Experience

UCD Institute for Discovery

• Ireland
• Higher Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Outreach and Impact Scientist

  • Jan 2020 - Present

  At UCD Discovery my main role is the design, development and delivery of outreach programmes in the areas ofscience, technology, engineering, art and maths. The work is primarily carried out in our dedicated laboratorywhere we take young school children from low socio-economic areas and transport them to University CollegeDublin (UCD) to explore exciting science through play and inquiry-based learning.Our unique approach is that the children come up with the questions that they want to learn about. They decide,we provide. From their questions, we work directly with our national broadcaster to create our accompanyingpodcast and video productions to allow parents and teachers to hear discussions based around questions their own children are asking, framed with content aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).



Simply Science

• Co-Owner Simply Science

  • Dec 2019 - Present

  Simply Science takes over 25 years of experience in the area of STEM-related engagement and uses it to createwonderful and inspiring programmes for all ages. My wife, Aoibheann and I, professionally design and operate programmes for children as young as 3 all the way up to physics loving pensioners in their nineties. We offer a layered thematic approach to how participants learn ensuring that everyone in our audience gets what we’retalking about. We engage with the audiences rather than talk at them. We've worked and continue with hundreds of organisations including Intel, ESB, ABBVIE, Energia, RTE, RISE and many more delivering education and outreach initiatives across Europe and China.



RTE

• Ireland
• Media Production
• 700 & Above Employee

• Television Presenter

  • Apr 2010 - Present

  Since 2010 I have acted as a consultant to on multiple platforms focusing mainly on young peoples’programming. I have written and presented over 350 individual segments on RTÉ, Virgin Media, as well at other platforms such TodayFM and Newstalk radio. I have also presented adult prime-time programming such as Weather Live with Kathryn Thomas, most recently Future Island with Liz Bonnin and the Home School Hub on RTÉ 2. Since 2010 I have acted as a consultant to on multiple platforms focusing mainly on young peoples’programming. I have written and presented over 350 individual segments on RTÉ, Virgin Media, as well at other platforms such TodayFM and Newstalk radio. I have also presented adult prime-time programming such as Weather Live with Kathryn Thomas, most recently Future Island with Liz Bonnin and the Home School Hub on RTÉ 2.



Thesis in 3

• Co Director

  • May 2010 - Present

  Thesis in 3 invites postgraduate students from research institutions around Ireland to present their research in a series of concise, rapidly paced talks consisting of 3 slides, in 3 minutes. Welcoming the public to this event, showcases current world-class research happening in Ireland via bite-sized chunks and includes Preliminary Heats around Ireland and Wales (UK) culminating in a showcase National Final.Thesis in 3 provides professional training prior to the Preliminary Heats to give all researchers a chance to improve their level of presentation and communication skills. This raises the overall standard and appreciation of communications skills across the board as well as providing a platform for role models, at all levels, for STEM careers.Thesis in 3 creates a space, both in reality and virtually, for the general public to meet these young scientists or engineers and ask them what questions matter most to them. Unlike traditional presentation competitions where often the audience is just talked "at", Thesis in 3 is different in that the audience is engaged "with" in a conversation. The public has a chance to meet, talk to, ask questions of, vote on and engage with each and every speaker at the event as well being able to revisit the recorded talks online afterwards.



Science Gallery Dublin

• Ireland
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• National Touring Co-ordinator

  • May 2019 - Jan 2021

  "PLASTIC, Co-Creating Change" was an exhibition produced with the support of Science Foundation Ireland, for the Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin’s. It toured nationally touring and in each location, an artist was commissioned to work with the local community to co-design an artwork reflecting the cultural history, place and relationship between the people and their environment. Plastic has changed our daily lives and our environment more than any other material. The unsustainability of our relationship with plastic is well documented, but to stop using plastic is not an option. Its use has revolutionised industrial design, and more essentially, modern medicine relies on plastic so heavily that even the most basic medical procedures would be unimaginable without it.Over the 2 years of PLASTIC, I directly managed the entire project and team ensuring its success even under the constraints of a pandemic. We expanded its remit after securing additional funding and evaluated its positive impact on the behaviours of those people who engaged with it.



Cool Planet Experience

• Head of Public Engagement

  • May 2016 - Jun 2018

  The CPE will be Ireland's first interactive Climate Change visitor centre and public engagement program. Our aim is to be straight talking, fun and engaging. CPE represents an opportunity for Ireland to take a lead role is in Climate Change education. Our vision is for the public to understand through technology the negative messages on Climate Change, the implications of warming,rising water levels and the effects that will be felt by society, such as water and food security and how we will live and exist in the next 50+ years.Philip is Head of Public Engagement at the Cool Planet Experience. He is responsible for the creation and delivery of a comprehensive education programme for primary and secondary schools and the broader public to ensure that the learning objectives of the CPE are achieved.



Pint of Science UK

• United Kingdom
• Events Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Co Director

  • May 2014 - Jun 2016

  Pint of Science is a festival that aims to make science accessible and fun by bringing current scientific research to the welcoming atmosphere of the pub. It is a non-profit organisation established by a group of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in 2012. Pint of Science is a festival that aims to make science accessible and fun by bringing current scientific research to the welcoming atmosphere of the pub. It is a non-profit organisation established by a group of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in 2012.



StopWatch Television

• Presenter

  • Feb 2015 - Dec 2015

  Insiders is a new 10-part TV series for RTE Young People's that explores the wow science behind the cool events and venues that kids love.Whether it's one of the biggest match days of the year at Croke Park or a thrilling trip to one of Europe's most exciting theme parks, our experts Phil, Sarah-Louise and Jennifer are on a mission to show you the genius that goes into making it all happen.They're Insiders because they are scientists. Sarah-Louise is a physicist, Phil is too ,plus he's an engineering nut and Jennifer is a Biochemist.Sarah Louise likes to do cool experiments, solve tricky problems and explore the universe. Phil loves building weird and wonderful inventions to show how stuff works. And Jennifer is fascinated by the human body - even when it's gross it's brilliant!



University College Dublin

• Ireland
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Access Office Education and Outreach Officer

  • Jun 2014 - Feb 2015

  My main responsibilities as the Outreach Officer of the Access & Lifelong Learning Team are for developing and managing an extensive outreach strategy for students from socio-economically disadvantaged schools/communities and for students with a disability. I am responsible for devising and implementing initiatives to target schools and communities through collaboration and partnership with the view to increasing access to higher education for students from under-represented groups in particular lower socio economic groups and students with a disability.

• Education and Outreach Manager

  • Nov 2009 - May 2014

  For over 4 years I was employed as the Education and Outreach (E&O) Manager for Systems Biology Ireland (SBI), an SFI CSET between UCD and NUIG. Here my role included the development and regulation of SBI's outreach and in-reach activities. I also managed the communications brief and branding of the institute working alongside its director, Walter Kolch, and centre manager, Eadaoin McKiernan. Having built the entire E&O program up from scratch, I was delighted to be awarded with the Irish Educational Lab of the Year award in 2013.



Dublin City University

• Ireland
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• BDI Education and Outreach Officer

  • 2007 - 2009

  During my time with the BDI, I was responsible for content related directly to the primary science curriculum in schools. As part of the E&O team, I was required to work within all areas of outreach and to be able to tailor our message to diverse audiences. I also designed and maintained content including the Me and My Body (MAMBO) and Outreach Community websites including newsletters and press release publications. My work here included reporting on the effectiveness of the programmes themselves.

• Postgraduate Studies

  • 2004 - 2007