Science is all about investigating what we don’t know yet!

Dr Joe Lynch

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) as part of its celebration of all things Science and the pending opening of their new state of the art 1300 sqm Science Building this September, are delighted to bring you a collection of ‘Meet the Scientist’ profiles with some of the Institute’s leading Science academics.

Dr Joe Lynch, the Programme Director for the BSc. (Hons) in Sustainable Agriculture

in DkIT, grew up on a farm in Co. Monaghan.  Joe had an interest in science from an early age and knew he wanted to continue studying it after secondary school, he said “I was lucky enough to have some great teachers that helped me relate science to everyday things. I didn’t have much knowledge of the career I wanted, but I knew I wanted to study further after school, so I just followed what I found interesting at the time”.

Joe completed his degree BSc (Hons) in Biology in NUI Maynooth and progressed on to a research postgraduate scholarship in Teagasc which eventually led to his PhD. Joe also has substantial industry experience and after postgraduate studies co-ordinated crop and forage research projects for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Alberta and then for Teagasc at their Carlow research centre. Joe also worked for a short period of time at Ireland’s national agri-food laboratory testing facilities in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, before taking up his current role at DkIT.

Speaking about his on-going love of the world of science and it as a potential career for students to pursue, Dr Lynch said “Science is all about investigating what we don’t know yet and finding facts to help figure out some of those unknowns, and I guess I love a good puzzle!  Another thing that I love about science is that there is a place for every type of person, and that makes for great teams and collaborations in the workplace. The most introverted and most extroverted people can find themselves hugely successful and valuable in science, whether they are working on experiments, laboratory methods, data analysis, writing, advisory, project management, public speaking or hundreds of other roles”.

Dr Lynch is heavily involved in research and supervises several PhD students “My research interests mainly revolve around growing and using plants in our farm systems in the most efficient way possible to reduce any unnecessary impacts to our environment and to benefit the farmer and the consumer. I work on experiments in both the lab and the field, measuring how crops respond to different conditions and challenges and assist with evaluating new sustainable solutions for the future”.

Dr Lynch who enjoys lecturing and teaching Sustainable Agriculture in DkIT said, “Our agriculture courses are a blend of very practical information and skills, and then the scientific principles behind these. I try to link the two for the students, as while the practical information is vital for the jobs they will move into in the next couple of years, I believe the science is what underpins innovation and solutions to upcoming challenges. Lecturing on a topic also helps me keep up to date and challenge my own understanding of different issues as they evolve.”

Joe is one of the many teaching staff in DkIT that will be utilising the fantastic new Science building from this September and he said  “ The new facilities and equipment that the lecturers and technical staff will have access to will help the science community in the Institute thrive, and allow more graduates and researchers to have impacts beyond the college campus, which can only go on to benefit our region, so it’s an exciting time for us all”.

For more information on the new Science Building and Sciences courses in DkIT check out www.dkit.ie.