Contact
Rannóg/Section
President of Institute
Qualifications
Ph.D. Trinity College, Dublin,
M.St. Trinity College, Dublin,
B.Ed. St Patrick's College, Drumcondra
Biography
Professor Anne O’Gara has had a long and distinguished career of service in Irish education. She was appointed President of Marino Institute of Education (MIE) in August 2006, having previously worked as a Primary Inspector with the Department of Education and Skills and taught for more than twenty years in schools serving designated areas of disadvantage. In February 2014, she was awarded the title of Adjunct Professor in the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in recognition of her experience and leadership in the field of teacher education in Ireland.
Developing the joint trusteeship of MIE between the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Board of TCD has provided the impetus for exciting new initiatives in education and related areas under Anne’s leadership. Student numbers are increasing annually and the breadth of academic programmes at the Institute has grown from two initial teacher education programmes at level 8 in 2006, to eight academic courses across the education continuum at levels 8-10, in 2014. Her participation on the Regional Cluster Steering Council with institutional partners of Regional Cluster Dublin/Leinster Pillar 1, which includes Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, National College of Art and Design and Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design & Technology, is facilitating the development of cluster initiatives on projects in the areas of Shared Co-ordinated Academic Planning, Initial Teacher Education, Creative Arts and Research.
Anne holds and has held a number of representational positions. Nominated by the Minster of Education and Skills to The Teaching Council in 2007, she represented the primary colleges of education as a Council member for four years. She is also a Director of the Central Applications Office (CAO) since 2009 and has made a significant contribution to the development of the CAO Strategic Plan 2013. Anne is currently a nominee of the University Board of TCD to University Council and she is a member of the Management Committee of The Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South (SCoTENS).
Anne is regularly invited to contribute at conferences and educational colloquia. On March 7th, 2014, as a member of an international design panel, comprising architects and educationalists, she presented at an ideas conference held in the Printworks Conference Centre, Dublin Castle entitled Designing Primary Schools for the 21st Century Learner, where she outlined trends and perspectives in initial teacher education and how building design needs to facilitate active learning, specialist spaces, collaborative activities and problem solving. Anne has conducted research in the areas of education and the law, inclusive education with particular reference to educational disadvantage and parents in education. Her educational interests include teaching and learning, leadership and change management.
Anne is a B. Ed graduate of St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, National University of Ireland. Her postgraduate studies were undertaken at The School of Education, TCD. She was awarded an M. St. (School Leadership) in 1999 and a Ph.D. in 2005. More recently she participated in the Institute of Public Administration, Leadership Challenge Programme, which included inputs at the Kennedy School of Public Administration, Harvard University and was a member of an Irish delegation which undertook a Summer School in 2009 at the Alliance for Catholic Education, University of Notre Dame.