UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering and the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland co-hosted the 35th Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium (ENVIRON 2025) in University College Dublin on 10-12 March. The ENVIRON colloquium is the largest gathering of environmental researchers in Ireland, and at this year’s event, over 57 posters and 88 oral presentations were delivered. The event continues to offer a valuable platform for researchers at different stages of their careers to present their findings to a wide audience drawn from academia, government bodies, industry, and the public.
The conference saw Prof Tasman Crowe, UCD Vice-President for Sustainability and Dr Gerald Barry, Deputy Director of UCD's One Health Centre welcome delegates.
The theme for the 35th colloquium is “One Health Solution for a Sustainable Future” connects to most of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals such as Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, and Life on Land. ENVIRON 2025 aimed to reflect how research in different areas could collaborate to create solutions for a healthy and sustainable nature and environment for the well-being of all living organisms in this world.
L-R Dr Niamh Power (ESAI), Professor Tasman Crowe (UCD Vice President for Sustainability), Andy Fanning (Keynote Speaker, EPA), Dr Rajat Nag (Environ Co-Convenor), Professor Paula Bourke (Head of School Biosystems and Food Engineering), Dr Gerald Barry (Deputy Director, UCD One Health Centre), Dr Junli Xu (Keynote Speaker and Environ Co-Convenor) and Fiona Quinn (Environ Co-Convenor).
The conference included a dynamic mix of workshops, poster presentations, oral presentations and keynote addresses. The conference also wished to engage the general public and contribute to the wider discussion on sustainability with a public panel discussion on “Your Sustainable Shopping list- how can you engage in more environmentally conscious shopping”.
A highlight of the conference was the Student Prize Giving, seeing several UCD Students receiving awards including Fangting Bai awarded Best Wastes and Resources Management Presentation, Ultan O'Donnell awarded Best Natural History Presentation, Raphaela Ferreira awarded Best Analytical Chemistry Poster and Sarah Nasr for Best Overall Oral Presentation.
