Dr Buckley received the award, which is supported by sustainable development consultancy Arup, for leading geotechnical engineering research that supports wind energy
Engineers Ireland is delighted to announce that Clare-native Dr Róisín Buckley has won the Chartered Engineer of the Year Award for 2024. Dr Buckley, who holds the role of Senior Lecturer at Glasgow University’s James Watt School of Engineering, was named as recipient of the prize at a ceremony last night at Engineers Ireland’s offices in Ballsbridge.
Dr Buckley is currently the Principal Investigator of a major UK government and industry-funded project that aims to optimise offshore wind-turbine foundation design. Her recent contributions, as part of joint industry projects, have led to practical new design approaches that are being applied at several multibillion-euro developments. She is an Associate Editor of Géotechnique, a leading geotechnical engineering journal, and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford, where she was a lecturer until 2021. Dr Buckley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Galway, before completing a master’s degree and a PhD at Imperial College, London.
Runners-up on the evening were finalists Darragh Beirne, Associate at Arup; Gráinne Egan, Senior Project Manager at AtkinsRéalis; and Aaron Smyth, Senior Engineer at AECOM.
The Chartered Engineer of the Year Award, supported by designers and consultants, committed to sustainable development, Arup, is presented annually to an engineer who has demonstrated commitment to his or her engineering discipline and showcases the standards of integrity, innovation, and professionalism that Engineers Ireland upholds. Recognised as one of the most prestigious awards in Irish engineering, it highlights the impactful role of engineering in shaping a sustainable, efficient, and technologically advanced future.
Speaking following last night’s ceremony Donal McDaid, Director at Arup, said, "We are, once again, delighted to support Engineers Ireland’s Chartered Engineer of the Year Award, which promotes the engineering excellence needed to create a better and more sustainable future. I would like to extend my congratulations not only to Dr Buckley but to all the finalists for their achievements in this competition and for exemplifying the leadership and innovation that should inspire all engineers."
Engineers Ireland Director General, Damien Owens, added, “Chartered Engineers are ethical practitioners who maintain the highest level of competence and professional integrity. These attributes are evident in spades amongst all our finalists, however Dr Buckley, whose leading geotechnical engineering research is designed to support the crucial transition to wind energy generation, stood out to the judges. The outstanding calibre of this year’s finalists further underscores the rude health enjoyed by Irish engineering and mark of professional quality for which Chartered Engineer stands.”