Recently graduated Zoology student Neil Mahon
Recently graduated Zoology student Neil Mahon has won both the W.C. Campbell Moderatorship prize in Zoology and the W.C. Campbell undergraduate research prize in Zoology. These prizes were established in 2017 by a gift from Professor William C. Campbell from his 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which was awarded for discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites. The gift is a token of gratitude for Prof. Campbell’s undergraduate education in the natural sciences, and for the inspiring mentorship of Dr. James Desmond Smyth of the Zoology department. They are awarded annually to the student/s with the best overall moderatorship result in zoology and the best overall undergraduate research project result in zoology.
Neil demonstrated excellence across his academic studies in Zoology, with exceptional achievements in the practical components, and completed his project on “Pollinating insect communities along a gradient of urbanisation in Dublin City”, supervised by Professor Jane Stout.
Neil is currently working as the lead guide in the Zoological Museum for the Summer where he gets to combine his passions for the animal kingdom with his interest in meeting people and communicating his love of animals.
Neil stated that: "I love zoology for two reasons. I have been infatuated with the natural world from as early as I can remember. The story of the animal kingdom is both complex and beautiful and it excites me to think that by studying zoology I could one day contribute another little bit to that story. The second reason why I love zoology is the people. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the most inspirational, friendly and caring people while studying zoology. They continuously make it an ever more fascinating and enjoyable subject."
Congratulations Neil!
