Dr Avril Hutch is Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at University College Cork. Since joining UCC in 2021, Dr Hutch developed and launched UCC’s first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, ensuring that the values of the University’s Strategic Plan are implemented in practice. This includes leading the Athena Swan gender equality accreditation process (securing an institutional Silver award in 2025), and the implementation of the national framework for Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish higher education institutions. UCC was awarded the EU Inclusive Gender Champion award in February 2026. 

Prior to joining UCC, Dr Hutch established the EDI Office at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she led the development of the first Race Equality Action Plan in an Irish university. Dr Hutch also led Accenture's Women on Walls campaigns in both UCC and RCSI, resulting in the commissioning of portraits of 19 Irish trailblazing women leaders.

Dr Hutch previously managed human rights and equality programmes on behalf of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) and UNICEF. She spent seven years leading Irish Aid and United Nations (UN) funded capacity development programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia. Dr Hutch holds a PhD in History and was awarded the UCC Boston College and Washington College scholarships, as well as IHREC and International Committee of the Red Cross bursaries. Dr Hutch has also completed a postgraduate diploma in human rights and equality, a diploma in humanitarian law, and a certificate in visual art practice. 

Dr Hutch is currently Chair of the national Irish University Association (IUA) EDI Committee, served as Chair of the Athena SWAN National Committee 2020-21 and is a member of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) National Committee for EDI . She has also served as a Director of the Cork International Film Festival and Women on Air.