The Walton Institute’s Aileen Drohan discusses her switch from art to STEM and why it is ‘vital’ to connect science with everyday life.
Before venturing into tech, Aileen Drohan had a career in the creative industries as an artist, photographer and part-time lecturer at South East Technological University (SETU).
“I’ve always been curious about how things work, and how art and creativity help people make sense of the world around them,” she tells SiliconRepublic.com.
In 2021, Drohan decided to pursue a new area; STEM.
While completing a higher diploma in computer science at SETU (then known as Waterford Institute of Technology), she began an internship at the Walton Institute, where she still works today as a software research engineer in the Mobile Ecosystem and Pervasive Sensing (MEPS) division.
“My background in art taught me to experiment, problem-solve visually, and connect ideas in new ways, while later studies in computer science gave me the technical tools to explore those ideas further,” she says. “Research felt like the ideal space to bring those two perspectives together, a place where creativity and technology meet to explore how people learn, create and innovate.
“That creative background continues to influence everything I do, shaping my interest in how creativity, design, and technology can come together to make STEM more engaging and accessible.”
Getting creative
In the Walton Institute’s MEPS division, Drohan specialises in e-textiles – fabrics embedded with electronic components such as batteries, lights, sensors and microcontrollers.
As part of her role, she develops and contributes to projects that connect science and technology with communities. In fact, she is currently piloting classroom resources as part of the Entire European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH), supporting primary and secondary teachers to “build digital capacity”.
“My work sits at the intersection of education, sustainability and innovation, exploring how STEM can be woven into everyday life through curiosity and creativity,” she explains.
Her wider research focuses on engagement through “creativity and making”, she says, with a strong emphasis on e-textiles, using circuits in fabric and craft-based contexts “to spark curiosity and conversation”.
One example of this can be seen in a recent Creative Ireland Kilkenny project called ‘Shed the Light’, where she worked with participants from Ferrybank Men’s Shed and the wider community to explore low-power solar breadboarded circuits and solar-powered e-textiles – “combining sustainability and craftsmanship in a playful, hands-on way”.
Drohan also works closely with Waterford Libraries to develop and deliver community learning workshops, exploring how creativity, technology and sustainability can work together “to shape a more resilient future”.
“I think it is vital to connect science with everyday life,” she says.
“When learning happens through making or through solving problems that matter personally, STEM becomes approachable and relevant.”
“This is what makes activities like using conductive thread with sewing knitting groups, learning about solar energy and by breadboarding circuits with community groups, or learning how to use plant sensors to care for house plants at home, so powerful. They turn abstract ideas into something people can see, touch and understand.”
Democratisation and momentum
As Science Week celebrates 30 years this week, with hundreds of STEM events taking place across the country, we asked Drohan what she believes to be the most impactful development in science over the last three decades.
“For me, it’s been the democratisation of technology,” she says. “Over the past few decades, tools like sensors, microcontrollers and open-source platforms have become affordable and accessible to almost anyone with curiosity and an internet connection. That shift, powered by lower hardware costs, open-source software and global online learning communities, has lowered the barriers to experimentation and innovation.”
“It’s enabled artists, educators, and community makers to engage with science in creative, hands-on ways that were once only possible in labs or industry. This accessibility has shaped much of my work, allowing me to combine art, design, and technology to make STEM more inclusive and connected to everyday life.”
For the future, Drohan says she’s optimistic about Ireland’s STEM community. She notes the ongoing presence of “strong research activity” across the country’s universities and institutes, as well as the growing presence and appreciation of interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling “the complex challenges the world is facing”.
“There is strong momentum in research, education, and industry, and a growing understanding that collaboration across disciplines is essential for progress,” she says. “I believe we need to keep broadening participation, building diverse pathways for engagement to make sure people of all ages and backgrounds can engage with STEM in ways that are meaningful to them.”
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