The committee was formed in 2022 and agreed its Terms of Reference for the first two years in 2023.
It is operating under the auspices of the Director, EDI and has been co-chaired since its beginnings by Rose Galvin and Joachim Fischer.
Its aim is to advance UL’s commitment to integrate older people (esp. age 65+ and /or retired) into its activities.
In June 2024 the President’s Office, UL submitted UL’s application to join the Age Friendly Universities Global Network. We were accepted as a full member in July 2024.
Members of the Committee
Name | Title | Department/School | Related Area of Interest |
| Marie Connolly | Former Director Human Rights, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
| Elderly care; Intergenerational Learning; Mentoring (retirees as expert mentors) Volunteering | |
| Andrea La Touche | Student Community Engagement Liaison Officer | Global and Community Engagement | Older people and their social networks. Intergenerational opportunities for students and older people. |
| Ann Marie Kennedy | Accreditation, Quality and Compliance Officer | Office of the Dean, EHS | Access to Education, Age-friendly participation, Retiree supports, Connecting with communities |
| Donal O’ Leary | Access Campus Manager | Student Affairs Division | Intergenerational Learning, Immersive Student placements in Community Settings |
| Hilary Curley | Research Assistant in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | Office of the Dean, EHS | Access to education for all Healthy ageing Accommodating diversity Gendered nature of work and representation
|
| Joachim Fischer | Prof. em. of European Cultural Studies Co-Chair, Age Friendly University Committee, UL | Centre for European Studies | Retired and research active member of UL staff; AFU teaching activities; European links; EU support for older adults, esp. in the area ofeducation/lifelong learning |
| Maria Hickey | Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (AHSS)
| School of Modern Languages & Applied Linguistics | Intergenerational Events |
| Michaela Schrage-Frueh | Associate Professor in German Studies; Director of the Centre for European Studies | School of Modern Languages & Applied Linguistics | Literary and cultural age studies; ageism; gender and ageing; ageing and creativity; co-founder of Women and Ageing Research Network (WARN) |
| Pattie Punch | AHSS Research Librarian | Library & Information Services Division | Age-friendly participation, Reading, Writing and creativity for wellbeing, participative methods of research, evidence based studies and University access, Rights based, and performing arts. |
| Rose Galvin | Professor in Physiotherapy; Co-Chair, UL Age Friendly University Committee
| School of Allied Health | Co-director of Ageing Research Centre (ARC), UL. Research at ARC informed by a stakeholder panel of older adults and family carers. |
| Sorcha Prendergast | Widening Participation Manager
| Student Affairs Division | Engaging mature students |
| Maureen Keogh | Senior Administrator | Human Rights EDI Office | Elderly care |
| Madge O’Callaghan | PhD student | Aging Research Centre, School of Allied Health | Monitoring UL’s Age Friendly University activities |
| Patricia Anne Moore | Former UL Lifelong Learning Manager | Teaching Activities; maintain minks with Age Friendly organisations in the region. | |
| Tracey Gleeson | Community Engagement Facilitator | UL Engage | Supporting a wide range of university-community collaborations through civic and community engagement initiatives. |
| Bernadette Walsh | Former Director, Student Affairs Division. -Chair of RESTART (UL’s Committee for retired staff) | Volunteering Mentoring (retired UL staff as expert mentors) |