UCD Teaching and Learning is delighted to congratulate Geraldine O’Neill on her promotion to Professor, widely believed to be the first educational/academic developer to receive this title in Ireland and a landmark moment for teaching and learning nationally.
Professor O’Neill has been a central figure in UCD Teaching and Learning for 25 years, shaping how educators across Ireland and beyond approach their teaching and assessment practice.
Her influence has also extended well beyond UCD. From 2015 to 2017, she was seconded to the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, where she led the National Assessment Enhancement Theme. In 2020, she received one of Ireland’s inaugural National Forum Teaching and Learning Research Fellowships to research the assessment of work-integrated learning. Based on a paper from this research, in April 2026 she will receive the international ‘Ralph W. Tyler Award’ for ‘outstanding published research and scholarly contribution’ from the Cooperative Education and Internship Association.
In recognition of her leadership and sustained scholarship, Professor O’Neill was awarded a Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) in 2018. With numerous publications and nearly 3,000 citations, her scholarly contribution is substantial. Her 2015 open access eBook, Curriculum Design in Higher Education: Theory to Practice, remains a widely used resource for academic staff and educational developers alike.
Professor O’Neill ‘s promotion is a signal to the wider higher education community that teaching and learning, as a scholarly and professional discipline, is being recognised and valued at the highest academic level.
