ATU Galway hosts open events as part of Galway Science and Technology Festival 2023

ATU is hosting workshops, talks and interactive events as part of Galway Science and Technology Festival (GSTF) 2023 which runs from 12 to 24 November including Science Foundation Ireland National Science Week. The events in the Galway city campus (Dublin Road) are open to primary school pupils and teachers and secondary school science teachers to support and enhance their teaching and inspire their students. Many events are also open to the general public.

The festival's theme “Human?”  invites active participation from pupils, their families, and the public. See: https://www.atu.ie/event/gstfscience-week-2023

On Monday 13 November, a public talk titled “Skyward Bound: Stargazing & Astronomy Q&A” will be delivered by ATU lecturer Dr Gary Kenny, from 6 to 8pm. 

Also on 13 November, two workshops are taking place for secondary school science teachers, Home Economics teachers and PE teachers, delivered by ATU lecturers Dr Robert Mooney and Dr Paula Conroy in the campus’ All Core Gym (H91 X75P) from 6 to 8pm. 

Workshop 1: “Taste your limits - have you ever wondered why we eat the foods we do?”  
Nutrition is a process by which substances in food are transformed into body tissues and provide energy for the full range of our physical and mental activities. Sensory Science is a discipline dealing with human sensory perceptions of foods, beverages and their components.  At this workshop, participants will explore their sense of taste, smell, hearing, touch and sight and gain an appreciation of how this affects nutrition and the foods we consume.  

Workshop 2: “Test your limits - Have you ever wondered how high? How fast? How strong?” 

The human body is an incredible organism, capable of great feats of physical activity. In this workshop participants will be able to see what their own physical capabilities are. How high can you jump? how fast can you run? how quick are your reflexes? how much force can you generate in your muscles?  Using state of the art testing equipment at the ATU human performance lab, participants will gain insight into the incredible capabilities of the human body and understand how our knowledge of sport & exercise science can be used to continue to push our limits!

On 13 November, a workshop for primary school pupils called “Cell Explorers Fantastic DNA” will be delivered by ATU’s Dr Karen Finn and Dr Anthonia O'Donovan in room 374 on campus.

On 14 November, a VEX Workshop for primary schools pupils and teachers titled “Build and Code a Robot” will be delivered by Dr Carine Gachon in the School of Engineering.  Dr Gachon will travel to Ballinasloe Library to deliver a “Vex workshop at STEMagination Festival with Foroige.

Dr Katie O’Dwyer, ATU School of Science and Computing, and eight international Master of Science students are highlighting important environmental issues through the following activities all taking place in and around ATU Galway City: 

“Sunscreen: Your Skin, Our Seas” by Djoeke Baelde Jansen and Paul Vonderscher.

“To Sustainability and Beyond” by Tom Leven and Chiara Marulli.

“The Sea Starts Here” by Silvia Blum and Michelle Pingitore.

“The Un(sea)n World: What’s in a Drop of Ocean?” by Marion Rossi and Francesca Satolli.

Dr Des Foley, ATU Strategic Plan Co-ordinator, long-standing member of the festival executive team and festival committee, says: "The diverse range of events we are hosting throughout November reflect the university's commitment to STEM-related programmes and dedication to fostering science, engineering, and technology. The commitment and support from the ATU Galway community is instrumental in the continued success of the festival. Join us at the festival launch on Sunday, 12 November.”

For a comprehensive list of events, please see: www.galwayscience.ie