Install Findmino as an app for the best experience!
Electronic Engineer
Orla Feely
Electronic engineer and president of UCD.
Education
Orla Feely grew up in Ireland with a strong interest in maths and science, subjects that would shape her entire career. She pursued electronic engineering at university level, a field that was — and still is — heavily male-dominated. She went on to build deep academic expertise, eventually reaching the highest levels of research and university leadership. Her educational path shows that choosing a technical subject like engineering can open doors far beyond the lab or the lecture hall.
Career
Orla built her career step by step in academic engineering, becoming a professor and a leading researcher at University College Dublin. She served as UCD's Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact before being appointed President of UCD in 2024 — one of Ireland's most prestigious leadership roles. Along the way, she made history as the first Irish woman to be elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a global mark of excellence in her field. Her journey is proof that deep expertise, combined with ambition, can take you to places you might never have imagined at the start.
Key Lesson
If you enjoy problem-solving and are curious about how things work, engineering could be the path that leads somewhere extraordinary — including leading one of Ireland's great universities. Orla's story is a reminder that being first at something is not a reason to hold back; it is a reason to go for it.
Careers like this on Findmino
Which celeb are you most like?
Take the 5-minute swipe quiz and discover your own celebrity matches.
This website uses cookies
We use functional cookies and — with your consent — cookies for preferences, statistics and marketing.