Professor Brian Dominic MacCraith, MRIA, is a physicist and the third president of Dublin City University in Ireland. He joined DCU in 1986 and became president in July 2010, for a term of 10 years.
Early life and education
MacCraith was born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, the son of two teachers, Brian and Caitlin MacCraith. He attended Ballinaclosha Primary School in Co. Armagh, Scoil Eoin Baiste in Dundalk, and later CBS Dundalk, from where he took his Leaving Certificate. His mother taught him for three years, and his father for one. He graduated with an honours BSc in Physics from NUI Galway, where he also completed a M.Sc. and a Ph.D in Optical Spectroscopy of Laser Materials.
Career
MacCraith worked for a time at Dundalk Institute of Technology, then in 1986 he joined the staff of DCU, teaching in the physics area, and establishing the university's Optical Sensors Laboratory. He pursued research in the areas of optical chemical sensors and biosensors, biomedical diagnostics, and nanobiophotonics, and he has published and developed a range of intellectual property in his research areas. MacCraith was, in 1999, the founding Director of the National Centre for Sensor Research at DCU, helping to secure funding of almost 10 million in matching grants from Atlantic Philanthropies and the Irish government's PRTLI programme. He later proposed the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, and in 2005, this was launched as a Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre, with the largest quantum of funding for a research project in the history of the Irish state, and with MacCraith as its first Director. Some years later he proposed the Nano-bio-analytical Research Facility, and this was established at DCU in 2010. MacCraith has also been a Visiting Scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C.
DCU presidency
MacCraith was selected in the search process after Ferdinand von Prondzynski's 10-year term as DCU's second president ended, and inaugurated 13 July 2010. In his inauguration speech he commented on the fact that he and DCU's founding president, Danny O'Hare both came from Dundalk, had in fact attended the same school, and that O'Hare had been an inspiration for him. He also emphasised the importance of Ireland's east-coast population corridor, and expressed hopes of building links between DCU and Dundalk IT, and Co. Louth in general, and in 2012, the two institutions concluded a cooperation agreement. Starting with his inauguration address, MacCraith has spoken publicly about the needs of industry and business from the university sector and the funding needs of third level. He has also spoken on the question of STEM participation by female students.
Publications
MacCraith has published over 150 papers, and examples of peer-reviewed work include:
"Novel polymer platform for enhanced biochip performance," Chem. Rev. 2008, 108, 2, pp. 400-422, with Burke, C.S. and McDonagh, C.
"Novel hybrid sol-gel materials for smart sensor windows," Proc. SPIE 5826, Opto-Ireland 2005: Optical Sensing and Spectroscopy, with Guckian, A. et al.
National roles
MacCraith chaired the Strategic Review of Medical Training and Career Structures, which led to the "MacCraith Report", and later the Review of STEM Education in the Irish School System. He is or has been a member of the board of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, Ibec, Chamber Choir Ireland, SciFest, the last of which he has chaired. He is also Chairperson of the three-member Board of Trustees of the Genio Trust, overseeing disbursal of funds for work in certain areas of social innovation, including dementia and home care.
