The Teagasc Gold Medal in Agriculture and Food Science for 2012 was presented to Dr. Lance O’Brien, Head of the Teagasc Foresight and Strategy Department. The Teagasc Gold Medal is awarded on an annual basis to a serving staff member who has made an outstanding contribution to the organization over a long period.
The Teagasc Chairman, Dr. Noel Cawley, presents Dr. Lance O’Brien with the Teagasc Gold Medal for 2012. The Gold Medal is awarded in recognition of Dr. O’Brien’s substantial contribution, over a long and distinguished career. Also pictured is Teagasc Director, Prof. Gerry Boyle.
The Teagasc Gold Medal in Agriculture and Food Science for 2012 was presented to Dr. Lance O’Brien, Head of the Teagasc Foresight and Strategy Department. The Teagasc Gold Medal is awarded on an annual basis to a serving staff member who has made an outstanding contribution to the organization over a long period. The Gold Medal was awarded to Dr O’Brien in recognition of the substantial contribution he has made over a long and distinguished career across a broad range of Teagasc functions.
Speaking at the presentation of the award at the Teagasc Authority meeting in Oak Park, Carlow, Teagasc Chairman, Dr Noel Cawley thanked Dr. O’Brien for his excellent work over a career spanning nearly 33 years, in the areas of corporate and strategic planning, programme and project planning, foresight development and research management.
Accepting the Gold Medal, Dr. O’Brien said that he was privileged and humbled to receive the award. He thanked his colleagues in Teagasc for the support, assistance and encouragement he received over the years, all of which helped in making the award possible.
Lance O Brien obtained first-class honours undergraduate and post-graduate degree from UCD. He initially worked in the ESRI and the Department of Finance before joining An Foras Talúntais in 1980. He completed his PhD in 1987 and in 1991, obtained a first-class honours MBA from UCD. He was Project Manager of the major Teagasc Foresight exercise — Teagasc 2030 — Teagasc’s Role in Transforming Ireland’s Agri-Food Sector and the Wider Bioeconomy — published in 2008. He has contributed to national and international research policy and foresight initiatives, including Food Harvest 2020. He is a member of the national organising committee for the Dublin 2013 EU conference on ‘Bioeconomy in the EU: achievements and directions for the future’. He was a member of the Third EU Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) Foresight Expert Group.
The Teagasc Gold Medal is formal recognition and reward for advancing the work of Teagasc and is aimed at promoting excellence amongst staff. Previous winners of the Teagasc Gold Medal were: Prof. Paul Ross, Nuala King, Dr. Paul Cusack and Prof. Liam Donnelly.
