"I look at how we make things, and figure out how to make them better."
Ronán is an I-Form researcher based at Dublin City University.
Growing up
Do you remember what you wanted to be (when you grew up) when you were 5 years old?
An astronaut. I guess I was a very ambitious child!
At age 10?
A Formula 1 driver or, failing that, Chief Engineer of the Starship Enterprise (on Star Trek). Staying ambitious!
At age 15?
By the time I was 15, I knew I wanted to do something in physics or engineering. My father was an aircraft engineer so I was thinking about something along those lines.
What were you like as a school student around age 15/16?
I wasn’t particularly studious. While I found most subjects really interesting, I hated homework (which I occasionally “forgot” to do!) and did fairly poorly in tests. Ironically, I often did the worst in physics and Spanish, the two things I’m quite good at these days.
What hobbies did you have as a teenager?
I was a big gamer back then. I still sort of am these days, but I’m not quite as good at Call of Duty anymore – I just don’t have as much time to practice!
College days
What did you study at college, and where?
I studied Applied Physics in DCU. It was my first choice, and I had just enough points to get in!
How did you choose the course you applied for?
The career counsellor in my school gave me some great advice: Apply for courses in the subjects you like and find interesting; worry about getting a job after that. And she was right! I had a great time in my degree, and learnt a lot about something I love.
What is your fondest memory of college days?
So many things, but mostly all the time spent with my friends. I made so many new friends in college, and we’re all still friends today! A lot of us were on the Ultimate Frisbee team too, so I’ve a lot of good memories about travelling around Ireland and Europe to tournaments representing DCU, which was so much fun.
The present
How would your parents describe what you do?
Something like I “work up in the lab in DCU”.
How would your friends describe what you do?
They’d say I play with lasers all day. And they wouldn’t be wrong!
What do you actually do?
I look at how to make 3D printing and other manufacturing techniques more efficient and more sustainable for the future.
If an alien came to Earth right now and demanded you describe what you do in one sentence, what would you say so that they would understand?
I look at how we make things, and figure out how to make them better!
Tell me something cool about being a researcher.
Being a researcher means having access to a whole lab with lots of equipment (handy when I have to fix my bike!). In the lab you also get to try new ideas and see how they work right then and there. We’re always doing something new, so no two days are ever the same!
The future
What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?
I suppose something similar enough to what I’m doing now. Still working in R&D (research and development), either in a university or in a company, looking at 3D printing and lasers. The field is moving very fast, so who knows where it’ll be in a decade!
If we could time travel to 2050 and you had to choose a job to do right now (real or imagined), what would it be?
Something to do with space travel. I’m absolutely fascinated with space, and I’m always glued to YouTube whenever SpaceX are launching a rocket. By 2050, who knows what stage we’ll be at, but I’d definitely want to be a part of it.