IT Sligo has announced a number of key new appointments.
Tralee native Tony Donovan has joined the Institute as Head of the School of Business and Humanities, while Shane Fanning who is originally from Co Wicklow, takes charge of the School of Engineering. Meanwhile, Gerry Hegarty has taken up the position of Student Affairs Manager.
Mr Donovan has spent the last 10 years working with international development agencies in Vietnam, Laos and Montenegro in the areas of pro-poor sustainable tourism development, education management and development. For the past three years he worked with the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation (Lux Dev) in Montenegro where he advised the Ministry for Education and Sport on a number of projects. Prior to this, he spent 10 years in tourism education, including seven years as a lecturer in management at the Institute of Technology, Tralee.
Mr Donovan holds a master’s degree in Tourism Management from Sheffield Hallam University. He is currently completing a master’s degree in Sustainable Development at Staffordshire University.
He said he was taking up the position at a time of great transition in the third level sector in Ireland. “There are a lot of challenges ahead but I am confident IT Sligo’s School of Business and Humanities will continue to lead the way with a range of innovative programmes which will meet the needs of students in this region further afield.”
Shane Fanning is a former General Manager at Georgia Tech Ireland (GTI), a highly-regarded translational research institute which collaborates with Irish and multi-national corporations, universities and research centres. Mr Fanning who has over 20 years experience in software development, has a track record of growing business and promoting links between industry and academia. A former Vice President of Operations at FotoNation, he spent 10 years at Ericsson in senior management roles in Sweden and Ireland.
“I am delighted to have been given this opportunity to lead the School of Engineering at IT Sligo which has a reputation for developing and delivering top quality education and research,” said Mr Fanning.
“I believe it is crucial that we continue to work closely with industry as this will drive our knowledge base and improve the quality of education we provide.”
Gerry Hegarty who recently took up the position of Student Affairs Manager comes to IT Sligo from the Citizens Information Board where he worked as Senior Manager, Services Development with responsibility for ICT, website development, training & development, quality, social policy, and HR & Governance.
A native of Charlestown Co Mayo, Mr Hegarty spent most of his career in the public sector where he worked in a number of roles, including positions in the Department of Social Protection in the Internal Audit Unit and State Pension Scheme divisions.
His position as Student Affairs Manager will see him assuming responsibility for such areas as student admissions, academic affairs and student support services.
“This is a very exciting time in the third level sector and I am looking forward to working closely with colleagues in IT Sligo as we plan for increased collaboration with our counterparts in the BMW region,” said Mr Hegarty. “IT Sligo is known not only for its customer focus and friendly atmosphere but also for its strong links with business which ensures that our courses are aligned with the skills that are required in the marketplace”.
Image Caption: President of IT Sligo, Professor Terri Scott pictured with, from left to right; Gerry Hegarty, Student Affairs Manager; Shane Fanning, Head of School of Engineering; and Tony Donovan, Head of School of Business and Humanities. Photo by James Connolly.