As a Full Professor of Education who is an internationally recognised leader at the intersection of sport, education, and innovation, I bring 30+ years of transformative experience to complex challenges. My impact extends across four pivotal global leadership roles: elected President of AIESEP, Vice-President of CEREPS, UNESCO CIGEPS Observer, and Expert Advisor for UNESCO’s Global Observatory for Gender Equality in Sport.
In 2020, I founded StrategicDesign@UCC, an acclaimed human-centred innovation hub that has secured €3M in funding and earned membership of the prestigious Global Design Thinking Alliance http://www.gdta.org/. This initiative exemplifies my commitment to addressing complex societal challenges through transdisciplinary methodologies.
My pioneering work includes founding numerous groundbreaking initiatives: the Master of Arts and Postgraduate Diploma in Innovation through Design Thinking, the Global Design Challenge for Sport and Physical Activity, Made2Move, All Island All Active, and multiple research networks and projects focused on education, innovation and sport pedagogy.
As a two-time TEDx speaker (2023, 2024), a recipient of the Federation of Irish Sports inaugural Women in Business in Sport award (2023), and consistently being recognised among the 50 most influential women in Irish sport, I’ve demonstrated the powerful impact of combining strategic leadership with passionate advocacy. My expertise is sought globally, reflected in Visiting Professor appointments across four international institutions and ongoing consultancy work with universities, sporting organisations, and global businesses.
Through human-centred design thinking, I continue to bridge the gap between theory and practice, empowering individuals across sectors to tackle our most pressing societal challenges through innovative thinking and collaborative action.
