Committee
G.A.I. Committee Members
Mary Bourke, PhD
Dr Bourke is an Earth and Planetary Geomorphologist at Trinity College Dublin with expertise in extreme environments on Earth and Mars. She has published on landscapes in Antarctica, Australia, Namibia, Mars and Ireland. She received her BA and MA in Geography from University College Dublin. She undertook her Ph.D at the Australian National University investigating catastrophic floods in the Central Australian deserts, for which she received the university prize for outstanding postgraduate research in Earth Sciences. After posts at the Smithsonian Institution, Oxford, and the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona, Dr Bourke joined Trinity College, Dublin in late 2012. She served as founding Chair of the IAG working group on Planetary Geomorphology, founding president of the Irish geomorphology group and serves on the editorial advisory panels for several journals. You can find her research group online at https://earthandplanetary.wordpress.com/ .
Niamh Cullen, PhD
Dr. Niamh Cullen is a geomorphologist. Her interests and expertise are centred around coastal geomorphology, particularly rock coasts, and the impacts of climate change on slope stablity. Niamh holds a BA (Mod) in Earth Science, M.Sc. in Environmental Science, and PhD in Geomorphology from the University of Dublin, Trinity College. She has experience in field work and data collection in a number of different environments including coasts, deserts, mountains, and rivers. She is curently based in the School of History and Geography at Dublin City University.
Aaron Lim, PhD
Dr Aaron Lim is a Lecturer in Marine Geosciences, Director of MSc Applied Coastal and Marine Management and Head of the Earth and Ocean Lab at University College Cork. He holds a PhD in Marine Geosciences and his research interests seabed habitat mapping, development of novel seabed mapping and monitoring methods and contemporary seabed processes. Since 2017, Dr Lim has won >€4M in research grants as PI or co-PI and published >30 peer-reviewed research articles. He has a number of years post-Doctoral and industry experience and was previously a member of the EuroFleets+ Scientific Advisory Committee. He has participated in over 15 research cruises (chief scientist on four) ranging from the Mid-Atlantic, North Atlantic, Celtic Sea and Irish Sea. Details about his current research projects can be found here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/earthocean/
Margaret Jackson, PhD
Dr. Margaret Jackson is a glacial geomorphologist and an Assistant Professor in Physical Geography at Trinity College Dublin. Her research focuses on reconstructing the timing and magnitude of past glacial fluctuations and using these data to reconstuct past changes in climate. Her work involves fieldwork around the world, and includes research expeditions to Antarctica, Greenland, Peru, Uganda, the United States, and here in Ireland.
Eugene Farrell, PhD
Dr Eugene Farrell is a geomorphologist and fulltime lecturer based in the Discipline of Geography, NUI Galway. He is the coordinator for the very successful one year taught MSc programme 'Coastal and Marine Environments: physical processes, policy and practice'. His research interests are in coastal change, climate adaptation in coastal planning and governance, community-led management actions and nature-based solutions. He relies mostly on field experiments and mapping, in conjunction with remote sensing (drones), to collect data. In 2020, he was appointed as Ireland’s nominee for the European Marine Board working group ‘Coastal Resilience’.
Kate de Smeth
Kate is a PhD researcher at the UCD School of Geography. She employs historical data rescue, time series analysis, and hydrological modelling to characterise the flow regimes of arterially drained rivers in Ireland from the 1940s to the present day, and to investigate drivers of change. Kate also works part-time at JBA Consulting as a Hydrologist/Geomorphologist where she specialises in river condition and impact assessments under the Water Framework Directive and river restoration design. Kate's role in the GAI is to manage the listerv and produce the biannual newsletter.
Lia Carmel-Spencer
Lia received her BA in Geosciences from Trinity College Dublin in 2023. She has experience in GIS mapping and data collection, along with fieldwork in a variety of environments, including expeditions in the Barents Sea, Greece, Iceland and Spain. Her role in GAI is to support geomorphology development and promotion in Ireland from the viewpoint of an early career geoscientist.
Emily Rick
Emily is a PhD researcher in the UCD School of Geography. Her research is in hydromorphology (fluvial geomorphology) and aims to understand anthropogenic impacts on river processes. Her PhD project, as a Teagasc Walsh Scholar, investigates decision support for river rehabilitation in small catchments that are heavily impacted by agriculture. Emily has extensive field work experience in fluvial geomorphology, having worked previously as a consultant Geomorphologist in Ireland and Canada. Her interests are in applied fluvial geomorphology, river restoration/rehabilitation, and the implementation of environmental policies including the Water Framework Directive.
Dr. Peter Glanville
Dr. Peter Glanville is a Fluvial Geomorphologist and Quaternary Geologist at SLR Consulting Ireland. Peter graduated from University College Dublin with a BA in Geography, and he undertook his Ph.D (NUID) in Holocene Fluvial Geomorphology and Environmental Change in the Upper River Liffey Catchment, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Peter has worked in consultancy with SLR in Ireland since 2000, mainly in the areas of water, flood risk and environmental impact assessment, and he is currently Technical Director for Hydrology and Hydrogeology with SLR. Peter is presently Treasurer of the GAI. Peter is a Chartered Geologist (PGeo. EurGeol.) and member of the Institute of Geologists of Ireland (IGI) where he serve as Secretary on the IGI committee for a number of years, he is also a member of the Irish Quaternary Association (IQUA) and served as previously served as treasurer on the IQUA committee. Peter has undertaken research and projects throughout the island of Ireland as well as in Morocco, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Australia, Malta, Italy, Georgia, The Isle of Man and the UK.
Elizabeth Kenny
Elizabeth Kenny is the secretary for GAI.