Roscommon students celebrated at annual TUS awards
Lorna Donnellan, the recipient of a Citizenship Award from TUS Athlone. Pic. Nathan Cafolla.
The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) celebrated the academic achievements of 137 high-achieving students on its Athlone campus at this year’s annual student awards and among them were several students from County Roscommon.
In addition to rewarding academic prowess, a unique Citizenship Award was bestowed on Lorna Donnellan, who completed her Level 7 BA in Applied Social Studies in Social Care last year and is currently enrolled on the one-year add-on Level 8 BA (Hons) in Applied Social Studies in Social Care. Lorna is currently a volunteer with the Castlerea Community and Family Resource Centre.
The special award recognises desirable, altruistic behaviour, which stands out because of the positive effects of their behaviour on a fellow student or students or on staff or on the wider community.
“Lorna is a deserving recipient of this year’s Citizenship Award, which shines a spotlight on a student with these leadership attributes and acknowledges the positive ripple effects they have had on others,” TUS President Professor Vincent Cunnane said.
Students enrolled on courses like Social Care, Applied Psychology, Nutrition and Health Science, Automation and Robotics, and Virtual Reality and Gaming received commendations, recognising their attainment in the last academic year.
Dean of Faculty, Science & Health, Dr Don Faller said: “Facilitating and rewarding excellence in academia throughout the student lifecycle is a positive and important affirmation for the students. We wish our students continued success in their academic endeavours and hope that this recognition further incentives them to continue excelling in their chosen fields of study.”
Dean of Faculty, Engineering & Informatics, Dr Sean Lyons added: “The Student Awards night is a fantastic celebration for students, their families, our industry partners and for the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for students as they embark on their careers, to meet key employers in their chosen field and to expand their network. The support of our industry partners underpins our students TU journey and is key factor to producing industry-ready graduates.”
Several of the awards were sponsored by industry partners like Ericsson, Grant Engineering, Zinkworks and Abbott, with TUS also sponsoring two inaugural awards in memory of the late Dr Brian Garvey and Dr Attracta Foley, esteemed lecturers in the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics.
These inaugural commemorative awards were awarded to the best Year 1 and best Year 2 student in BEng in Civil Engineering, Mark Cahill and Shannon Russell.
TUS President Prof. Vincent Cunnane extended his heartfelt congratulations to the award recipients, acknowledging their dedication and bright future prospects. "You have put the work in and are now reaping the rewards of your dedication to your study and have a bright future ahead of you all. TUS is committed to giving students every possible opportunity to succeed, which will ultimately ensure the continued prosperity of the Midlands region,” he said.
