Our People
Get to know the people who drive our mission forward: The Student Advisory Panel, the STAND team, and our Board Members.
Aimee is a final-year BESS student at Trinity College Dublin and serves as the Access Officer in the Students’ Union. As a first-generation university student, she is passionate about advocacy, leadership, and creating equal opportunities in education. She is driven by a commitment to breaking down barriers and empowering others to succeed.
Alimat is passionate about human rights and diversity, equity and inclusion. She enjoys learning about different cultures and languages.
Aoife is a recent psychology graduate working as a social care worker in international protection. A former STAND Global Issues Course Coordinator and a STAND Festival Ambassador, she is very passionate about global mental health and global issues.
A 2nd year STEM PhD researcher at University of Galway and the current Postgrad Research officer at CMLONG(Galway Students Union), Buddila is a passionate volunteer, photographer and an individual interested in advocating for the betterment of the community.
Cal is a third-year BSc Psychology student at Maynooth University. They have been active in the Students’ Union since starting college, first as an academic representative and later as the EDI representative for undergraduate psychology students. They also served on the Students with Disabilities Advisory Panel and are eager to continue advocating for diverse student groups.
Catherine is the Vice President of Equality and Belonging at Ulster University students union. She is an extremely passionate person, particularly when it comes to human rights, and hopes to use her platform this year to encourage, inspire and mobilise students in activism and be the change they want to see in the world.
Chloe is the Deputy Vice President and VP for Welfare and Equality in IADT Students’ Union. She has held leadership roles, including founding and presiding over the Afro-Caribbean Society, and founding and serving as president of ESN.
Dorothy is a Law with Politics student at UCD and Auditor of the World Aid Society. She has served as Junior Mayor of Athlone and PR Officer for Westmeath Comhairle na nÒg, and she's passionate about youth advocacy, social justice and creating meaningful change.
Ebere is a social justice activist and law graduate from Maynooth University. She has extensive experience with student engagement and student leadership during her time in university. Ebere is also the last student observer on the STAND Board of Directors.
Elisa is the Gender Equality Part-Time Officer for Trinity College Dublin's Students Union and the Secretary for my college BDS group. She's passionate about issues of global justice and eager to contribute to STAND with her ideas and enthusiasm.
Harshini is currently doing a Masters in Regulatory Affairs and Toxicology. She was president of the Indian Society in Maynooth University and she is a News Contributor for STAND News, where she loves writing about education and gender rights.
Jean is studying Maths and Education at the University of Galway and is active in the Students’ Union as a former Class Representative and Part-Time Officer. As part of the STAND Ideas Collective, she's developing an inclusive, sensory-friendly student night out. Their interests focus on universal design, student wellbeing, and creating welcoming, supportive spaces.
Franek is a Climate and Environmental Sustainability student at Dublin City University. He sits on the DCU Students’ Union Class Representative Council and several university committees. He is a passionate youth advocate with years of experience in the youth work sector, having worked with the National Youth Council of Ireland, Comhairle na nÓg, the National Youth Assembly, and SpunOut, among others.
Marjia is a Computer Science student at DCU with a strong passion for leveraging technology to address societal challenges, especially discrimination against minority groups.
MJ is the Vice President for Postgraduate Affairs with AMLÉ and the national representative for postgraduate students and researchers in Ireland. During their time in college, MJ held multiple positions in UCC Societies and the UCC Students’ Union, and they are a strong advocate for student and worker rights, open science, research integrity, and ethics.
Dynamic problem solver and passionate student of BSc International Development at UCC
Molly is a final-year BA student with a focus on human rights at the University of Galway. They are also the Environmental and Sustainability Officer for our Student Union. Molly is passionate about promoting education on sustainability and making it more accessible to everyone, and creating a safer online world for all.
Sai is a biomedical engineer from the University of Galway and an advocate for inclusion, equality, and youth leadership. Serving as a Peace Commissioner for County Galway, he focuses on anti-racism, housing transparency, and migrant representation. He is committed to building a fairer, more welcoming Ireland through dialogue and civic engagement.
Seán is an Economics, Politics and Law student, currently serving as the Vice President for Academic Life at DCU Students' Union. He is passionate about volunteering and advocacy within his community and beyond.
Sonya is the Convenor for the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies at the University of Galway, advocating for student voices and inclusion. She is a Gaisce Youth Ambassador and uses her social media platform to promote student initiatives and engagement. Passionate about representation and women in leadership, she encourages students to take part in campaigns that drive real change.
Ronan O’Loughlin was previously the Director of Education and Training at the Chartered Accountants Ireland from 2003 to 2023. He qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG in 1981 and spent many years working overseas in a number of professional accounting education projects. He joined the Institute from the Irish Taxation Institute where he was Director of Education. Other previous relevant experience includes previous board member and Chair of Trocaire’s Programme and Evaluation Committee which monitors all of the development agencies overseas planning and project evaluation. He is also currently a director of Kinia.
Eunice is a current Global Health PhD scholar at the Division of Population Health, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Her study focuses on community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach and community capacity building in households and ambient air pollution (HAAP) in rural Malawi. Before starting her research career in 2018, Eunice worked as a registered nurse in emergency, TB/HIV, and childhood immunisation departments and on several community-level projects. She received her MPH from the University College of Cork, where she focused on Health Promotion Studies. She currently volunteers with the Irish Global Health Network as the national coordinator of the ‘Student Outreach Team’ and sits as a student representative on the RCSI Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion unit.
David began his career as a General Management Trainee with Smurfit Kappa where he ran packaging factories in Ireland and Spain. From 1992 to 1996, he was the Irish Director for R.R. Donelley before establishing Tech Group Europe, a manufacturer of drug delivery devices which was later sold to West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. He is also Chairman of Folens Group whose major business interests included Folens Publishing, Hibernia College and Accountancy School. David is active in the Not for Profit sector and also Board Member of Kinia and the Human Dignity Foundation and Ideate Ireland.
Niamh has worked for over 14 years with a multitude of local partners, international NGO & government departments and corporate sector engagement in a variety of humanitarian and development settings. She has worked particularly in Education, Health and Protection sectors in Asia and the Middle East. Niamh has worked closely with governments to set policies and integrate frameworks. With an academic background in accounting, and a masters from Trinity College Dublin in Reconciliation After Violent Conflict, she started her professional career as an accountant. Niamh is currently Deputy Chief Executive for the RDS’s Philanthropic programme.
Shane Twomey is a senior Organisation, Change and Management Consultant with over 30 years’ experience in Multi-national, Indigenous and Public Sector environments. Prior to moving into consultancy, Shane worked in a range of Senior Human Resources roles with numerous blue-chip organisations. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, Shane holds a Masters in Human Resources from the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business. He is a Registered Coach with Henley Management School, is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Management Consultants & Advisors and a member of the Institute of Directors.
Dr Brighid Golden is Assistant Professor in Global Citizenship Education at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick, and represents MIC as a member of the national DICE Project network. Brighid is a qualified primary school teacher with experience working in Ireland and England, and volunteering in India. Brighid teachers, researchers, and publishes in the areas of global citizenship education, critical thinking, resource development, initial teacher education, and practitioner research approaches. Brighid is also the host of the podcast series Curious and Critical GCE on behalf of the DICE Project.
William brings over four decades of experience in international development, diplomacy, and humanitarian leadership. He has previously represented Ireland as Ambassador to the Philippines, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique, Botswana, and Angola. William also held senior leadership roles within Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, including Director of the Evaluation and Audit Unit, Head of Development in Tanzania, and Senior Humanitarian Advisor. William has served as Country Director for Concern Worldwide in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Mozambique, and for the International Rescue Committee in Bosnia and Croatia. He holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Wales, and a Bachelor of Arts and Higher Diploma in Education from University College Dublin.
