This event, Intersecting Inequalities: Gender, Race and Inclusion in an Academic Context, brings together two leading voices on equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education for what promises to be a thought-provoking afternoon.
📅 Thursday, 2nd April 2026
🕒 Time: 2.30pm
📍 Location: Room 3074, Arts Building
Speakers
Professor Pat O’Connor
Professor Emeritus of Sociology & Social Policy, University of Limerick
A leading international expert on gender inequality in higher education, Pat was the first female professor of sociology in Ireland and the first female Faculty Dean at UL. She has over 120 academic publications, including nine books and 80 peer-reviewed articles, with recent work appearing in Studies in Higher Education and Gender, Work & Organization (both 2025).
Dr Niloufar Omidi
EDI Policy and Project Development Officer, University of Limerick
Also a Ministerial appointee to the Advisory Committee on Racism and Racial Equality under the Department of Justice, Niloufar holds a PhD in International Human Rights Law from the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway. She has worked with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, government departments, and civil society organisations, with a focus on human rights and equality law and the rights of minority, disabled, and marginalised groups.
All staff and students in the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there.