Founded in 2011 and supported by alumni and friends through the UCD Foundation, the Ad Astra Academy nurtures students who demonstrate exceptional talent and ambition.
10.03.2026 11:07
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Founded in 2011 and supported by alumni and friends through the UCD Foundation, the Ad Astra Academy nurtures students who demonstrate exceptional talent and ambition.
Academically Ad Astra scholars have pursued further studies at the world’s top universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and the University of Oxford.
Fellow Olympian Nicola Tuthill built on her Paris 2024 experience, winning gold at the U23 European Throwing Cup in Cyprus, followed by silver at the World University Games. She later recorded an outstanding 11th-place finish at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
In December, she was recognised nationally with the “Rising Star” award at the 2025 Team Ireland Olympic Sports Awards.
Olympian Eve McMahon reached World No. 1 in the ILCA6 class in June 2025, bronze at the Senior World Championships in China and gold at the LA Grand Slam in July.
Cian McPhillips also delivered a record-breaking performance in the 800m at the World Athletics Championships.
Sailing scholars Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain secured gold at the 49er Junior European Championships, while middle-distance athletes Lughaidh Mallon and Jonas Stafford contributed to Ireland’s team gold at the European Cross Country Championships.
Among recent sporting successes, Tadhg O’Donnell was crowned 75kg National Boxing Champion, and Síofra Flynn won the Women’s Doubles Badminton National Championship.
Highlighting the achievements of past and present Ad Astra scholars, Professor Uí Chollatáin said they continued to distinguish themselves nationally and internationally.
She noted that Ad Astra reflects UCD’s wider mission to support students in achieving their full potential through mentoring, discipline-specific guidance and personal and professional development opportunities.
At a special ceremony marking the occasion, UCD Ad Astra Academy Director Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin described the Academy as “an environment where students with exceptional ability, creativity and drive are motivated, challenged and inspired.”
With these admissions, the full Academy membership now stands at 186.
The new intake includes 34 Academic Scholars, 18 of whom were awarded scholarships based on exceptional performance in their first year at UCD, alongside 16 Elite Sports Scholars and seven Performing Arts Scholars.
University College Dublin has welcomed 57 exceptional students into the UCD Ad Astra Academy, the University’s flagship scholarship programme, recognising outstanding achievement in academia, sport and the performing arts.
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One of its wider goals is to help the Midlands move away from peat and toward a low-carbon economy that supports local businesses and short supply chains. www.ucd.ie/newsandopini...
In addition to being sustainable, the ingredients generated by TRANSFORM will be designed to enhance the taste and nutritional value of the food we eat.
The project aims to create or sustain up to 50 new jobs in the Offaly region across biomanufacturing and logistics.
Having previously been a Principal Investigator in the Food for Health Ireland technology centre, it is especially rewarding to see the expertise and networks developed there now coming together in projects like TRANSFORM, to continue the mission of valorising Irish food ingredients.”
“Through TRANSFORM, we aim to develop innovative ingredients and processes that reduce waste while supporting Ireland’s transition to a more sustainable bioeconomy.
“This funding will enable us to bring together expertise across food science, nutrition, biotechnology and industry to re-imagine food side-streams as valuable resources,” explained Dr Feeney.
Demonstration of the process will take place at Circular Food Co.’s sustainable food facility in Tullamore, using a one-tonne commercial-scale system.
TRANSFORM is a collaboration between UCD, Munster Technological University, Teagasc, and industry partners SomaTech Ltd and Circular Food Co., supported by the Food for Health Ireland public-private partnership.
The TRANSFORM project will use state-of-the-art bioprocessing to upcycle agri-food waste, such as brewers’ spent grain, into high-value usable ingredients.
The funding was granted under the EU Just Transition Fund Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative.
A project coordinated by Dr Emma Feeney from the UCD Institute of Food and Health has been awarded €5 million in funding by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
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“With continued government support, this new addition to UCD’s campus will give our students and researchers the tools, spaces and confidence they need to shape Ireland’s future.” www.ucd.ie/newsandopini...
“Our third-level institutions sit at the heart of Europe’s ability to educate talent and turn bright ideas into real‑world impact. Eddie O’Connor understood that better than most - he built his life’s work on the power of innovation and education."
“This state‑of‑the‑art facility will enrich the learning experience of students for generations to come."
Speaking at the Centre’s launch, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, called the Centre “a statement of ambition, and a fitting tribute to the vision and generosity of Dr Eddie O’Connor”.
Prominently located at the main entrance of the Belfield campus, the O’Connor Centre is a Near-Zero Energy Building (NZEB), having been optimised to reduce energy demand with high levels of insulation, airtight construction, and passive solar strategies.
The state-of-the-art facility includes a 250-seat lecture theatre, adaptable teaching rooms, as well as the largest active collaborative learning space in Ireland - an area that can comfortably accommodate hundreds of students.
The UCD O’Connor Centre for Learning has a total capacity for more than 3,000 students and is designed to be open and accessible to all students and faculty across the UCD campus as a learning hub for our entire community.