Teagasc has announced the appointment of a new head of its environment, soils and land use (ESLU) research department.
Dr. Karen Daly has been appointed as the head of the department, which is based in Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford.
Dr. Daly graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a bachelors degree in chemistry. She went on to complete a masters degree in synthetic organic chemistry.
She also obtained a PhD in environmental science from Trinity College, and has recently obtained a graduate certificate in strategic leadership from Dublin City University (DCU).
She has over 24 years’ experience in leading research projects and teams focusing on topics such as soil health, soil phosphorous and water quality; catchment and farm-scale water quality risk assessment; and farm-scale mitigation measures for water quality protection.
More recently, Dr. Daly has been advancing research and innovation in spectroscopy (the study of the absorption of light) and proximal sensing (the use of sensors in close proximity to plants) for environmental samples.
Teagasc said that Dr. Daly is recognised internationally for her expertise and has 95 peer reviewed scientific publications, and has mentored 17 PhD students.
Her work on soil, phosphorous and water quality has been translated into nutrient management advice that informs policy as well as on-farm advice, and is trusted for providing scientific advice for policy and practice, Teagasc said.
John Spink, head of Teagasc’s crops, environment and land use programme said: “I’m delighted to have Karen as part of the management team and look forward to working with her.
“The ESLU research programme has grown significantly in recent years with additional work related to greenhouse gasses, water quality and biodiversity.
“Karen’s expertise and experience will be invaluable in managing the large team now based in Johnstown Castle,” Spink added.
Commenting on her appointment, Dr. Daly said: “It’s a privilege to work with the high performance team here in Johnstown Castle, and I look forward to leading the department in developing innovative solutions to support the agri-food sector.”