Two new key management appointments have recently been made at IT Sligo. Úna Parsons, former Chief Executive Officer of the Crafts Council of Ireland is taking over as Head of the Institute’s Department of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering and Patricia Doherty has assumed the role of Head of Department of Business.
Ms Parsons (pictured above), who is replacing Dr David Tormey while he is on secondment to focus on European research opportunities, previously worked as Industry Director for Engineers Ireland. She is also a former Global Strategy Implementation Manager, for Bausch & Lomb and has over 20 years’ experience in senior management positions in the multinational manufacturing sector in Ireland and abroad.
She is taking over at a time when the department’s reputation both nationally and internationally is growing, thanks to the success of its fulltime programmes as well as its bespoke online courses which a range of multinational and indigenous companies are availing of for up-skilling staff.
“It speaks volumes about both the quality of our courses and the calibre of the teaching staff at IT Sligo that industries all over Ireland and abroad, are investing in our online programmes,” said Ms Parsons.
“The future is bright for engineers in Ireland,” said Ms Parsons. “The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs targets 20,000 net extra jobs in manufacturing by 2016, and many of the high-growth sectors identified as key to our future growth will depend on engineers. IT Sligo is well placed to educate our engineers of the future.”
A native of Dublin, she won a scholarship to North-Eastern University in Boston where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. She also received a Diploma in Management for Engineers at Trinity College and an MSc in Advanced Manufacturing Systems from Brunel University. She has previous links with IT Sligo having attended as a tool making apprentice at the beginning of her career.
A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Ireland which has twice awarded her their President’s Prize, Úna also worked a part-time lecturer in Operations management at Waterford Institute of Technology
Patricia Doherty (pictured above), a native of Inishowen, Co Donegal, has over twelve years’ experience in higher education, most recently as Head of Department of Business in the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown. She has also has extensive experience in industry and worked as Business Development Manager for a high tech start-up, before moving into the education sector.
Ms Doherty pointed out that she is taking over as head of the Department at a time of unprecedented change in higher education in Ireland and says she is confident that IT Sligo will rise to the challenge.
“The Institute has a strong track record of liaising with industry in the region and I am confident that the Department will continue to equip students for the many opportunities available in a number of key modern sectors”.
Ms Doherty stressed that the Department of Business will continue to provide programmes that are relevant and responsive to student needs and those of business, industry and the wider community, “And we will also embrace the opportunities presented by the changing landscape of education,” she added.
A graduate of the University of Ulster where she attained a Master of Science in Lifelong Learning, Ms Doherty also holds a Master of Science in Computing and Information Systems and a Bachelor of Business (Honours).