People

Dr Ken Thomas

Ken has been Head of School of Engineering at SETU since 2012. He has a BE in Civil Engineering from the University College Galway, Ireland (1986), an MA in Management from University of Kent, Canterbury, UK (1992) and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University College Cork, Ireland (2002).

He has been involved in extensive engagement with a variety of industry forums, professional institutes and federations, has acted as EU Expert Evaluator for various calls including Eco-Innovation and INEA-H2020-Transport. He is a member of the EU CALOHEE and CAOLHE2 Projects for Civil Engineering, the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) Deans Council, Director of 3DWIT Additive Manufacturing Training Centre, Co-founder and Director of the Construction IT Alliance (CITA), Project Lead on the HCI-P3 Additive Manufacturing Advancing the South East (AMASE) and Institute Lead and Co-Chair on the national Build Digital Project.

He is also a regular reviewer of academic papers for a number of publications and conferences including ‘Construction Management & Economics’, ‘Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management’ and ‘CITA BIM Gatherings’.

Dr Robin Stubbs

Robin has been lecturing in Department of Architecture in SETU since 2001. During this time, he has fulfilled multiple roles from Lecturing, Course Leadership, Programme Development to Researcher and PI. Robin is Research Lead for the SABRE Research initiative with the sole objective of enhancing the research capabilities across the Department on all fronts. He is also the Digital Innovator for Pillar 3 (Digital Education Training) of the Build Digital Project – https://www.builddigitalproject.ie/digital-education-training

Robin has served on numerous accreditation and assessment boards and acted as External Examiner on architectural programs across Ireland and the UK. Robin is currently external examiner at Wolverhampton University and International board member of the PAC at Fanshawe University in Ontario, Canada.

In 2013, Robin and two of his colleagues, founded the BIMC Research Group, with the intention of conducting applied research for industry in the subject areas of BIM Technologies and BIM practices. The group have been very successful to date and have presented at their work at both national and international conference. This work has complimented Robin’s own research in the area of the Historic Built Heritage (HBIM).

Dr Emily Shakespeare

Emily is a Research Lead for the SABRE Research Centre.  She was the Senior Innovator for the national Build Digital Project in SETU. Her PhD research focused on creating a methodology for a transdisciplinary landscape biography of an upland region in the Comeragh Mountains in south east Ireland using GIS mapping, and was the first time a biographical approach has been applied to an Irish landscape. She is co-PI on the Cupla Tra project which combines digital twin technology and landscape biographical framework for a coastal area in County Waterford, Ireland.

Sinéad Barnett

Sinéad is a Research Assistant at the Sabre Research Centre and working on the Cúpla Trá project. Sinéad has over three years of valuable experience in both research and commercial projects within Extended Reality. During this time, she has demonstrated creativity and innovation by publishing three posters and earning the second-place prize for Best Poster at the Digital Education Conference 2023 and 2025. She is currently completing her Masters of Science in Games and Extended Reality.

Emily Kim

Emily is a Research Assistant at the Sabre Research Centre working on the Cúpla Trá project. She previously served as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she also earned her Master of Landscape Architecture. In 2025, she received the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Award of Excellence for her project “Re-wetting Grossbeeren.”

Juergen Bauer

Juergen Bauer, Dipl. Ing. Architekt RIAI, trained as an Architect in Germany and Switzerland.

He graduated from Braunschweig Technical University in 1993 and then practiced in Architectural offices in Braunschweig, Munich and Berlin. He gained specific experience in “Architectural Programming” i.e. project brief development and master planning.

He moved to Ireland in 2006 and joined the former Waterford Institute of Technology, which is now SETU Waterford.

Juergen has lectured in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, also serving as a year tutor and course leader. He has undertaken research in Architectural Acoustics and “Soundscape”. Juergen was the Departmental Project Coordinator of “Building Change 2022 – 2025”, an Irish initiative to prepare architectural education for climate change adaptation, circular economy and more resilient urban development.

Juergen has been engaging in International cooperation on behalf of SETU for many years, helping to build up exchange with partners in Europe and Japan. He is a chartered member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland RIAI and the German Chamber of Architects.

Gordon Chisholm

Gordon is a Registered Architect, Technologist and Certified Passive House Designer with over 30 years’ experience in low energy design of domestic & commercial projects. 

He is a principal member of the team that are integrating BIM at SETU, taking a lead role over the last 17 years teaching & developing the BSc (Hons) Architectural and BIM Technology programme. 

He was a founding member of the BIM Collective Research Group, established in 2013 to develop industry-academia links for applied research and the adoption of BIM across the AECO industry. 

Gordon is the WorldSkills Ireland Chief Expert for Digital Construction (BIM). The Irish BIM team won the gold medal at the FutureSkills event at 45^th WorldSkills Competition in Kazan 2019.  

Across practice, teaching and research, Gordon has participated in, presented, and published a variety of BIM projects and research papers both nationally and internationally. 

Brian Dempsey

Ann Fripps

Dr Brian Graham

Bryan Hallissey

Dr Aleksandar Kostic

Aleksandar Kostić is an awarded architect and educator. He is the Lead Researcher and Lecturer in Architecture at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, SETU. He holds a doctorate (UCD) in the field of design theory. His research broadly explores intersections between philosophy and architectural design. Recently his findings were published as book chapters and jurnal articles. He is a member of the All Ireland Architecture Research Group Steering Committee, a member of the Centre for Platonic Studies at the Department of Philosophy in Trinity College Dublin and a member of ISPA – International Society for the Philosophy of Architecture.

Garry Miley

Garry Miley was born in Dublin and graduated from UCD in 1985 with a degree in architecture. He received his MUBC from UCD in 1999. From 1985 to 1996 Garry lived in New York working as an architect in commercial practise first with Roe/Eliseo and then with Richard Brodsky Architects. On his return to Ireland, Garry worked in the Architect’s Department of Limerick City Council where he was involved in major housing projects and urban design initiatives as well as overseeing the introduction of the Council’s building conservation programme in 2001. Since 2008 Garry has been teaching architectural studio, history and theory full time at SETU. He has also makes films and produces architecture themed videos for his Youtube channel.

David Morrissey

Ann Marie-O`Connor

Dr Jane Russell O’Connor

Jane has a PhD from the University of Wolverhampton UK in Multidisciplinary Landscape Evaluation, aN HDip in Education and a degree in Environmental Science and Ecology. She is a member of the International Association of Landscape Ecology and has been conducting interdisciplinary research and publishing in landscape history and landscape ecology for over 15 years. Her most recent research project is ‘Why people are drawn to different landscapes’, funded by the Landscape Research Group, which examined why people are attracted to different landscapes and their dialogue with the landscape and the activities they undertake.

Her previous research project was conducted at the former Bessborough Estate, now the location of Kildalton College, Piltown Co. Kilkenny. This entailed an interdisciplinary approach to the assessment of the former demesne landscape utilising the disciplines of landscape history, landscape ecology and historical ecology. This research was presented at an international UNESCO conference at NUIG and published in the conference proceedings. Jane has organized an international conference and chaired sessions at a number of national and international conferences.

She is currently a lecturer in the Department of Architecture in SETU and has supervised a number of PhD students. She has successfully won the WIT PhD Scholarship and been awarded funding by a number of external bodies for research (including a PhD scholarship from industry). Jane has 27 years teaching experience including the course development, management and teaching of Masters in Education, Masters in Teaching and Learning in Further and Higher Education.

She currently runs an environmental and consultancy undertaking ecological assessments, biodiversity plans, pollinator plans, sustainable drainage schemes, ISO 50001 Energy standard implementation and ISO14001 Energy Management Systems standard implementation. In her spare time, she is involved with Tidy Towns in Tramore, Co. Waterford and wrote the Pollinator Plan for the town, that she has also implemented with Waterford City and County Council.

Dr. Sharon O’Brien

Dr Derek Sinnott

Derek is Senior Lecturer and Researcher in the School of Engineering at SETU. He is a graduate of Civil Engineering from NUI Galway and holds an MSc in Civil Engineering and PhD in Energy Management and Engineering from Trinity College Dublin. He is currently Chair of the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB) and a member of their Audit and Risk Committee. He is the Sustainability Pillar Co-Chair on the recently launched Build Digital Project – www.builddigitalproject.ie/sustainability-circular-economy – which will deliver increased digital adoption across the entire Irish construction and built environment sector. In addition, Derek is Director of Lean Construction Ireland, a community of learning and practice that advocates for the transformation of the Irish construction sector through the adoption of Lean thinking and practices.

Derek is also a judge for the Irish Construction Excellence Awards and is a member of the Southeast Region Committee of Engineers Ireland and regularly leads industry-focused academic research projects and supervises research at Master and Doctoral levels. He is an advocate of sustainable business development through organisational productivity and performance optimisation, high-performance leadership, sustainability and ESG reporting, low carbon, and digital innovations. Derek’s research interests include digital construction project delivery, Lean, operational excellence, the circular economy, and transition to a low carbon economy.

Farre “Faye” Nixon

Farre “Faye” Nixon is an assistant professor in the School of Landscape Architecture within the College of Architecture and Design at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Planning from MIT and dual Master degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design.

She has previously worked as a landscape designer for the non-profit planning and design firm Kounkuey Design Initiative in Los Angeles and for the Oslo-based office of Snøhetta.

Her research and teaching investigates speculative and critical design methodologies, using creative writing techniques such as worldbuilding as a design tool, interrogating the ways emerging technologies and design intersect, and co-designing with humans and their non-human counterparts within the context of uncertain climate futures.

Faye is currently working closely with Emily Shakespeare developing a number of collaborative opportunities relating to landscape biographies and landscape representation.

Joao Pereira

João is currently an associate BIM teacher in KEA, Copenhagen School of Design and Technology. He is also Co-responsible for BIMcafe, a student helping hub with the task to aid Architecture Technologists Students, promoting events such as the AEC Student Hackathon, BIMcafe talks, and hosting Trivarsity – International BIM workshop in 2021. He is due for a full lecture position in 2025

He is researching the benefits and the possibilities of Implementing Metaverse and Virtual Reality solutions in construction Education and the AEC Industry.

Ioannis Markou

Ioannis is an experienced Chartered Structural Engineer with a demonstrated experience of working in the AEC industry. He has in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) (AutoCAD, FE Design software. Strong engineering professional with a Master of Science (MSc) focused in Structural Engineering from University of Surrey. He has about 13 years of experience on multi-scale projects (High-Rise, residential, commercial and education), during his course of employment as a senior structural engineer.

He is currently a PhD Candidate at SABRE Research Centre at South East Technological University (SETU), working on the Build Digital Project.