THE contest to replace the President of University College, Galway, Dr Colm O hEocha, who is retiring later this year, begins in earnest today when a provisional shortlist of seven candidates will be put to the college's governing body.
The new president is scheduled to take office on a £70,000 plus salary in September. A list of candidates has been drawn up for consideration in tandem with a consultative process which has to be completed before April 25th when the Senate of the National University of Ireland is due to finally make the appointment.
The Senate will select from a shortlist of three drawn up by the UCG governing body, which has a key role in the appointment and will also carry out a series of consultative polls within the college. Among the candidates are some of the most senior academic figures within the college. All candidates undergo a special Irish examination.
A preliminary selection body drew up the first shortlist on February 8th. That body consisted of some governing body members with others from outside UCG, including the NUI Chancellor, Dr T.K. Whitaker.
It is understood that the shortlist comprises: Prof Matthew McCarthy, associate professor of mathematical physics at UCG, the current College Registrar and a governing body member; Prof Patrick Fottrell, professor of biochemistry at UCG, a governing body member and former college registrar; Mr Sean Stewart, BE, a businessman UCG graduate and governing body member; Prof Frank Imbusch, professor of experimental physics at UCG and a college vice president with responsibility for human and physical resources; Prof Martin Newell, associate professor of mathematics at UCG; Dr Aogain O Rodaighe, a lecturer in experimental physics at UCG and governing body member, and Prof Frank Cannon, professor of microbiology at the University of Massachusetts, a UCG graduate.