Robert Gilligan

Biography

Robbie Gilligan is Professor of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin. Served as founding Head of the School of Social Work and Social Policy, from August 2005 to July 2011. Currently Associate Director of the Children's Research Centre at TCD. Also a Research Fellow (2013 - 2016) at SFI - The Danish National Centre for Social Research and Extraordinary Professor at the Optentia Research Programme at North Western University, South Africa (2014-17). Google Scholar: 2850 citations; h-index=25 (March 28th 2017). Other Career Highlights: * Visiting Professor: Dept. of Social Work, Massey University, New Zealand, November, 2016; Dept. of Social Work, Charles University, Prague, October 2011, December 2016; Department of Social Work, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania, May 2012 * Visiting Scholar: School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, October 2012 * Elected Member of Board (Governing Authority) of Trinity College Dublin (2010 - 14; 2015 - 18) * Co-founder of Trinity Immigration Initiative (2006) * Co-Director (with Dr Philip Curry) of Children, Migration and Diversity Research Programme (formerly Children, Youth and Community Relations Research Programme)(2006) * Elected Fellow of Trinity College Dublin, 2004. * First Holder of Chair of Social Work and Social Policy at TCD, 2001. * Co-founder (with Dr Sheila Greene, Dept of Psychology) of Children's Research Centre,TCD, 1995. * Founder of multi-disciplinary post - graduate diploma in child protection and welfare, 1990, and subsequent companion MSc in Child Protection and Welfare,1995, TCD. * Director MSc in Child Protection and Welfare,TCD 1995 - 2016. * PhD Supervision. Seven supervised to successful completion: 2017 Michelle Spirtos 'The lived experience of disability during the transition to adulthood - A study of young people with hemiplegic cerebral palsy' 2016 Dovile Vildaite 'Transnational Experiences of Youth and Family Migration: Intergenerational Perspectives' 2015 Niamh Lally, 'Higher education and transition experiences of students with intellectual disabilities: a promise realized or denied?' 2012 Lindsey Garratt, 'The Body, Masculinities and Racism - Social Relations between migrant and dominant group boys in three inner city primary schools in Dublin' 2012 Jennifer Scholtz, 'Narratives of Mobility, Difference, Belonging and Home: Girls' Experience of Immigration to Ireland' 2009 Margaret Rogers, 'Social and physical ecologies of childhood: A case study of children's perspectives on their neighbourhood' 2007 Muireann Ni Raghallaigh, 'Negotiating changed contexts and challenging circumstances: The experiences of unaccompanied minors living in Ireland' Five PhD students currently under supervision. * M Litt Supervision. Four supervised to successful completion (intended award). * External examiner appointments at range of universities: Anglia Ruskin,(PhD), Cardiff,(PhD), La Trobe, Victoria (PhD), Queen's, Belfast (PhD; Certificate in Child Protection Studies), RMIT, Melbourne (PhD), Southern Cross, New South Wales (PhD), University College Cork (PhD), Adelaide (PhD), Bedfordshire (PhD), Brighton (PhD), Bristol (EdD), Dundee (Certificate in Child Protection Studies), East Anglia, (PhD, MA in International Child Welfare), Glasgow (PhD), Groningen (Cum Laude assessment for PhD), Guelph, Ontario (PhD), Johannesburg (PhD), Melbourne (PhD), Oviedo (PhD), Queensland (PhD), Sheffield (PhD), Stirling (PhD; EdD), Ulster (MA [Advanced Social Work],and PhD), Warwick (PhD), Western Australia (PhD) * Former youth worker, social worker and foster carer. * Research related involvement in Ethiopia,Thailand, Togo. Also work visits to China, South Africa, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia

Research Interest

Research interests revolve around children and young people: - Children and young people in challenging circumstances / with challenged status (public care, migration, ethnic diversity, disability, refugees etc) - Sources of resilience and support - Experiences of key transitions and turning points - Children and youth policy issues in international development' Current PhD students and study titles - Eavan Brady, 'A life course study of the educational pathways of adults who spent time in State care as children.' - Derina Johnson, 'The experiences of Separated Young People on the Thai - Burmese Border' - Melanie Labor, 'Occupying the Void: Young People's Narratives as a Gateway to a New Understanding of Youth Suicides - A Case study in a Disadvantaged Community in Ireland - Michelle Spirtos, 'The Life Experiences of Young Adults with Cerebral Palsy, hemiplegia'; - Sinead Whiting 'The Lived Experience of Late Adoption from Foster Care' and - Louise Yorke, 'The Migration of Rural Girls to Urban Areas for Secondary Education: A Case Study in Southern Ethiopia (SNNPR)'.