Celebrating the Women of TU Dublin: Dr Róisín Faherty
08 March is International Women's Day (IWD), and we are marking the day by celebrating the women of TU Dublin, starting with Dr Róisín Faherty, Head of Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Computing, Digital and Data.
As Head of Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Computing, Digital and Data at Technological University Dublin, Dr Róisín Faherty has built her career around a deeply held belief that education can transform lives. Reflecting on her journey in a year when the United Nations’ International Women’s Day theme is Rights. Justice. Action. For all Women and Girls, she says, “My career journey has been shaped by a love of education and a belief in widening opportunity, especially for groups who are underrepresented. I’ve always been motivated by the idea that education can be a lever for fairness: opening doors, building confidence, and giving people a genuine chance to thrive.” She adds that this commitment has been supported and strengthened through her work at TU Dublin, which she sees as playing an important role in expanding access to education and driving inclusive innovation.
Róisín’s experience as a woman in academia has been closely connected to balancing professional life with caring responsibilities. “As a woman in academia, issues of fairness have been closely linked to caring responsibilities,” she explains. “Balancing family commitments, supporting elderly parents, and managing a demanding workload has made me very aware of how these constraints can shape opportunity.” She notes that TU Dublin’s evolving culture has helped foster more open conversations about these challenges and how staff can be supported.
These experiences have influenced her leadership. “When systems assume everyone can travel at short notice, work late, or say yes to everything, fairness becomes uneven,” she says. “I’ve learned to be more intentional about boundaries, but I also believe institutions have a responsibility to design workloads and expectations that allow people to contribute and progress sustainably.”
Dr Faherty believes many of the barriers women face in academia are structural and often invisible. “Some barriers are structural rather than individual,” she says, pointing to the ‘invisible’ work that keeps a school or faculty running.” She also highlights uneven access to leadership opportunities and the impact of time pressures. “Time poverty is another real barrier, particularly when caring responsibilities sit alongside a full academic workload.” In response, she has focused on building supportive networks and mentoring. “TU Dublin has a strong and growing culture of collegiality and support, and that has been an important part of my own journey.”
Her vision of equal justice in higher education is grounded in fairness, transparency, and inclusion. “Equal justice means opportunity isn’t shaped by who you know, your gender, your ethnicity, your background, or how confidently you self-promote,” and she emphasises the importance of transparent progression, fair workload allocation, and recognition of the full breadth of academic contribution. She believes TU Dublin’s continued focus on these areas reflects a genuine commitment to inclusion.
Reflecting on progress, she is encouraged by positive changes. “I’ve seen real positive changes such as more visibility of women in leadership, stronger mentoring, and more willingness to address structural inequality,” Róisín also points to the importance of culture. “There’s a growing recognition that psychological safety, belonging, and fair processes shape performance and well-being.” She highlights TU Dublin’s Athena Swan work and broader equality initiatives as important steps forward.
Dr Róisín Faherty believes real change requires action. “Commitments become action when they are measurable, resourced, and owned by leaders and when staff experience real change,” she says. She emphasises the importance of fair and transparent workload models, noting, “When institutions get workload right, they create the conditions where everyone can contribute fully, progress, and lead.”
Through her leadership at TU Dublin, Dr Róisín Faherty continues to advocate for systems that recognise contribution, support progression, and build on the university’s strong commitment to fairness, inclusion, and opportunity for all.