About us
People
Chairman
Brendan Smith
Education and Public Engagement manager
Brendan has won many local and national accolades for his science and technology learning initiatives as well as his volunteering activities over the last decade. He was Galway Science Person of the Year in 2012 and in 2006; a recipient of the Galway Mayoral Community and Social Award, and presented with both the Technology in Schools Award and Technology in the Community Award by the Information Technology Association of Galway (ITAG). In 2017, Brendan was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award by the Mayor of Galway city, councillor Noel Larkin.
Veteran member of the Galway Science and Technology Forum, he has contributed in making the Galway Science and Technology Festival the most board-based of its type in Ireland. Brendan is co-founder and curator of the NUIG-based Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland; co-founder of the volunteer Coderdojo computer coding club in Galway City and a member of the ethics board of the National Aquarium of Ireland. In 2015 he was appointed lead mentor for Africa Code Week, Last year (2016) he introduced to 426,000 youth across 30 countries the idea of basic coding in schools. Brendan is a master teacher for Refugee Code Week . In 2013 TULCA Festival of Visual Arts commissioned and unveiled the ‘Speedie Telstar’ sculpture in honour of Brendan’s work in promoting and safeguarding technology heritage.
Vice Chairman
Niall O Brolchain
Research Associate
Niall Ó Brolcháin is research associate at the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at NUI Galway (formerly DERI) has over 20 years cutting edge experience in the ICT industry in software management, analysis, research, development and consultancy and over 10 years experience at the highest levels of Government. He graduated in Business and Computer studies and has postgraduate qualifications in Digital Media, Project Management and Marketing. He was a pioneer in the use of the World Wide Web and the Internet. He spent 10 years working in local and national Government in Ireland serving as Mayor of Galway City from 2006-07 and was deputy Government whip in Seanad Eireann the upper house of the Irish Parliament until 2011 where he served as spokesperson on Health, Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Prior to that he served as parliamentary secretary to the Irish Government. He has a keen interest in Heritage and the Environment and served as chair of Galway City’s Environment Strategic Policy Committee. He was deputy chairperson on the Western River Basin District project as part of Ireland’s implementation of the Water Framework Directive. He has many years practical experience in policy development and recently worked as an advisor to the Irish Government on its Open Data policy.
Technical Support
Dr. Martin Serrano
Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Martin Serrano is an advocate for open science and technology, reaching communities and citizens in a direct way to teach and lear the best side f the technology evolution and the benefits machines and technology can offer for people.
Dr. Martin Serrano is Senior Research Fellow in the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway). Dr. Serrano is a recognised expert on Semantic Interoperability for Distributed Systems by his sci contribution(s) for using Liked Data and Semantic Formalisms like Ontology Web Language for the Internet of Things and thus store the collected sensor’s data in the Cloud. Dr. Serrano is a pioneer and visionary on proposing that Semantic Technologies applied to Policy-based Management Systems can be used as an approach to produce cognitive applications capable of understanding, service and application events, controlling the pervasive services life cycle. A process called bringing semantics into the box, as published in one of his academic books.
Dr. Serrano is a continuous contributor for the European Commission DG-CNECT for defining the Research and Innovation Agenda for Europe, acting as an expert and assist the European Commission in the definition of Horizon 2020 and FP9 Horizon Europe programme.
Volunteers
Kris Gaffney
Insight Researcher
In Partnership with:
Co-Funded by:
