Cornelia Connolly is a Professor at the School of Education. Her teaching and research combines industry-inspired practices with computing and digital technologies to create engaging learning experiences in teacher education, and to understand human learning and knowledge transfer to facilitate behavioural change in a variety of contexts (Learning Engineering Research Group)

In addition to a Ph.D. in pedagogical innovation, Cornelia holds a Bachelor of Engineering(Hons) in Computer Engineering, a Masters in Engineering (Hons) by research, and an Executive Masters in Business Administration (Hons).

Her prior experience in industry, as a computer engineer andmanagement consultant with Accenture,informs her research. Cornelia co-founded and was Director of a University spin-out company, which developeda national portal for highereducation providers.

She has achieved significant funding success with awards from Horizon 2020, SFI and industry. Most recently she is Co-PI on the European Commission MSCA COFUND project, ROSETTA (RespOnSiblE Time amp; Tech in an Accelerated Digitised World).

Invited to give keynote lectures in the USA and Europe, Cornelia has published extensively in leading international journals and a member of a number of international editorial boards.

Cornelia was a Visiting Fellow at Yale University for 2023. She was appointed to the European Commission Expert Group for the development of guidelines on high-quality informatics.

Professor Connolly was awarded the Presidents Award for Teaching Excellence (2023) and the College of Arts, Social Science and Celtic StudiesTeaching Excellence Award (2023). She was also awarded the University of Galway Team Award for Research (2022),the National Lero Director Prize for Research (2021),and a Deans Award in recognition for her leadership at international, national and university level of Computer Science Education (2020).

Cornelia's teaching and research combines industry-inspired practices with computing and digital technologies to create engaging learning experiences, understand human learning and knowledge transfer to facilitate behavioural change in a variety of contexts.

Recent Research Projects:
ROSETTA (RespOnSiblE Time & Tech in an Accelerated Digitised World) 
Funded by: European Commission Marie Sk¿odowska-Curie COFUND
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Healthy Islands
Funded by: SlainteCare Innovation Fund 
Role: Co-Principal Investigator, Work-package lead

CodePlusGalway
Funded by: Fidelity Investments, Lero/Science Foundation Ireland 
Role: Principal Investigator

Immersive Empathy
Funded by: Science Foundation Ireland Discovery Programme
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

HomeHealth
Funded by: Cisco and Cúram 
Role: Co-Principal Investigator, Work-package lead

ParticipAge (Supporting community participation and social inclusion of Ageing People with Intellectual Disabilities)
Funded by: European Commission Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research & Innovation: Erasmus+ KA2
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

CodePlus
Funded by: Science Foundation Ireland Discovery Programme
Role: Principal Investigator

Primary, Junior Cert and Senior Cycle Coding alignment to CS First
Funded by: Google Education
Role: Principal Investigator 

Citizen Developers through Creative Play
Funded by: Microsoft Ireland
Role: Principal Investigator

Schooling at Home - Bridging Worlds, 
Funded by: Rethink Ireland
Role: Principal Investigator

Spaceship Earth
Funded by: Science Foundation Ireland Discovery Programme
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

CSFORALL
Funded by: Google Education
Role: Principal Investigator

Building a Research Infrastructure for School Teachers (BRIST)
Funded by: European Commission Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research & Innovation: Erasmus+ KA2
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Designing and Evaluating Innovative Mobile Pedagogies (DEIMP)
Funded by: European Commission Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research & Innovation:  Erasmus+ KA2
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

CS Educator PD Grant
Funded by: Google Education
Role: Principal Investigator

T-REX (Teachers Research Exchange) 
Funded by: National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Creative Coding or Maths Makers
Funded by: Google Education 
Role: Principal Investigator
 

Professor Connolly teaches on both undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education programmes in the School of Education.