Esteemed Professor, Neil Rowan, an internationally leading researcher at Technological University of the Shannon (TUS ) Athlone campus, was recognised for his expert contributions to his field of study at the Innovation Value Institute (IVI ) Summit 2023 held at Maynooth University recently.
The wholly merited award recognises Professor Rowan’s exceptional talent in driving important research and real change through forging effective interdisciplinary studies in the important areas of sustainability and digital transformation.
"Professor Rowan has collaborated on several successful benchmarking research projects to unlock complex societal challenges particularly in the areas of food sustainability, biotechnology and green eco-innovation that were funded both nationally and internationally. This impactful research also addresses key strategic policies for change of land use and operates at the important interface with end-users such as through the development and testing of digital tools," Professor Markus Helfert, IVI Summit coordinator, upon presenting the award, stated.
Professor Rowan has supervised 34 PhD students to completion and mentored 19 Postdoctoral Researchers that have provided critical insight on a number of key priority research topics including advancing pollination and ecosystem service management, novel food production and security (including peatland-based aquaculture ), and sustainable sterilization for the adjacent medical device sector.
Neil has published over 200 scientific journal papers and eight books and also holds Honorary Professorships at the University of Galway, University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa ), and the University of Malaya (Malaysia ). He is also an editorial board member of several prestigious journals including Science of the Total Environment, Sustainability, and Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. Neil’s research studies also informed key technological solutions during Covid-19 pandemic, such as advances in PPE supply chain and safe reuse under Emergency Use Authorization.
“Neil has completed immense work as the Director of the Bioscience Research Institute over the past 11 years where his creativity and leadership with partners have advanced research and informed teaching that has helped contribute to the successful establishment of TUS.
"He has also led TUS outreach activities to over 50 regional and local schools with the University of Galway and other academic institutions that inspires our next generation of change-makers, which is funded by Science Foundation Ireland. It is pleasing to learn that his work has been recognised at this prestigious conference," Dr Cormac O’Shea, Head of Department for Bioveterinary and Microbiology at TUS, added.
Living locally in Coosan, Neil is married to Michelle and they have three children, Chloe, Kevin and Liam. He was educated in the Dean Kelly NS, and at St Aloysius College. He held a Skeffington Arms Soccer Scholarship at University of Galway and was a senior lecturer at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow ) where his research was rated at top of scale in UK Research Assessment Exercise, before returning to education in Ireland in 2003.
