Prof Lisa Looney made dean of DCU engineering faculty

KILLARNEY Professor Lisa Looney has been appointed Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Computing at Dublin CIty University (DCU) , a role that bring her into the senior management team at Ireland’s fastest growing university.

A chartered mechanical engineer, Professor Looney completed her PhD in the Netherlands, and has also work in New Zealand as a research engineer. She has specialised in bio materials, and has published her work internationally.

She has earned her new position having recently taken up the role of DCU’s Dean of Graduate Studies, with oversight of all of the university’s PhD and research masters activities.

Professor Looney went to school in the Mercy and St Bridget’s Secondary School locally, and has worked tirelessly over the years to improve the rate of participation of young women in technology degrees, and she said she firmly believes that pursuing a technology-based degree is the best way to prepare for the world of work in the future.

“There are so many girls embarking on the Leaving Cert this year who would make really good engineers or computer scientists, but are not giving those options any serious thought,” she said.

“I believe we don’t challenge young women enough when, almost by default, so many choose arts or business.

“These are both good starts to a career, but boys with equivalent ability in maths are much more likely to include engineering in their consideration as well as those other subjects.

“I’m convinced that computing and engineering areas offer not only the opportunity to undertake varied, interesting work throughout rewarding careers, but also a route to impacting the economy directly and changing how we live.

“We should ask our daughters ‘Why are you not looking at a technology-based degree?’ when they say they are not yet sure what they want to do, because these degrees will empower them in every sector and setting they might choose to work in later,” she said.