National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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The Teresa Deevy Archive and the Development of Collections and Curation in Maynooth University Library: Critical Perspectives on Teresa Deevy
Full text link‘The Teresa Deevy Archive and the Development of Collections and Curation in Maynooth University Library’ outlines the traditional library role and approach to archival collection of Maynooth University Library (MUL) in the context of Maynooth University (MU) and Saint Patrick’s College Maynooth (SPCM). It argues that, in recent decades, MUL has developed curatorial holdings and special collections to better reflect a long-standing commitment to scholarship and activism in areas of social justice, focussing particularly on the theme of the outsider. The chapter reflects on the evolution of this collections development strategy and positions the Teresa Deevy Archive as a case study of sorts, exemplifying current collection policy orientation and practice. Focusing on collection management since the beginning of the twenty-first century and identifying the advantages of a planned strategic approach to collection management, the chapter considers how MUL’s special collections evolved and the identification of the multidisciplinary theme of ‘The Outsider’—a categorisation left deliberately loose to encompass individuals whose work or social and/or political contribution was either marginalised, or considered marginal, within their lifetime or after their death. Teresa Deevy’s life and work and the value of her archive is considered in this light, and the story of how her archive came to be held and conserved by MUL and some of the curatorial decisions made are in relation to it are detailed. The challenges and impacts of curatorial decisions and practice are illustrated through this narrative as are the complexities of where and how scholars access the Teresa Deevy Archive, in particular, and archives, generally. The chapter concludes asserting the importance of stakeholder involvement in matters of special collection acquisition, curation, and access and the ironic success in identifying the theme of ‘The Outsider’ in relation to improving engagement with the archives of figures such as Teresa Deevy
Universities, polycrisis and regional redistribution: The need for radical transformation
Full text linkAs humanity faces a worsening polycrisis, the need for systemic change in society is becoming more widely recognized. This time of increasing disruptions of all kinds comes with new opportunities for imagining societal transformation. With the accelerating climate crisis and growing economic precarity, higher education institutions are underleveraged infrastructure with untapped potential to facilitate, and to contribute to, social, economic, and spatial change for a more equitable and stable future. This paper argues that restructuring universities, including their spatial distribution and their public financing, is an essential part of systemic societal transformation. Instead of reinforcing universities as entrepreneurial, financialized organizations that concentrate wealth and power in well-off regions and urban centers, higher education could be restructured to prioritize equity, justice and the public good. A radical spatial and financial redistribution of higher education institutions would entail expanding and reconceptualizing universities’ engagement with marginalized and vulnerable communities and regions. A more equitably dispersed spatial distribution is required for universities to support communities and become a resource for transformative regional economic redistribution. Building on a review of diverse literatures on the purpose and structure of higher education, we argue that a restructuring of the spatial distribution of universities is necessary so that all communities have access to resources within regional campuses. Just as many countries have invested in a regionally distributed system of public libraries to be a resource for communities, new investments in the spatial distribution of higher education institutions could provide regionally-specific resources for communities and households in climate vulnerable regions. This spatial redistribution and restructuring would allow universities to respond to the polycrisis by supporting, catalyzing, and facilitating the co-design and co-creation of regionally appropriate transformations
Hot July weekend made warmer and more likely due to climate change
Full text linkMain findings
● The maximum temperatures on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 July would have been expected to occur on average once in every 14 years in the pre-industrial climate. Today, with 1.3°C of human-caused global warming, similar events are expected to occur once every 6 years.
● If warming reaches 2.6°C, which is expected this century under current policies, similar two-day periods of heat are expected to become a 1-in-3-year event.
● On July 12, temperatures across much of the country exceeded 28°C, and went as high as 31°C. These temperatures were made approximately 1.4°C warmer as a result of human-caused global warming. A similar increase in temperature was found for the two-day event.
● Specifically, looking at the high temperatures on Saturday the 12, they would have been expected to happen once in every 21 years in a 1.3°C cooler climate. Now, with human-caused global warming they are expected to happen once in every 8 years.
● A wide range of impacts highlight how extreme heat could be an emerging risk in Ireland. High night-time temperatures have potential dangerous effects for people with underlying health conditions if their bodies don’t manage to properly rest and recover. Red level forest fire warnings underlined the increased fire threat experienced under rising temperatures. High temperatures also caused a section of road to melt in Co. Cork and also put a strain on an already struggling water supply network
Intellectual Property Rights and Global Access to Health Technologies During Pandemics: Reflecting on Vaccine Nationalism, COVID-19 & the WHO Pandemic Agreement Negotiations — The Need for Collective Action and Institutional Change
Full text linkAbstract
Focusing on intellectual property rights (IPRs) and their role in global access to vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, this article argues that key aspects of the current institutional system align towards delivering individualistic state/regional/rightsholders priorities in the use of IPRs over pandemic health technologies. This played a key role in the vaccine nationalism and global vaccine inequity that emerged during the pandemic. It critically analyzes the IPR provisions within the World Health Organisation’s Pandemic Agreement and negotiation process. It argues that nationalistic/individualistic approaches toward the use of IPRs over health technologies also permeate such contexts. The final text of the Agreement leaves considerable discretion to states around IPRs, and much will depend on how it is implemented in practice. For effective future pandemic preparedness around how IPRs are used over health technologies, this article argues that a deeper bottom-up institutional change is needed — one which offers nuanced strategies to balance the potential incentivization role of IPRs with the implications certain uses of IPRs can have on access to downstream health technologies. A key element of this change is embedding a greater recognition of the range of resources provided by entities (e.g. funders, biobanks, and universities) necessary in the successful development of health technologies, including in pandemic contexts. Such entities should leverage these resources, including by attaching contractual conditions to access these, which mandate avenues for downstream access to pandemic health technologies. In the longer term such approaches could be part of a broader institutional change, which prioritises global collective health needs in pandemics
Boundary-breaking opportunities in service failure and recovery
Full text linkPurpose – The service failure and recovery (SFR) research field has reached its maturity stage and is now at a
critical juncture. There are growing calls for fresh perspectives and innovative approaches in SFR research to
ensure its continued relevance and growth. The purpose of this paper is to identify boundary-breaking
opportunities in SFR research by fundamentally challenging some of the central assumptions of the field.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs a unique “review of reviews” methodology to synthesise
findings from 19 prior SFR reviews, complemented by an in-depth analysis of 116 primary articles published in
the past five years.
Findings – This paper makes several contributions. First, it identifies and critically evaluates the central
underlying assumptions of SFR, highlighting their inherent limitations in light of emerging conceptual and
substantive developments. Second, it offers alternative perspectives that reframe these assumptions and open up
new avenues for research. Third, within each alternative perspective, we propose specific research ideas that can
benefit from further exploration. To develop the ideas, we build on recent conflicts and negative events in the
marketplace. Our review of reviews approach also enables us to track how frequently such ideas have been
proposed in prior reviews. Finally, the paper briefly discusses some methodological considerations for
conducting more impactful research.
Originality/value – This paper leverages insights from prior SFR literature reviews and recent research and
steeps into real-world marketing issues to challenge the central assumptions of the field and recommend future
research avenues
Beo and Raja's BioBus Adventure
Full text linkBeo and Raja’s BioBus Adventure is the 9th installment in the Beo and Raja comic series designed to bring the science of sustainability and the bioeconomy to life in an accessible and engaging way. Developed in collaboration with BiOrbic, Research Ireland's Bioeconomy Research Centre, the comic translates cutting-edge research into a fun, story-driven format that resonates with young people and the wider public. In this adventure, Beo and Raja hop on the “BioBus” to explore how bio-based solutions can support a more sustainable future. By blending storytelling, culture and education, the series highlights BiOrbic’s research while inspiring the next generation to imagine themselves as active participants in Ireland’s bioeconomy transition
Palaeoenvironmental changes recorded at the Velika Vrbica loess‐palaeosol sequence, Wallachian Basin, during MIS 3– MIS 1
Full text linkThis study presents a detailed investigation of the Velika Vrbica loess‐palaeosol sequence, situated in the Wallachian Basin of northeastern Serbia, with the aim to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental changes spanning Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 to 1. Using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, low field magnetic susceptibility (χ lf ), and mass accumulation rates (MARs), we have developed a robust geochronological framework and analysed sedimentary and environmental processes over the last glacial–interglacial cycle. The OSL chronology reveals consistent loess deposition from ~41 to 3 ka, with peak accumulation rates recorded during MIS 3 and late MIS 2. The MAR data challenge conventional models of loess formation, as higher deposition rates are observed during the interstadial MIS 3 compared to the Last Glacial Maximum. This finding suggests regional variations in aeolian activity and climate dynamics that differ from the widely accepted pattern of intensified dust deposition during colder glacial periods. The environmental magnetic record of the Velika Vrbica loess sequence presented here shows more similarities with equivalent sections in the Wallachian Basin than in the Vojvodina region. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of loess formation processes and palaeoenvironmental variability on a continental scale, reinforcing the importance of high‐resolution chronological and sedimentological studies in disentangling global vs. regional influences on past dust deposition
Implementation of global soil databases in the Noah-MP model and the effects on simulated mean and extreme soil hydrothermal changes
Full text linkSoil properties and their associated hydrophysical parameters represent a significant source of uncertainty in land surface models (LSMs), with consequent effects on simulated sub-surface thermal and moisture characteristics, surface energy exchanges, and turbulent fluxes. These effects can result in large model differences, particularly during extreme events. As is typical of many model-based approaches, spatial soil information such as the location, extent, and depth of soil textural classes is derived from coarse-scale soil information and employed largely due to its being readily availability rather than its suitability. However, the use of a particular spatial soil dataset can have important consequences for many of the processes simulated within an LSM. This study investigates model uncertainty in the Noah-MP model in simulating soil moisture (expressed as a ratio of water to soil volume, m3 m−3) and soil temperature changes, associated with two widely used global soil databases (STATSGO and SoilGrids). Both soil datasets produced significant dry biases in loam soils of 0.15 and 0.10 m3 m−3 during a wet and dry period, respectively. The spatial disparities between STATSGO and SoilGrids also influenced the simulated regional soil hydrothermal changes and extremes. SoilGrids was found to intensify drought characteristics – shifting low and moderate drought areas into the extreme and exceptional classifications – relative to STATSGO. Our results demonstrate that the coarse STATSGO performs as well as the fine-scale SoilGrids soil database, though the latter represents the soil moisture dynamics better. However, the results underscore the need for greater collaborative efforts to develop more detailed regionally derived soil texture characteristics and to improve pedotransfer function (PTF) parameterizations for better representations of soil properties in LSMs. Enhancing these soil property representations in LSMs is essential for improving operational modeling and forecasting of hydrological processes and extremes
Beo, Raja agus Éifeacht an Fhéileacáin
Full text linkThis Irish-language comic is the ninth instalment in the Beo and Raja series and places the bioeconomy at the centre of its story. Through humour and adventure, it explores how language, culture and heritage are deeply connected to the natural world. Douglas Hyde appears as a key figure, grounding the narrative in the cultural legacy of the Irish language and its role in shaping identity. The Marsh Fritillary butterfly becomes the symbol that ties biodiversity to community understanding and responsibility, showing how even the smallest creature can spark wider conversations about sustainability. Intended for use in schools, communities and homes, the comic offers an engaging and imaginative way to learn and reflect. The Irish version is titled Beo, Raja agus Éifeacht an Fheileacháin, with the English version known as Beo, Raja and The Butterfly Effect, making it accessible to a wide audience while championing the importance of the language
Examining the Effect of Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment on Student Engagement and Learning in Higher Education: An Action Research Study
Full text linkThis study investigated the role of technology-enhanced formative assessments (TEFAs) in fostering student engagement and improving learning outcomes in a higher education setting. In response to challenges I had encountered in my own teaching practice and with the growing need for more interactive and responsive pedagogical approaches, this research examined how digital tools can transform formative assessment to better support continuous learning. Positioned within an action research framework, this study explored TEFAs through three iterative cycles. Data collection involved a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys, focus groups, learner analytics, and my own reflective observations as a lecturer. This diverse data set allowed for an in-depth analysis of the impact of TEFAs on student engagement, self-regulation, and academic performance within a higher education context, which was characterised by challenges like large class sizes, diverse student needs, and rigid assessment structures.
The findings revealed that the integration of digital tools into formative assessment practices can offer significant advantages. TEFAs facilitated timely, personalised feedback, which supports self-regulated learning. They also contribute to higher levels of student motivation and engagement by creating more interactive and relevant learning experiences. To guide the design and implementation of the TEFAs, this study developed a synthesised, integrated framework based on Learning-Oriented Assessment (LOA) and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) models. This framework offers a practical guide for educators looking to integrate TEFAs in higher education settings.
While the findings are context-specific, they offer valuable insights for broader educational practices. This research presents actionable recommendations for educators, instructional designers, and policymakers on how to effectively align technological and pedagogical objectives in the design of assessments. These recommendations contribute to wider discussions on the evolving role of formative assessment in higher education. It also suggests ways that institutions can adapt their assessment practices to better meet the needs of 21st-century learners. By connecting theoretical understanding with practical strategies, this study highlights the potential of TEFAs in creating more engaging and effective learning environments