IT Carlow President Dr Patricia Mulcahy has been officially recognised for her contribution to county Carlow by being presented with the Carlow Ambassador Award at the 2021 Carlow Business Awards.
Brian O’Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber, said, “The judges’ decision of awarding Dr Mulcahy the Carlow Ambassador Award is welcome and well deserved. Carlow has always been a county recognised for punching above its weight and, through the stewardship and guidance of Dr Mulcahy, the state-of-the-art facilities at the institute have set a new benchmark and created a facility that is the envy of many and continues to get stronger. The contribution of Dr Mulcahy as an advocate for Carlow has been impressive and will benefit the county and region well into the future.”
Considered one of the leading figures in Irish higher education, Dr Mulcahy was appointed president of IT Carlow in January 2012 and has overseen the significant and consistent growth of the institute that is poised to become a technological university in 2022.
Under her direction, the IT Carlow student population has increased to 10,500 through campuses in Carlow, Wexford and Wicklow and collaborative programme provision with key partners across Ireland. A focus on applied research activities and enterprise supports has led to the development of five research centres of research and enterprise working with hundreds of companies across the region. Under her tenure, IT Carlow has also seen a €120million capital development that has delivered: the Dargan Centre for Research and Innovation; the Centre for Aerospace Engineering; the Haughton Building; South Sports Campus and a multi-million facility, incorporating sports, health and student services.
Dr Mulcahy is a native of Carlow and a past pupil of the Presentation Convent, Carlow. She studied science at Institute of Technology Carlow and attained her degree and PhD in Biochemistry at NUI Galway. Following research positions with BioResearch Ireland at NUI Galway and Dublin City University, Dr Mulcahy returned to Institute of Technology Carlow as a lecturer in biotechnology and was subsequently appointed Head of Department and later Head of Development. An eminent scientist in the field of bioscience research, she is widely published in major international journals and has served on many regional and national boards and taskforce groups.
“My sincere thanks to County Carlow Chamber for this award,” said Dr Mulcahy. “Institute of Technology Carlow’s significant contribution to the development of Co Carlow has spanned five decades and has resulted from the commitment and work of many colleagues over this time and the many achievements of our students and graduates.
“It is a great privilege to serve in my current role in my hometown and to have worked with so many talented people across the institute, the county and beyond. Our imminent designation as a technological university for the south east will undoubtedly bring many additional opportunities for people to build better lives for themselves and their families, for building an even stronger community, and for the creation of a vibrant and more sustainable economy for the benefit of all.”