Professor Joyce o'Connor

Professor O’Connor is Chair of the Digital Hub Development Agency. She is President Emeritus of the National College of Ireland. She chairs the Dublin Inner City Partnership and is a non-executive director of the National Centre for Partnership and Performance and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. She is also a non-executive director of Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH) Plc., the Hugh Lane Gallery and Caring for Carers Association.

A former Senior Research Fellow in University College Dublin, Professor O’Connor served as Head of the Department of Languages and Applied Social Studies at the University of Limerick where she founded the Social Research Centre.

She has been an influential leader in further and higher education having established and developed the National College of Ireland where she was President from 1990-2007. She was also an active researcher both on a national and international level. She has wide experience in the fields of business, enterprise, the voluntary sectors and community development. In the course of her career in education she established the self-funding research centre, the Social Research Centre in the University of Limerick and the Policy Research in the National College of Ireland. Professor O’Connor has published widely on education, innovation and enterprise, drinking and smoking behaviour, the elderly and carers. She has a strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and is co-editor of a book on the subject. Internationally she served as the Irish representative of the World Health Organisation and chaired the WHO Expert Committee on Alcohol and the Workplace.

Professor O’Connor has chaired a number of Government agencies including the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), the National Accreditation Committee for People with Disabilities, the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy and the National Guidance Forum. She has also served as a member of a number of Government bodies including the National Qualifications Authority (NQAI), the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) and the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Statistical Council, Comhairle na Nospideal and the National Council for Older People.

Professor O’Connor is an Eisenhower Fellow and has received a number of Awards including the Award of Honour for outstanding research carried out in the field of alcohol and drinking behaviour from the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions and an award from the International Centre for Alcohol Policies for Effective Partnership. Professor O’Connor received an Honorary Doctorate from Dublin Institute of Technology for her contribution to education and a Woman of the Year Award 2005 for her contribution to education and the public sector.