Gina McCarthy: Friend of the Environment
When Irish America interviewed Gina McCarthy in July, 2014, she already had a 30+ year career in the health and environmental sector, and was serving as the head of the EPA. During her term (2013-2017) McCarthy instituted regulations on carbon emissions for new vehicles and power plants, set air pollution standards for oil and gas drilling, and put in place a remarkable record of...
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The First Word:
Let’s Talk About the Climate
I’m reminded as we go to press that in Ireland we always talk about the weather. “How about the weather now?” was an oft heard refrain of my childhood, one that brought the answer, “The weather is up.” The weather is up! Or should we say, something is up with the weather. It’s too darn hot – with my pale Irish skin and light eye color, I’m constantly running for cover. And it’s...
MoreHealthcare and Life Sciences 50
The inaugural Irish America Healthcare and Life Sciences 50 list celebrates Irish innovators who are leading the way in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. The work of these Irish-American and Irish-born medical professionals contributes everyday to the health and wellness of our communities, from pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology to research and development and...
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Dr. Garret FitzGerald
Wants to Build Bridges
He works between the strands of basic discovery and clinical trial, national research and global connection, harnessing the power of diaspora. The inaugural Healthcare and Life Sciences 50 Keynote Speaker discusses the science of discovery. Dr. Garret FitzGerald, a.k.a. “Big G” as faculty and students sometimes call him according to a 2001 Penn Medicine article, is a humble man with a...
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A Decade of No Smoking
This past March 29 marked the 10-year anniversary of the smoking ban in Ireland, a milestone that few thought they would see. In 2004, a law banned smoking in the workplace that extended to pubs and restaurants. At the time the Vintners Federation of Ireland said the law was “unnecessary, unworkable, and unjustified.” Since then, the image of an Ireland filled with pints, music, and smoke is...
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