Dr John Hegarty. Image: DIAS
Dr John Hegarty plans to help advance the institute’s connections in Ireland and on the global stage as part of his new position.
The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) has appointed former Trinity College Dublin provost Dr John Hegarty as the new chair of its council.
Hegarty served as provost of Trinity for 10 years until 2011, previously holding the titles of dean of research and head of the university’s School of Physics. He is also a member of the Royal Irish Academy and a fellow of the Institute of Physics.
Hegarty is expected to hold the title of DIAS chair until 2025. The role was previously held by former Marine Institute CEO Dr Peter Heffernan.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris, TD, congratulated Hegarty on his new position and expressed confidence that he will govern the institute appropriately.
“We have such exciting plans for DIAS over the coming years and I look forward to working with Dr Hegarty to bring these to life,” Harris added.
Speaking on his new appointment, Hegarty said he has always placed an emphasis on connections between disciplines as they all play an equal role in our culture.
“As DIAS conducts research across a number of disciplines – from Celtic studies to cosmic physics and theoretical physics – I look forward to playing my role in continuing to champion this agenda over the coming years.
“It is a privilege to work with an institute of such a high calibre. As chair of the council, I hope to support DIAS in advancing its connections and alliances both in Ireland and on a global stage, so that it can continue to thrive as a centre of excellence for knowledge discovery and achieve new levels of success.”
Prior to his tenure at Trinity, Hegarty completed a postdoctoral stay at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was a research scientist at Bell Labs in New Jersey. To date he has produced more than 140 publications and developed several patents.
“I have no doubt that with his extensive experience and track record working in the education sector and as a champion for research, Dr Hegarty will bring very valuable insights,” said DIAS CEO and registrar Dr Eucharia Meehan.
DIAS recently hit a major milestone in its 81-year history when it appointed Prof Caitriona Jackman as its first woman senior professor of physics.
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