The medals highlight the value of research collaborations between Ireland and the US, said Research Ireland’s Celine Fitzgerald.
As part of his visit stateside, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has today (13 March) presented the Research Ireland St Patrick’s Day medals to Richard Kearney, a philosophy professor at Boston College, and to Michael Dowling, president and CEO of NorthWell Health.
The medal recognises outstanding contributions by academic and industry leaders from the Irish diaspora in the US.
Kearney is the Charles B Seelig chair of philosophy at Boston College and has served as a visiting professor at University College Dublin, where he received a BA in 1975, and at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), among others. Alongside writing and editing numerous academic texts on European philosophy, Kearney has also written three novels and a book of poetry.
As a public intellectual, he has made regular appearances on TV to discuss culture and philosophy, and was also involved in drafting a number of proposals for the Northern Irish peace process.
Kearney said he was honoured to receive the medal. “My connection with Ireland has always been central to my career.
“Bringing people together to share stories and perspectives is key to addressing our era’s greatest challenges. Collaborations and exchanges can help to transcend divides and build peace and reconciliation. I look forward to continuing my work with colleagues in both the US and Ireland to strengthen empathy and understanding.”
As CEO of NorthWell Health, Dowling oversees the largest healthcare provider in New York state, with its network of 21 hospitals and more than 900 outpatient facilities.
NorthWell also has a research arm, the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, which develops treatments for conditions such as lupus, arthritis, sepsis, cancer, psychiatric illness and Alzheimer’s disease.
Dowling, who has degrees from University College Cork and Fordham University, said he was delighted that his efforts to “improve health outcomes for patients” have been recognised in the awarding of this medal.
“In our work, it is vital to remain open to new knowledge,” Dowling said.
“Partnerships with Irish companies continue to provide new perspectives that help to improve patient care in the US, Ireland and beyond. Maintaining close ties with Ireland continues to be of deep importance to my career.”
On presenting the two recipients with their medals, Martin said that their “significant achievements in the fields of philosophy and healthcare respectively illustrate the exceptional work being carried out by the Irish research diaspora” in the US.
While interim CEO of Research Ireland, Celine Fitzgerald highlighted the valuable work of the awardees and also the value of ties between the two nations.
“Our strong collaborative links with the research community in the US mutually benefit both countries and we look forward to continuing to build on this into the future,” she said.
Last year’s medals went to Dr Eamonn Keogh, a computer science professor, and John Hartnett, the founder and CEO of agrifood investment platform SVG Ventures.
SiliconRepublic.com recently spoke to 2022 medal winner Prof Donald McDonnell, a cancer drug specialist based at Duke University.
McDonald took the opportunity to discuss the value of supporting Irish students to get lab experience in top US universities when he was presented with his medal by Martin.
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