University College Dublin (UCD) has appointed Dr. Edmond Harty, CEO of Dairymaster, as Adjunct Full Professor at the School of Biosystems and Food Engineering at the UCD College of Engineering and Architecture.
Harty, who is an alumnus of UCD, won the 2012 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award and is viewed as a leading expert in dairy equipment internationally.
Regarded as a pioneer in agricultural technology, Harty has filed more than 90 patent applications and developed an innovation-focused company that employs over 350 people.
Building up the firm Dairymaster, which was established in 1968 by his father Ned, Harty has helped the Kerry-based company to become a world leader in dairy equipment manufacture. The firm has operations in the UK and the United States, but its headquarters is in Causeway, Co. Kerry.
Harty graduated from the University of Limerick (UL) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1997. He followed this by completing a PhD in UCD focusing on “the measurement and modelling of liner behaviour and the influence of milking cluster design”.
Prof. Colm O’Donnell, Head of UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, spoke on the matter, welcoming Harty to the college. He said: “UCD has prioritised on manufacturing and agri-food research.
The appointment of Dr. Harty – who has an excellent international track record in engineering and innovation – will further strengthen UCD’s expertise in these areas, particularly in the areas of engineering design, innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Dr. Harty will make a valuable contribution to our school’s research and teaching programmes including UCD’s new undergraduate programme in Agricultural Systems Technology,” O’Donnell said.
Harty himself also spoke of the announcement, saying: “It is an honour for me to join the School of Biosystems and Food Engineering as Adjunct Full Professor.
As a UCD postgraduate engineering student some 15 years ago, I was inspired by the culture of research and innovation on campus.
“It is a real privilege for me to join the engineering research staff to make my contribution to the education of the next generation of world innovators in the area of dairy technology and beyond.
“My work as CEO at Dairymaster has given me a global perspective on technologies, markets and the future of the dairy sector that I hope to share with students over the coming years,” he added.