Currently within the ALL Institute we have 114 members across 19 departments and offices at Maynooth University and other members outside the university. Many of these members contribute posts, but we have a smaller group that maintain the blog and who you will see most often on these pages:
ALL Blog Director
Delia Ferri is Professor of Law at Maynooth University Department of Law and Co-director of the ALL Institute. Her research falls within the fields of EU law and International and Comparative Disability law. She has authored several academic publications focusing on the rights of people with disabilities, participatory processes, and cultural diversity.
Editors
Neasa Boyle is a PhD researcher in the area of gender equality and STEM education at the ALL Institute in Maynooth University. She is graduate from the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University. Her research is a part of the STEM Passport for Inclusion, which focuses on encouraging and supporting young women from disadvantaged backgrounds in Ireland to become involved in STEM education. Neasa feels very passionate about creating a universally accessible education system where all students in public education have access to high quality STEM education, particularly for individuals who come from lower socioeconomic/underserved backgrounds. She is looking forward to contributing to the blog this year and, by working alongside her fellow editors, she hopes to bring a unique perspective to the blog.
Hannah Casey is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Psychology. Her PhD research investigates the facilitation and execution of Supported Decision-Making in an Irish context. She holds a BSc in Psychology from Maynooth University. During her undergraduate degree, she carried out an internship in the SPUR research program and was highly commended at the All-Ireland Psychology Congress 2019. Upon completion of her BSc, she was awarded the Fourth Year Prize in Psychology Through Science as a result of placing first in her class. Hannah is a current recipient of the John and Pat Hume PhD Scholarship from Maynooth University.
Opeyemi Kolawole is a post-doctoral researcher working with Dr Aisling McMahon on the European Research Council-funded PatentsInHumans Project. Before this, Opeyemi completed his doctoral program at Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin. His research interests intersect intellectual property rights, international trade, and development. His thesis, titled Reimagining the Technology Transfer Obligations in the TRIPS Agreement, which was fully funded by the Sutherland School of Law Doctoral Scholarship, explored the effect of international Intellectual Property standards on technology transfer to Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Opeyemi also obtained his LL.M degree in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (IP/IT) from the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin. In 2015, he was called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He joins the All Institute blog editorial board to contribute to the platform’s growth. The blog’s interdisciplinary approach to knowledge generation and dissemination influenced his choice, as he believes the platform offers him an opportunity to learn from interrelated disciplines while also lending his expertise when needed.
Matthew McKenna is a PhD Candidate at the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute at Maynooth University whose research is funded by the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research Training in Advanced Networks for Sustainable Societies (ADVANCE CRT). His PhD investigates the thematic discourses that permeate the policy domain of integrating Assistive Technology (AT) that incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the lives of older persons, including those with disabilities. In 2017, he attained an LL.M. in International Justice at Maynooth University, with a particular emphasis on international and European disability law and policy. He also holds an MA in Military History and Strategic Studies and a BA in Politics and History from Maynooth University. He previously undertook internships at the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) Policy Team in Brussels, and the National Disability Authority (NDA) Policy Division in Dublin. He also worked on a part-time basis as temporary staff at the Disability Access Office at Maynooth University during his LL.M. studies.
Cassie Murphy is a PhD researcher as part of the H2020 project GoGreenRoutes. Her research is based on exploring individuals relationships with nature and what it means to be connected to nature in the 21st century. Her background is in psychology with a BA in Criminal Justice and Psychology (2018) and a MA in Psychology (2019) both from the University of Limerick having previously focused her research on culture and the acculturation of students during sojourn experiences. Cassie is passionate about making research and science as accessible to the majority. Having complete training programmes such as Open Science Life Mentoring and the TELUS Best of Banff Science Communication, Cassie hopes to put some of her new skills into practice in her new role as Ideas in ALL editor.