Head of College ATU Sligo
Úna Parsons is a Head of College at ATU Sligo and Head of Faculty of Engineering & Design at ATU Sligo. She took on the role of Head of College for an interim transitional period.
The Dublin native did her apprenticeship block release in Sligo forty-five years ago studying the trade of Toolmaking at what was then called Sligo Regional Technical College.
She was awarded a scholarship by Braun AG to continue her studies in Northeastern University in Boston where she graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1984. She later did her Masters Degree in Advanced Manufacturing Systems with Brunel University in the UK. Since then Úna has travelled the world in various global management positions working in the manufacturing industry across Europe, the USA, Mexico, Hong Kong and China.
An award-winning Chartered Engineer, Úna has worked as Industry Director for Engineers Ireland and was CEO of the Crafts Council of Ireland before taking up an academic management position in ATU Sligo in 2012. Úna is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and in 2021 was conferred with the distinction of Fellowship of the Irish Academy of Engineering.
Úna is deeply passionate about education and has been instrumental in the growth of the Faculty of Engineering & Design in ATU Sligo over the last decade. The faculty team of over 200 staff have developed many new innovative programmes that resulted in growth to over 4,000 students across full-time, online and apprentice streams.