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01 Trinity Today welcome The team Editor Patrick Gleeson Editorial Team Róisín Cody Brenda Cullen John Dillon Caoimhe Ní Lochlainn Sandra Rafter Nick Sparrow Dominique Twomey Cover Image Aisling Bea photo by Tom McCall Publisher Ashville Media Group www.ashville.com All information contained in this magazine is for informational purposes only and is to the best of our knowledge correct at the time of print. The opinions expressed in these pages are not necessarily shared by the Alumni Office or Trinity College Dublin. contact Alumni & Development East Chapel Trinity College Dublin 2 Ireland t. +353 (0)1 896 2088 e. alumni@tcd.ie w. www.tcd.ie/alumni Provost’s Welcome Dear Fellow Alumni, T he key to Trinity’s success over the last 400 years has been a willingness to change and adapt while always remaining true to the principles that have informed our growth and development as a University. We are now entering into an immensely exciting time for Trinity with our new strategic plan 2014 to 2019. I am proud of the role that our alumni, as part of the Trinity community, will play in this next chapter of our history. The new plan provides the framework for ensuring that the next five years will be Trinity’s most successful yet. Throughout the last year, feedback received from our worldwide alumni community, particularly the Trinity Global Graduate Forum (TGGF) held in November 2013, has contributed to identifying the priorities in the plan. We count on you for support, ideas, and experience. Trinity could not operate in the way it does without the great support that many of you so freely give. Elsewhere in this issue, the Vice-Provost/Chief Academic Officer, Professor Linda Hogan outlines in greater detail the vital role alumni have played, and will continue to play, in delivering the plan. At Trinity, we prefer to lead by example rather than by preaching. Nowhere is this more evident than in the impact our alumni have had on the global stage since graduating. In this issue we are delighted to feature a diverse range of people from Jonathan Cloonan, whose inventive approach to marketing led to his dream job and a mention on the prestigious Forbes ‘30 under 30’, to Gary Gannon, a former Trinity Access Programmes student who was recently elected as councillor for Dublin’s north inner city. We chat to Pauline Turley, who went from Trinity to leading the development of the Irish Arts Center in New York, and we also meet Aoife McLysaght to discuss her passion for gene hunting and science communication. Elsewhere, we meet entrepreneur Stuart Coulson, who talks about the importance of not being afraid to take risks, while Ashling Bea introduces us to the serious world of stand up comedy. There are also several full page advertisements outlining the wide range of services and benefits that Trinity offers to alumni. Alumni participation is of huge importance to us and we regard our relationship with our alumni as life-long and, I hope, mutually beneficial. We now have over 100,000 alumni living in 130 countries, and on all my missions abroad, I try and meet with our graduates – frequently at dinners and receptions organised by the excellent alumni branches. It is an experience that I greatly enjoy and I am looking forward to meeting many more of you throughout the year ahead. Patrick Prendergast B.A.I., Ph.D., Sc.D. (1987) Provost Trinity today is now available online at www.Tcd.ie/alumni /trinitytoday
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02 Trinity Today contents Contents 30 04. Campus News Find out what’s been happening on campus 14. Empire State of Mind Ad man Jonathan Cloonan on the lure of life in the Big Apple 16. The Gene Hunter Aoife McLysaght on gene hunting and the power of communication 18. The Business of Reinvention Stuart Coulson’s journey to becoming an angel investor and grape grower 22. Around the World in Five Years Vice-Provost Linda Hogan on the global ambition of Trinity’s new five-year plan 25. A Man for All Seasons Femi Williams and his mission to set up an African cancer centre 28. Creating a 21st Century Library Helen Shenton, Trinity’s new head librarian, shares her vision for the Library 30. C’est la Bea Comedian Aisling Bea sits down for a chat 34. Local Hero Former TAP student Gary Gannon on his new role as an elected councillor 36. Bringing it all Back Home Chris Morash on why it’s great to be back in Trinity as the Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Literature 38. From Trinity to Tramp Lisa Coen talks about setting up her own publishing house 40. Off the Hook Fionn McGorry’s insights into being a student caller 28 30 50
