Teagasc celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Objectives

Promoting Gender Equality

Emphasizes the importance of achieving gender equality in STEM disciplines, encouraging equal opportunities for women and girls in scientific education and careers.

Highlighting Achievements

Celebrates the accomplishments and innovations of women scientists, showcasing their contributions to research, technology, and scientific advancements.

Inspiring Future Generations

International Day of Women and Girls in Science serves as an inspiration for young girls and students to pursue studies and careers in STEM fields, challenging stereotypes and biases.

The theme for 2024

“Women and Girls in Science Leadership, a new era for Sustainability”

You too can get involved by:

• Liking, sharing and commenting on posts
• Posting your own photos of you at work on the above-mentioned social media platforms using the following hashtags and @symbols: #February11 #WomenInScience #Teagasc @Teagasc @UN_Women

In support of this initiative, Teagasc is running a social media campaign on:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

featuring Teagasc Women in Science across various roles and research programme areas to show the diversity of careers available to women in science at Teagasc.

Meet Teagasc Women in Science

Paula O'Connor is an experimental officer dealing with Food bioactives, Bioactive peptides and Antimicrobial resistance. She runs the Bioactive Peptide Discovery Unit (BPDU) which is a unique facility designed to purify and characterise bioactive peptides from a number of sources. Her main areas of expertise are peptide purification, MALDI TOF mass spectrometry, peptide synthesis and amino acid analysis. She is interested in the development of novel antimicrobials as alternatives to antibiotics with a particular interest in bacteriocins which are small peptides produced by bacteria that kill closely related strains (narrow spectrum) or different genera (broad spectrum).

Women in STEM - How can your career help the planet?

This Women in STEM webinar hosted by broadcaster Jonathan McCrea took place on Wednesday, 16th November 2022. Jonathan was joined by: Deirdre Hennessy, Grassland Researcher; Frances McHugh, Forestry Development Officer; Norah O'Shea, Dairy Process Researcher; and Siobhan Kavanagh, Signpost Programme Communications & Engagement Specialist. Some of our inspirational women scientists spoke about how the work they do benefits the environment and the career path they took to get to where they are.

Seaweed for Life - Diane Purcell-Meyerink

Global demands on food have risen with global population. Food shortages are now of major concern. Seaweeds are a sustainable, rich source of useful nutrients. They can provide alternative food ingredients for animals and humans. They have a wide variety of other uses, from cosmetics to medicines and plastics. These seaweeds are native to our seashores here in Ireland. At the 60 Minute Science: Food Sustainability event which took place on Tuesday, 15 November 2022, as part of Science Week, Diane Purcell-Meyerink explored the role of seaweeds in our future.

Sense & Sustainability: Healthy Eating for body and planet - Sinéad McCarthy

Is it possible to eat foods that are both healthy for us and have minimal environmental impacts? This is a difficult balancing act. Not all healthy foods have a low carbon footprint and not all foods with a low carbon footprint are considered healthy. At the 60 Minute Science: Food Sustainability event which took place on Tuesday, 15 November 2022, as part of Science Week, Sinéad McCarthy discussed how to get the balance right so we can eat healthily, both for our bodies and for our planet.