Registry Management Team

Kevin Griffin

Senior Director of UCD Registry

Kevin has overall responsibility for ensuring that UCD Registry delivers on the mission and vision of the unit. He chairs the Registry Management Team and is a member of a number of University committees including the University Programmes Board, the UMT (University Management Team) Student Experience Group, the UMT Service Group and the CRM Steering Committee. He is also a member of the sectoral Directors of Academic Registry peer group.

Prior to joining UCD in early 2007, Kevin worked from January 2000 in Dublin City University, and specifically in the role of Director of Registry from 2003. From 1987 to 2000, he worked in London in national education councils in the area of policy related to testing in primary and secondary schools. He joined the University of Bedfordshire in 1993 as a Faculty Registrar.

Kevin holds a BA (Hons) in English & Philosophy, a Higher Diploma in Education and an MBA. He is a Member of the Chartered Management Institute.

Ruth Harrison

Director of Student Registration, Fees and Data Operations

Ruth is responsible for the Fee Payments, Student Records and Systems and Data Services teams within Registry. She regularly contributes to institutional working groups and committees and is a UCD Dignity and Respect Support Colleague.

Since joining UCD in 2010, Ruth has held a number of management positions including Deputy Director of Administrative Services and Business Operations Manager, UCD College of Business. Prior to that, Ruth worked for 15 years in the hospitality industry, with the then Jurys Inn Group.

Ruth holds a first-class honours degree in Hotel and Catering Management, awarded by Trinity College Dublin. Having a passion for both education and people, she has recently undertaken and completed two Professional Diplomas in the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, the first in Organisational Change and Transformation, and the second in Leadership Development. Currently, Ruth is undertaking a third Professional Diploma in Management Excellence.

Karen McHugh

Director of Assessment

Karen manages the Assessment unit, providing leadership for the University’s strategic and operational delivery of examinations, grading processes and assessment-related policy, in consultation with the relevant University committees, management, faculty and staff.

Karen has worked in examinations administration for more than 20 years, having joined the Assessment team in UCD in June 2005. She initially working as a team manager and subsequently as the Assessment Policy Officer before being appointed to the post of Director of Assessment in July 2008. Prior to this, she spent three and half years as the Examinations Officer at the National College of Ireland working primarily in recruitment and human resources roles.

Karen holds an MSc in Education (Leadership) and a BA (Hons) in Philosophy and Sociology along with professional certificates in areas of team management and project management.

Kate Griffin

Director of Customer & Curriculum Operations

Kate has responsibility for the strategic direction and leadership of the Student Desk, Conferring team, Curriculum Management team, and Support & Training.
She has many years of leadership and management experience, including leading large teams, departmental restructuring, project management, working strategically and workforce planning. Kate also has extensive experience in customer and stakeholder engagement.

She worked as an Administration Manager in the Law Society in London, before taking up the role of Director of Corporate Governance in Central Bedfordshire College. Prior to joining UCD Registry in 2019, Kate was Head of Administration in IT Services in UCD.

Kate holds an MSc Mgmt. in Organisational Behaviour and Development from Trinity College Dublin and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Legal Island. She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Jill O'Mahony

Director of Admissions & Strategic Enrolment

Jill has been the Director of Admissions and Strategic Enrolment since 2012. Along with her team, she manages the admissions processes and annual applications cycle, which oversee close to 40K direct applicants to UCD along with over 29K undergraduate applicants via the CAO system.

She chairs and contributes to a number of working groups and committees that lead initiatives across the national Admissions sector and acts on several advisory councils for international qualifications.

Prior to this role, Jill held the position of Deputy Director of Assessment after she joined UCD in 2007. Before her working life in UCD, Jill had many different engineering roles with companies such as GE and IBM.

She holds a Chemical Engineering degree and MBA, both from UCD.

Emma Caron

Communications Manager

Emma has overall responsibility for the management and delivery of Registry’s annual communications plan. She has developed and implemented communication strategies which are tailored to meet the needs of Registry’s diverse stakeholders, including students, faculty and professional staff, while also aligning Registry’s communication efforts with the overall strategy of the University.

She chairs the Registry Communications Group and sits on a number of University groups and committees.

Emma holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and French from Trinity College Dublin, a Graduate Diploma in IT from DCU, a Diploma in the History of European Painting from UCD and a Professional Diploma in Organisational Change and Transformation from the Michael Smurfit School of Business. She is currently undertaking a Professional Diploma in Digital Innovation and Transformation, also in the Michael Smurfit School of Business.

Ciara McCabe

Registry Projects & Operations Manager

Ciara is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Unit’s overall strategic roadmap, and ensuring the delivery of key strategic objectives and milestones, in alignment with the UCD Strategy, Rising to the Future. She also manages the Unit’s financial and resource planning process. She is a member of the Registry Management team and chairs a number of Registry working groups. She is closely involved in staff training and development initiatives.

Ciara is a graduate of UCD with a BSc in Agricultural Science and has recently completed a Professional Diploma in Organisational Change and Transformation in the UCD Smurfit School of Business.

Sue McAlinden

Director of Student Recruitment

TBC

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