, John Brown University and Louisiana Tech University.   They will share their progress on their blog at:  http://ascdesignbuild.wordpress.com/

Further information on the Design Build competition can be found by visiting the competition website:  http://regionv.tamu.edu/competition/index.asp

10th February 2012: Four students from the B.Sc. Business and Management programme (DT365) have once again qualified for one of the most prestigious undergraduate case study competitions in the world.  The John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition (JMUCC) is an annual event held in the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. The week-long competition challenges twenty four teams from internationally renowned business schools to put their creative and analytical skills to the test. The competition runs from 19-25 February 2012.

B.Sc. Business and Management (DT365) Team Qualifies for International Case Competition
Darragh Smyth, Dr. Eoghan O Grady, David Cullen, Shauna Crawley and Katie Brennan.

The team comprises:

Katie Brennan - Marketing and Enterprise major
Shauna Crawley - Marketing and Enterprise major
Darragh Smyth – Accounting & Finance major
David Cullen - HR and Finance major

Eoghan O Grady, Programme Director B.Sc. Business and Management, is Team Coach.

8th February 2012: The Bolton Trust / DIT Student Enterprise Competition is delighted to announce a three year sponsorship agreement with AIB. 

Rea O’Neill, Chairman Bolton Trust, Nick Donnelly, Regional Director AIB, Paul O’Sullivan, Dean of the DIT College of Business, and Paudie O’Donnell, DIT, announcing AIB sponsorship of the Bolton Trust / DIT Student Enterprise Competition.

The Bolton Trust/DIT Student Enterprise Competition is delighted to announce a three-year sponsorship agreement with AIB.

The Bolton Trust is an independent voluntary trust actively committed to assisting people in creating sustainable business. It was established in 1986 by staff of the Dublin Institute of Technology. As part of its commitment to encourage and promote new business enterprise in Ireland, the Trust established a student enterprise competition in 1993.

Now in its 19th year, the Bolton Trust/DIT Student Enterprise Competition has grown to become the largest third level competition of its kind in Ireland. The business plan competition, which is open to students of all disciplines in DIT, promotes innovation and entrepreneurship amongst students and encourages them to apply their course work creatively to the demands of real life enterprise.

Sharing a commitment to students and to enterprise and innovation, AIB has become involved with the competition in a sponsorship role for the first time, in what will be an exciting and promising partnership.

Nick Donnelly, Regional Director, AIB Dublin South said;

“We are delighted to be able to partner such a dynamic and innovative college as DIT and applaud their work in providing students with the practical skills required for an ever-changing workplace.

In conjunction with DIT, the hard work and dedication of the members of the Bolton Trust provides a platform for potential entrepreneurs to flourish.

AIB recognises the importance of nurturing this emerging talent and through our support of the Student Enterprise Competition would like to encourage the creativity and innovation which is essential for any successful business.”

Find out more about the competition, past winners, and how to enter, here.

7th February 2011

Ms Carmel Kelly, National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) accepts a set 5 issues of the European Journal of Qualifications and two research reports from Ms Catalina Hirceag, Qualifications Authority of Romania, at a DECIS partner meeting in DIT Rathmines last week.

The journals and reports presented to Ms Kelly are an output from the EU Lifelong Learning HEQ-Bridges Project: Building Bridges between the EQF-LLL and the QF-EHEA, http://www.heqbridges.eu which finished in September last and in which the DIT was one of ten partners. The journals and reports can be accessed through the homepage of the DIT online journal Level3 at : http://level3.dit.ie

Dr Anne Murphy, Level3 editor, is a member of the Board of Editors for the European Qualifications Journal and Dr Frank McMahon is a member of the Advisory Board.

The two research reports presented are:

• Comparative assessment of terminology and qualifications framework design, 2011: authors - Dr Anne Murphy and Dr Tom Duff
• Case studies in sector qualifications: qualifications provision, job descriptions, learning outcomes and framework placement, 2011: authors – Dr Anne Murphy, Professor Alain Nicolas and Dr Sorin Zaharia

The DIT is continuing its collaborations with the Romanian Qualifications Authority through a partnership in the DECIS project: Building capacity for implementation of the higher education qualifications system in Romania 2011-2014. DIT staff from Academic Affairs (Dr Anne Murphy and Mr Bill Grimson) and from The College of Science and Health (Dr Anne Greene and Dr Ciaran O’Leary) are working with the Bucharest University of Technology and the Romanian Qualifications Authority in the design of an e-learning platform for training of qualifications evaluators and university staff in Romania.

These research and development activities are yet another phase in mutual exchange of knowledge and expertise begun by study visits to the DIT by Romanian university rectors and qualifications authority staff in 2007 organised by Dr Frank McMahon and Dr Tom Duff, by participation by DIT academic staff in the University in Society (UNiSo) Summer Schools in Paris, Timisiora, Amiens and Iasi. http://www.dep.u-picardie/fr/uniso2011/index.php?lang=en , and by contributions to the Romanian NQF/HE-ERHA compatibility conference 2011 in Bucharest by Dr Tom Duff and Dr Anne Murphy.

6th February 2012: DIT Hothouse graduate company Profitero, which makes pricing intelligence software, has been named IBM Global Entrepreneur of the Year at an event in San Francisco.

Profitero, which won the IBM SmartCamp London award in November, was the only Irish company competing in the 2012 IBM SmartCamp Global Final in Silicon Valley.

Profitero analyses competitor pricing data, offering retailers new levels of insight to help them maximise profits by adjusting pricing and merchandising strategies. As the volume of data on the planet grows, the ability to quickly transform data into insight is critical for success. Profitero represents a new generation of entrepreneurs entering the market with technology designed to capitalise on the big data analytics opportunity.

The Profitero team at the IBM Global Entrepreneur Awards in San Francisco

“We are honoured to be named the IBM Global Entrepreneur of the Year," said co-founder and CEO Vol Pigrukh.

“Our solution is a natural complement to IBM's Smarter Commerce strategy. We are looking forward to working with IBM and its network of technical experts, business partners, venture capitalists, academics and clients to capture our share of the smarter commerce opportunity."

For more information on the product, see http://www.profitero.com.

6th February 2011: On Tuesday 7th February, DIT Debate Soc is proud to co-host its first debate with the DIT Islamic Society. This Tuesday 7th February at 6pm in the Michael O'Donnell Theatre DIT Bolton St, Debate Soc and Islamic soc are debating whether the world would be a better place without religion. Speaking at this event will be the Chair of Atheist Ireland and DIT graduate Mr Michael Nugent, and Hamza Andreas Tzortzis a well known speaker and scholar on Islam. In an ever more secular world dominated by consumerism and greed, is it a mistake that we are turning our backs on religion? Or can humanity retain it’s morality without the guidance and promise of heaven or hell that religion provides? Debate and Islamic soc invite everyone to join us to discuss these questions with us. Light halal refreshments will be provided for everyone after the debate.

http://ditdebatesociety.com/

• Tackling world poverty through renewable energy
• DIT Foundation awards Graduate Travel Scholarship 

Dublin, 01 February 2012:   Declan Arthur from Waterford has been awarded the inaugural Ciaran King Graduate Travel Scholarship by the DIT Foundation.  The Scholarship scheme was established to honour the memory of the late Ciarán King – engineer, environmentalist and social entrepreneur.  It provides the opportunity to a DIT graduate to spend three months working on renewable energy projects in a developing country.  Declan will be based in Nairobi and will work on local solar energy projects with international charity, Renewable World.

Declan Arthur (centre), winner of Ciaran King Graduate Travel Scholarship, with (l to r), Siobhan Broughan, DIT Foundation; Aoife King; Isolde Harpur; and Dr. Mike Murphy, DIT

An engineer by profession, Ciaran King was committed to environmental issues and believed strongly in the potential for renewable energy to alleviate poverty and promote income generation in developing countries.  Having spent several years teaching and volunteering on projects in East Africa, he returned to Ireland where he lectured in DIT and later in UCD.  He went on to establish his own business based on his interests in energy and, among his many achievements, made a significant contribution to the development of specialist techniques for analysing wind resources.

King family ‘honoured by donation’

Following Ciarán’s untimely death, the DIT Foundation was invited by a donor to establish a Graduate Travel Scholarship in his memory.  While choosing to remain anonymous, the donor stipulated that the Scholarship should offer an opportunity to a DIT graduate “to pursue a practical work assignment in a developing country, specifically in the field of renewable energy.”   Expressing the gratitude of his family, Ciaran’s sister Aoife King said “Ciarán would be very honoured, as we are, by this tribute.  It reflects two of his great loves: renewable energy and Africa.”

Declan Arthur visited Dublin Institute of Technology this week, where he was congratulated by Dr. Mike Murphy, Director and Dean of the College of Engineering and Built Environment and Ms Siobhan Broughan, Development Manager of the DIT Foundation.  He also had an opportunity to meet with Ms King and Ciarán’s partner, Ms Isolde Harpur.   Wishing Declan every success, Ms Harpur praised the generosity of the donor who had not only honoured Ciarán’s memory but had facilitated this opportunity for a DIT graduate to follow in his footsteps.  “Ciaran lived life by his own strong principles.  He was hugely interested in making the world a better place and he made a significant contribution, but in his own quiet way.  I wish Declan every success in taking on this challenge in Ciarán’s name.”

Isolde Harpur with Declan Arthur (centre), winner of Ciaran King Graduate Travel Scholarship, and Dr. Mike Murphy, Director and Dean of DIT College of Engineering and Built Environment

Going back to study changed career path

Following a 25-year career in industry and the NGO sector, Declan Arthur returned to study at DIT last year, graduating in October with a Masters degree in Applied Media.  Now, four months later, the Waterford native is preparing to depart for Nairobi.  “It was a privilege to meet Aoife and Isolde to hear about the man who inspired this Scholarship and to understand how much his work meant to him.  Working in a developing country is something I have always wanted to do, so I am really looking forward to this challenge.”

Volunteering is not new to Declan, who has worked with various charities, both in Ireland and in Albania.  His Masters thesis was entitled  “An Exploration of the Use of Social Media in Cause Related Marketing Campaigns in Ireland' and he hopes to continue to develop ideas for the NGO sector when he returns from Africa.   “I have always had an involvement with charitable causes – no doubt influenced by my parents.  My late father, Martin Arthur, and my mum Nancy, both volunteered all their lives for charities in Waterford, from St. Vincent de Paul to Combat Poverty to Care of the Aged, and they made sure we were all involved too! I am sure this experience will inform my future plans.”

On behalf of DIT, Dr. Murphy also thanked the donor who had made this opportunity available to DIT graduates.  “It is a privilege for DIT to be associated with this Scholarship which is a fitting tribute to Ciaran King and to his contribution to knowledge and development of renewable energy - particularly as 2012 has been designated by the UN as International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.    We plan to stay in touch with Declan and look forward to hearing about the experience on his return.”

• DIT FOUNDATION – registered charity, encourages philanthropic support for DIT to enhance the resources that can be offered to future generations of students – see www.dit.ie/ditfoundation/
• RENEWABLE WORLD – international charity supporting  the provision of affordable renewable energy services for poor communities in order to improve livelihoods, health and education –  www.renewable-world.org/  
• UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL -presents a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of increasing sustainable access to energy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy at the local, national, regional and international levels.  Energy services have a profound effect on productivity, health, education, climate change, food and water security, and communication services.   Lack of access to clean, affordable and reliable energy hinders human, social and economic development - see http://www.un.org/en/events/sustainableenergyforall/  

2nd February 2012: Following the successful launch of Allegro for Adults, on 6th December 2011 at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and the Allegro of Adults Summer School last June, the two new Allegro courses will commence on 7th and 8th February 2012.

Both Allegro 1 and Allegro 2 are CPD (continuing professional development) courses. They are class-based one-year courses. On successful completion of the each course students will obtain certification. Both courses are at level 6 on the National Qualifications Framework and have 5 ects credits.

Allegro 1 requires no previous musical experience. It covers foundation - intermediate level musicianship. The course has three components:

1. aural training – learning about rhythm and melody through singing
2. written skills – learning about keys, scales, intervals and chords and how to use them in a musical context.. Also some of the basics of composition will be covered.
3. listening – learning how to listen to music and develop an understanding of musical styles.

Allegro 2 requires a minimum of 3 year musical experience. It has the three components of an all-round music education programme :

1. aural training – sight singing including two-part singing, canons and singing in harmony
2. composition– learning how to compose melodies with modulation, how to harmonize a melody or write a melody over figured bass. Introduction to counterpoint will be covered.
3. listening. – a range of musical styles from the Baroque to the modern period. Learning how to read/follow a musical score and understanding form in music

The courses are assessed on the basis of continuous assessment with an end-of-year exam. Both programmes will include optional attendance at concerts (NCH), trips to IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) and there will be other optional events for students to choose.

>> Click here to download application form

1st February 2012: The 6^th event in the Leadership Forum series, featuring Jim McNeill, Managing Director of Kelloggs Ireland and John Moran, Managing Director of Jones Lang Lasalle, was held on January 26^th. This was another extremely successful event with over 100 executives in attendance.

Pictured at the 6^th event in the DIT/Great Place to Work Leadership Forum Series were;
Bob Lee, Great Place to Work Institute
Jim McNeill, Managing Director Kelloggs Ireland
Colin Hughes, College of Business, DIT
John Moran, Managing Director Jones Lang Lasalle

30th January 2012: DIT photography graduate Darek Fortas has been nominated for the very prestigious FOAM Paul Huf Award.   Darek graduated in 2011 and his project "Coal Story", currently on view at the Copper House Gallery in Dublin, is one of five projects selected for this highly prestigious international award.

The Paul Huf prize is awarded each year by FOAM to “a young, talented photographer under the age of 35, who has already developed a personal visual idiom and is producing work that is distinctive in terms of content as well as formal aspects.”   The Award is named after the influential Dutch photographer, Paul Huf  who was one of the founders of Foam_Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam.   The winner receives a significant cash prize of € 20,000, will have a portfolio published in Foam Magazine’s Talent issue and will also be invited to exhibit at Foam in September 2012. This exhibition may also tour to venues in other countries.

“Coal Story” runs at the Copper House Gallery until Friday 3rd February - http://thecopperhousegallery.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/coal-story-review-by-totally-dublin-3/

For more information about FOAM see foam.org

27th January 2012: The DIT module ‘Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?’ won the Learning Without Frontiers 2012 Award in the United Kingdom. There were over 150 entries across three categories of awards which were considered by a panel of judges. The DIT module was one of only two finalists presented for public voting in the Further and Higher Education Innovation category.

The winners were announced during the LWF Awards evening hosted on January 25th at Olympia in London as part of the LWF12 Conference and Festival.

The Awards celebrate international practitioners, learners and participants who have excelled in the use of disruptive platforms for radically improving learning and teaching by demonstrating genuine innovation and best practice that can be shared among colleagues.

‘Is one life enough?’ was developed by John O’Connor of the School of Art, Design & Printing and Claudia Igbrude of the Learning, Teaching and Technology Centre and has been delivered as an elective since February 2009. The module is taught entirely in the online virtual world Second Life supported by Facebook, blogs, Twitter and other online social networking tools. In 2010 DIT built a virtual campus in Dublin Virtually Live and continues to deliver the module in this vibrant cultural community space. It attracts participants from DIT and also from around the world and hosts guest lecturers from the global academic community.

In the module students learn to:

• Access online virtual environments and networking communities to carry out specific activities;
• Create and manage their presence in virtual spaces;
• Establish and maintain virtual relationships;
• Explain how the regulations and conventions operating in online virtual environments and networking communities support the creation and management of content;
• Describe the potential outcomes from creating content;
• Apply this knowledge to create and exploit original content for online virtual environments and networking communities.

In their acceptance speech O’Connor (known as Acuppa Tae in Second Life) and Igbrude (Locks Aichi) thanked the Learning Without Frontiers team, the judges and all those who voted. They also paid tribute to all those who work to support the delivery of the module such as the team behind Dublin Virtually Live particularly John Mahon (Ham Rambler), James Neville (Sitearm Madonna) and Lisa Feay (Elfay Pinkdot, host of the SL radio show Coffee and Pajamas) and all the participants and guest lecturers who have been instrumental in making the module a success.

Date: Wednesday, 29th February 2012
Time: 11:00 to 14:00
Location: Dublin Institute of Technology - College of Engineering & Built Environment, Kevin Street Campus, Kevin Street, Dublin 8
Admission: Free but pre booking essential
Age Group: Secondary Level-Senior Cycle

Pictured are Michael O Shea with daughter Heather O Shea and DIT Engineering student Julie Farrelly at DIT Open Day 2011

Calling all second level students - Have girls in your school ever had the chance to meet women working in engineering and technology who have responsible, rewarding and well-paid jobs? DIT “WAVES” (Women A Voice in Engineering Society) plan to offer female secondary level pupils an insight into the world of women engineers and technologists working in all areas of society.

Through a series of talks and Q&A sessions our role models will share their experiences of working in the world of engineering and the route they took to get to their current job. Our role models will include current female engineering students, recent graduates and female engineers with years of experience in this field.

Join us in DIT Kevin Street during Engineering Week 2012 to discover the world of engineering as a female in our world today.

Each school may book a maximum of 10 places.

For further information please contact Deirdre Staunton or Michael Core 
T: 01 402 4665  
E: deirdre.staunton@dit.ie or (michael.core@dit.ie)

in|discussion Public lecture series 2011-12

6.30pm Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Lecture Room G6, School of Art Design and Printing

Dublin Institute of Technology, 41 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1

Luke Gibbons is Professor of Irish Literary and Cultural Studies at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. His publications include Gaelic Gothic: Race, Colonialism and Irish Culture (2004), Edmund Burke and Ireland: Aesthetics, Politics and the Colonial Sublime (2003), The Quiet Man (2002), Transformations in Irish Culture (1996), and (with Kevin Rockett and John Hill) Cinema and Ireland (1988). He is currently preparing Joyce’s Ghosts: Ireland, Memory and Colonial Modernity for publication.

This talk will discuss the Irishness of Irish art in terms of form rather than representation, contending that the most important aspects of a work's relation to its culture lie in aesthetic qualities often considered as lying outside history, or beyond questions of power and politics.

All are welcome to this free event.

To secure your place, please book by email: indiscussionadp@gmail.com

in|discussion a forum on contemporary issues and current research in typography, art, design, material culture, critical theory, pedagogy, philosophy, society and technology. Updates on the lecture series at: http://indiscussionadp.blogspot.com/

25th January 2012: The date has been set!  One of the biggest and most exciting events on the DIT calendar, the DIT Fashion Show takes place in Vicar Street on Wednesday, 21^st March, 2012.

Now in its ninth year, the theme for this year’s DIT Fashion Show is “End of the World, Dawn of a New Era”. According to the Show Directors; “This year’s theme has been inspired by the buzz that is surrounding the prediction that, according to ancient Mayan culture, the world as we know it will end on 21st December 2012 and enter a transformative period. The audience at this year’s DIT Fashion Show can expect a dramatic show inspired by the end of the world theme and one that sends a real message about the times we live in.”

DIT Fashion Show 2012 features on RTE Late Late Show
DIT Students involved in this year’s DIT Fashion Show with Ryan Tubridy after their appearance on the Late Late Show

Every year the DIT Fashion show receives huge coverage in both the National and Local media.  This year’s show is proving no exception with the appearance last Friday, 20th January on the Late Late Show of three DIT students who are models in this year’s DIT Fashion Show.  According to Maud O’Callaghan, PRO for this year’s DIT Fashion Show; “The three DIT Students Odette Devereux, Hana Murphy and Mandy McGovern Brennan were handpicked by Andrea Roche to appear on the show as aspiring Irish models. It was great advertising for DIT and for the DIT Fashion Show and the models did a great job”.  In addition, this year’s show, for the first time, will be streamed live on AerTV.

The DIT Fashion Show is run entirely by students from DIT and indeed this year nearly 70 current DIT students are involved in the Show.  The DIT Fashion Show was started in 2003 by four enthusiastic second year students - Ciara O' Donovan, Andrea Byrne, Julie Sheehan and Lou Conlon.  Now an annual event, and in its ninth year, the show has grown from strength to strength and is now seen as a nationally anticipated charity event, with an exciting high-energy national Student Design Award. The show itself has won numerous awards including DIT Society Awards and National awards such as DIT's Best Event in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 and the National BICS award for Best Event in 2004.

With the best in forward thinking fashion, and dance talent involved in the show, it is definitely a night not to be missed!  For more see

• http://www.ditfashionshow.ie/
• www.DITfashionshow.blogspot.com
• http://www.facebook.com/#!/ditfashionshowfan

You can see the DIT models in action on the Late Late Show  http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=1132019  (after approximately 54 minutes)

Andrea Roche scouts DIT talent for Late Late Show
Odette Devereux - a first year DIT student from Portobello, Co. Dublin. She is studying Food Innovation
Mandy McGovern - a first year DIT student from Shankill, Co. Dublin. She is studying Creative and Culture Industries
Hana Murphy is a second year DIT student from Killiney, Co. Dublin. Hana is studying Film and Broadcasting. 

January 2012

Conservatory presents new production of Orpheus in the Underworld