Biography
Dr Yvonne Ryan-Fogarty is a Science Foundation Ireland Pathways Fellow and Associate Professor in Environmental Science within the Department of Chemical Science.
Her research expertise is industrial ecology and material flow analysis, focusing particularly on challenges facing the emergent circular economy. She has a track record and an international reputation for excellence in material flow analysis focusing on high impact waste streams, hazardous components, and critical materials.
She was nominated by the Irish Government to be part of the Open-Ended Scientific Group on effectiveness evaluation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury as she contributed to refining the Mercury Inventory Toolkit in products-to-waste material flows. As part of the EEE2WEEE project, she worked with policy makers and the scrap metal industry to develop a material flow analysis protocol that was inexpensive and non-disruptive to waste management business operations. This methodology is currently used and cited by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to report waste statistics to the EU. She was previously project manager of STRIKE, an EU-funded project on transboundary movements of hazardous waste streams.
Her PhD work on industrial ecology led to the development of material flow analysis of over 20 enterprises including engineering, technology and agri-food sectors. She worked extensively in the NGO and voluntary sector, particularly on sustainability in higher education and was lead the development of the International Green-Campus Programme in Ireland. She oversaw higher education's role in development of environmental sustainability initiatives in Cork University Hospital and has published highly cited research on this topic.
Research Interests
Current Grants as Principal InvestigatorUnderstanding Mercury in Ireland and Working Towards Net Zero: Developing a Metabolic Inventory of Mercury-Added Products and Mercury-Containing Wastes in the Built Environment (BE-MAP).Funder: Science Foundation Ireland (Pathways).
F-gas Use, Scale, and Environment: Improved Indicative Inventory for Ireland (FUSE4i).Funder: Environmental Protection Agency.
Current Grants as Co-Investigator
ISCycle: Inclusive E-bike Uptake and Sustainable Use.Funder: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
Mainstreaming Circularity Mainstreaming Circular Economies Through Collaboration and Co-Creation (MainCirc).Funder: Environmental Protection Agency
Research Interests
Industrial Ecology / Circular Economy
Material Flow Analysis
Hazardous Materials
High Value Waste Streams
Critical Raw Materials
Environmental / Sustainable / Regenerative Management
Environmental Policy
Professional Activities
Award
- 2018 - Smarter Travel Curriculum Development Award
Association
- Member, Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland
- Member, International Society for Industrial Ecology
- Member, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management
Committee
- UL Environmental Committee,
- UL Green-Campus Committee,
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Working Group,
Employment
- An Taisce - Green-Campus Co-ordinator
- Limerick Institute of Technology, Tipperary - Programme Specialist
Other
- Faculty Advisor to the High Performance Athlete Committee
- Erasmus Coordinator (Academic) Geography
- GY4028: Environmental Issues GY4027: A Sustainable World? GY4002: Introduction to Physical Geography GY5031: Urban Ecosystem Services GY5032: Sustainability
- ER4017: Monitoring and Research Methods ER4407: Environmental Management 1 ER4408: Environmental Management 2 ER4417: Environmental Impact Assessment ER4405: Conservation Ecology