Catherine O'Mahony

Dr Catherine O'Mahony is Director of the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL). In this role she provides direction and leadership for CIRTL activities, aligning these with the University Strategic Plan and Academic Plan, and broader national and international policies and practices relating to teaching and learning enhancement.

She is leading an institution-wide initiative to implement the Connected Curriculum by surfacing, showcasing and supporting good practice in teaching aligned with the 6 components of UCC's Connected Curriculum framework and leads work on implementing a Students as Partner approach to curriculum development. She is also partner on the teaching and learning work-package of the European University Initiative for UCC between 2023-2026 under renewed funding for the UNIC initiative, which is led by Astrid Tan in Ruhr University Bochum.

She develops and organises a number of staff professional development workshops and seminars relating to the integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. She provides strategic insight into the research focus of the Centre and oversees the various national and international research projects in which CIRTL is a partner. She teaches on a postgraduate Community Based Participatory Research module, and supports the development of new initiatives including an accredited programme for staff on Professional Practice and Leadership in Higher Education, and a national staff development initiative on community-based learning, on integrating the SDGs in teaching and learning, and on fostering academic integrity. Catherine is also the custodian and institutional contact point for the National Network for the integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL).

Catherine recently led an institution-wide project to uncover evidence of research-based teaching in all undergraduate programmes on offer in UCC. She partnered in a 2017 EUA Thematic Peer group initiative on strengthening research-teaching links in Higher Ed., in the 2018 group on active learning and the 2020 EUA Thematic Peer group on employability.

Catherine worked as Community Engagement Officer for the University from February 2017 to January 2020. During this time she supported the development of UCC's Civic and Community Engagement plan. She is a founding member of of UCC's Community Academic Research Links initiative, acted as Civic Engagement Officer for the University and as secretariat to the University's Civic and Community Engagement Committee, and a national convener of the working group on accredited community-based research and community-based learning for the Campus Engage network. She is co-Principal Investigator on an ongoing Erasmus+ grants led by the European University Association on staff development in teaching and learning (STAFF-DEV). She was PI on 7 previous Erasmus+ grants, co-PI on the H2020 EnRRICH project and partner in FP7 PERARES project, amongst other research activities.

Her research interests include Higher Education Management, Undergraduate Research, Community Based Research, Education for Sustainable Development, Inclusive Practice, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She has presented her research at national and international conferences, and has researched, edited and published a number of publications relating to higher education issues. She received the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2016, and the President's Award for Research on Innovative Forms of Teaching & Learning in 2009. She was shortlisted in 2019 for the international QS Reimagine Education Award for her work on postgraduate education. She received the University Staff Recognition Award for Leadership in 2021.

Catherine completed a BSc in Biochemistry in University College Cork and an MSc in Science Communication in Dublin City University. Following this she worked as a freelance science journalist prior to beginning work as Communications Coordinator for the WWF's European Policy Office in Brussels. She returned to Ireland to complete a Doctorate of Science in UCC investigating innovative ways to broaden public input into science policy decision-making. More recently she has completed the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Masters in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. She is a Fellow and Senior Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA).

Catherine began work with the National Academy in 2009 and coordinated NAIRTL's events, press and communications, while also supporting the activities of the Supervisor Support working group, the Bologna Process working group, and the Public Engagement in Research working group. She was appointed Manager of NAIRTL in 2012, Manager of CIRTL in 2015, and Director of CIRTL in July 2018.

Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning; Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; Assessment methodologies; Integrative Learning; Enquiry-based learning; Active learning approaches; Community-based research, Participatory research; Undergraduate research; Research Supervisor support

Teaching - credit bearing
Co-Director of PG Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2024-2026)

PG6025 Community Based Participatory Research
PG6013 Critical Trends in Teaching and Learning
TL6103 Reflective Practice and Leadership in Higher Education

Teaching - non credit bearing
Connected Curriculum digital badge
Education for Sustainable Development workshop series
Groupwork workshop series
Reflective Practice workshop, Blended Intensive Programme on Leadership in Sustainability

Research Supervision
- 2023 Masters Supervision Gillian Murphy
"Direct Critical Thinking Instruction Improves Everyday Critical Thinking in Psychology Undergraduate Students"
- 2026 Masters Supervision Robert O'Driscoll

Seanin Hoy, Education 2021-2025

Thesis title: The critical state of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in Initial Teacher Education (ITE): An exploration of student teachers’ experiences of a ‘praxis’curriculum design to promote greater inclusion, equality and active participation in global democratic societies