SETU’s second annual PMSS (Professional, Managerial, and Support Staff) Excellence Awards took place today, 10 October, at SETU’s Kilkenny Road campus in Carlow.
The PMSS Excellence Awards are one of three staff initiatives to promote excellence amongst the SETU community, alongside initiatives that recognise excellence in research and teaching. The staff recognition initiative was launched by the President of SETU, Professor Veronica Campbell, in 2024. It gives staff across SETU’s varied PMSS teams the opportunity to nominate colleagues for Excellence Awards in recognition of their contribution and commitment to the University.
“Today’s ceremony acknowledges the invaluable contributions of our PMSS staff, all of whom consistently embody the values of excellence, inclusivity, and innovation. Their work strengthens our University’s brand, enriches our community, and enhances the experience of everyone who interacts with SETU. My sincere thanks to you all for your commitment to our organisation and congratulations on this recognition from among your peers.”
Prof. Veronica Campbell, President of SETU.
"Often working behind the scenes, SETU’s PMSS community forms the lifeblood of the institution. In many cases, they are the unsung heroes driving administrative, technical, and support functions across our offices. Thank you to you all for your great work. The work of these offices is intrinsic to the operational success of SETU. It is interwoven into the very fabric of the University, fundamental to its structures, its daily operations, and future growth," Prof. Campbell concluded.
“Our University is a living network. It is full of people, ideas, and connections, all working together toward a shared purpose. At its centre are our students, moving through each semester toward graduation. Their journey depends on more than lectures and assignments; it relies on the people who make sure our campuses run smoothly. And that is you, our PMSS teams, living our values, working together, and continuously finding solutions. Thank you for your professionalism and sense of community.”
Shauna Whyte, Vice President for People, Culture & EDI at SETU.
MC for the event was Sue Hurley, HR Manager for Employee Relations and Industrial Relations, who guided attendees through the ceremony, while nominators and staff from across multiple departments contributed to the overall event organisation.
2025 Awardees
SETU was delighted to announce this year’s staff award recipients, including five individuals and one team. Each recipient was presented with their award by Prof. Veronica Campbell.
Tess Ames, Research Group Manager and EU Projects Manager for the Ocular Therapeutics, is awarded the Excellence Award for her exceptional service as Research Group Manager and EU Projects Manager for the Ocular Therapeutics Research Group. Tess embodies SETU’s values of excellence, integrity, collaboration, and inclusivity, and her impact reaches across local, national, and international levels.
Tess has been instrumental in securing research funding and opportunities, co-leading SETU’s first successful Horizon Europe MSCA COFUND application, INNOVISION, which brought €3.69 million in funding which enabled the University to recruit 12 international postdoctoral researchers. She has joint-led over €18.5 million in funding applications, firmly positioning SETU as a recognised leader in ocular and pharmaceutical research. She also coordinated a €230,000 infrastructure grant, enhancing SETU’s capacity for academic and industry collaboration, while mentoring early-career researchers and supporting principal investigators across the Faculty of Science.
Inclusivity is central to Tess’s work. She embedded EU best practice in INNOVISION to ensure equitable recruitment and support for researchers, going above and beyond for individual researchers, helping find accommodation, supporting travel arrangements, navigating visa requirements and personally accompanying new staff to immigration offices when complications arise. Tess co-led the award-winning NO TEARS project, engaging over 700 community members and leading SETU’s first institutional Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement framework.
Her leadership and her demonstration of SETU values has elevated SETU’s profile nationally and internationally. She has coordinated large-scale European networks, managed international training programmes, supported more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, and built lasting global partnerships with academia, industry, and patient groups.
In sum, Tess has transformed SETU’s research landscape, delivering record-breaking funding, strengthening international collaborations, embedding inclusivity, and building a sustainable research culture.
Éadaoin Butler, National Research Programme Officer, is the recipient of the Excellence Award due to her consistent commitment to excellence, with a particular focus on strengthening training and development opportunities for our researchers.
An example of this is the Summer Series of 2025 that Éadaoin hosted, a highly successful programme of five workshops for PhD scholars and their supervisors. Covering topics from grant writing and academic writing support to soft skills and information sessions, these events were carefully designed to address the evolving needs of early-career researchers.
Evident throughout the Summer Series was Éadaoin’s commitment to inclusivity. Éadaoin designs training that is accessible and responsive to diverse needs, while also mentoring scholars one-to-one, as seen in her exceptional support for the 2024 GOIPG applicants (the Government of Ireland Post Graduate scholarship scheme). Éadaoin reviewed nearly 50 scholarship applications but what sets her apart is the care that she invested beyond the initial review, following up with individual one-on-one sessions for every applicant who requested this.
Éadaoin also consistently champions equity in grant applications, embedding diversity and broad participation in research practice. Éadaoin plays a pivotal role in strategic funding applications, her guidance ensures not only quality but also strong alignment with SETU’s values and priorities within those applications. The growth of our research income, from €33 million in 2022/2023 to €40.4 million in 2023/2024, illustrates the tangible results of her dedication.
Finally, Éadaoin is a natural connector and collaborator. She has championed the Research Services Portal, enhanced communication across faculties and campuses, and organised networking events that foster interdisciplinary partnerships.
In every aspect of her work, Éadaoin brings expertise, inclusivity, and vision. She is a mentor, a strategist, and a builder of community, making her an indispensable force in SETU’s research culture.
Matt Givens, Audio Visual Technical Officer, is presented with this Award in recognition of his outstanding service as the cornerstone of audio-visual operations on the Carlow campus for over 26 years. Whether supporting large-scale national events, transforming everyday spaces into celebration venues, or solving last-minute technical issues under pressure, Matt consistently delivers to the highest standard. His technical expertise is matched only by his dedication, positivity, and commitment to teamwork.
Matt’s contribution is not limited to behind-the-scenes work. He is a trusted collaborator, regularly consulted at the earliest stages of planning due to his creative, solutions-focused approach. From the SETU conferring ceremonies to international live-streams, including one with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, Matt has elevated the university's profile time and again.
What sets Matt apart is not just what he does, but how he does it. His inclusive and respectful approach ensures every colleague, regardless of role, is treated with the same attention and care. He might be mentoring students, supporting remote access, managing the AV requirements of a large event, setting up an installation like National Ploughing Championships, but it is always ready with a calm head and a helping hand. Matt’s day-to-day interactions exemplify a collaborative mindset, bridging academic, administrative and technical domains. He exemplifies our university mission to foster excellence, innovation, and community.
Put simply: working with Matt makes every project better. His contribution is felt across our campus, in every successful event, every solved problem, and every colleague he’s supported. Colleagues write about Matt: ‘no problem is insurmountable, his energy in exhaustible, he never lets anyone down if he can help at all. He takes huge pride in his work, not just on a persona level but on a community level and a university brand level. He wants us all to succeed and has supported us in doing this’.
Sandra, School Administrator, Faculty of Business, who is described by her colleagues as the cornerstone of the Faculty of Business in Waterford, has served as School / Faculty Administrator for over 38 years with extraordinary dedication. Sandra is described as being at the heart of every aspect of the Faculty’s operations, from implementing strategies, managing change, and supporting colleagues, to ensuring that the student-centred ethos remains at the forefront of all the Faculty does.
Sandra’s colleagues describe her as reliable, honourable, and endlessly obliging, leading by example, setting the highest standards, her selflessness ensuring the success of those around her. She has an exceptional ability to bring order to complexity.
Her inclusive approach is recognised by both staff and students. From organising training, events, and conferences to supporting students from diverse backgrounds, Sandra is a trusted point of contact for everyone in the Faculty. Her professionalism is especially evident in her behind-the-scenes commitment, preparing Exam Board material sometimes ‘after hours’ , to ensure all runs smoothly.
In times of crisis, Sandra’s calm presence has been invaluable. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led the transition to remote operations, ensuring staff were equipped, connected, and supported. She also played a pivotal role during the cyber incident, maintaining communication and safeguarding essential workflows. Knowing what a stressful time this was for everybody, Sandra your solution focused attitude is acknowledged and appreciated.
Colleagues highlighted Sandra’s outstanding leadership, communication, and professionalism. Many say they have never seen her flustered, no matter the challenge, and that her dedication embodies the values that hold our community together.
Sandra’s service, commitment, and compassion make her an irreplaceable part of the Faculty of Business. She has not only shaped its present but has laid the foundation for its future.
Ken, Head of the Centre for Academic Practice (CAP), is awarded the Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership, sustained innovation, and deep commitment to the university’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.
Ken demonstrated this in his recent role as SETU’s Institutional Lead for the N-TUTORR programme, a flagship national initiative that has delivered more than €5.5 million in funding to SETU. Under Ken’s stewardship, the programme has had a transformative effect, enhancing the student experience, empowering staff with new opportunities to innovate, and aligning closely with our goals of digital transformation, inclusive teaching and learning, and sustainability.
Through this role, Ken had the opportunity to reimagine the role of the university library, supporting the creation of Learning Hubs and Maker Spaces that are now open across Waterford, Carlow, and Wexford. These spaces are dynamic environments that foster creativity, digital literacy, collaboration, and equity of access.
Ken’s work also extends to regional and national impact. By aligning SETU’s initiatives with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals, he has positioned the university as both an anchor institution and a driver of sustainable growth in our region. His leadership has fostered partnerships that strengthen SETU’s identity as a collaborative and outward-looking university.
However, it is Ken’s personal qualities, as described by his colleagues that were considered by the Awards committee when reviewing applications. He is described by his peers as a connector, a mentor, and a collaborator who embodies collegiality and inclusivity. With a genuine “can-do” attitude, he creates an open and supportive environment where staff and students feel heard, valued, and empowered. His approach ensures that progress is never top-down but grounded in dialogue, respect, and shared ownership.
Ken exemplifies the values of integrity, collaboration, and innovation. His leadership has left a lasting impact, not only through digital transformation and reimagined learning spaces, but through the culture of trust, inclusivity, and collegiality he has fostered.
Ken represents the very best of SETU’s professional, managerial, and support staff, and that his contributions will continue to benefit our community for years to come.
EDI - The Sanctuary Team at SETU is awarded the SETU PMSS Staff Excellence Team Award in recognition of their outstanding work on the Palestinian Scholars Sanctuary Initiative and the Gazan Scholarship Initiative (GSI), which powerfully reflect SETU’s core values of inclusion, compassion, excellence, and social justice.
In response to the destruction of Gaza’s educational infrastructure, the team launched a bold and compassionate initiative, offering five fully funded scholarships to displaced Gazan students. These scholarships go far beyond tuition, covering housing, meals, and full living costs, and ensuring that students find not only education, but safety, community, and hope.
Their impact is visible across the university: from providing emergency support like clothing and transport, to celebrating student birthdays and creating a sense of belonging that transcends borders. The initiative has sparked increased intercultural awareness on our campuses, strengthened SETU’s international partnerships, and shown how higher education can respond meaningfully to global crises.
Though award criteria limit the formal nomination to select PMSS staff, this recognition honours the entire Sanctuary Team, including all contributors whose compassion, skill, and tireless commitment made this work possible.
This is not just a scholarship programme, it is a powerful example of how education, when guided by humanity and collaboration, can transform lives. The Sanctuary Team’s work sets a remarkable standard not only for SETU, but for universities across Ireland and beyond. We thank the team for their vision, resilience, and unwavering commitment to creating a more just and inclusive world.