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DISCLAIMER:
all opinions expressed are my own and do not represent TU Dublin in any way.

With my avatar Acuppa Tae I have been extending the learning environment into the virtual world Second LIfe® since 2009.

 

Current role

In 2021 I was appointed Strategic Lead for the European Univeristy of Technology (EUt+), where I represent TU Dublin. The alliance comprises nine university partners and is funded by the Erasmus+ programme through the European Universities Initiative of the EU and the Higher Education Authority of Ireland (HEA).

 

Academic background

My journey in academia commenced in 1994 when I assumed the role of Course Leader for the Diploma in Graphic Reproduction Technology at what was then the Dublin Institute of Technology. In 1998 I was appointed Senior Lecturer in Design and Head of the School of Art and Design.

A significant achievement during my tenure was spearheading the development of the first full-time honours degree programme to be offered on an offshore island in Ireland, the BA in Visual Art. This initiative, which began as a pilot in 2000, has seen a biennial intake of new students, contributing to Sherkin’s community growth outside the tourist season. Notably, in April 2010, we had the honour of hosting President of Ireland Mary McAleese at the conferring ceremony, marking the first-ever visit of an Irish President to the island. This program has been made possible in partnership with the Sherkin Island Development Society and enjoys support from the Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, as well as the West Cork Arts Centre.

In 2008, our school launched a professional Master of Arts programme tailored for the Design Ireland Skillsnet, aimed at senior personnel in the Irish design sector. The objective was clear: to bolster the strategic development of the sector in Ireland. The programme remains in place today.

One of the modules I developed and continue to teach, Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?, not only won the national Jennifer Burke Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning in 2010 but also received the prestigious Learning Without Frontiers Award in London in 2012.

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Leadership roles

In 2012, I was entrusted with the role of Director and became an integral part of the senior leadership team responsible for the overall development of the university. This role also included the title of Dean of the College of Arts and Tourism, a diverse faculty comprising six schools and three research centres. With over 5,000 students and 360 academics, it stood as one of the largest colleges within the University. During my tenure, I chaired various university committees, including the Migration Programme Leadership Board and the Virtual Learning Environment Advisory Group. I also presided over the College Leadership Team, responsible for setting the strategic and operational direction, as well as the College Academic Board, a subcommittee of the Academic Council.
During that time we set up Idea Camp, Ireland’s first academy of creative play, to teach children how to unlock their creativity.

My strategic focus revolved around achieving designation for DIT as Ireland’s first Technological University, which became a reality in 2019, and the successful transition of Arts & Humanities to our new city centre campus at Grangegorman, a milestone that came to fruition in 2021.

 

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Qualifications

My academic journey began with a BDes in Visual Communication at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin during the early 1980s. This was followed by an MA by research, where I explored the contemporary state of multimedia from a design perspective, completing in 1993.

 

Design practice

Before my academic pursuits, I gained valuable experience at RTE, the national television station, as well as with several design and advertising companies in both Ireland and the UK. In 1985, I established Information Design as a partnership, and since then, the company has had the privilege of collaborating with a diverse range of national and international clients. During the 1980s and early 1990s, I held the position of Art Director at Film Ireland and played an active role in various representative bodies, including being a founding member of the Graphic Design Business Association, now known as Design Business Ireland.

 

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Memberships and associations

Throughout my career I have been actively engaged in various professional and educational organisations:

 

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Professional associations

Member of the Institute of Designers in Ireland (serving two terms on Council).

Founding member and Honorary Secretary of the Design Business Ireland (then the Graphic Design Business Association).

I represented the Irish Design Education sector on the board of Design Ireland, 2000 to 2009.

Founding Honorary Secretary of the Heads of Art & Design in Ireland.

Member of the International Society of Typographic Designers.

 

Awards

Learning Without Frontiers Award 2012
Winner in the Further and Higher Education Innovation category for the module Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?, London. February 2012.

Jennifer Burke Award for Innovation in Teaching & Learning 2010
Winner of the Irish Learning Techology Association (ILTA) annual award for the module Virtual Environments: Is one life enough? Ireland. April 2010.

 

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External examiner

2008/9 to 2011/12: MA in Future Arts, Future Design and Digital Arts and Design at Teesside University

2007/8 to 22010/11: BDes in Design & Communication at the Ulster University

 

Acuppa Tae

In 2006 Acuppa Tae was developed as my online virtual presence in Second Life®. The avatar has since taken on a life of his own teaching a class, writing a blog and with a facebook and twitter presence.

 

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