Biosketch
Prof. John O’Halloran, a Member of the Royal Irish Academy, is the 16th president of University College Cork. He is an academic leader with an ambitious vision for the future of higher education and an advocate for inclusion, sustainability and student-centered learning. He has delivered transformation through collaboration on a range of higher education priorities, including the advancement of research, enhancement of learning, digital education, lifelong learning and staff professional development.
O’Halloran is a leading ornithologist, recognized internationally for his leadership in ecological research and education. His research, shaped by societal needs, focuses on understanding the impacts of environmental change, land-use practices and climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems. He is dedicated to embedding sustainability at the core of UCC’s mission and extending its influence to the wider community.
Under his leadership, UCC became the first university in the world to be awarded a Green Flag in 2010, and it is now ranked as one of the world’s most sustainable universities.