Elected 43rd provost of the college on August 1st, this year. Second Catholic Provost. Term is 10 years.

Born: 1948

Educated: 1961-66 St Coleman's College, Claremorris, Co Mayo. 1966-71: St Patrick's College, Maynooth (BSc, HdipEd). He studied for the priesthood for several years. 1971-76: NUI Galway (PhD in physics). Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1977-80).

Career: research scientist at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey (1980-86); professor of laser physics at TCD (1986-2001) and was departmental head (1992-95). He was adjunct professor, University of Georgia (1990-95) and visiting professor University of Tokyo and Sony Corporation, Japan (1995). He established Optronics Ireland in 1989.

Research: extremely successful dean of research at TCD, raising almost £50 million in funding, since 1995. He is a member of the HEA and advisory board to Science Foundation Ireland in Information and Communications Technologies - and a fellow of TCD and member of the RIA.

Family: married to Neasa N∅ ChinnΘide, two sons aged 19 (attending UCD) and 10.