Dublin, 26 March — UCD Innovation Academy, Ireland’s pioneering hub for transformative innovation education, is proud to announce the appointment of Professor Christine Ortiz — Morris Cohen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Director of the MIT Technology and Policy Program (MIT TPP) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Founder of Station1 — as its new External Examiner.
The appointment comes at a moment of historic transformation for higher education. The accelerating influence of artificial intelligence, the demands of continued polycrisis and global disruption, and the urgent need to equip learners with the skills, mindsets, and values to navigate profound uncertainty are reshaping what it means to teach, learn, and innovate. Against this backdrop, UCD Innovation Academy is intensifying its commitment to experiential, challenge-based learning as the most powerful pedagogical response.
Since its founding, UCD Innovation Academy has created a distinctive approach to education for the 21st century — one rooted in design thinking, real-world challenge briefs, and deep collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and geographies. Its programmes equip students, professionals, and organisations with the creative confidence and practical capability to tackle complex problems, build meaningful ventures, and drive systemic change. The Academy operates at the intersection of higher education, enterprise, and public value, with a growing portfolio of multi-institutional collaborations, and industry partnerships.
“I am deeply honored to serve as External Examiner for UCD Innovation Academy, a pioneering educational effort that embodies a forward‑looking and profoundly thoughtful approach in this era of rapid technological change. I have long admired the Academy’s commitment to experiential, challenge‑based approaches that transform ideas into meaningful impact and sets a powerful standard for innovation education globally. I am excited to support this extraordinary community and to champion a model that prepares students to lead with rigor, integrity, and purpose.”
— Professor Christine Ortiz, MIT / Founder, Station1
Professor Ortiz during the “Fireside Chat” with the UCD Innovation Academy team and guests, where they discussed the Future of Innovation in Education
Professor Ortiz brings an unparalleled breadth of expertise to the role. At MIT, her work spans rigorous technical research, technology policy, and the design of inclusive learning experiences that connect cutting-edge science with societal and planetary purpose. As Founder of Station1, she has built a leading nonprofit higher education institution whose model of “directional science and technology” places social and planetary impact at the heart of STEM education — engaging students from underrepresented backgrounds in cross-sector experiential partnerships with startups, innovation ecosystems, and multinational corporations, and convening multi-institutional collective impact initiatives spanning eight leading STEM institutions, thirty programmes, and 30,000 students.
“On behalf of the UCD Innovation Academy, I am delighted and deeply grateful that Professor Christine Ortiz has agreed to serve as External Examiner. Christine is a scholar and educational leader of exceptional calibre, who brings a rare combination of intellectual depth, global perspective, and a profound commitment to inclusive, impact-oriented learning. Her oversight and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to push the boundaries of transformational education and equip our students to navigate and shape a rapidly changing world.”
— Professor Suzi Jarvis, Founding Director, UCD Innovation Academy
As External Examiner, Professor Ortiz will bring her global perspective on innovation education, inclusive pedagogy, and the design of transformative learning environments to bear on UCD Innovation Academy’s programmes — ensuring they remain at the frontier of world-class experiential education.
If you have any questions about UCD Innovation Academy, do not hesitate to contact us at innovation.academy@ucd.ie