Professor Patrick O'Shea, a UCC physics graduate is returning to the university that he once attended; but this time as the institute's next president.

This marks the first external appointment to the university's president role in 50 years. The University College Cork's governing body appointed O'Shea for the position with effect from February next year. Currently serving as Chief Research Officer and Vice President at the University of Maryland, which is considered one of the best research institutions in the world, Prof O'Shea manages the university's $500 million per-annum innovation and research unit.

Prof O'Shea takes over the university's senior most position from Dr Michael Murphy, and will now be eligible for a salary of over €200,000.

Most of Prof O'Shea's academic career has been at University of Maryland and in other places in the United States. However, that hasn't stopped him from staying connected with the Irish higher education system. He serves as a director of the Wild Geese Network of Irish Scientists and earlier this year, hosted Andrew Deeks, the president of University College Dublin, Irish Examiner reported.

At the time of appointment, Prof O'Shea attributed his successful academic career in the United States to his physics degree from University College Cork, which eventually culminated in his present leadership position at the University of Maryland.

Prof O'Shea who has played a vital role in a slew of monumental research programmes, is an expert in electromagnetics. University College Cork will be counting on his ability to help lever a boost in the institute's annual €92m research income. According to Catherine Day, chairperson of the UCC governing body, he is capable of leading the university into a challenging era, IrishTimes reported

Prof O'Shea, a PhD in Physics from the University of Maryland is also a member of several research and academic boards such as the Wild Geese Network of Irish Scientists. His wife, a University College Cork graduate and a scientist, Miriam Smyth PhD works in Washington, DC at the clinical and biomedical research administration. The couple has one son.