About

While Eileen was studying for her PhD in Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for the Environment, she took a few modules at the Innovation Academy. She found out we were hiring and never left! Since 2012, Eileen has been enthusing students about Sustainability, Creativity and Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship, Communicating for Impact, and Design Thinking. Her passion for learning through play earned her a UCD Teaching and Learning Award in 2017.

Eileen has sprinkled her charm and enthusiasm all around the globe. She has spoken at events such as TED-x Osnabrück, the Falling Walls conference, and the Electric Picnic music festival. She’s the social entrepreneur behind a number of initiatives championing biodiversity. Nearly 10,000 kids and teens across four continents have taken part in the Wild Postcard Project – a series of artwork competitions celebrating local biodiversity. And you may have seen some of her 50,000 ‘Biodiversity in our Lives’ beer mats scattered across Ireland.

For Eileen, the Innovation Academy is a celebration of individuality and a showcase of the power of community. It is a space that encourages growth, learning and exploration from staff and students alike. She’s full of the joys of sharing in experiential education and feels privileged to watch her students flourish.

Eileen enjoys experimenting with new art forms, playing with different techniques and letting her inner creative take the reins. She’s a volunteer with Irish Therapy Dogs and enjoys being outside, running, and good food with family and friends.

Why I joined the UCD Innovation Academy…

“I really loved the vibe – it’s a playground of creativity, a greenhouse of ideas. There are so many opportunities to create magic and so much potential to do awesome things with inspiring humans.”