The Teagasc Walsh scholars gold medal was awarded to Lorna Twomey from Teagasc’s animal and grassland research and innovation programme this week.
The gold medal, which is the programme’s highest accolade, was presented at an awards ceremony at Teagasc Ashtown this Wednesday.
The award is in its 30th year and is a competitive award for Teagasc Walsh scholars nearing the end of their PhD scholarships.
Head of research development and Walsh scholarships at Teagasc Jane Kavanagh congratulated the finalists and said: “The Walsh scholar of the year awards ceremony not only celebrates the outstanding achievements of our finalists, but also underscores their pivotal role in shaping the intellectual landscape of the agri-food industry.”
Chlorate technologies
Lorna Twomey’s PhD project set out to evaluate the effectiveness of minimum chlorate technologies in terms of dairy product quality and safety. Chlorate residues in milk products threaten consumer confidence and the reputation of the dairy industry.
As a means of minimising chlorate - a harmful, chlorine-based residue in milk and its derivatives - Irish farmers and milk processors have replaced chlorinated cleaning protocols with chlorine-free alternatives.
Lorna Twomey, winner of the Teagasc Walsh Scholars Gold Medal award 2024, with her mother Mary Twomey.
Teagasc director of research Pat Dillon said: “Lorna met the two key objectives of a very successful PhD - increased the scientific knowledge on reducing chlorate levels in Irish dairy products and increased her skills through learning research methods and collaboration with academic and industry stakeholders.”
Lorna is from a dairy farm in Cork and has many years of experience working on her home farm and has also worked in New Zealand as part of her undergraduate degree.
Lorna’s PhD supervisors are David Gleeson (lead supervisor), Tom Beresford and Bernadette O’Brien, Teagasc; and Ambrose Furey (academic supervisor), Munster Technological University.
Other Walsh scholars recognised at the event included:
Rachel Irwin, Walsh scholar of the year for the crops, environment, and land use programme.Niranjana Rose Edwin, Walsh scholar of the year for the food programme.Clarissa Leydon, Walsh scholar of the year for the rural economy and development programme.Sarah Woodmartin.Emily Roskam.Joy Clarke.Yahaya Jebril Amanor.Fatma Koc.Sara Perez Vila.Shefali Pardeshi-Dhokale.Lori-Rae van Laren.Further details on all the finalists’ research projects can be found on the Teagasc website.
The Teagasc Walsh scholars gold medal was awarded to Lorna Twomey from Teagasc’s animal and grassland research and innovation programme this week.
The gold medal, which is the programme’s highest accolade, was presented at an awards ceremony at Teagasc Ashtown this Wednesday.
The award is in its 30th year and is a competitive award for Teagasc Walsh scholars nearing the end of their PhD scholarships.
Head of research development and Walsh scholarships at Teagasc Jane Kavanagh congratulated the finalists and said: “The Walsh scholar of the year awards ceremony not only celebrates the outstanding achievements of our finalists, but also underscores their pivotal role in shaping the intellectual landscape of the agri-food industry.”
Chlorate technologies
Lorna Twomey’s PhD project set out to evaluate the effectiveness of minimum chlorate technologies in terms of dairy product quality and safety. Chlorate residues in milk products threaten consumer confidence and the reputation of the dairy industry.
As a means of minimising chlorate - a harmful, chlorine-based residue in milk and its derivatives - Irish farmers and milk processors have replaced chlorinated cleaning protocols with chlorine-free alternatives.
Lorna Twomey, winner of the Teagasc Walsh Scholars Gold Medal award 2024, with her mother Mary Twomey.
Teagasc director of research Pat Dillon said: “Lorna met the two key objectives of a very successful PhD - increased the scientific knowledge on reducing chlorate levels in Irish dairy products and increased her skills through learning research methods and collaboration with academic and industry stakeholders.”
Lorna is from a dairy farm in Cork and has many years of experience working on her home farm and has also worked in New Zealand as part of her undergraduate degree.
Lorna’s PhD supervisors are David Gleeson (lead supervisor), Tom Beresford and Bernadette O’Brien, Teagasc; and Ambrose Furey (academic supervisor), Munster Technological University.
Other Walsh scholars recognised at the event included:
Rachel Irwin, Walsh scholar of the year for the crops, environment, and land use programme.Niranjana Rose Edwin, Walsh scholar of the year for the food programme.Clarissa Leydon, Walsh scholar of the year for the rural economy and development programme.Sarah Woodmartin.Emily Roskam.Joy Clarke.Yahaya Jebril Amanor.Fatma Koc.Sara Perez Vila.Shefali Pardeshi-Dhokale.Lori-Rae van Laren.Further details on all the finalists’ research projects can be found on the Teagasc website.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: