Education
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) Geography and English (First Class Honors), University College Cork, Ireland
- Master's in Planning and Sustainable Development (MPlan) (First Class Honors), University College Cork, Ireland
- Campus Sustainability Leadership Certificate, University of Vermont
Biosketch
A native of Cork City, Ireland, Ruairi is the Senior Executive Director for the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Ruairi leads a talented team of faculty, staff, and student employees working to advance the university’s climate, energy, sustainability, and economic development mission. The Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy at UMass Lowell is a research and innovation powerhouse with over $120 million dollars in externally funded research in the last three years alone.
In his role as Senior Advisor for Climate, Energy and Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts President’s Office, Ruairi, reporting directly to UMass President Marty Meehan, provides advice, guidance, and expertise for the 73,000-student UMass system. UMass is the third largest employer in Massachusetts and contributes over $8 billion annually to the innovation economy of Massachusetts.
Ruairi also serves as the Project Director for the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Environment Legacy Transition (CELT) Initiative, a direct outcome of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s 2023 trade mission to Ireland. Supported by a $5.78 million dollar award to UMass Lowell, CELT is a collaborative resource center across university, industry, state government, and community partners. Fostering enhanced research, innovation, and economic development partnerships in Ireland and Northern Ireland is a key component of CELT.
Prior to his work at UMass Lowell, Ruairi served in various planning and economic development roles including with the Strategic Projects Team in Dublin City Council’s Department of Planning and Economic Development.
Ruairi is a graduate of University College Cork (UCC) completing his BA in 2006 and Masters in Planning and Sustainable Development in 2008. Ruairi received UCC’s Alumni Achievement Award in 2024 in recognition of his efforts to support closer research, innovation, and economic development partnerships between Ireland and Massachusetts.