Tess Lambe presents the 2024 Bursary in her name

Hannah Lee Parnell receiving her Bursary from Tess Lambe, with CPC Principal Joe Leonard.

The Tess Lambe Bursary for 2024 was awarded today to former student CPC student Hannah Lee Parnell, who is studying Biological, Biomedical and Biomolecular Science at UCD, writes Brian Byrne. It was presented by the person for whom it is named, past CPC and UCD student Professor Teresa Lambe, whose family still live in Nicholastown and who co-designed the Oxford AstraZeneca covid vaccine programme. Tess is the Calleva Head of Vaccine Immunology at the University of Oxford.

The occasion, in the CPC Assembly Hall with senior students present along with the college Principal Joe Leonard, was also to honour Professor Lambe herself for her services and contributions to science and to public health and as a distinguished alumnus of Cross & Passion College. 

She was introduced by Biology teacher Eleanor Higgins, who said it was 'an incredible opportunity' for those present to hear from  "someone who has gone from these halls and made a world-changing impact from which we all benefit." The impactful visitor was presented with a piece of ceramic art created by the college's art teacher Lesley Kelly. Another piece was presented to the school.

The Bursary is sponsored by the Board of Management along with the local community and the sisters of the Cross & Passion, in association with Tess, and is applicable to female students Leaving Certificate classes who are studying any STEM subject at third level. It has previously been awarded to Edwina Birchall in 2023, and to three students in 2021, Halo Domican, Iona Lee Parnell and Saoirse Fletcher.

In a question and answer session with the assembled students today, Tess Lambe urged them to 'follow their curiosity' in their lives after second level, and gave an example of how she had done that even while still in CPC. "I think Noel Clare will attest to the fact that when he was my science teacher here I was the one who kept putting my hand up in class. To the point that he started to dodge the questions and say I'd learn the answers in university."

Among the guests at the event was another local alumnus who has done well, Minister of State Martin Heydon, and Sr Maire from the Cross & Passion Sisters.

In concluding remarks, Principal Leonard said they were celebrating a "remarkable scientist, a dedicated researcher, and a proud daughter of Kilcullen." 

All the Diary's pictures from the occasion can be seen here.

Tess Lambe is in Kilcullen for this evening's Community Awards. We'll have further reports from both events in due course.

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