undergraduate of the year awards

2023

Winners & finalists

The Future CTO of the Year

Sara Hippmann

Mathematics and Economics

Trinity College Dublin

Sara is a second-year mathematics and economics student at Trinity College. Her course aligns with her interests in problem-solving, strategic thinking and searching for efficient, creative solutions. She has received the Louis Kennedy Award for the best annual mathematics result. Her time at university has also allowed her to develop her interest in data science. She has experience working on data analysis projects as a trainee at a consulting firm. This gave her the opportunity to manage projects, provide guidance and coordinate presentations as a team leader. She hopes to develop these passions further in the future.

finalists

Abutalha Alam | University College Dublin

Emer Neville | University College Cork

Grace Reid | Queen's University Belfast

Jayaike Ndu | Dublin Business School

Manmehak Kaur | University of Limerick

Oisín O’Sullivan | University of Limerick

Pedro Canteli | SETU Waterford

Sorcha Lynch | University of Galway

Veronica Howells | University College Cork

‍

The Undergraduate of the Year for Innovation

Aisling Cleary

Marketing and Sales

Atlantic Technological University, Galway

Aisling Cleary is a 22-year-old marketing and sales student at Atlantic Technological University Galway. She describes herself as ambitious, driven and always up for a new challenge. Aisling has maintained a 1:1 for the last four years whilst working full-time. She has worked alongside the Irish Cancer Society and pitched a new Breast Cancer campaign targeting young students with her team members. Aisling and her team devised the "Daily Dare for Your Pair" campaign, a calendar of dares for the month of October. The campaign's dares were inclusive, active and creative. The campaign raised over €1,000 in four weeks and reached 3,000 accounts on social media.

finalists

Ciara Saunders | Dublin City University

David Hynes | National College of Ireland

Ellen Cleary | Maynooth University

Emmet Boulter | University of Galway

Eva O'Beirne | Trinity College Dublin

Karl Nicholson | Trinity College Dublin

Maria Cairns | Trinity College Dublin

Samuel Smith | Griffith College

Sorcha Finn | University College Dublin

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The Engineering Undergraduate of the Year

Ciara Dillon

Mechanical Engineering

University College Dublin

Ciara is a final-year mechanical engineering student at University College Dublin. Ciara chose to study engineering because she felt that it would be the field in which she could make the most significant impact. She spent a year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she participated in numerous societies and clubs . Last summer, Ciara completed a three-month internship with Mavericks Endo, a small medical device start-up in Silicon Valley. Here, she had the opportunity to become fully immersed in the R&D of medical devices and learned how to design, prototype and problem-solve. She is particularly interested in minimally invasive healthcare technologies, such as wearables and cardiovascular devices.

finalists

Billy Hamilton | TU Dublin City Campus

Ciarán Haverty | University of Limerick

Cora Brennan | University of Limerick

Danail Tsanov | Dublin City University

Karl Holmes | University of Galway

Maghnus Shaw | Trinity College Dublin

Mark Irwin | Trinity College Dublin

Pádraig Ó Donnchú | Munster Technological University, Cork

Raphael Salaja | TUS Athlone Campus

‍

The Undergraduate of the Year for Opportunity Through Adversity

Aisling Maloney

Marketing and Sales

University College Dublin

Aisling is a second-year law with politics student at UCD. She is a Senior Access Leader with Access and Lifelong Learning, where she works to improve access to higher-level education. Aisling volunteers as the First-Year Promotions Officer and Productions Officer at the UCDSU, as the Social & Design Coordinator of the Intervarsity Law Summit and as a committee member of the L&H, Politics Society and LGBTQ+ Society. She aIso works with organisations such as the National Youth Council of Ireland, SpunOut, Youth Work Ireland and Plan International.

finalists

Adam Morgan | Dublin City University

Alan Donnelly | University of Galway

Daniel Collins | Atlantic Technological University, Galway

Henok Dems | TUS Athlone Campus

Kathleen Cosgrave | Trinity College Dublin

Nicola Young | University College Dublin

Olamide Obadina | Trinity College Dublin

Salisa Atthaisong Quigley | University College Dublin

Yu Tong Wang | University College Dublin

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The Female Leadership Undergraduate of the Year

Caitlin Chee

Product Design Engineering

Queen's University Belfast

Caitlin is an MEng Product Design Engineering student who is passionate about sustainability and innovation. She will be participating in her university's Future Leaders program in Boston in the summer of 2023. She is then set to take part in a 3-month Mitacs Globalink Research Internship program designing an ankle rehabilitation exoskeleton at the Polytechnique Montréal. Caitlin has helped to develop a business idea for mycelium (mushroom) leather as a sustainable alternative to animal leather to improve sustainability in the fast-fashion industry. She is a STEM ambassador who is passionate about inspiring younger generations and promoting females in engineering. In her free time, Caitlin volunteers in her community with international students and children’s summer camps. She enjoys photography and is studying Korean.

finalists

Caroline Hayes | Munster Technological University, Cork

D'Andra Andrews | Maynooth University

Diane Sheehy | University College Cork

Ellen Kenny | Trinity College Dublin

Janela Trexy Aquino | Maynooth University

Jennifer Roberts | University College Cork

Luka Anna Mac Lochlainn | University of Galway

Mariia Kurova | University College Dublin

Yvette Dempsey | Trinity College Dublin‍

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The Undergraduate of the Year for Innovative Sustainable Thinking

Con Maher

Sustainability with Environmental Science

University College Dublin

Con is studying a BSc in sustainability with environmental Science at UCD. He is enthusiastic about sustainability and making a difference. Con also has a keen interest in business. Growing up in the beautiful countryside of Wexford has taught Con the great value of the natural environment around us.

finalists

Ciara Coughlan | University College Dublin

‍Dija Mazonaite | University of Galway

‍Ella Redmond Molloy | Dublin City University

‍Kate Duffy | University College Dublin

‍Malena Thren | University of Galway

‍Ruairí McKenna | University College Cork

‍Sinead O'Flaherty | Trinity College Dublin

‍Tikambechi Mwalughali | TUS Athlone Campus

‍Yun Sang Cheung | Trinity College Dublin

The Difference Maker Undergraduate of the Year

Ciara O’Flynn

European Studies

University of Limerick

Ciara is a final year European studies student at the University of Limerick, with a passion for achieving positive change through cross-community work. She leads Anytime of the Month, a social enterprise which alleviates period poverty and stigma through an array of initiatives in communities across Ireland and the UK. Ciara is a founding member of the University of Limerick Student Sustainability Hub, which engages students in sustainability initiatives. She believes that we can be the change we want to see in this world, by leading with compassion, and respect. Ciara believes that these qualities are key to securing a prosperous, equal, and sustainable future for us all.

finalists

Ana Monteiro | Griffith College

Ava Cudmore | Trinity College Dublin

Chloe McNamara | Dublin City University

Erika Carroll | Trinity College Dublin

Frankie Nesirky | Dublin Business School

Kamdilichukwu Okonjo | Trinity College Dublin

Kate Maher | Griffith College

Nadine Toye | University of Galway

Tara Murray | SETU Waterford

‍

The Future Business Leader of the Year

Kate Henshaw

Sociology & Social Policy

Trinity College Dublin

Kate is a final year sociology and social policy student who is currently writing her thesis on the online misogyny suffered by journalists and politicians. She is the current Deputy Editor of Trinity News, Ireland's oldest student newspaper. She has previously served as News Editor and Assistant News Editor for the paper. She is also the Correspondence Secretary of the College Historical Society and organises their weekly Chamber Debates on a variety of topics. Kate works part time for Spotify, helping the Content Safety Analysis team create and maintain policies on moderating misinformation and hate speech on the platform. Through this role she has developed a strong knowledge of trust and safety in the tech space.

finalists

Aoibhín McGarry | Trinity College Dublin

‍Cliona Jordan | Dublin City University

‍Courtney Shannon Hefferon | University of Galway

‍Ellen Coughlan | University College Dublin

‍Jack Burke | Technological University Dublin City Campus

‍Jack Loughrey-Grant | Trinity College Dublin

‍Jack Quinn | University of Galway

Sintija Santa Cica | Atlantic Technological University, Galway

‍Tom Keavney | Maynooth University

See more winners

2025

2024

2022