Teagasc awards the 2025 Walsh Scholars Gold Medal to Luca van Dijk

Luca van Dijk, a PhD student in Teagasc’s Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Programme, has been awarded the Walsh Scholars Gold Medal, the highest honour given to a postgraduate student in the programme. The award was presented today, Thursday, 15 May 2025, at a ceremony at Teagasc Ashtown.

Luca van Dijk’s PhD research examined the health and welfare of young calves transported from Ireland to the Netherlands - a major live export route. Her research found that prolonged fasting during transport impacts calves more severely than the journey itself. Crucially, she demonstrated that providing milk replacer during ferry transport significantly improves calf health and wellbeing - findings with direct relevance for Irish and EU policy.

Luca, who grew up in The Netherlands, is a Walsh Scholar registered with Munster Technological University under the supervision of Dr Muireann Conneely (Teagasc) and Dr Gearóid Sayers (MTU).

Before starting her Walsh Scholarship at Teagasc, she completed her Master’s degree at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, where she studied automatic methods to detect disease in veal calves.

Her passion for animal welfare was sparked during hands-on work with cattle in remote Australia. With a clear-eyed view of the challenges in this field, she hopes to continue postdoctoral research in animal welfare after her PhD studies. Jane Kavanagh, Head of Research Development and Walsh Scholars at Teagasc, said:

“The Walsh Scholars Programme supports outstanding postgraduates, registered with our partner universities/HEIs and based at Teagasc, as they undertake applied research that addresses real challenges in the agri-food sector. Through this experience, they develop the skills, insight, and confidence to lead in research, industry, and public service. We’re very proud of this year’s 12 finalists—their talent and dedication are a credit to the programme and to the future of the sector.”

This year, 39 final-year scholars applied for the 2025 Walsh Scholars of the Year competition. Applicants were assessed across five core competencies, submitted written applications, completed science communication training, and - if shortlisted - took part in interviews with external assessors. This rigorous, holistic process ensures the selection of the most outstanding candidate.

Walsh Scholars of the Year 2025 – Finalists Recognised

In addition to the Gold Medal, awards were presented to top scholars across Teagasc’s four research programmes. These finalists exemplify the diversity, innovation, and real-world focus of the Walsh Scholars community.

Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Programme

• 1^st Place and Gold Medal winner: Luca van Dijk (Dutch)
• 2nd Place: Sofia Tisocco (Argentine) – Developed biogas yield models for co-digestion of grass silage and slurry.
• 3rd Place: Charles Dwan (Irish) – Investigated methane emissions from pasture composition and animal traits.

Crops, Environment and Land Use Programme

• 1st Place: Rajas Shinde (Indian) – Developed a grass-based biorefinery model to co-create climate solutions with farmers.
• 2nd Place: Fatima Latif Azam (Spanish) – Used genomics to breed potato varieties resistant to common scab.
• 3rd Place: Virgile Ballandras (French) – Created DNA tools for pest monitoring to reduce pesticide use.

Food Programme

• 1st Place: Mariana Maçãs (Portuguese) – Incorporated Irish pea flour into high-protein breads through novel milling.
• 2nd Place: Francesca Bietto (Italian) – Built the first in vitro infant gut model to test formula impacts.
• 3rd Place: Animesh Singh Sengar (Indian) – Explored plant-based meats from Irish-grown pulses using extrusion.

Rural Economy and Development Programme

• 1st Place: Holly Mullan (Irish) – Researched farm succession and social sustainability in rural Ireland.
• 2nd Place: Carlos Francisco-Cruz (Mexican) – Created regional GreenHouse Gas emissions models to support policy targeting.
• 3rd Place: Felipe Aguiar-Noury (Ecuadorian) – Analysed adoption of sustainable fertiliser practices across 700 plus farms.

Teagasc Director, Professor Frank O’Mara, commended on the finalists:

“Completing a PhD is a major achievement, and the Walsh Scholars of the Year finalists have shown outstanding ability, determination, and vision throughout their journey. Their research spans a diverse range of topics, each contributing in meaningful ways to the future of agriculture, food, and rural development. Wherever their careers take them next, these scholars are well equipped to make a lasting impact across the agri-food sector and beyond.”

For more details on each of the Walsh Scholar finalists, click here.