Details for the current PhD and MLitt students
Maynooth's Geography department is home to an exciting group of innovative and engaged postgraduates. If you are interested in joining us, please have a look at our courses and apply.
Maynooth University Department of Geography
ToggleKate Aston
| Name | KATE ASTON |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Emplacing the Ghost: Affective Encounters in Spectral Geographies |
| Supervisor | Dr Ronan Foley |
| Funding /Sponsor | John and Pat Hume Doctoral Scholarship Award |
| Biography | I started my PhD in 2020, 'Emplacing the ghost: affective encounters in spectral geographies' develops knowledge of haunted space through qualitative research with those who have lived experience of direct, spontaneous ghost encounters in Ireland. I teach 3rd year undergraduates Geography Research Methods with a focus on Emotional Geographies. I worked as a research assistant on Traveller Community Mapping Coolock. In 2020 I completed my MA in Spatial Justice in Maynooth University. My MA thesis focused on Emotional Geographies of Gentrification in The Liberties, Dublin 8 and was supervised by Professor Mary Gilmartin. Prior to the MA I conducted Oral Histories for 14 Henrietta Street and worked as a facilitator and project manager for Dublin City Council Culture Company. |
| Awards | 2022 Maynooth University, Matt Stephens Travel Award 2020 Maynooth University, John and Pat Hume Doctoral Award 2020 Best overall performance in the MA Geography: Spatial Justice |
| Teaching experience | 2023 Geography Research Workshops – Emotional Geographies, Maynooth University 2021 - 2022 Tutor, Living Landscapes, Maynooth University |
Sudipto Bhowmik
| Name | SUDIPTO BHOWMIK |
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| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Soil Fertility Underpinning Nutrient Use Efficiency for Sustainability |
| Supervisor | Prof Rowan Fealy |
| Co-Supervisors | Lilian O’Sullivan, David Wall, Reamonn Fealy |
| Funding /Sponsor | 2020-2024: Teagasc PhD Walsh Fellowship |
| Biography | Sudipto completed his M.Sc. (2014) in Environment Management from the Forest Research Institute, India and B.Sc. in 2012 from the University of Calcutta, India, following which, he has worked in a range of positions, including as Junior Data Manager at the Forest Research Institute, Editorial Assistant at Chhaya Prakashani and as subject matter expert (Biology) at Chegg-India. His PhD research is funded under the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship programme. His research is focused towards understanding the impact of climate, vegetation, geomorphology, soil and landscape management practices on nitrogen dynamics in grazed grasslands, in Irish context. The aim of his research is to identify key natural and anthropogenic drivers of soil nitrogen availability and uptake in Irish grasslands and to contribute to improved nitrogen use efficiency and reduced nitrogen loss to minimize consequent negative impact of nitrogen loss on environment and human health. His works are based on using process-based models like DNDC 9.5, statistical analysis and data modelling. Besides this he has completed several training courses on statistics and relevant software (R, GIS), sustainable agriculture, plant biology and management of natural resources from organizations like UNCC:e-learn, FAO elearning Academy, NPTEl, Coursera etc., aiming to use the knowledge and information in his research. |
| Qualifications | M.Sc. in Environment Management (Specialization: Natural Resource Conservation & Management) |
| Research Interests | Soil Fertility, Data Modelling, Biogeochemistry, Ecology, Sustainable Agriculture |
| Publications | Papers Bhowmik S. and Kotiyal P. B. 2016. Bacterial Diversity and soil physicochemical properties in Tons River Basin of Dehradun; eJournal of Applied Forest Ecology (eJAFE). 4(2) 21-28. Kotiyal P. B. and Bhowmik S. 2017. Enumeration of Soil Bacteria in the Soil of the Tons River Bank from Different Elevation; Octa Journal of Environmental Research. 5(2).149-155 Chapters Bhowmik S, (2020) Ecological and Economic Importance of Wetlands and Their Vulnerability-A Review; Zero Waste: Management Practices for Environmental Sustainability: Current State and Future Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity. IGI Global. 95-112 |
| Conference | Poster Bhowmik S. and Raina A. K., Physicochemical properties of soil and identification of rocks from bank of river Tons, Dehradun; Asia Pacific Workshop on Water and Forests-Beyond Traditional Forest Hydrology (September, 2013) |
| Awards | Teagasc PhD Walsh Fellowship (2020)
INSPIRE Scholarship (2009) Scholarship for College and University (2008) |
| Teaching experience | Guest Lecturer at Forest Research Institute August-2016 [Module: Soil Pollution, Course duration: 10 days (1hr / day)] |
Mary Broe
Ph.d. Degree
[email protected]
Jack Callan
| Name | JACK CALLAN |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Geographies of Abortion Access and Contraception in Ireland. |
| Supervisor | Prof Gerry Kearns |
| Co-Supervisors | Prof Mary Gilmartin & Prof Karen Till |
| Funding /Sponsor | Irish Research Council |
| Biography | I started a Double-Honours Arts degree in Maynooth University in 2013 in History and Geography before completing the MA Geography in 2016-17. My MA thesis focused on Geographies of Abortion Access in Ireland prior to the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.
I started my PhD in 2019 titled 'Geographies of Abortion Access and Contraception in Ireland' which seeks to better understand the uneven geographies of abortion access in Ireland post-repeal, in addition to exploring access to contraception and recent changes to this. |
| Qualifications | BA - History and Geography, Maynooth University, 2016
MA - Geography, Maynooth University, 2017 |
| Research Interests | My research interests lie at the intersection of health, feminist, and political geography. |
| Publications | Co-author - Kate Antosik-Parsons, Karen E. Till, Gerry Kearns, Jack Callan & Niamh McDonald (2022) 'Leading Change: Reproductive Rights, Empowerment and Solidarity in the Dublin Bay North Repeal the 8th Campaign'. Feminist Encounters 6(1), 06: 1-15.
McDonald, N., Antosik-Parsons, K., Till, K.E., Kearns, G., & Callan, J. (2020) Campaigning for choice: canvassing as feminist pedagogy in Dublin Bay North. In K. Browne & S. Calkin (Eds.). After Repeal: Rethinking Abortion Politics (pp. 124–143). London: Bloomsbury Academic. |
| Conference (papers, panels etc) | EUGEO Conference of the Geography of Europe 2019, NUIG - A paper on a pilot telephone survey on emergency contraception access.
CIG 2021, TCD - A paper on |Contraception and Structural Violence in Ireland. CIG 2022, UL - A paper on uneven geographies of abortion access presenting data from a survey of GPs in Ireland. |
| Teaching experience | First year tutor, Department of Geography, Maynooth University, 2019-2020.
GY310B: Feminist Geopolitics, Department of Geography, Maynooth University, 2021. |
| Memberships | Geographical Society of Ireland |
| Social Media links - work/research appropriate Twitter, Instagram, LinkIn etc. | Twitter - @Jack__Callan |
Eray Canlar
PhD Degree
[email protected]
| Name | ERAY CANLAR |
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| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | The Care Work of Organisations (under the MobiliseCare project) |
| Supervisor | Prof. Mary Gilmartin |
| Funding /Sponsor | Irish Research Council (IRC) |
| Biography | Eray Canlar is a PhD student in the Department of Geography at Maynooth University. He received his bachelor's and master’s degrees from the Department of International Relations at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, in 2019 and 2022, respectively. His master's thesis focused on the regulatory governance of EU asylum policy and regulatory EU agencies, specifically the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCG) and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). His research interests include human geography, (de)securitization and externalization of migration, as well as the process of European integration.
Previously, Eray interned at the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in Ankara. He later worked as a translator for an international project conducted by the American University of Beirut. Additionally, he served as a student coordinator at the METUMIR (Migration Research at METU) platform. From 2021 to 2024, he worked as an EU project assistant and Associate Mobility Programs Coordinator at the International Cooperations Office (ICO) of METU. |
| Qualifications |
BSc. International Relations, Middle East Technical University (METU), 2019 MSc. International Relations, Middle East Technical University (METU), 2022 |
| Research Interests | Human geography, migration, asylum, international politics, international organisations |
| Publications |
Canlar, E. (2021). EXTERNALIZED BORDERS OF THE EU: AN IMPERIAL REFLEX?. Ankara Avrupa Çalışmaları Dergisi, 21(1), 69-96.
Kale Lack, B., Canlar, E., Karaman, S., & Fal, B. (2021). The Role of Civil Society in Providing a Comprehensive Protection for Refugees in Turkey during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Eğitim Bilim Toplum, 19(74), 10–42. https://hdl.handle.net/11511/109979 Canlar, E. (2022). THE EU ASYLUM POLICY IN TIMES OF CRISIS: REGULATORY GOVERNANCE THROUGH AGENCIES [M.S. - Master of Science]. Middle East Technical University. https://open.metu.edu.tr/handle/11511/98126 Kale Lack, B., & Canlar, E. (2023). Canada and International Migration. Kale Lack, B., & Canlar, E. (2024). Dynamics of Forced Migration in Turkey: The Aftermath of the February 2023 Earthquakes. https://hdl.handle.net/11511/109954 |
| Social Media links . | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eray-canlar-52b004190 |
Yeray Castillo Campo
Ph.D Degree
[email protected]
Louise Sarsfield Collins
| Name | LOUISE SARSFIELD COLLINS |
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| [email protected] | |
| Thesis Working Title | Resisting Heteropatriarchy: Geographies of LGBTIQ Activism in South Africa |
| Supervisor | Professor Gerry Kearns |
| Funding Body | Irish Research Council |
| Biography | Louise is currently a PhD Candidate at Maynooth University with the Department of Geography. Her research focuses on the intersection between legal geographies and geographies of sexuality exploring the LGBT Rights Movement in South Africa and the subsequent sites of vulnerability and resistance created. This research was awarded the prestigious Irish Research Council Government of Ireland postgraduate scholarship which funds the development of early research careers.
Prior to Maynooth University, Louise worked with the Irish Red Cross in a number of roles concerned with humanitarian diplomacy and the dissemination of humanitarian law. During this time Louise also undertook her LLM in International and Comparative Law at Trinity College Dublin where she graduated top of her class. Her dissertation focused on the need to utilise the norms of humanitarian law in assessing refugee status applications from ‘war-torn’ states. In the past, Louise has also worked with the Irish Refugee Council and maintains a keen interest in refugee rights and human rights more broadly. In addition, Louise holds an MSc in Humanitarian Action from University College Dublin, during which she spent a semester at Universitie Catholique de Louvain-de-Neuve, Belgium and three months at Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Australia, before commencing fieldwork in East Timor. Louise’s dissertation looked at the cultural geographies of the city of Dili as experienced by residents and employed extensive participatory mapping methods. Louise also holds a BA (Hons) in Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy from University College Dublin. |
| Qualifications |
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| Research interests | Louise's research interests are broadly prompted by a concern with social justice. Her research focuses on sexualities, gender and the spatialities of human rights. |
| Publications | Sarsfield Collins, Louise (2018) ‘A House of Prayer for All People: Contesting Citizenship in a Queer Church, David K. Seitz’ Emotion, Space and Society, 28: 70 doi. 10.1016/j.emospa.2018.05.008 [book review]
Sarsfield Collins, Louise (2018) ‘Subversive property: law and the production of spaces of belonging, Sarah Keenan’ Social and Cultural Geography, 19(2): 296-297 doi. 10.1080/14649365.2017.1353225 [book review] Sarsfield Collins, Louise (2017) Safe Spaces: The Law and Everyday Experiences of LGBTQ Asylum Seekers NPPSH Reflections, 1. Pp 66-77 Available from: http://eprints.maynoothuniversity.ie/8300/ Sarsfield Collins, L. (2012) Sheltering the displaced: the protected status of internally displaced persons under international humanitarian law Asia-Pacific Yearbook of IHL Noone, S., Brody, A., Brown, S., Cantwell, N., Coleman, M., Sarsfield Collins, L., Darcy, C., Dee, D., Donegan, S., Fealy, R., Flattery, P., McGovern, R., Menkman, C., Murphy, M., Phillips, C., Roche, M., and Thorne, P. (2019) Geo-locate project: a novel approach to resolving meteorological station location issues with the assistance of undergraduate students. Geoscience Communication 2(2): 157–171. Arnold, S. and Sarsfield Collins, L. (2011) Closing a Protection Gap Irish Refugee Council |
| Conferences | • Solidarity, Citizenship and Encounter: LGBTI activism in South Africa, presented at the Conference of Irish Geographers, University of Limerick, May 2022 • LGBTQ+ Rights in South Africa, MU Sexuality and Gender Network Social Justice Week Seminar, Maynooth University, March 2020 • Law, Empire, and the Criminalisation of ‘bad’ sex, presented at Here Verses There: Beyond Comparison in Queer and Sexuality Politics, Maynooth University, June 2019 • Campaigning for Legal Change: LGBTQ Activism in South Africa, presented at EUGEO Congress, NUI Galway, May 2019 • Troubling Narratives of Here and There: a critique of the annual ILGA Maps, lightning talk presented at EUGEO Congress, NUI Galway, May 2019 • Spaces of Resistance: Moving beyond tolerance to acceptance for LGBTIQ people in South African churches, presented at the South African Association of Geographers, University of the Free State, Oct 2018 • Activists and the Promise of Hate Crime Legislation in South Africa, presented at the Royal Geographical Society, Cardiff University, August 2018 • Spaces of Resistance: Moving beyond tolerance to acceptance for LGBTIQ people in South African churches, presented at the Conference of Irish Geographers, Maynooth University, May 2018 • Tackling Hate Crime in South Africa, lightning talk presented at the Conference of Irish Geographers, Maynooth University, May 2018 • Spaces of Resistance: Moving beyond tolerance to acceptance for LGBTIQ people in South African churches, presented at the Maynooth University Library Publication Festival, January 2018 • Legal geographies and social justice, Department of Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2017 • Rocking the system instead of rocking the cradle: an exploration of Irish women’s fight for reproductive rights presented at legal geographies workshop, University of Bristol, April 2017 • Law, Empire and LGBT Rights: A historical perspective presented at the American Association of Geographers, April 2017 • Echoing through the years: an exploration of the lasting legacy of the Offences Against the Persons Act, 1861 presented at the Conferences of Irish Geographers, University College Cork, May 2017 • Safe Spaces: The Law and Everyday Experiences of LGBT asylum seekers, Presented at the Postgraduate Symposium for the Humanities, Maynooth University, October 2016 • Exploring Dublin’s Housing and Homeless Crisis Through Practice-Based Research Partnerships, co-presented with Sasha Browne and Prof. Karen Till, Conference of Irish Geographers, Dublin City University, May 2016 |
| Awards |
2021 Maynooth University, Matt Stephens Travel Award 2015 Irish Research Council, Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme 2015 Maynooth University, John and Pat Hume Doctoral Award 2013 University of Dublin, Trinity College ranked top of class 2011 Ireland Young Thinker of the Year, runner-up 2009 University College Dublin Postgraduate Scholarship 2008 University College Dublin Arts and Humanities Scholarship 2008 Patrick Semple Medal for Geography 2007 University College Dublin Arts and Humanities Scholarship |
| Teaching |
2022 - 2023 Gender and Geography, Maynooth University Department of Geography 2020 – 2022 Development Geography, Maynooth University Department of Geography 2019 – 2023 Geography Research Workshops – Legal Geographies, Maynooth University 2018 – 2020 Methods of Geographical Analysis, Maynooth University Department of Geography 2018 Women, Gender and Society, Maynooth University International Summer School 2018 Approaches to Cultural Geography (co-taught), Maynooth University Department of Geography 2015 Guest Lecturer, MSc (Ag) Humanitarian Action, International Law Module, University College Dublin 2014 - 2015 Guest Lecturer, United Nations Training School in Ireland 2014 Guest Lecturer, International Humanitarian Law, Griffith College 2014 Facilitator for University College Dublin & Irish Defence Forces, Civil-Military Training 2012 - 2013 Guest Lecturer, Introduction to Humanitarian Law, University College Dublin |
| Memberships | Geographical Society of Ireland Maynooth University Sexuality and Gender Network GSI Postgraduate and Early Career Network |
| Social Media Links | Twitter: Louise_SCollins
LinkedIN: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/louise-sarsfield-collins-45636022 |
Sandra Deodoro
| Name | Sandra Deodoro |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Retrieving topsoil texture from SAR data for predicting soil properties in Ireland |
| Supervisor | Prof Rowan Fealy |
| Co-Supervisor | Dr Tim McCarthy and Reamonn Fealy (Teagasc) |
| Funding /Sponsor | John and Pat Hume Doctoral Scholarship Award |
| Biography | Sandra graduated from the Federal University of Minas Gerais-UFMG (Brazil) in 2006 with a B.Sc. in Geography. After that, she held Postgraduate Diplomas in Water Resources Management (2010) and in Geoprocessing (2013), both at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Afterward, Sandra completed an M.Sc. in Environmental Systems Analysis and Modelling in 2020, from UFMG. In her master's thesis, she focused on the prediction of soil surface texture (topsoil 0-15cm) in the Volta Grande do Rio Uruguai (Uruguay River Plateau), Brazil southern, by using Sentinel-2 imagery and multivariate statistics. Sandra tested the use of the Discriminant Analysis as a statistical method to classify soil texture patterns from spectral reflectance data and soil particle size analysis. Her master´s project was also carried out in collaboration with the Federal University of Fronteira Sul-Chapecó Campus (Santa Catarina State-Brazil).
Sandra was also a volunteer researcher in the projects named "Quaternary paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the upper Uruguay River Valley - west of Santa Catarina State (Brazil)" and "Landscape morpho-dynamics of the Southern Basaltic Plateau (Brazil)", both funded by Edital MCTI/CNPQ 01/2016-Brazil. These projects are part of a major archaeological research project that aimed to investigate the first settlements in the upper Uruguay River. Sandra joined ICARUS at the Department of Geography, Maynooth University, in 2021 and her research project focuses on topsoil texture retrieval from radar data (SAR-Sentinel 1) with application in Ireland. The methodology used for this aim relies on machine learning modelling and compositional data (CoDa) analysis to predict sand, silt, and clay contents from Irish soil samples. |
| Qualifications | - Compositional Data Analysis (Training course in Compositional Statistics; CoDa Association and University of Girona, Spain) - Water Resources Management (Postgraduate Diploma; Federal University of Minas Gerais-Brazil) - Geoprocessing (Postgraduate Diploma; Federal University of Minas Gerais-Brazil) |
| Research Interests | Soil Science Remote Sensing of Environment Geostatistics and Spatial Analysis with GIS Geology Geomorphology Fluvial geomorphology |
| Awards | 2021-2025: John and Pat Hume Doctoral Scholarship Award (Maynooth University-Ireland) 2019-2020: DS-CAPES Scholarship (Brazil) |
Laure Detymowski
| Name | LAURE DETYMOWSKI |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Whose river? Whose city? A river-led, catchment-based critical assessment of environmental justice in South Dublin |
| Supervisor | Dr. Patrick Bresnihan |
| Co-Supervisor | Prof. Mary Gilmartin |
| Funding /Sponsor | Environmental Protection Agency/Irish Research Council |
| Research Interests | Urban environmental justice |
Samuel Tiéfolo Diabaté
| Name | SAMUEL DIABATE |
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| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Ocean boundary currents and coastal sea-level variability |
| Supervisor | Dr Gerard McCarthy |
| Co-Supervisor | Dr Martin White (NUI Galway) |
| Biography | Sam was awarded in 2017 a BSc in engineering sciences at Le Mans Université, France. He later completed at the Paul Sabatier University (known as Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France) a postgraduate master degree in Ocean, Atmosphere and Climate Sciences, majoring in Physical Oceanography in 2019. The second year of this program was carried out in Benin in partnership with University d'Abomey-Calavi.
In November 2019, Sam joined the Irish Climate Analysis and Research UnitS (ICARUS) as part of the A4 project to complete a PhD in physical oceanography. His work focuses on boundary currents, most notably the European Shelf-Edge Current, the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio. He investigates how these currents drive variations in coastal sea level. Sam also is a sea-going oceanographer, having partaken in three cruise campaigns in 2022, for a total of six weeks at sea. He has sailed primarily in the Northeast Atlantic, on the RV Tom Crean (IE), RV Celtic Explorer (IE) and the RRS James Cook (UK). Having a long-standing interest for teaching and learning, Sam has over the years taken tutoring responsibilities on for both the Geography and Theoretical Physics departments. He is at present in charge of tutorials for the module MP361 Ordinary Differential Equations taken by 3rd year theoretical physics students. |
| Qualifications | Highest qualification to date is MSc Oceanography & Applications. |
| Research Interests | - Western boundary currents, - Eastern boundary currents, - Sea-level changes, - Climate variability, - Cruise campaigns, - Observations: tide gauges, gliders, acoustic doppler current profilers, etc. |
| Publications | Diabaté, S. T., Swingedouw, D., Hirschi, J. J.-M., Duchez, A., Leadbitter, P. J., Haigh, I. D., and McCarthy, G. D.: Western boundary circulation and coastal sea-level variability in Northern Hemisphere oceans, Ocean Sci., 17, 1449–1471, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1449-2021, 2021. |
| Conference (papers, panels etc) | Diabaté, S., Swingedouw, D., Hirschi, J., Duchez, A., Leadbitter, P., Haigh, I., & McCarthy, G. (2022). Coastal Sea Level forced by Western Boundary Currents’ paths? The example of the Gulf Stream and of the Kuroshio. Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022. Diabaté, S., Swingedouw, D., Hirschi, J., Duchez, A., Leadbitter, P., Haigh, I., & McCarthy, |
| Teaching experience | Sam tutored within the courses - MP361 MATHEMATICAL METHODS (ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS), 2022-present - GY162 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTS 2, 2021-2022, - GY151 LIVING LANDSCAPES 1, 2021. He designed and conducted 3-hour workshop on extreme sea levels within GY667 THE OCEAN AND CLIMATE CHANGE in 2020. Sam owns a Professional Certificate in Teaching and Learning, that he passed after a |
| Social Media links - work/research appropriate Twitter, Instagram, LinkIn etc. | https://samueldi.github.io/
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6836-2265 |
Sean Donegan
Ph.d. Degree
Sean Donegan
Catherine Hayes
Ph.d. Degree
[email protected]
Csaba Horvath
PhD Degree
[email protected]
Shirley Howe
| Name | Shirley Howe |
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| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | ‘Of Land and Ocean: Culture and Climate on an Atlantic Island’ |
| Supervisor | Prof Conor Murphy |
| Co-Supervisor | Dr Chandana Mathur |
| Funding /Sponsor | Irish Research Council and Environmental Protection Agency |
| Biography | My work is interdisciplinary, drawing from social science, science and the humanities to consider how climate change is conceptualised and responded to.
My PhD thesis examines weather, climate, and climate change for the community of Inishbofin Island, County Galway, Ireland. Through the study of historical and contemporary identity-making, colonial and postcolonial authority interactions, nature-culture relationships with a focus on the weather world, and socio-ecological relationships formed from the characteristics of islandness, it is concerned with prioritisation of local knowledge. It aims to offer insight into the meaning of climate change for a peripheral community already threatened by depopulation. |
| Awards | Eda Sagarra Medal of Excellence |
| Twitter: | @ShirleyAHowe |
Guillaume Hug
PhD Degree
[email protected]
Maryam Kazemi
PhD Degree
[email protected]
Criostóir King
| Name | Criostóir King |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Contested Transitions: Environmental Conflicts and Justice in Rural Ireland |
| Supervisor | Dr Patrick Bresnihan |
| Co-Supervisor | Prof Laurence Cox (Sociology, Maynooth University |
| Funding /Sponsor | Environmental Protection Agency/Irish Research Council |
| Biography | Criostóir is a PhD Candidate in the Maynooth University Department of Geography. His research focuses on conflicts around extractivist projects in rural Ireland and how dominant eco-modernist and technocratic approaches to environmental protection can be challenged.
Criostóir's previous research explored the history of the mainstream environmental movement in Austria, its colonial-capitalist roots, and how such conservative environmentalism is reproduced through the habitus of activists. Prior to joining the Department of Geography at Maynooth, he spent a year working in political communications, completing internships at the European Environment Agency (EEA) in Copenhagen and the European Cyclists' Federation in Brussels. |
| Qualifications | BA in European Studies, University of Limerick, 2020 MA in Sociology and Social Anthropology, Central European University, 2022 |
| Research Interests | Environmental justice; green extractivism; decolonial political ecology; environmental movements. |
Jayita Kundu
| Name | JAYITA KUNDU |
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| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Care Work in Place |
| Supervisor | Prof. Mary Gilmartin |
| Funding /Sponsor | Irish Research Council |
| Biography |
Jayita Kundu is a Doctoral Scholar in the Department of Geography at Maynooth University, Ireland. Originally from Siliguri, a town in North Bengal, India. Jayita completed a Master of Arts in Geography, specializing in Human Geography, from the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography (Honours) from the same institution. Jayita’s research interests include care geographies, mobilities, digital ethnography and participatory methodologies. Her current research examines care work and social mobilization in contemporary contexts. |
| Qualifications |
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Geography, Maynooth University, Ireland. (2024-present) Master of Arts - MA (Geography) with a specialization in Human Geography. Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India. (2019-2021) Bachelor of Arts - BA (Hons). Geography, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India. (2016-19) |
| Research Interests | Migration, Care Geographies, Urban ethnography, Digital ethnography, Leisure studies. |
| Publications | Working on two papers presently. |
| Conference (papers, panels etc) |
•Presented at the 35th International Geographical Congress 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. •Presented at the Royal Geographical Society, London (with IBG) 2023 •Presented at the International Conference on Digital Geographies, hosted by the Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India. |
| Teaching Experience | Teach For India Fellowship, New Delhi, India (2021-2023) |
| Memberships |
CRIT-GEO forum URBAN-GEO forum NAGI (National Association of Geographers, India) |
| Social Media links | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayita-kundu-7953851b0/ |
Siobhan Madden
Ph.d. Degree
[email protected]
Claire Mc Ging
Ph.d. Degree
[email protected]
Patrick Mc Loughlin
| Name | PATRICK MC LOUGHLIN |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Recovering legacy tidal records to elucidate trends in sea level rise in Ireland |
| Supervisor | Dr. Gerard McCarthy (Maynooth University) |
| Co-Supervisor | Glenn Nolan (Marine Institute) |
| Funding /Sponsor | The Marine Institute |
| Qualifications | MSc Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing |
| Research Interests | GIS and Earth Observation and Oceanography |
Isaac Mensah
| Name | ISAAC OBOUR MENSAH |
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| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Mapping Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) stages in the tropics using data fusion and deep learning |
| Supervisor | Dr Conor Cahalane |
| Co-Supervisor | Dr Brian Barrett (University of Glasgow, UK) |
| Funding /Sponsor | Irish Research Council (IRC) |
| Biography | My background is in Geomatics with a BSc in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Mines and Technology, Ghana, and an MSc in Geomatics and Management from the University of Glasgow, UK. I am also an Irish MC member on COST Actions CA22136, investigating recent advances in cloud computing for satellite data processing, and the fusion of optical and SAR datasets for forest applications. |
| Research Interests | Research interest in passive and active remote sensing technologies, including multispectral, hyperspectral, thermal, LiDAR, and SAR applications in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Earth Observations. Fusing data from multiple sensors.
Currently, my research is focused on developing an accurate, low-cost, and efficient automated change detection method to map illegal mining activities in the tropics using deep learning and satellite data fusion. |
| Social Media | https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-obour-mensah-260996174/ |
| https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9361-4404 | |
| https://twitter.com/ObourIke |
Joshua Mimnagh
| Name | JOSHUA MIMNAGH |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Ancient woodland paleoecology |
| Supervisor | Dr. Helen Shaw |
| Funding /Sponsor | AWI project |
| Biography | As a BSc Geography and (soon to be) MSc Environmental Sciences graduate at the University of Liverpool, I took a keen interest in paleoenvironmental research as an undergraduate. This led me to opportunities such as an Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating-based summer research placement at the University of Liverpool as well as a dissertation project focusing on Non-Pollen palynomorph palaeoecological records. |
| Qualifications | BSc Geography and MSc Environmental Sciences (due to graduate in December) |
| Research Interests | Paleoenvironmental research, Non-pollen palynomorphs, Pollen records, paleoecology. |
Catherine O'Beirne
| Name | CATHERINE O'BEIRNE |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Tailored decadal predictions for Ireland and its surrounding seas. |
| Supervisor | Dr André Düsterhus |
| Biography | I graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2016 with a B.A. in Environmental Science and subsequently went on to complete an M.Sc. in Climate Change in 2018. Both of the research projects I undertook dealt with various aspects of hydrology, my undergraduate project focusing on well water quality and the geological features that impact them. My master's thesis focused on TBRG accuracy and how they were affected by wind speed and direction, the amount and form of precipitation. Following graduating in 2018 I briefly worked as an Environmental and Administrative Technician, the role included the preparation of environmental impact assessments, costing and quotes for domestic/industrial oil spill cleanup and restoration work. I joined ICARUS PhD community of students in Dec 2019 and I was awarded a 4-year studentship funded by the A4 project (Aigéin, Aeráid, agus athrú Atlantaigh). My work will focus on understanding Atlantic variability and its connection to the Irish shelf advancing knowledge of Irish sea-level change in an Atlantic context; and development of predictive capacity on decadal timescales. |
| Research Interests | Climate Change Hydrology Oceanography Statistical Analysis |
Sean O'Kane
Ph.d. Degree
Sean O'Kane
Alexis O'Reilly
Ph.d. Degree
[email protected]
Cathal Ryan
| Name | CATHAL SEAN RYAN |
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| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | Investigating the past climate influence on the carbon accumulation rates of Irish blanket bogs |
| Supervisor | Dr Lisa Orme |
| Funding /Sponsor | SFI |
| Biography | I am a Palaeoclimatologist with an interest in investigating the impacts of past climatic shifts on the terrestrial system. Currently I am examining the impact of longterm climate change on carbon storage in Irish blanket bogs. This investigation includes field-based examinations of multiple Irish blanket bogs and of their biological and non-biological proxies. The research aims to investigate the ability of blanket bogs to store carbon during periods of past climatic shifts. This shall provide more information on the thresholds of Irish blanket bogs and their ability to continue sequestering carbon in the modern changing climate. My past research during my MSc used luminescence dating to investigate a late Quaternary loess-palaeosol sequence in North-eastern Serbia. The research aimed to examine palaeoclimatic shifts during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. |
| Qualifications | Doctoral student - Maynooth University MSc Geology - Lund University BA Geography and Economics - National University of Ireland Galway |
| Research Interests | Palaeoclimatology, Holocene, Geochronology, Peatlands, Sedimentology |
Juliana Sassi Silva
PhD Degree
[email protected]
Sophie Thiesen
PhD Degree
[email protected]
Ashly Uthaman
PhD Degree
[email protected]
Rebecca Vining
PhD Degree
[email protected]
| Name | REBECCA VINING |
| [email protected] | |
| Thesis working title | The Human Costs of Horticulture: An Examination of Migrant Labour and Food Sovereignty in Ireland |
| Supervisor | Prof Mary Gilmartin |
| Funding /Sponsor | Irish Research Council |
| Biography | Rebecca is a PhD Candidate in the Maynooth University Department of Geography. Her research focuses on the connections between food sovereignty and migrant rights in Irish agriculture. Her past research has investigated migrant/refugee access to medical decision-making in emergency healthcare and the use of photovoice as a decolonising health research methodology.
Prior to undertaking her PhD, Rebecca worked in public health and emergency healthcare. Most recently she worked as a Research Assistant in the Trinity College Dublin School of Psychology. She has an interest in using research as a tool for social and political change, particularly to support environmental justice. |
| Qualifications | BA Anthropology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2019 MSc Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, 2020 |
| Social Media links | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2715-8129 |
| https://www.linkedin.com/in/viningr |