Professor Michelle Millar is a graduate of the University of Limerick, she has taught Public and Social Policy and Public Administration in the School of Political Science and Sociology since 1998. She was awarded the NUI Galway Presidents Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017. She has provided programme leadership at undergraduate and postgraduate level since 1998, developed new programmes and served as the Chair of the School Teaching and Learning Committee 2014-18. In January 2018, she was appointed Head of School Political Science amp; Sociology. She served as Dean of Students at the University of Galway from March 2019 to March 2023.Michelle is a Senior Research Fellow at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre and has acted as Principal Investigator on several funded research projects, including an IRC Social Protection Research Innovation Award the outputs of which culminated in her receiving the NUI Galway Presidents Award for Societal Impact in 2019. She is currently Joint Principal Investigator for the evaluation of the Designing Futures programme at University of Galway.This programme is funded by the HEA Human Capital Initiative its mission is to drive transformational change, and support the evolution of the educational experience for students, staff and enterprise partners. The programme aims to address the gap between enterprise and graduate skills needs and the current student learning experience. In closing the gap, it will increase student success, retention, progression and employability of University of Galwaygraduates and the international competitiveness of University of Galwaydegrees. Designing Futures directly addresses key objectives of the National Skills Strategy, the HEA System Performance Framework, Action Plan for Education and Technology Skills 2022 and Project Ireland 2040.Her research interest focuses on labour market activation and those parenting alone as well as student success and belonging. She has written many book chapters, published reports and peer reviewed Journal Articles published in journals such as Social Policy amp; Administration, Public - No restriction Administration, Social Science amp; Medicine, British Journal of Social Work, Critical Social Policy,Disability amp; Society, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, Families Relationships and Societies, Evidence amp; Policy, Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Divorce amp; Remarriage, Probation and the International Journal of Qualitative Research MethodologyMichelle participated in the Aurora Leadership Programme in 2015 and has been an Aurora Mentor at University of Galwaysince 2016.

Student Success, Labour Market Activation and those Parenting Alone, Social Inclusion, Policy Evaluation

Social Policy, Health Policy, Public - No restriction Administration, Policy Evaluation