Dr Claire McGing
Dr Claire McGing serves as Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Consent & Sexual Violence & Harassment Manager at the Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT). In this capacity, she leads institutional initiatives to create inclusive work and learning environments, working closely with executive leadership, staff, and students to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion objectives institutionally and within the wider higher education sector.
As a social scientist, Dr McGing’s research specialises in the history, theory, and practice of women’s political representation, gendered institutional change, and electoral politics in Ireland. Her recent research has expanded to examine student inclusion within EDI frameworks in higher education.
Dr McGing has held a range of positions in national EDI initiatives, including serving as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Athena Swan Ireland Practitioner Network. She led IADT’s successful application for the Athena Swan Bronze Institution Award, demonstrating her commitment to advancing gender equality in higher education. Additionally, she serves as an external examiner in politics for the Law Society of Ireland and Atlantic Technological University.
Beyond her academic and institutional leadership, Dr. McGing is a regular media commentator on Irish elections, women’s representation, and gender equality in politics, contributing her expertise to national and local media outlets. She holds a BA in Geography and Greek & Roman Civilisation from Maynooth University, along with postgraduate qualifications in teaching and sexual consent promotion. She also serves as a board member of Young Irish Film Makers and remains dedicated to advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion in Irish higher education and beyond.
PhD candidate Eilís N. explores loneliness, isolation and our growing dependence on digital spaces in a newly published article examining Bo Burnham’s *Inside* (2021), featured in the *Irish Screen Studies Journal* special issue, *Cinema and Loneliness*.
Building Entrepreneurial Skills Through The IADT Student Accelerator Programme
The TU RISE IADT Elevate Programme hosted an XR Design Sprint bringing together enterprises and creative practitioners to explore real-world applications of immersive technologies through collaborative, hands-on innovation. Over five days, participants developed early-stage concepts across education, culture and creative industries, supported by design thinking and industry expertise.