Prof Patrick O’Shea, a Corkman and a graduate of UCC who is currently the chief research officer at the University of Maryland, where he oversees a $500m budget, is to be the next president of UCC.
O’Shea has enjoyed an illustrious career in science and engineering and will take up his new role on 1 February 2017.
Under his leadership, the University of Maryland has forged strong national and international partnerships and he is a strong advocate of cross-disciplinary work in universities.
‘Through their dedication, passion, and achievement, UCC will continue its rise among the great universities of the world’
– PROF PATRICK O’SHEA
Prior to his current position, O’Shea served as chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and director of the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics at the University of Maryland.
He played a leading role in the founding of the Maryland NanoCentre and the Maryland Cyber Security Centre. He also served as a project leader at the University of California Los Alamos National Laboratory, and as a faculty member at Duke University.
O’Shea’s area of expertise is in electromagnetics, and he is best known for his pioneering work on electron accelerators and free-electron lasers. He has played a leading role in several large research programmes, and has supervised the work of more than two dozen doctoral students. His other interests include history, linguistics, athletics and cycling.
His is on the board of the Universitas 21 Research Leaders Steering Group, which brings together 25 of the world’s leading research universities, as well as the National Institute of Aerospace and the Wild Geese Network of Irish Scientists, among others.
He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“He is an exceptional academic scholar and leader whose valuable international experience will benefit UCC,” the chair of UCC’s governing body, Dr Catherine Day, said.
Return of the native
O’Shea attended secondary school at Coláiste Chríost Rí in Cork, and holds an MS and a PhD in Physics from the University of Maryland.
“My physics degree from UCC laid the foundation stone for a successful academic career in the US culminating in my current leadership role at the University of Maryland,” saidO’Shea.
“I am delighted to return to lead my alma mater. UCC’s students and staff have impressed me with their enthusiasm and their commitment to excellence in education, scholarship, research and service. Through their dedication, passion, and achievement, UCC will continue its rise among the great universities of the world.”
