UCD Vet Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Athena SWAN Update
The School’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Athena SWAN (VetEDIAS) Committee organises many events and initiatives which support our agenda of promoting gender equality, diversity and inclusion for all faculty, staff and students. Below, we provide you with updates on some recent and upcoming events and initiatives which have been organised by the VetEDIAS Committee. Find out more about the work of the committee and upcoming events on our website: https://www.ucd.ie/vetmed/about/athenaswan/
Dean's Inclusion Award
In October 2024, Dean & Head of School, Professor Rory Breathnach was delighted to present the latest Dean’s Inclusion Award to the 23 Veterinary School staff who volunteered at the UCD Festival in June 2023. Both the UCD EDI Unit and Neurodiversity Working Group commended all the volunteers from our School on their participation in hosting events that were welcoming and inclusive to all, including neurodivergent attendees and children.
The 23 volunteers represented a range of areas across the School and Hospital and included Academic, Administrative, Technical and Nursing staff:
Mark McCorry, Tracey Murphy, Avril McGinn, Renagh Kelly, Catherine McCarney, Marc Farrelly, Bridget Hogg, Antonella Puggioni, Alison Reynolds, Amanda Lawlor, Soudeh Ziapour Razlighi, Estela Bini, Gina Duggan, Monica Augusto, Michael Byrne, Robin Farrell, Pamela Gillick, Sandra Nicholson, Helen Graham and Susan Gaines
The event to present the award also provided an opportunity to reinitiate the Staff Common Room as a welcome space for staff, residents and postgraduate students to relax, eat and network.
Read more here: https://www.ucd.ie/vetmed/about/athenaswan/deansinclusionaward/
Presentation of Silver Athena SWAN Award 2024
On 19 November 2024, Trinity College Dublin and Advance HE Ireland hosted the annual Athena SWAN award ceremony. Our School achieved a Silver Departmental award, which was presented to the two co-chairs of the Vet EDI/Athena SWAN committee, Assoc Prof Cliona Skelly and Prof Stephen Gordon, and Project Co-ordinator Eimear Burkley.
We would like to thank Cliona Skelly for her time as chair of the committee and acknowledge the huge impact she has had on our community, through EDI actions. We would like to welcome Dr Marion Ryan on-board, as our new co-chair, working alongside Stephen Gordon. Marion is a Senior Technical Officer in the area of Molecular Biology.
To view our Action Plan and learn more about EDI in our School, please see our website: https://www.ucd.ie/vetmed/about/athenaswan/