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. She has achieved significant funding success with awards from Horizon, Research Ireland and industry. For example she is Co-PI on the European Commission MSCA COFUND project, ROSETTA (RespOnSiblE Time and 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 and an expert evaluator and recorder for calls in Horizon, H2020, and FP7.

Professor Connolly was awarded the President's Award for Teaching Excellence (2023), the University of Galway Team Award for Research (2022), the National Lero Director Prize for Research (2021), and a Dean's Award (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.