Taoiseach Micheál Martin today presented the prestigious Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal to Prof Richard Kearney, Charles B Seelig Professor in Philosophy at Boston College, and Mr Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health.
The Medal recognises the contribution of academic and industry leaders in the US across all disciplines, from science and engineering to the arts, humanities and social sciences. These experts contribute to the research ecosystem in Ireland and to collaboration between research in Ireland and the United States.
Pictured (l-r) at the prestigious Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal event in Washington D.C., Deputy CEO of Research Ireland, Dr Ciarán Seoighe, President and CEO of Northwell Health, Mr Michael Dowling (Industry Medal Recipient), Charles B Seelig Professor in Philosophy at Boston College, Prof Richard Kearney (Academic Medal recipient), Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Dr Sethuraman ‘Panch’ Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation. Image credit: John Harrington Photography 2025.
At the presentation event in Washington, D.C., the Taoiseach congratulated the recipients, saying: “I am delighted to present the Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal to Prof Richard Kearney and Mr Michael Dowling. Their significant achievements in the fields of philosophy and healthcare respectively illustrate the exceptional work being carried out by the Irish research diaspora across the United States.
“The leadership and innovation of Prof Kearney and Mr Dowling have been impactful across diverse areas, from aiding peace agreements to improving healthcare access. The Government of Ireland and Research Ireland are delighted to support transformative research such as this, which has wide-reaching benefits across Ireland and the US.”
Prof Richard Kearney (left, with UCD President Prof Orla Feely) 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 30 books on European philosophy and literature, including The Irish Mind, Navigations: Selected Irish Essays and most recently Hosting Earth: facing the Climate Crisis (2025). He was formerly a member of the Arts Council of Ireland, the Higher Education Authority of Ireland and Chairman of the Irish School of Film at UCD. He was involved in drafting proposals for the Northern Irish peace agreement and has appeared frequently in Irish, European and North American media. His third and most recent novel, ‘Salvage’, set in West Cork, is currently being adapted for film.
Prof Kearney commented: “I am honoured to be awarded the Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal. My connection with Ireland has always been central to my career. Bringing people together to share stories and perspectives is key to addressing our era’s greatest challenges. Collaborations and exchanges can help to transcend divides and build peace and reconciliation. I look forward to continuing my work with colleagues in both the U.S. and Ireland to strengthen empathy and understanding.”
Michael Dowling is one of the healthcare industry’s most highly respected voices. As President and CEO of Northwell Health, he oversees the largest healthcare provider in New York State, caring for over 2 million people annually through a network of 21 hospitals and over 900 outpatient facilities. Mr Dowling has invested heavily in Northwell’s research arm, the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, transforming the treatment of conditions like lupus, arthritis, sepsis, cancer, psychiatric illness and Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr Dowling has developed a visionary approach to medical education, working on innovative medical school curricula and creating a corporate university. Throughout his career he has initiated numerous programmes to expand primary care access to medical care, particularly to those who are uninsured.
On receiving his award, Mr Dowling said: “I am delighted to accept the Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal recognizing my efforts to improve health outcomes for patients, through clinical care and research. In our work, it is vital to remain open to new knowledge. Partnerships with Irish companies continue to provide new perspectives that help to improve patient care in the U.S., Ireland and beyond. Maintaining close ties with Ireland continues to be of deep importance to my career.”
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO at Research Ireland, said: “Research Ireland is delighted to see the valuable work of Prof Richard Kearney and Mr Michael Dowling being recognised through the presentation of the prestigious St. Patrick’s Day medal. Their continued contributions to research in Ireland over many years have enriched our RD&I landscape across all disciplines, from the arts, humanities and social sciences, to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Our strong collaborative links with the research community in the U.S. mutually benefit both countries and we look forward to continuing to build on this into the future.”
More about the St Patrick's Day Medal
Research Ireland is the new national competitive research and innovation funding agency, established on August 1st, 2024, following the amalgamation of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Irish Research Council (IRC).
The Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal recognises the contributions of academic and industry leaders in the U.S. across every discipline of research – from science, technology, engineering, and maths, to the arts, humanities and social sciences.
It builds on the historic SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal, established and run annually since 2014.
Previous winners of the medal include:
2024 – Dr Eamonn Keogh, University of California, Riverside (Academic Medal)
2024 – Mr John Hartnett, Founder and CEO, SVG Ventures | Thrive (Industry Medal)
2023 – Dr Paul K. Whelton, Tulane University, New Orleans (Academic Medal)
2023 – Mr Paul R. Daugherty, Group Chief Executive for Technology, Accenture (Industry Medal)
2022 – Prof Donald McDonnell, Duke University, North Carolina (Academic Medal)
2022 – John and Patrick Collison, Founders, Stripe (Industry Medal)
2021 – Prof William C. Campbell, Drew University (Academic Medal)
2021 – Mr Vincent T. Roche, President and CEO, Analog Devices (Industry Medal)
2020 – Prof Neville Hogan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Academic Medal)
2020 – Dr Ann Kelleher, SVP and General Manager, Intel (Industry Medal)
2019 – Prof Eamonn Quigley, Houston Methodist Hospital (Academic Medal)
2019 – Mr Michael Mahoney, CEO and Chair, Boston Scientific, (Industry Medal)
2018 – Prof Margaret Murnane, University of Colorado (Academic Medal)
2018 – David McCourt, Founder and CEO, Granahan McCourt Capital (Industry Medal)
2017 – Prof Adrian Raftery, University of Washington (Academic Medal)
2017 – Dr T. Pearse Lyons, Founder and President, Alltech (Industry Medal)
2016 – Dr Craig Barrett, ex Intel (Industry Medal)
2016 – Prof Séamus Davis, Cornell University (Academic Medal)
2015 – Prof Katherine Fitzgerald, University of Massachusetts
2014 – Dr Garret FitzGerald, University of Pennsylvania
Academic medal recipient biography
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 (Sorbonne). He is the author of over 30 books on European philosophy and literature (including two novels and a volume of poetry) and has edited 21 more.
He was formerly a member of the Arts Council of Ireland, the Higher Education Authority of Ireland and Chairman of the Irish School of Film at University College Dublin. As a public intellectual, he was involved in drafting proposals for a Northern Irish peace agreement and has broadcast frequently on Irish, British and European media.
He was a founding editor of The Crane Bag journal and his many books on Irish studies include The Irish Mind, Transitions: Narratives in Irish Culture and Navigations: Selected Irish Essays 1976-2006. He is currently the international director of the Guestbook Project-Hosting the Stranger: Between Hostility and Hospitality.
Industry Medal recipient biography
Michael Dowling is one of the health care industry’s most highly respected voices, achieving the #1 ranking in Modern Healthcare magazine’s 2022 list of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.” As a health care executive over the past three decades, he has been an advocate for reforms that have helped the industry become more patient-focused and committed to quality and safety.
During his years in academia and government, he distinguished himself as a compassionate voice for those in need, developing and promoting innovative health and human services policies. As President and CEO of Northwell Health for the last 23 years, he has demonstrated invaluable leadership in overseeing a rapidly expanding clinical, research and academic enterprise with annual revenue of $18 billion.
Northwell is the largest health care provider and private employer in New York state, caring for more than two million people annually through a vast network of 21 hospitals, more than 900 outpatient facilities –including 220 primary care practices and 50-plus urgent care centers—along with home care, rehabilitation and end-of-life services.
Mr. Dowling has invested heavily in Northwell’s research arm, the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, home to 50 research labs, 3,000 clinical research trials, and 5,000 scientists and staff who are transforming the treatment of conditions like lupus, arthritis, sepsis, cancer, psychiatric illness and Alzheimer’s disease. Under Mr. Dowling’s leadership, Northwell has pursued a visionary approach to medical education, developing innovative curricula.
Mr. Dowling’s first act when becoming Northwell’s CEO in 2002 was creating a corporate university, the Center for Learning & Innovation. Mr Dowling earned his BA degree from University College Cork, Ireland, and his master’s from Fordham University. He also has honorary doctorates from Queens University Belfast, University College Dublin, Fordham, Hofstra University and Dowling College.