IT, Tralee President Michael Carmody is new Chair of Institutes of Technology Ireland

Michael Carmody, President of the Institute of Technology, Tralee, is the new Chairperson of Institutes of Technology Ireland (IOTI) for 2009.   He is a native of Galway and has worked at the Institute in Tralee since 1987. He holds bachelor and mastersâ¿¿ degrees in engineering from NUI Galway and is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland.

He was appointed as the Instituteâ¿¿s first Registrar in 1993, acting Director in 2001 and Director in 2003. In 2007 he was designated as the Instituteâ¿¿s President. The Institute has some 3,500 undergraduate full-time and part-time students and a teaching staff of almost 250.

Commenting on his appointment as IOTI Chair, Mr Carmody said:

â¿¿2009 will be a turbulent year for the economy and the Institutes of Technology will continue to step up their work in preparing Ireland for recovery. I have three priorities for the sector:

• To ensure Institutes play a leading role in supporting recovery though up-skilling and retraining the workforce;
• To enhance the role of research across the sector to drive Irelandâ¿¿s future innovation led economy;
• To provide more flexible learning opportunities in Institutes through part-time, distance and e-learning programmes.

The Higher Education Authority⿿s forthcoming review of higher education will also allow us bring the concept of a National Technological University to the fore to replace the current Institutes of Technology model.⿝

Further information :

Mr Carmody is available for comment or interview on 066 7145619
Roy Dooney, The Media Group, 01 2301815 / 087 2414165