Head of EHSI appointed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Director of Research & Enterprise, Professor Ellen Hazelkorn and Professor Michael Devereux, Director of the College of Sciences and Health, have welcomed Dr Noreen M Layden to DIT. Dr Layden has just taken on the role of Head of DIT’s Environmental Health Sciences Institute (EHSI).  

EHSI is DIT’s newest dedicated institute for inter-disciplinary research and was established by DIT in partnership with Ireland’s National Health Services Provider (HSE) and Dublin City Council (DCC) with PRTLI 5 funding. Collaborators include the Institute of Public Health in Ireland and the University of Ulster. Specific areas of research focus are: Lifestyle & Policy; Water Quality; Air Quality; Radiation & Noise; Bio-monitoring; Energy; and Food Quality & Safety. Funding provides for the construction of a dedicated research building on the campus at Grangegorman.  

Noreen has a strong academic background that includes: PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Limerick; MSc, Master of Environmental Sciences from Trinity College Dublin, and a BSc (Ed), Bachelor of Science with Education, University of Limerick.  Her PhD investigated a novel wastewater/ biosolids treatment process and her work included collaboration with the University of British Columbia, peer reviewed publications and presentations at international conferences.   

Recently she worked as Program Director for Sustainability and Environmental Engineering at the University of California Berkeley.  She was responsible for managing a portfolio of innovative courses and programs for the evolving green economy.  She worked directly with faculty, advisory boards, industry experts and other stakeholders in the San Francisco/Bay Area.  

Noreen’s other professional experience includes environmental consultancy, software validation, and implementing quality and environmental management systems.  She moved from research into the business sector, provided leadership and technical expertise in environmental consultancy for new and existing projects and led cross-functional teams.  

Her professional memberships include:  Chartered Institute Water & Environmental Management (CIWEM); International Water Association (IWA) and International Register of Certified Auditors (IRCA).

Noreen’s background in environmental consultancy, software validation, and implementing quality and environmental management systems will contribute largely to the fulfillment of the EHSI mission and the development of a scientific evidence base to inform policy, planning and decision making.   

Noreen is based in DIT Kevin St and her email is noreen.layden@dit.ie