Profile/Factfile

Anne Byrne profiles UCC President Dr Gerry Wrixon and looks at what's on offer at the university

Profile: Dr Gerry Wrixon, UCC president

Born: May 25, 1940, Limerick

Educated: Christian Brothers College, Cork; BE (electrical engineering) from UCC; MSc (electrical engineering) California Institute of Technology; PhD (electrical engineering) University of California at Berkeley.

Career to date: development engineer, Fokker Aircraft factory, Amsterdam (1961-63); Bell Telephone Labs, New Jersey (1969-74); UCC, electrical engineering department (1974-99); Professor of microelectronics (1982-99); founder and director of NMRC (1981-1 999); president UCC, 1999 to date.

Takes pride in: "The energy of what I would consider world class activity in UCC: micro-electronics, IT, biosciences, food and health, environment, law, modern and old Irish, and the humanities. These are departments that can benchmark themselves against the highest international standards." Biggest headache: "The downside is the people who don't achieve and who aren't interested in achieving."

Family: married to Marcia, an American he met while at Berkeley; three children, Robert, a chemical engineer, Adrian, an electrical engineer, and Alice, a graduate of UCC, who works in PR.

Memberships include: fellow of the IEI, fellow of IEEE, member of Royal Irish Academy, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, honorary life member, Royal Dublin Society.

Factfile: University College Cork
Origins: established as one of three Queen's colleges in 1845 - Cork, Galway and Belfast. Queen's College Cork first admitted women students to arts lectures in 1886. Became part of the National University of Ireland in 1909 and the college name changed from Queen's College Cork to University College Cork (UCC).
Campus: the main campus sits on 44 acres of wooded grounds, containing several Californian redwood trees. The main quadrangle buildings are gothic revival style, designed by Cork architect Sir Thomas Deane. They date from 1849 and are modelled on a typical Oxford college. Part of the campus is currently under development. The current lack of car-park space is causing difficulties.
Faculties: arts, science, commerce, law, medicine, Celtic studies, engineering, food science and technology.
Research: very successful contender for State and European funding. Recent success in PRTLI cycle 3 to the tune of €79.5 million. Research income of almost €38 million last year, making up 30 per cent of the total university income. Student body: 10,713 undergraduates and 2,199 postgraduates as of October 31st, 2001.
Sports facilities: excellent with newly expanded sports centre including 25 metre pool and state-of-the-art gym.

Compiled by Anne Byrne