The UCD Festival is a celebration for all and will take place on Saturday 18th June from 9am-9pm. There is something for everyone at this event, from family fun, football on the big screen and reunion picnics to music, debates, presentations and talks. Of particular interest to the engineering cohort will no doubt be the high level Ted-Like talk ‘Water – An Engineer’s Perspective’, which includes keynote speaker Michael Philips, former president of Engineers Ireland and former city engineer at Dublin City Council. This session will address the challenges facing Irish water infrastructure, securing the drinking water infrastructure for future Irish Generations and the Global perspective on water provision. Philips will be joined by Damien Owens, Engineers Ireland registrar and Prof Michael Bruen, director of the UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research at UCD and associate professor in civil engineering. Starting at 12.30pm and finishing at 13.30pm, places are limited so book now for your free place. Other events on the day include ‘The Bridges of Dublin’ exhibition in the Newstead Building (all day). Did you know, for example, that a mere flip of a coin – an Irish harp rotating through the air – inspired Santiago Calatrava’s sleek, asymmetric Samuel Beckett Bridge? UCD Civil Engineering and UCD Earth Institute will demonstrate ‘Experience Science: Augmented Reality of Soil and Water Contouring’ (O’Brien Centre for Science, 11am-12:30pm and 1:30-3pm). Watch the arrangement automatically calibrate elevation contours with changes in the physical environment. You will have the chance to get hands-on experience in a large sand box. Drawing on his time in industry and management and as CEO and non-exec in the public sector, UCD biochemical engineering graduate Sir Ciarán Devane will explore the notion of leadership for impact, influence, leading beyond authority and measuring success (11am, O’Reilly Hall). The foyer of the Engineering Hub will be a centre of all-day fun with the ‘Steam Beam’ returning to action, a Formula 1 Car on display and the opportunity to ‘Engineer your own Pizza’ in real clay ovens. Finally, check out the souped-up Prius parked outside the Engineering Building. Researchers from UCD and IBM will be on hand to demonstrate the smart applications they have been developing, so you can get a taste of the hybrid transportation of the future today. For further details on all of the above and more, please click here.