Prof Susan Schreibman, Long Room Hub senior lecturer in digital humanities at Trinity College 

“Seeing Differently: Creativity and Innovation in Research and Scholarship”

Creativity and Innovation in Research 

Prof Susan Schreibman

Susan Schreibman is the Long Room Hub senior lecturer in digital humanities at Trinity College Dublin. She is on the faculty of the School of English. Previously, she was the founding director of the Digital Humanities Observatory, a national digital humanities centre developed under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, assistant dean for Digital Collections and Research, University of Maryland Libraries (2005-2008), and assistant director of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (2001-2004). Dr Schreibman is also founding editor of The Thomas MacGreevy Archive, Irish Resources in the Humanities and Journal of the Text Encoding Initiative. She has also been involved with several other publications.

Dr Jay Chopra, innovation fellow at Pfizer 

“Stimulating Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace”

Creativity and Innovation in Research

Dr Jay Chopra

In parallel, Dr Chopra completed a Diploma in Business, Life and Executive Coaching with the Coach Institute of Ireland and is also a neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner. He used these skills in designing and driving Ireland’s Creativity & Innovation initiative within Pfizer. Dr Chopra has been facilitating creativity and innovation on a global scale and motivating teams to use new systems to deliver innovation, for a number of years now. Dr Chopra moved to New York City in January 2011 to take up the role of innovation fellow, working alongside the Pfizer Manufacturing Innovation Leader, to effect a viral behavioural culture change in the innovation space.

Bob Semple, partner at PWC 

"A Lapsed Scientist's Perspective on Creativity and Innovation"

Creativity and Innovation in Research

Mr Bob Semple

Bob Semple is an elected member of his firm’s Governance Board, a member of the Institute of Directors, a director of the Corporate Governance Association of Ireland and of GS1 Ireland, a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and of the Irish Computer Society. Semple is a science graduate of UCD. In addition to being a chartered accountant, Semple is a certified information systems auditor, a radio experimenter (EI1CK), able toastmaster, certified facilitator and recently completed a certificate in positive psychology. Semple has spoken on risk, control, governance and security issues, and has written several reports and books on these subjects. 

Dr Gemma Carney, post-doctoral researcher at the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway 

“Social Science and Community Activism: Participatory Methods as Research and Development in Civil Society”

The Wider Impact of Research

Dr Gemma Carney

Gemma Carney, PhD, has worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUI Galway, since July 2008. Previously, she was policy analyst at the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, and lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Trinity College Dublin. In collaboration with colleagues at NUI Galway’s Life Course Institute and School of Business and Economics, she was awarded a research development initiative grant from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Her work has been published and she has presented it to associations. She is a member of the Gender ARC and co-convenor of the specialist group on participatory democracy of the Political Studies Association of Ireland.

Dr Pól Mac Aonghusa, senior research manager, IBM, on research opportunities at IBM 

“Content, Connection & Collaboration - Research Opportunities at IBM”

The Wider Impact of Research

Dr Pól Mac Aonghusa

Pól Mac Aonghusa, a senior research manager at the IBM Research Smarter Cities Technology Centre, joined IBM as a software developer more than 20 years ago. During his IBM career, Dr Mac Aonghusa has held key management, technical and consultant positions in IBM's software, services and industry and research divisions. He has worked with IBM's major clients around the world across multiple industry sectors. In his current role, he leads research projects at the IBM Dublin Technology Campus. Dr Mac Aonghusa also speaks regularly at industry and academic conferences on innovative approaches and new business models associated with innovation, collaboration and computing.

Brian Donovan, Eneclann CEO 

"Commoditising History and the Humanities: Some Practical Experience"

Entrepreneurship

Dr Brian Donovan

Brian Donovan studied history at Trinity College, graduating in 1989. He has lectured and tutored in the university and throughout Ireland and the US on history, genealogy and electronic publishing. His experience in digital technology, as well as his background in history, helped found Eneclann in 1998. Dr Donovan specialises in Eneclann’s digitisation work, both for commercial clients and for Eneclann’s own publications. He has overseen the development of Eneclann’s CD catalogue, as well as the Archive CD Books Ireland project. He is also involved in developing Eneclann’s online publications, playing a key role in establishing Irish Origins and findmypast.ie. As Eneclann CEO, Dr Donovan also focuses on project management and business development. He was also technical adviser for the landmark Trinity College project to digitise the 1641 Depositions, as well as many other cultural and educational initiatives. Similarly, he was responsible for the mass digitisation project of church records for the Irish Government website Irish Genealogy.

Ruth McMahon 

"Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation supports”

Entrepreneurship

Ms Ruth McMahon

Ruth McMahon is the contact point for the Commercialisation Fund in the Life Sciences and Food Commercialisation group in Enterprise Ireland. Her activities focus on the commercialisation of research from the third-level sector to the benefit of the Irish economy. She previously worked as a  project manager in TCD and senior scientist in Elan Corporation. She holds a PhD in pharmacology from UCD and an MBA (Technology Management) from the OU.

George Kiely of Enterprise Ireland, Entrepreneurship - How and when to approach Investors 

"Entrepreneurship - How and When to Approach Investors"

Entrepreneurship

Mr George Kiely

George Kiely is senior development adviser, entrepreneurship, at Enterprise Ireland. He is a graduate of King's College London, Liverpool University and QUB/DCU. He began his career as a journalist in the UK, and then worked for two major UK corporations as export manager before joining the Irish semi-state sector, where he has worked for the past 30 years advising companies on entrepreneurship and exporting. He is also a board member of the South Dublin County Enterprise Board and the Fingal Development Board. Mr Kiely was assigned to the School of Communications DCU as visiting researcher in bioethics for 2006. He is also treasurer of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) (Press and PR Branch) and has served two terms as elected ‘Ireland’ representative on the Ethics Council of the NUJ UK and Ireland. He is a founding director of the European Business Ethics Network – Ireland.