ATU Sligo Podcast

A podcast and features series on Thought Leaders in ATU Sligo. In this space, we explore trends and discuss current ideas and topics surrounding higher education with leading teaching and learning experts and special guest speakers.

IT Sligo podcast - Valerie McTaggart
IT Sligo recording studio
Eibhia IT Sligo student

Season 2, Episode 6

Dive into the fascinating world of forensic science with Professor of Forensic Science at Atlantic Technological University, John Cassella.

GUEST: John Cassella

John Cassella, a professor of forensic science at Institute of Technology in Sligo is a passionate advocate for body farms, officially known as ‘human taphonomy facilities’. 

In this podcast, Professor Cassella talks about:

  • Thanatochemistry – ‘the chemistry of death’
  • ‘No body muder’ cases
  • How bodies decompose and change? 
  • How can science help police investigation when is needed and asked for by studying human remains, especially the bodies who were burried for a long time?
  • Body farms

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY 23 min

WATCH ON YOUTUBE

Season 2, Episode 5

Award winning author, Una Mannion, answers your questions on how to become a published writer.

GUEST: Una Mannion

Una Mannion is the new BA in Writing + Literature programme chair at ATU Sligo. 
Mannion’s debut novel, A Crooked Tree, is a story of family, belonging, friendship and resilience. 
Una has won numerous prizes for her short fiction and poetry, including The Hennessy New Irish Writing Poetry Award, The Cúirt International Short Fiction Award, Doolin short story prize, Ambit fiction award, Allingham short fiction prize, among others.
Along with writers Louise Kennedy and Eoin McNamee, Una edits ‘The Cormorant’, a broadsheet of poetry and prose. She curates ‘The Word’, a monthly author series hosted by Sligo Central Library and the BA Writing + Literature at ATU Sligo. 

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY 28 min

WATCH ON YOUTUBE

Season 2, Episode 4

How to maintain a healthy work-life balance as a busy mum of three?

GUEST: Sarah Stone McDevitt 

Sarah Stone McDevitt spent 16 years working across the advertising and media industry in Ireland. She has work in HubSpot one of the worlds fastest growing SAAS companies for the last three years. In HubSpot Sarah leading their Professional Services Organisation helping customers to really connect with their software purchase.  

Away from Sarah’s professional life she has been involved in the charity sector for almost two decades but has focused much of the last 17 in Kenya. In 2005 Sarah began travelling to Kenya to work with street children and HIV orphans. Shortly after she founded the charity Help Us Give Smiles. She is also a passionate campaigner for LGBT+ families and has spent recent years advocating for a change in Irish law to better protect the rights of the children of LGBT+ families. 

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY 28 min

Season 2, Episode 3

Are jobs that hadn't existed five to ten years ago in the sphere of business, digital marketing, and analytics more popular than ever?

GUEST: Colm Bourke

How beneficial are internships in developing a professional aptitude?

From Grange in Sligo, Colm Bourke, a Career Coach currently working at the University of Louisiana Monroe in the USA, and Valerie McTaggart (ATU Sligo) met virtually to talk about career opportunities for graduates.

Colm actively competes as a Long Jumper and currently sits as the 9th ranked jumper in Irish history.

He is also the host of The Track and Field Performance Podcast, dedicated to giving coaches and athletes expert knowledge and insights from practitioners across the various domains of human performance.

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY 28 min

Season 2, Episode 2

Was Covid-19 inevitable or avoidable?

GUEST: Dr Paul Hynds

Is Coronavirus here to stay? Is the vaccine doing its job?

Dr Paul Hynds, a Senior Research Fellow in the Environmental Sustainability and Health Institute (ESHI) at TU Dublin and mathematical epidemiologist, joins Valerie McTaggart in this week’s podcast to discuss Covid-19 infection.

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY 29 min

Season 2, Episode 1

How to overcome challenges associated with online teaching and learning while also enhancing student satisfaction?  

GUEST: Áine Doherty

Listen to Valerie McTaggart, a Lecturer in Global Business Services at ATU Sligo, and Áine Doherty, a Lecturer in Marketing & Sales at ATU Sligo, as they discuss the role of reflective online diaries in the context of an apprenticeship programme delivered online. 

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY 27 min

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