Ms Lauraine Howley coordinates the day-to-day administration for the Department of Physics in University of Limerick, providing a high quality administrative support for the Head of Department, Course Directors, Academic Staff, Technical Staff, Students, Researchers in the Management and Coordination of the Department Administration Function.

Lauraine is also responsible for the smooth running of the Department of Physics ensuring that it is the primary point of contact for staff, students, researchers, university offices, second level schools, parents, members of the public and external agencies.

Lauraine has over 15 years’ experience where she has committed herself totally to all aspects of her career in healthcare, which also included Medical Device / Biopharmaceutical companies, Construction work and indeed to the academic environment where she has demonstrated the ability to work within the academic field as an Administrator, Clerical Officer and Programme Coordinator. She has managed complex academic departments with several different programmes at the Mary Immaculate College (MIC), both undergraduate and postgraduate, working as Clerical Officer within the Faculty of Arts for the Theology & Religious Studies Department. 

Working in an educational setting enabled her to be familiar with specific ways of working in such contexts. 

2005-2008 MSc Packaging Technology Loughborough University, England

Publications

[1] Howley, Lauraine (2000), ‘A Strategy for Company Improvement’, Medical Device Technology Journal, Vol. 11, No. 2, March, pp. 33-36.

[2] Howley, Lauraine (2005),  ‘Progress In The Relationship Between Packaging and Waste,’ The Irish Medical Device Manufacturing and Technology Journal,  April, pp. 15-17.

[3] Research monograph

Thesis Title: Implementation of Customer Focused Quality Systems in Irish based Multi-nationals:  distinguishing the core principles from the fashionable jargon.

The principle aim of the Thesis was to identify the Lean Six Sigma tools used for continuous improvement in manufacturing inward investment in Ireland and to understand how to successfully apply them.  In addition, my work reviewed manufacturing inward investment to Ireland - (Industrial sectors and trends) including, the Health Care industries that are using Lean Six Sigma tools to do their business.  Particularly, the Thesis identified the key Lean Six Sigma tools that have broad and demonstrable benefit and finally, generated a framework for their application in regulated packaging and labelling for the Medical Device Industry.  In particular, focused on the new legislation which had been introduced in many Member States and appropriate National Recovery Schemes introduced to assist Medica Device Manufacturers in their responsibilities to recover packaging waste.
Due to the nature of the Medical Device business, any changes to packaging or labelling must not impact on the sterility of the product and that the company complies with the requirements of the Regulatory Bodies and Standards, both ASTM & British Standards.