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From Kerry, Graduated with a Batchelor's of science in agriculture from MTU Cork. Have been working from Teagasc from the past number of years as a Collage teacher and more recently as A Drystock advisor in the Cork West region. I also run a Suckler and Sheep farm in partnership with my father. Looking forward to this masters programme and hope to improve my knowledge in all things agriculture to bring back new insights and information to my clients and on my own farm.

Looking forward to getting to know you all. you can contact me on david.hallissey@ucdconnect.ie

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I'm from Southern Ontario, Canada! I recently graduated in June from Queen’s University with an Honours Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biology and minoring in Life Sciences.

Throughout my undergraduate degree, I gained a wide range of experience shadowing both large and small animal veterinarians, as I’ve always had a strong interest in veterinary medicine and a love for working with animals. Growing up in rural Ontario, I spent a lot of time at a small hobby farm near my home, with a dairy farm just down the road. These early experiences sparked my passion for animals and agriculture from a young age. That passion also led me to horseback riding, which became a major part of my life growing up and taught me so much over the years.

I’ve always been someone who enjoys a challenge, so much so that I began my undergraduate studies in Astrophysics! But I soon realized my true interests lay elsewhere and made the switch to Biology, focusing on areas like animal physiology, genetics, immunology, and medicine.

Outside of academics, I volunteered with the Humane Society during my undergrad and have long considered pursuing veterinary school with the goal of becoming an equine vet. However, during my final year, a conversation with a close family friend, who works as an animal nutritionist for livestock, opened my eyes to other exciting career paths in animal science and agriculture. That conversation played a big role in motivating me to pursue this Master’s program.

I’m really looking forward to learning alongside all of you this year! Please feel free to reach out, I'd love to connect: gabrielle.meeks@ucdconnect.ie. It’s been great reading everyone’s posts, and I’m excited to get to know you all!

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I am from Tipperary. I graduated with a degree in Nutrition and Health Science and went on to work in that industry.

I completed my thesis on staphylococcal toxins implicated in ruminant mastitis and alternative therapies that could be used to treat mastitis.

I always wanted to brake into the ag sector especially working with animals as I come from a farming background and I am heavily involved in the day to day running of it. Due to this I completed by Green Cert.

I recently spent 6 months in Australia working on a dairy farm, where we were milking 1500 cows twice a day. I really enjoyed by time there and gained some valuable hands on experience especially with animal health and management of such a big heard. There were many similarities to the system in Ireland but also some differences that I enjoyed learning about.

I look forward to the journey and the opportunity to work with you all. Feel free to contact me at orla.burke5@ucdconnect.ie

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I'm from Edgeworthstown, County Longford, where I grew up on a small suckler farm, predominantly made up of a Limousin herd.

In 2024, I graduated from Atlantic Technological University Galway with a BSc in Agriculture and Environmental Management. My time there was both enjoyable and enriching, offering a strong mix of knowledge and hands on experience.

During my college placement, I worked on a dairy farm managing a British Friesian herd. This gave me valuable insights into milk production and allowed me to apply classroom learning in a practical setting. It was a deeply rewarding experience that strengthened my interest in the dairy sector.

Upon returning home, I began working with Farm Relief Services. This role further enhanced my practical skills and exposed me to a wide range of herd sizes and farming systems across the Midlands, broadening my overall understanding of Irish agriculture.

In November, shortly after graduating, I travelled to New Zealand to work on a dairy farm on the South Island. While the systems shared some similarities with those in Ireland, there were notable differences. The farm operated with a Kiwi Cross herd (Jersey/Friesian), and I gained extensive, hands on experience working in a team focused on sustainable and efficient milk production. This placement significantly deepened my knowledge, particularly in animal health and general dairy management.

My decision to pursue an MSc in Animal Science is driven by a long standing passion for working with animals especially cattle and a desire to further explore the areas of animal health and production.

I'm excited to be part of this journey and look forward to working with you all. Please feel free to reach out at any time.

Freddie.Greene@ucdconnect.ie

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I’m from the Sunny South East and live in a small rural village just outside Wexford Town. Among friends I’m known as “Méabhis” (though the reason behind the nickname still remains a mystery!). I’d describe myself as a bubbly, positive person who likes to look on the bright side of life.

In 2024, I graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science from SETU Waterford, after which I began working as a farm management advisor for robotic farms across the South East. My passion for animal health and wellbeing has been a constant throughout my life. Growing up on my family’s dairy and tillage farm, I was immersed in the daily care and management of animals from a young age and these are the experiences that sparked my interest and ultimately inspired my career in animal science.

As part of my degree, I completed an internship with Connolly’s Red Mills, the international feed company, working in the quality control lab. There, I tested both raw materials and finished feeds on a daily basis. This experience shaped the focus of my final-year thesis, “The Uses and Perceptions of Supplementation and the Testing of Natural Sources of Nutrients Within the Equine Industry.” My study revealed significant gaps in awareness regarding how supplements are produced, regulated, and understood within the industry. It also highlighted the underutilisation of Ireland’s natural nutrient sources, which could reduce reliance on artificial supplementation. These findings sparked my curiosity further, and I hope to build on this research in the future.

Long term, I aspire to work in agricultural education, where I can help inspire and support the next generation of young people entering the sector. I am particularly passionate about encouraging young women to pursue careers in agriculture and to feel confident in sharing their passion for the industry. I believe education is one of the most powerful tools for driving change, and I want to play a role in shaping that change.

Outside of farming, horses have also been a huge part of my life. I have competed nationally and internationally from a young age, and I am grateful for the resilience and determination this sport has taught me. The highs are incredibly rewarding, but the challenges have been equally important in shaping who I am.

I’m really looking forward to getting to know everyone over the coming year. Please feel free to contact me any time at meabh.byrne1@ucdconnect.ie

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I’m from the beautiful County Clare and recently graduated with a degree in Industrial Biochemistry from UL. During my final year, I discovered my real passion while completing a thesis on the sustainability of dairy and bovine meat farming, which I greatly enjoyed researching and was awarded an A1 for. I absolutely loved Ag Science in Leaving Cert but just wasn’t sure what path to take which lead me to biochemistry in UL. Having grown up next door to my grandparents’ dairy farm, I’ve always been surrounded by agriculture and animals, from cattle to my own horses. Outside of agricultural animals, I also have a deep love for dogs — I have a couple at home and currently a litter of puppies — so animals have always been close to my heart. This background and passion inspired me to pursue a Master’s in Animal Science to broaden my knowledge in Animals and Agriculture. I’m excited for this year of study and I hope everyone has a happy and successful year and I’d be delighted to connect with others at megan.downesrigney@ucdconnect.ie.

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I am from lovely Co. Donegal. I graduated in May from ATU Donegal with a degree in Agriculture with a major in Animal and Crop Science. I done my placement on a dairy farm and afterwards at Teagasc advisory centre Letterkenny. During my time at Teagasc I enjoyed working with the beef and sheep advisors and helping farmers with enquiries relating to agricultural schemes. I think one of the big problems with agriculture today is lack of education in farmers especially older farmers.

I enjoy all things livestock as I have been a big animal lover from a young age. I am especially interested in sheep, beef and dairy. During my time at ATU I done my thesis on "factors determining the low weaning rate of lambs on Irish sheep farms", the current weaning rate only being 1.37 lambs per ewe. I currently work on my family farm alongside my mother where we farm 200 lowland ewes mainly Charolais and Texel and 40 suckler cows which are mainly Charolais, Limousine, Simmental and Belgian Blue. We do our own AI on the farm which means we can get the best genetics into our herd of cattle. Genetics being another of my interests, which is often overlooked by farmers, but good genetics costs nothing extra than bad genetics! An ounce of breeding is worth more than a tonne of feeding.

I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone, and if anyone wants to reach out or needs a hand with anything don't hesitate to contact me at julie.stevenson@ucdconnect.ie

I hope everyone has a very successful year!

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I'm from Limerick. I studied Environmental Science in NUIG and have been working for Teagasc since graduating. My current role is on the National Farm Survey collecting data from farms mostly in cork and Kerry. Day to day I interact with farmers and not having any hands on farming experience I've had to learn a lot on the job. I really enjoyed studying Ag Science for the leaving cert and am happy to be continuing my agri education. I'm looking forward to improving my knowledge and skills to communicate better with clients.

Feel free to contact me at meadhbh.murphy2@ucdconnect.ie

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I’m from Co. Donegal. I graduated with my degree in 2021. I then began working locally as an Agricultural Sales Advisor for a few years. I really enjoyed my time there, as I was able to communicate and interact with a wide variety of farmers from different enterprises.

Feeling the need for a change, I moved to Perth, Western Australia. During my time there, I worked in the construction industry until I returned home at the end of July.

While I am passionate about all aspects of agriculture, my main interest lies in sheep and horses. Currently, I am working on our family farm, where we have a suckler herd and a flock of Texel, Charollais, Suffolk, and Suftex sheep. Additionally, I rear approximately 60 pet lambs annually using an automatic feeder, which has proven to be highly beneficial over the years. I also breed Connemara ponies and Connemara X’s for sale (mostly!).

I am looking forward to meeting & working with you all! Feel free to email me @laurajcampbell00@gmail.com or @laura.j.campbell@ucdconnect.ie

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I am from a non-farming background in Westmeath. I graduated in Agricultural Science from UCD in 2023. During my degree I worked on large scale pig, dairy and tillage farms both here in Ireland and in the UK. The experience I gained and the learnings from the people I came across during that time has proven invaluable. Pigs are my main interest and have been since my school days. I am currently running an integrated pig unit and feed mill that changed hands in 2024. The last 12 months have been very busy with infrastructural upgrades being carried out and more efficient staff work practices being introduced, all the while ensuring the health and welfare of the animals remains the top priority. Performance is strong and we are consistently within the top 5% of Teagasc performance benchmarks nationally, however there are still gaps in my knowledge that I hope to fill by doing this masters degree. I am looking forward to working with you all, feel free to contact me at conor.dunne10@ucdconnect.ie

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I am from Laois. I own an Animal Diagnostics lab in Galway that specialises in identifying parasites in all species of animal, especially farm animals. I love interacting with both vets and farmers and hearing about the challenges that they face daily, especially with anthelmintic resistance getting more prominent each year! I am hoping that this master allows me to better communicate with my clients and help them create a better farming strategy that is sustainable and effective. I am excited to start this journey and I’m looking forward to meeting all of you! Feel free to email me anytime! ashmcredmond@gmail.com or aislinn.mcredmond@ucdconnect.ie

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Hi everyone, I’m Chino Lui, a Pet Nutritionist based in Hong Kong.

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Hi everyone, I’m Chino Lui, a Pet Nutritionist based in Hong Kong.

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My work focuses on integrating Western nutritional science (referencing NRC, AAFCO, and FEDIAF standards) with Traditional Chinese Veterinary Food Therapy to design personalized diets for cats and dogs.

I collaborate closely with local veterinarians, providing nutrition support as an extension of veterinary treatment — especially in chronic conditions, digestive health, dermatology, and urinary cases — to improve both outcomes and pets’ quality of life.

Beyond casework, I’m passionate about pet nutrition education. I create learning materials, blogs, and public talks to show how science and food therapy can complement each other, empowering owners to “become their own pet’s nutritionist.”

I’m excited to join UCD and learn together with all of you. If you’re interested in pet nutrition, food therapy, or case studies, I’d be happy to chat!

📧 Contact: chinolui.pets@gmail.com / chi.lui@ucdconnect.ie

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I’m from Northern Ireland and graduated in 2019 from Harper Adams University with an undergrad in Animal Science. I spent my placement year at uni on a large outdoor pig breeding unit in South Devon and that’s where my interest in pig health, welfare and genetics really started. I’ve been working at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Hillsborough NI for 5 and a half years on the monogastric research team, during which I’ve worked on a number of research trials collecting and collating samples and data. I love that I can mix the practical farm work with the research side of things. I’m really looking forward to starting this course and getting to work with everyone!

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Hey! My name is Mary Kate Sherlock but I mostly go by Mary :) 

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Hey! My name is Mary Kate Sherlock but I mostly go by Mary :) 

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I am from Tipperary but now live in Offaly. I graduated in 2024 from my under grad course and then went on to work in industry for a few months. Eventhough I enjoyed working there, I always wanted to break into the animal/ag sector so here I am! During my undergrad studies, I got the opportunity to complete my thesis on genetic mutations in cattle that contributed to meat quality in Irish cattle. I not only found the topic extremely fascinating but it also sparked my interest in genetics. I also got the opportunity to learn some basic coding to help me derive the specific breeds that I selected and the SNP's that influenced meat quality in those breeds from a set of data collected by the ICBF. I am a huge animal lover and enjoy working on my family farm everyday where we have a suckler herd mostly made up of belgian blues, Simmentals, Herefords, Shorthorns and charolais. We also have a dexter herd and some horses. I hope we get a chance to meet over the next few months and that everyone has a good semster :). I am really looking forward to this year and can't wait to see where it will take me!

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Hello everyone! My name is Jordan Oliver but you can call me Jordi!

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Hello everyone! My name is Jordan Oliver but you can call me Jordi!

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I am from very southern Illinois in the United States! I graduated in May with my Bachelors in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I am continuing at the University of Illinois as a current full time Masters student studying Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications. I am a first generational cattle producer where I proudly raise, show and market Angus, Hereford, Simmental, and Shorthorn cattle at the state and national levels! I recently wrapped up a discourse analysis research on the Shawnee National Forest and am excited to be starting a new research topic around the discourse of the cattle industry across the United States. I am so excited to meet everyone and wish everyone a wonderful semester! Feel free to email me anytime! My personal email is joliver.roo@gmail.com, or you can contact me through my UCD email at jordan.oliver@ucdconnect.ie

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MSc Animal Science Programme Handbook 2025

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Timetable MSc in Animal Science (Autumn Semester 2025)

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If you would like a 10 minute call on zoom on a Monday eve (for check in, clarification etc) please email me

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If you would like a 10 minute call on zoom on a Monday eve (for check in, clarification etc) please email me

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I want to make sure you get the most out of your new course here with us in the School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD

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Hi, I am Kieran, the graduate taught programme director for Animal Science

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Hi, I am Kieran, the graduate taught programme director for Animal Science

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One of the most valuable rewards will be the network that you develop so please use that little plus sign to introduce yourself here. A pic helps too!