I am lead PI on the nationally coordinated Sustainable Futures project which focuses on research-driven interdisciplinary sustainability education. I also founded the Sustainable Futures Lab at University College Cork. I have world-leading international research experience from spending six years working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and the United Nations.
Anna O'Regan - PhD Candidate
Lily Purcell - PhD Candidate
Maria Sabedotti - PhD Candidate
Justin Rutherford - PhD Candidate
Pawel Hursztyn - PhD Candidate
Sustainable Futures - Programme Direction & Lecturing
As Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering & Future Sustainability and in leading Sustainable Futures at UCC, I have significant experience in programme direction, curriculum design, lecturing, examining and in supporting students across a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Programme Director - MSc in Sustainability in Enterprise (Online), 90 credits
I set up and I direct this nationally coordinated programme which is led by UCC in collaboration with Maynooth University (MU) and Atlantic Technological University (ATU). I was responsible for the curriculum design and development. I coordinate all modules and lecture on this programme.
Programme Director - HDip in Sustainability & Climate Action for Enterprise, 60 credits
I direct this university-wide HDip at UCC. I was responsible for the curriculum design and development. This programme includes sustainability modules in environmental engineering, environmental science, business and sociology.
I also lead on the development of Sustainable Futures Micro-credentials and CPDs for industry and enterprise.
The modules I lecture on contribute to the following programmes: BEng in Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, BEng in Energy Engineering, MEng, HDip in Sustainability & Climate Action for Enterprise and PG Cert/MSc in Sustainability in Enterprise. I also supervise taught and research student projects.
CE6047 Systems Thinking in Environmental Sustainability, 10 credits
Curriculum design, module coordination, lecturing & examination
CE3009 Environmental Engineering-Wet, 5 credits
Curriculum design, module coordination, lecturing & examination
NE6015 Data Analytics for Engineering, 5 credits
Curriculum co-design and co-lecturing
CE6050 Research Methods in Sustainability in Enterprise, 10 credits
Curriculum design, module coordination & examination
CE6051 Dissertation in Sustainability in Enterprise, 30 credits
Curriculum design, module coordination, project supervision & examination
CE4002 BEng Final Year Research Project and CE6009 MEng Dissertation
Project supervision & examination of projects each year
CE4014 Engineering Design Studio IV (Environmental), 5 credits
Module coordination & assessment/interviews
Other modules I developed the curriculum for and currently coordinate include CE4010 Water & Wastewater Treatment, CE5011 Environmental Engineering and CE4025 Leadership in Sustainability in Enterprise.
Biography
I am Senior Lecturer (equivalent Associate Professor) in Sustainable Futures & Environmental Engineering at University College Cork and the Environmental Research Institute. I founded and now direct the Nyhan Future Sustainability Research Group which harnesses new and emerging technologies to improving our understanding of the science of sustainable, healthy, liveable and equitable future cities. I have interdisciplinary expertise in sustainable cities, urban environmental engineering, urban studies, urban analytics, population exposure modelling and environmental epidemiological modelling methods. I have been awarded €6.85 million in funding as lead Principal Investigator for both ground-breaking research and pioneering educational programmes.I am lead PI on the nationally coordinated Sustainable Futures project which focuses on research-driven interdisciplinary sustainability education. I also founded the Sustainable Futures Lab at University College Cork. I have world-leading international research experience from spending six years working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and the United Nations.
Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body | Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CREATIVE C-CHANGE PHASE II - Evaluating the Impact of the Creative Climate Action II Initiative on Climate Change Engagement, Action & Behaviour Change in Ireland. Funded by the Creative Ireland Programme/The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Lead PI) | Government of Ireland | 03-APR-24 | 31-MAR-26 | €397,624.00 | |
| SFI Frontiers for the Future. 'Environmental Intelligence – Modelling Complex Human-Environment Interactions for Maximising Environmental Health & Equity in Urban Areas'. (Lead PI - Individual Award) | Science Foundation Ireland | 01-DEC-22 | 30-NOV-26 | €611,117.00 | |
| Sustainable Futures: Delivering a Low Carbon Future (Lead PI) | Higher Education Authority (HEA) | 22-SEP-20 | 31-DEC-24 | €3,900,000.00 | |
| Sustainability in Enterprise: Meeting the Challenges of the Future' HCI Pillar 1 Phase 1 (Lead PI) | Higher Education Authority (HEA) | 01-JUN-20 | €900,000.00 | ||
| Sustainability in Enterprise: Meeting the Challenges of the Future HCI Pillar 1 Phase 2 (Lead PI) | Higher Education Authority (HEA) | 01-JUN-23 | €527,000.00 | ||
| Construct Innovate - National Construction Technology Centre (Sustainability Pillar Lead & Co-PI) | Enterprise Ireland | 01-AUG-22 | 31-JUL-26 | €5,000,000.00 | |
| Smart & Climate Neutral Cities: Emissions Modelling & Spatial Mapping to Inform the 100 Net Zero Cities Initiative (Lead PI) | Other: Not Listed | 01-OCT-22 | 31-MAR-23 | €46,125.00 | |
| CREATIVE C-CHANGE PHASE I - Analysing the Impact of the Creative Climate Action Initiative on Climate Change Awareness, Engagement and Action in Ireland. Funded by the Creative Ireland Programme/The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Lead PI) | Government of Ireland | 01-JAN-22 | 31-MAR-23 | €116,000.00 | |
| MaREI PhD Programme - 'Air, Climate & Energy (ACE): Elucidating the Environmental Health Co-Benefits & Trade-Offs of Climate Action Plan GHG Mitigation Efforts using Air Quality Modelling in Irish Cities'' (Lead PI) | Science Foundation Ireland | 01-JUL-20 | 30-JUN-24 | €139,150.00 | |
| C-CHANGE - Connecting People to Climate Change Action: Longitudinal Analysis for Informing Participatory Frameworks in the National Dialogue on Climate Action (Lead PI) | Environmental Protection Agency | 20-FEB-20 | 02-SEP-21 | €97,535.00 | |
| UCC College of SEFS New Connections Award (Lead PI) | University College Cork | 14-MAR-22 | €4,000.00 | ||
| Climate Change in the Irish Mind - Literature Review for the Environmental Protection Agency & Yale University (Lead PI) | Environmental Protection Agency | 01-AUG-20 | €7,000.00 | ||
| Climate Change in the Republic of Ireland: Societal Impacts and Solutions (CRISIS) (Co-PI) | Environmental Protection Agency | 01-MAR-20 | 28-FEB-23 | €350,000.00 | |
| Ericsson Innovation Awards. 'Airscapes - Real-time Data Processing & Visualization Software for Air Quality Sensors' (Lead PI) | Other: Not Listed | 01-MAY-16 | €15,000.00 | ||
| Fulbright Scholarship - Awarded the Fulbright-Environmental Protection Agency Award for Climate Change & Sustainability Development to conduct research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as part of my PhD | Fulbright Ireland | 01-MAY-13 | €20,000.00 | ||
| PhD Scholarship - Trinity College Dublin | Other: Not Listed | 01-SEP-10 | €80,000.00 |
Contract Researchers
| Researcher Name | Project | Role | Funding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joanne Mac Mahon | Creative C-Change | Senior Postdoctoral Researcher | ||
| Michelle Burke | Creative C-Change | Research Assistant | ||
| Alexandra Revez | Creative C-Change | Research Fellow | ||
| Qinmin Zheng | Environmental Intelligence | Postdoctoral Researcher | ||
| Padraig Hogan | Creative C-Change | Research Assistant |
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | 'Modelling & Spatial Mapping of Residential-Sector Emissions for Sub-National & Urban Areas' Purcell, L.; O'Regan, A.; McGookin, C.; Nyhan, M. (2024) 'Modelling & Spatial Mapping of Residential-Sector Emissions for Sub-National & Urban Areas'. Methodsx, 12 (102617) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Data Insights for Sustainable Cities: Associations between Google Street View-Derived Urban Greenspace and Google Air View-Derived Pollution Levels' Sabedotti, MES*; O'Regan, AC; Nyhan, MM* co-first authors (2023) 'Data Insights for Sustainable Cities: Associations between Google Street View-Derived Urban Greenspace and Google Air View-Derived Pollution Levels'. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (48):19637-19648 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Embed Impact on SDGs in Research Assessments' Marguerite M Nyhan, John F Cryan (2023) 'Embed Impact on SDGs in Research Assessments'. Nature, 621 (258) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Towards Sustainable and Net-Zero Cities: Environmental Modelling and Monitoring Tools for Optimizing Emissions Reduction Strategies for Improved Air Quality in Urban Areas' O'Regan, AC; Nyhan, M. (2023) 'Towards Sustainable and Net-Zero Cities: Environmental Modelling and Monitoring Tools for Optimizing Emissions Reduction Strategies for Improved Air Quality in Urban Areas'. Environmental Research, 231 (116242) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Baseline Emissions Inventory: Part of the Cork City Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029' O’Regan, A., Purcell, L., McGookin, C., Nyhan, M. (2023) 'Baseline Emissions Inventory: Part of the Cork City Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029'. Unknown, [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Scalable, Global, Ethical & Equitable Education for Sustainability. Emerging Science, Frontier Technologies, and the SDGs – Perspectives from the United Nations System and Technology Communities. New York: United Nations Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology & Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals' Nyhan, MM; Marshall, K. (2023) 'Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Scalable, Global, Ethical & Equitable Education for Sustainability. Emerging Science, Frontier Technologies, and the SDGs – Perspectives from the United Nations System and Technology Communities. New York: United Nations Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology & Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals'. Unknown, [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Creative C-Change: Analysing the Impact of the Creative Climate Action Initiative on Climate Change Awareness, Engagement & Action in Ireland. Creative Ireland' Nyhan, M., et al. (2023) 'Creative C-Change: Analysing the Impact of the Creative Climate Action Initiative on Climate Change Awareness, Engagement & Action in Ireland. Creative Ireland'. Unknown, [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Scalable Approach for Quantifying Personal and Population Carbon Footprints Using Smartphone Technology' Purcell, L.; Nyhan, M. (2023) 'Scalable Approach for Quantifying Personal and Population Carbon Footprints Using Smartphone Technology'. Sustainable Cities And Society, [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'The Sustainability Transformation: Assessing the Readiness of Irish Businesses. Microsoft & University College Cork' Nyhan MM; Fitzgerald T (2022) 'The Sustainability Transformation: Assessing the Readiness of Irish Businesses. Microsoft & University College Cork'. Unknown, [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'Associations between Google Street View-derived urban greenspace metrics and air pollution measured using a distributed sensor network' O'Regan, AC*; Byrne, R; Hellebust, S; Nyhan, MM*. * co-first authors (2022) 'Associations between Google Street View-derived urban greenspace metrics and air pollution measured using a distributed sensor network'. Sustainable Cities And Society, 87 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'Connecting People to Climate Change Action: Informing Participatory Frameworks for the National Dialogue on Climate Action (C-CHANGE). Environmental Protection Agency' Nyhan MM; O'Dwyer; Jerez-Columbie Y (2022) 'Connecting People to Climate Change Action: Informing Participatory Frameworks for the National Dialogue on Climate Action (C-CHANGE). Environmental Protection Agency'. Unknown, [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health & Well-Being-Key Findings from a Global'Scoping'Literature Review' Carlos Chique, Paul Hynds, Marguerite Nyhan, Sharon Lambert, Martin Boudou, Jean O'Dwyer (2022) 'Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health & Well-Being-Key Findings from a Global'Scoping'Literature Review'. General Assembly of The European Geosciences Union, [Details] | |
| (2021) | '"Biophilic Cities": Quantifying the Impact of Google Street View-Derived Greenspace Exposures on Socioeconomic Factors and Self-Reported Health' O'Regan, AC;Hunter, RF;Nyhan, MM (2021) '"Biophilic Cities": Quantifying the Impact of Google Street View-Derived Greenspace Exposures on Socioeconomic Factors and Self-Reported Health'. Environmental Science & Technology, 55 :9063-9073 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2021) | 'Psychological impairment and extreme weather event (EWE) exposure, 1980-2020: A global pooled analysis integrating mental health and well-being metrics' Chique C;Hynds P;Nyhan MM;Lambert S;Boudou M;O'Dwyer J; (2021) 'Psychological impairment and extreme weather event (EWE) exposure, 1980-2020: A global pooled analysis integrating mental health and well-being metrics'. International journal of hygiene and environmental health, 238 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2020) | 'Quantifying and spatial disaggregation of air pollution emissions from ground transportation in a developing country context: Case study for the Lima Metropolitan Area in Peru' Romero Y.;Chicchon N.;Duarte F.;Noel J.;Ratti C.;Nyhan M. (2020) 'Quantifying and spatial disaggregation of air pollution emissions from ground transportation in a developing country context: Case study for the Lima Metropolitan Area in Peru'. Science of The Total Environment, 698 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2020) | 'The Role of Ambient Particle Radioactivity in Inflammation and Endothelial Function in an Elderly Cohort' Blomberg A.J.;Nyhan M.M.;Bind M.A.;Vokonas P.;Coull B.A.;Schwartz J.;Koutrakis P. (2020) 'The Role of Ambient Particle Radioactivity in Inflammation and Endothelial Function in an Elderly Cohort'. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 31 (4):499-508 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2019) | 'Quantifying Population Exposure to Air Pollution Using Mobility Patterns Inferred from Mobile Phone Data' Nyhan M; Kloog I; Britter, R.; Ratti, C.; Koutrakis, P (2019) 'Quantifying Population Exposure to Air Pollution Using Mobility Patterns Inferred from Mobile Phone Data'. Journal Of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 29 :238-249 [Details] | |
| (2019) | 'Associations between ambient particle radioactivity and lung function' Nyhan M.;Rice M.;Blomberg A.;Coull B.;Garshick E.;Vokonas P.;Schwartz J.;Gold D.;Koutrakis P. (2019) 'Associations between ambient particle radioactivity and lung function'. Environment International, 130 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Humanitarian applications of machine learning with remote-sensing data: Review and case study in refugee settlement mapping' Quinn J.;Nyhan M.;Navarro C.;Coluccia D.;Bromley L.;Luengo-Oroz M. (2018) 'Humanitarian applications of machine learning with remote-sensing data: Review and case study in refugee settlement mapping'. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society a-Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences, 376 (2128) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Associations Between Ambient Particle Radioactivity and Blood Pressure: The NAS (Normative Aging Study)' Nyhan MM;Coull BA;Blomberg AJ;Vieira CLZ;Garshick E;Aba A;Vokonas P;Gold DR;Schwartz J;Koutrakis P; (2018) 'Associations Between Ambient Particle Radioactivity and Blood Pressure: The NAS (Normative Aging Study)'. Journal Of The American Heart Association, 7 (6) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Recent exposure to particle radioactivity and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation: The Framingham Heart Study' Li W;Nyhan MM;Wilker EH;Vieira CLZ;Lin H;Schwartz JD;Gold DR;Coull BA;Aba AM;Benjamin EJ;Vasan RS;Koutrakis P;Mittleman MA; (2018) 'Recent exposure to particle radioactivity and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation: The Framingham Heart Study'. Environment International, 121 (Pt 2) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Exposure Track-The Impact of Mobile-Device-Based Mobility Patterns on Quantifying Population Exposure to Air Pollution' Nyhan M;Grauwin S;Britter R;Misstear B;McNabola A;Laden F;Barrett SR;Ratti C; (2016) 'Exposure Track-The Impact of Mobile-Device-Based Mobility Patterns on Quantifying Population Exposure to Air Pollution'. Environmental Science & Technology, 50 (17) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Predicting vehicular emissions in high spatial resolution using pervasively measured transportation data and microscopic emissions model' Nyhan M.;Sobolevsky S.;Kang C.;Robinson P.;Corti A.;Szell M.;Streets D.;Lu Z.;Britter R.;Barrett S.R.H.;Ratti C. (2016) 'Predicting vehicular emissions in high spatial resolution using pervasively measured transportation data and microscopic emissions model'. Atmospheric Environment, 140 :352-363 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Evaluating artificial neural networks for predicting minute ventilation and lung deposited dose in commuting cyclists' Nyhan M.;McNabola A.;Misstear B. (2014) 'Evaluating artificial neural networks for predicting minute ventilation and lung deposited dose in commuting cyclists'. Journal Of Transport & Health, 1 (4):305-315 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Comparison of particulate matter dose and acute heart rate variability response in cyclists, pedestrians, bus and train passengers' Nyhan M;McNabola A;Misstear B; (2014) 'Comparison of particulate matter dose and acute heart rate variability response in cyclists, pedestrians, bus and train passengers'. Science of The Total Environment, 468-469 [DOI] [Details] |
Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023) | Managing Sustainable Businesses Responsibly. Cullen, John G., Lucy, F., Nyhan, M. (2023) Managing Sustainable Businesses Responsibly. Ireland: Cork Oaktree Press. [Details] | |
| (2018) | The Promise of Digital Health: Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases to Accelerate Universal Health Coverage in LMICs. United Nations & the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development (2018) The Promise of Digital Health: Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases to Accelerate Universal Health Coverage in LMICs. NA: United Nations. [Details] |
Magazine article
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | Coping with Air Pollution in an Age of Urbanisation. Marguerite Nyhan (2015) Coping with Air Pollution in an Age of Urbanisation. London: Magazine article [Details] |
Professional Activities
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Research Award - Consultancy Project of the Year | University College Cork Office of Research & Innovation | |
| 2022 | Appointed to the Royal Irish Academy's Engineering & Computer Science Committee | Royal Irish Academy | |
| 2021 | College of SEFS Student Nominated Staff Awards 2021 (nominated) | University College Cork | |
| 2020 | Winner - IUSA Emerging Leader Award | Irish-US Alumni Association & the US Ambassador to Ireland | |
| 2019 | Appointed to the Future Earth Ireland National Committee hosted by the Royal Irish Academy | Royal Irish Academy | |
| 2017 | Winner - Harvard School of Public Health Post-Doctoral Association Award | Harvard University | |
| 2016 | Ericsson Innovation Awards - Placed 2nd Globally out of 843 Entries | Ericsson | |
| 2015 | First Prize - United Nations Environment Programme Eye on Earth Summit - Data Innovation Challenge | United Nations Environment Programme | |
| 2013 | Fulbright Scholarship (Fulbright - Environmental Protection Agency Award for Climate Change & Sustainable Development) | Fulbright Ireland | |
| 2010 | PhD Scholarship | Trinity College Dublin | |
| 2009 | University Scholar | University College Cork | |
| 2008 | University Scholar | University College Cork | |
| 2007 | University Scholar | University College Cork |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Nations | Research Scientist | / | |
| Harvard University | Post-Doctoral Researcher | / | |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Post-Doctoral Researcher | / |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | National University of Ireland - University College Cork | BEng | Civil & Environmental Engineering | |
| 2013 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Fulbright Scholarship - PhD | Environmental Engineering | |
| 2015 | Trinity College Dublin | PhD | Environmental Engineering |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
Current Postgraduate Students:Anna O'Regan - PhD Candidate
Lily Purcell - PhD Candidate
Maria Sabedotti - PhD Candidate
Justin Rutherford - PhD Candidate
Pawel Hursztyn - PhD Candidate
Sustainable Futures - Programme Direction & Lecturing
As Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering & Future Sustainability and in leading Sustainable Futures at UCC, I have significant experience in programme direction, curriculum design, lecturing, examining and in supporting students across a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Programme Director - MSc in Sustainability in Enterprise (Online), 90 credits
I set up and I direct this nationally coordinated programme which is led by UCC in collaboration with Maynooth University (MU) and Atlantic Technological University (ATU). I was responsible for the curriculum design and development. I coordinate all modules and lecture on this programme.
Programme Director - HDip in Sustainability & Climate Action for Enterprise, 60 credits
I direct this university-wide HDip at UCC. I was responsible for the curriculum design and development. This programme includes sustainability modules in environmental engineering, environmental science, business and sociology.
I also lead on the development of Sustainable Futures Micro-credentials and CPDs for industry and enterprise.
The modules I lecture on contribute to the following programmes: BEng in Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, BEng in Energy Engineering, MEng, HDip in Sustainability & Climate Action for Enterprise and PG Cert/MSc in Sustainability in Enterprise. I also supervise taught and research student projects.
CE6047 Systems Thinking in Environmental Sustainability, 10 credits
Curriculum design, module coordination, lecturing & examination
CE3009 Environmental Engineering-Wet, 5 credits
Curriculum design, module coordination, lecturing & examination
NE6015 Data Analytics for Engineering, 5 credits
Curriculum co-design and co-lecturing
CE6050 Research Methods in Sustainability in Enterprise, 10 credits
Curriculum design, module coordination & examination
CE6051 Dissertation in Sustainability in Enterprise, 30 credits
Curriculum design, module coordination, project supervision & examination
CE4002 BEng Final Year Research Project and CE6009 MEng Dissertation
Project supervision & examination of projects each year
CE4014 Engineering Design Studio IV (Environmental), 5 credits
Module coordination & assessment/interviews
Other modules I developed the curriculum for and currently coordinate include CE4010 Water & Wastewater Treatment, CE5011 Environmental Engineering and CE4025 Leadership in Sustainability in Enterprise.
Current Postgraduate Students
| Student | Degree Type | |
|---|---|---|
| da Silva Sabedotti Maria Eduarda | Doctoral Degree | |
| Purcell Lily Annmarie | Doctoral Degree | |
| O Regan Anna Claire | Doctoral Degree | |
| Rutherford Justin Thomas | Doctoral Degree |
Contact details
- Marguerite Nyhan
Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Futures & Environmental Engineering - marguerite.nyhan@ucc.ie
- Sustainable Futures Lab, School of Engineering & Architecture