News and events
2026-27
- Graduation Day for Class of 2026
- A Fond Farewell to 4 Professors
- Prof. Thorri Gunnlaugsson recognised with Excellence in Research Supervision Award
- Launch of Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) Impact Report and Resources Book 2021–2026
- Lua Henderson wins Gold ICDCM Young Scholar Award
- Prof. Casey Platnich wins Prestigious ERC Grant
Graduation Day for Class of 2026
Monday, October 19th was a proud day for the School of Chemistry as we saw our Senior Sophister Chemical Sciences class of 2026 conferred with their awards in the Exam Hall in Front Square followed by a reception in the Atrium. This is the culmination of 4 years of hard work on the part of all of our graduates and we wish them all the best in their future adventures!
A Fond Farewell to 4 Professors
On Tuesday 29th September, we said a fond farewell to four of our Professors - Dónall Mac Donaill, Isabel Rozas, Mick Morris and Mike Lyons as they embarked on their well-deserved retirement! A wine reception was held in the foyer of the Chemistry building and each was presented with a College print along with gifts and cards from colleagues.
All four of the professors have served the school, college and wider chemistry community well over the course of their careers.
Dónall Mac Dónaill has held positions such as Director of the NPCAM (now Nanoscience) course, Director of Teaching and Learning for Postgraduate students, Assistant Junior Dean and most recently has served as the college Junior Dean.
Isabel Rozas was instrumental in the formation and ongoing development of the school’s Medicinal Chemistry branch, one of the school’s most successful offerings as well as also serving terms as Director of Teaching and Learning for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students.
As the Academic Director of AMBER and Professor of Surface and Interface Engineering, Mick Morris has collaborated with many industrial groups to produce significant advancements in technology and materials.
Mike Lyons is the longest serving of the retirees having spent 42 years with the school. In that time, he has risen through the ranks to become the most senior Senior Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and an elected member of the Royal Irish Academy, serving 6 years as Head of School along the way. We are delighted that he has agreed to maintain some teaching duties following his retirement as his wealth of experience will be invaluable to our students.
Together, our 4 retirees have a combined 119 years of service and expertise and have all contributed significantly to the scientific community during their careers. They will all be sorely missed by their colleagues and friends. A gallery of photos from the retirement event can be found here.
Happy Retirement to you all and thank you for all you have done through the years. Enjoy the extra leisure time and don't forget to stop in and see us for a cuppa occasionally!
Prof. Thorri Gunnlaugsson recognised with Excellence in Research Supervision Award
We are delighted to share that Prof. Thorri Gunnlaugsson has been recognised with and Excellence in Research Supervision Award by the Provost, Linda Doyle. The award acknowledges staff who give outstanding support and guidance to their PhD students and reearchers are nominated for it by their students.
Speaking at the presentation, the Provost said "Being a supervisor takes huge integrity, patience, empathy, and the capacity to inspire. Its clear from the comments from the students and from colleagues that this year’s winners embody all these qualities."
Congratulations Thorri!
Launch of Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) Impact Report and Resources Book 2021–2026
We’re delighted to celebrate the launch of the new Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) Impact Report and Resources Book 2021–2026.
CCI is a public engagement and informal education initiative that brings together early-career researchers and science teachers to create meaningful, hands-on engagement with chemistry, green energy and sustainability.
Over the past five years, CCI has engaged 50,000 people, including 5,000 students through 261 workshops across 111 secondary schools in Ireland.
Led by our own Dr John O'Donoghue, the programme brings together colleagues from Trinity College Dublin, Atlantic Technological University Sligo, University College Cork and Tyndall National Institute, with support from Research Ireland.
The new report captures the impact of the programme from 2021–2026, as well as lessons learned and practical resources for chemistry education and public engagement.
A huge congratulations to John, our researchers, and everyone across the CCI partnership who has contributed to this fantastic work.
Read the full report here