Class Notes 2000s
Katherine Rea, BA Drama 2007. Katherine went on to train at the Royal Academy of Music, London following her graduation and has worked as an actress, playing one of the lead roles in Channel 4’s ‘London Irish’ and has recently been choreographing for Channel 4 on Season 1 of ‘Derry Girls’ and for BBC on Seasons 1 - 3 of Nova Jones, under the name of Kat Reagan. (Added 29 September 2022)
Sarah Mullin, BA English and Linguistics 2004 has been awarded an MBE for services to education in the Queen's Birthday Honours (updated 2 June 2022).
Andrew McManus, BArch 2006, Cert-PG 2007. Andrew has been promoted to Associate at Bialosky Cleveland. After emigrating from Ireland to America in 2016, Andrew joined Bialosky as an RIBA chartered architect with a diverse range of projects, practicing in Ireland, London, Cornwall and Devon. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Queen’s University Belfast and a BA in Architecture from the University of Liverpool. His projects include The Tappan, University of Akron’s Geoscience and Physics Center, and multiple private residences. Andrew is also an accomplished acoustic singer-songwriter and artist. (updated 17 January 2022)
Deirdre Cartmill, BEng Electrical Engineering (1989), MA Creative Writing (2002) has been chosen as the first Writer in Resident for St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast and will be in post this summer. (updated 22 July 2021)
Dr Annette Daly, BEd (Hons) with specialism in Music (1990), BSSc Psychology (1993) & PhD Psychology (2000), has recently been appointed as Chief Executive Officer for YMCA Worcestershire. (noted added 11/05/21)
Dr Robert Barnidge, PhD Law (2007), has recently published a monograph - Self-Determination, Statehood, and the Law of Negotiation: The Case of Palestine, you can find further information https://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/self-determination-statehood-and-the-law-of-negotiation-9781509902415/ (updated September 2020)
Adam McGibbon, MA History and Politics (2009), MA Politics (2010), Campaign Manager and Campaign Training Consultant, currently working on climate change campaigns at the Nobel Prize-nominated NGO Global Witness. After QUBSU he managed Green Party MP Caroline Lucas' successful re-election campaign. He currently lives in London.
Stephen Garrett, BSc (2008), graduated from Stranmillis College (a Queen’s affiliate college) in Health and Leisure Studies, and became Education and Heritage Centre Manager at the Irish Football Association (IFA) in October 2016. Formerly the IFA’s Volunteer Development and Policy Officer, he is also a part-time lecturer in sport in the South Eastern Regional College in Lisburn.
Irvine Grey, BTh (2008), MPhil (2012), travelled to Kenya in November 2016 to speak at the Africa Nazarene University in Nairobi, the School of Religion in Pwani University, Kilifi and at the Bishop Hannington Institute Anglican Seminary graduation ceremony in Mombasa. Born and brought up in Killadeas, Co Fermanagh, he received his Master of Philosophy degree for his research into the 2x2 movement, which investigated the history, sociology and theology of a religious movement that had its beginnings in Co Tipperary, Ireland, in 1897.
Christopher Murray, BEng (2008), Chris graduated with a degree in Computer Science and has travelled around Europe with Kainos Software who are HQ’ed just beside Queen's. He is currently working as a Health Solution Architect and has relocated to Santa Barbara California to help a TeleHealth company implement a software solution to speed the care of Stroke Patients. Chris can be contacted at c.murray@kainos.com and on Twitter at @mrchrismurray.
Peter O’Neill, BSc Psychology (1983), MSSc European Integration Studies (1996), LLM (2008), is Director of the Imagine Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics.
He started in student politics by setting up a Community Action group and becoming active on housing issues. He was elected President of the SU in 1983 as part of a new wave of student leaders who had rejected the more managerial approach to representing student concerns.
During his time as a student hack Peter was involved in a wave of protests opposing cutbacks in higher education spending and the lack of student representation on university committees. He was arrested several times in high profile occupations of the Education Minister’s office (Nicholas Scott), Belfast Education and Library Board and various University offices.
“I learned a lot from my time in Queen’s and will miss the old building which witnessed so much political and cultural activity. But time doesn’t stand still for old hacks and I look forward to seeing how current students can create a new Students' Union that meets their future needs,” said Peter. (updated 30 October 2019)
Fiona Ross, LLM (2008), has been appointed Chair of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), the state owned corporation responsible for public transport in Ireland. Ms Ross, who until recently was Director/CEO of the National Library in Dublin having served two terms, has over 25 years in international financial services and communications in Ireland, the UK, Eastern Europe, Asia and the United States. She has worked with leading companies including Goodbody Stockbrokers, Bank of Ireland, Hill & Knowlton and the Industrial Bank of Japan.
Emma-Louise Gibson, BA English (2007), started the NVQ4 Newspaper Journalism course at Belfast Metropolitan College in September. She was voted Journalist of the Year, at the first ever Queen's Student Media Awards in May 2008, as a result of her work for the Students' Union Magazine. Emma-Louise can be contacted at egibson06@qub.ac.uk.
Roisin Linden, BA Sociology (2007), worked for a year as a project development officer for Habitat for Humanity. Her role involved conducting research on behalf of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s Community Cohesion Unit. This is part of a strategy to deliver shared or mixed social housing schemes. This developed her interest in mixed housing in NI and as a result she is returning to Queen’s in September to study the topic at PhD level. Roisin can be contacted at rlinden02@qub.ac.uk.
Toni Maguire, BSc Archaeology and Palaeoecology (2007), has been asked to participate in a BBC programme which will deal with the issues surrounding the fate of infants who died without receiving the sacrament of baptism. These children where regarded as pagan by the Christian church and buried unrecorded in areas of unconsecrated ground (Cillini - 'Little Graveyard'). Toni’s undergraduate thesis focused on County Antrim and she uncovered almost eighty such sites, many of which were previously unrecorded as Cillini. She hopes to continue her postgraduate research at Queen’s and expand the identification and analysis of Cillini within Northern Ireland. Toni can be contacted at M1355902@qub.ac.uk.
The wedding of Sharon McConville, MB BCh BAO (2007), to Robert Hastings, MA Creative Writing (2013), took place at the Meeting House, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, on 23 April 2015, and was followed by a reception at Cultra Manor. The couple met in 2012 at a leisure writing class in the Crescent Arts Centre and run a video production business – Eye Contact Films – from their new home.
Norman McComb, BSc Geography (2006), MSc Environmental Engineering (2007), relocated to Western Australia, shortly after graduating from Queen's and now resides in Sydney.
Since then he has worked on some of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) construction projects in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. He has also spent time on Barrow Island (a Class-A Nature Reserve as well as an active Oil Field), and in Papua New Guinea.
Norman founded his own company earlier this year (Logic Hub Pty Ltd) and is currently delivering on a climate change and resilience development project for Asian Development Bank in the South Pacific, on the island of Nauru. (updated 30 October 2019)
Louise McNulty, BA Psychological Studies (2007), is currently working as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan, and loves the culture and the teaching. When she returns home she hopes to gain a teaching qualification and make teaching her career. Louise can be contacted at lmcnulty02@qub.ac.uk.
Karl O’Hanlon, BA English (2007), was made a Fulbright Scholar for the academic year 2008-2009 to Georgetown University, Washington DC to study for an MA in English. Karl can be contacted at kohanlon04@qub.ac.uk.
Amy Robinson, BSc Biological Sciences (2007), will fly the Northern Ireland flag in the televised Miss Earth competition on 9 November 2008. Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. Amy was awarded the Silver Youth Action award and helped establish her church as the first green congregation in Northern Ireland. Amy can be contacted at amyrobinson_@hotmail.com.
Vianna Boring Renaud, DipEd Counselling (2006), Person-Centred Counselling (2009), the former Counselling student co-authors chapter, 'Building Students' Emotional Resilience Through Placement Coaching and Mentoring', in new Palgrave Macmillan book 'Enhancing Employability in Higher Education through Work Based Learning'.
Catherine Brennan, MB BCh BAO (2006), and her brother, Eugene, PhD Electrical Engineering, both graduated in 2006. Catherine got married in September 2008 and Eugene is due to be married in April next year! Catherine can be contacted at B1237601@qub.ac.uk.
Janette Campbell, BSc Psychology (2006), married Stephen Hail on 1 August 2008 in the Czech Republic. Janette can be contacted at janette.campbell@gmail.com.
Emma Carter, (née Montgomery) BA Social Anthropology 2006, married Jonathan Carter on Friday 6 June in Lake Garda, Italy. After a fantastic honeymoon touring Italy they returned to have a party in Barnaby's, Ballyrobert! Emma can be contacted at emontgomery05@qub.ac.uk.
Catharina Hendrick, BA History of Art 2006, has recently completed a PhD in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester. The former Press Officer for the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s and the European Parliament worked at the Naughton Gallery for two years during her studies at Queen’s where she was Project Manager for the ‘Silver Sounds’ exhibition.
Clare McEvoy, BMus 2006, is currently studying for her Masters of Music at Queen's. She has recently received a £1000 award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to study at the Canford Summer School of Music, panelled by some of the most renowned conductors in the world. Clare can be contacted at cmcevoy09@qub.ac.uk.
Mark Pengelly, BA Politics, 2006. Since leaving QUB, Mark worked at Incisive Media for 10 years, including serving as US Editor of Risk Magazine in NYC and Editor of Energy Risk magazine in London.
In October last year, he joined S&P Global Platts as Digital Content Leader in London.
He lives in Woking with his wife Tatiana and son Matthew, 3.
He was also pleased to be elected as a borough councillor in May last year.
In May 2017 Mark was named a Member of the Executive of Woking Borough Council, with responsibility for Leisure and Cultural Services. His full time job is as a Digital Content Leader for S&P Global Platts in London.
Fiona Watt (née Bonner), BSc Biological Sciences 2006, met Mark Watt in 2002 when they both started the same degree. They began dating in October 2004, got engaged in June 2005 and married on 5 June 2008 in Belfast. They are currently living in Banbridge. Mark is a Senior Clinical Analyst for a pharmaceutical company and Fiona is a Technical/Sales Rep for a chemical supplier. Fiona can be contacted at fbonner01@qub.ac.uk.
Richard Kirk, MEng Civil Engineering 2005, MBA Business Administration 2013, was appointed Regional Director of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in June 2014, where he is working with ICE members in Northern Ireland to develop and deliver the regional business plan. In January 2015, he was appointed to the board of Colleges NI as a Non-executive Director.
Paul Maddern, MA Creative Writing 2005, is entering the final year of a PhD with the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry (Queen’s), for which he is establishing an on-line digital archive of poets reading their work in public. Paul has been published in Incertus (2007), an anthology of seven emerging poets writing in the north of Ireland. He also contributed work to the Naughton Gallery's centenary exhibition,'re-COLLECT-ion', a cross-disciplinary project examining Queen's various archives. Paul can be contacted at pmaddern01@qub.ac.uk.
Sandra Mallon, MA Social Anthropology 2005, began a PhD at the University of Leicester in October 2007. Her area of interest is disability studies with a focus on a disabled identity and socio economic status. She is also a graduate teaching assistant for the department, running tutorials for undergraduates. Sandra can be contacted at sm440@le.ac.uk.
Bernadette McCabe, BA 2005, spent many years in the accountancy business before graduating in 2005. She has now retrained and is working in the Music Media and Copyright industry. It was her experience in researching for her degree and determination to complete which helped her secure this post. In the course of her study she also overcame a benign brain tumour. She would like to say hello and thank-you to all her lecturers with a special mention to John Lynch and Pam. Bernadette can be contacted at bernadete.mccabe@on-music.tv.
Subbarao Bandaru, PhD 2004, is currently heading the Electromagnetic Compatibility Division at the SAMEER-Centre in India. He was awarded a US patent for his work at Queens. He is a senior member of IEEE USA and a Fellow of IETE India, representing India as EMC expert in the IEC Technical committees. Subbaro can be contacted at bsubbarao@ieee.org.
Cat Barter, BA Drama 2004, Post-Grad Intensive Performer Training (Pilot) 2009, and Clare Galway, BMus Music, MA Music (Interdisciplinary Arts) 2009, have been touring baby theatre to venues across the UK, Ireland and the US with Replay Theatre
Company. They are taking their current show, TiNY, to South Africa in October. The show was created by Anna Newell, the Artistic Director of Replay Theatre Company and former Artistic Director of CETL (NI): The Centre for Excellence in the Creative and Performing Arts, with music by award-winning composer David Goodall, who worked as a freelance composer on many of the CETL projects with Anna.
Aislinn Clarke, BA Film Studies (2004), has just finished her debut feature film The Devil’s Doorway, the first to be written and directed by a woman in Northern Ireland. The film, which has been picked up for international distribution later this year, had its UK premiere in London at the end of August 2018. Set in 1960 at one of Ireland’s infamous Magdalene Laundries, the film follows two priests who are sent to verify and investigate reports of religious statues seen to be crying blood around the laundry. Aislinn, who is an award-winning scriptwriter, film-maker and director, works in the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s. Her film work has been screened and showcased at film festivals, events, and markets all over the world, including BAFTA, Cannes, and Berlinale.
Seán Hogan, MSSc Organisation and Management 2004, stepped down as Chairman of Northern Ireland Water Ltd in March 2015 to take up a role on the board of Ervia Ltd, the parent company of Irish Water Ltd and Gas Networks Ireland (formally Bord Gáis). Seán is also currently chairing the Strategic Partnership Group, appointed by the Agriculture Minister to devise a strategy and implementation plan for the reduction and eradication of Bovine Tuberculosis in Northern Ireland.
Nicholas Marchant, BSc Environmental Science 2004, is now working as the Biodiversity Officer of the People and Nature Project in County Galway. Since graduating Nicholas has completed a Masters in Ecosystem Conservation and Management. He can be contacted at marchantnick@yahoo.co.uk.
Sarah Mullin, BA English (2004), is currently the Deputy Head of Priory School, a co-educational independent school for children aged 6 months to 18 years, in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
She was a shortlisted finalist in the Head Teacher of the Year 2019 (West Midlands Education Awards) and a finalist in the Positive Role Model for Women (out of 28,000 nominations) in the National Diversity Awards.
Sarah’s new book ‘What they didn’t teach me on my PGCE’ is soon to be published – a collection of narratives for aspiring, training and early career teachers.
On 1 August, Sarah and her husband Ryan Mullin, MEng 2003 – whom she met at Queen’s – celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. (updated 30 October 2019)
Diane Boyle (née Wilkin) MSW 2003, and her husband became the proud parents of baby Joe on 19 June 2008. Diane can be contacted at dr.wilkin@talk21.com.
Sarah Kennedy, MPharm 2003, recently married Steven Aiken (BEng, MSc). They were married in Kilmore Presbyterian church and held their reception in the Dunadry. They met in Queen's Elms Halls of Residence in 1999 and have been together ever since! Sarah can be contacted at sarahejkennedy@hotmail.com.
Simon Maltman, BA Philosophy (2003), published A Chaser on the Rocks last year, through Solstice Publishing in the US. For more, go to www.facebook.com/Simonmaltmancrimefiction/
Robin Triggs, BA Archaeology and Paleoecology (2003), also has an MA in Landscape History from the University of East Anglia (2006).
The former member of the Dragonslayers and Chess Club at Queen’s, Robin published his debut novel, Night Shift, in November 2018. A thriller set in near-future Antarctica, the new security chief, Anders Nordvelt, must find a murderer amidst a tight-knit crew.
Available in hardback, paperback, ebook and in audio from Flame Tree Press. (updated 30 October 2019)
Heather Wright, BMus (2003), MA Composition (2004), has been Sales and Marketing Manager at the Irish Football Association (IFA) since 2015, prior to which she worked as Fundraising Manager at Queen’s University and Funding Manager at the Ulster Orchestra. Currently responsible for fan-facing commercial elements, Heather manages the Association’s partnerships with Ticketmaster, JD Sports, Panini and Konami, and works with partners including Adidas and Vauxhall.
Anne Fitzgerald, MA English (Creative Writing) 2002, Anne’s fourth poetry collection, Vacant Possession, published by Salmon Poetry, is now available. Raised in Sandycove in County Dublin, Anne was educated at Loreto Abbey Dalkey, Trinity College, Dublin and Queen’s. Widely published, Anne is a recipient of the Ireland Fund of Monaco Writer-in-Residence bursary at The Princess Grace Irish Library, Monaco. She teaches Creative Writing in Ireland and North America. Anne lives in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin.
For biographical details please see Forty Foot Press & Salmon Poetry respectively:
http://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=443&a=229
http://www.fortyfootpress.com/anne-fitzgerald.html
http://www.fortyfootpress.com/
James Doyle, BA Environmental Sciences (2001), is an award-winning children's author and journalist, who has written 10 books and been translated into 24 different languages. James has worked with the team behind JK Rowling and been published alongside Michael Morpurgo, Neil Gaiman and Jacqueline Wilson.
In 2013, he became the first person from Northern Ireland to win The International Reading Association’s Award – the world’s largest literacy organisation – in San Antonio, Texas.
His Superhero Handbook published in 2017 was nominated for the Children’s Book Ireland Award, 2018. Why can’t I feel the earth spinning? – his tenth book – came out in October last year. (updated 30 October 2019)
Valerie Johnson, (née Harris), BA Politics (2001), got in touch to tell us about her remarkable 80-pound weight loss story.
“My book was published January 2018 and is titled My Own Best Ally: A Weight Loss Story for the Rest of Us (available through Amazon) where I explain how I changed my thinking, lost 80 lbs, and reversed prediabetes symptoms.
“Frankly it was a lot of hard work, a lot of saying no, and not wasting time on gimmicky nonsense. I am sharing my story of hope for those who've tried and fallen with weight loss.
“I spent years getting to the root of how I changed, not just counting calories and minutes of exercise. I am a big believer in brain plasticity, where the brain can create new reward pathways to change habits.
“I wrote my story largely out of the frustration of watching overweight people get dismissed because they failed to follow a diet and exercise plan, while their food addictions were ignored.
“I am a stay-at-home mom to two girls, and live in Battle Ground, WA. I spent several years working in the healthcare industry, until I stopped to raise children. Weight loss is one of my biggest passions: I live health and fitness every single day, and I love to write about it in a way people can understand and apply.” (updated 30 October 2019)
Peter Gallagher, MSc Opto-electronics and Optical Information Processing (1996), PhD Astrophysics (2000), and his wife Professor Emma Teeling, PhD Molecular Phylogenetics (2001) Peter and Emma were invested as Chevaliers des Palmes Académiques (Knights of the Order of Academic Palms) in May 2017, at a special ceremony in the French Ambassador’s Residence in Dublin. Peter is Professor in Astrophysics/Associate Dean of Research at Trinity College Dublin, while his wife, Emma, is Professor in Zoology at University College Dublin. The honour is one of the highest accolades France bestows on academics and researchers.
Linda Caldwell, BEng Mechanical Engineering 2000, PhD 2005, got engaged to, Mauro, in Houston during Christmas 2007. They have set a wedding date for summer 2009 and have found out that in between they’ll be adding to the family this coming Christmas! Linda is currently transferring with her company from Houston, Texas to Paris. She can be contacted at lcaldwell75@gmail.com.
Andrew Dawson, LLB 2000, and his wife, Alison, had their second child, Aoife, on 16 April 2008 - a sister for two-year-old Sarah. Andrew can be contacted at andrewdawson1@btinternet.com.
Barbara G Henderson, BEd 2000, has been teaching in Devenish College, Enniskillen since graduating. She successfully completed a Degree of Master of Business Administration in 2006. Barbara can be contacted at roly-barbara@henderson312.freeserve.co.uk.
Karen Marrs (née Lacey) MB BCh BAO 2000, and husband Michael, and three-year old daughter Erin, are proud to announce the new addition to the family, Ben, born in April this year. Karen can be contacted via alumni@qub.ac.uk
Bernard Mulholland, BA Environmental Science 2000, MA Archaeology and Palaeoecology 2001, MA Byzantine Archaeology and Text 2004, PhD History 2012, has had a number of academic works published including Identification of Early Byzantine Constantinopolitan, Syrian, and Roman Church Plans in the Levant and Some Possible Consequences and Paraliturgical activities in the Early Byzantine basilical church.