10
Maynooth University
HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry, Prof Philip Nolan, and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan at a press briefing of the National Public Health Emergency Team
A final chapter and an enduring legacy As his presidency comes to an end in 2021, Prof Philip Nolan steps up to lead NPHET’s critical Covid modelling work by Peter McGuire
A
cademics - let alone university presidents - rarely become household names. But 2020 is a rare year and one that’s seen doctors and scientists take centre stage in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Step forward Professor Philip Nolan, President of Maynooth University, and, as the chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team’s (NPHET) Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, a key figure in the national fight against the virus.
Despite leading many changes at Maynooth and across the wider university sector over the past decade, Nolan may not have expected such a tumultuous end to his tenure as President, which draws to a close in 2021. The search is on for his replacement. Covid-19 presented challenges to Nolan on multiple fronts. As university President: how could he lead a swift pivot to fully online learning? As chair of the advisory group: how to ensure that the available data could be used to save as many lives as possible? As a parent and human being: how could he make sure to support his family and manage some kind of work-life balance? “Over the years, I sometimes wondered if my academic skills could