On 14 November, some 450 of UCD’s most distinguished alumni, supporters and staff attended a gala evening to launch the UCD Foundation Day Alumni Awards in O’Reilly Hall. The black tie ceremony and banquet celebrated the founding of the university and the achievements of 13 of their most distinguished alumni. The awards recognise UCD alumni that have shown leadership, impact and excellence in their field. In the engineering category, Donal O’Riain, Ecocem managing director, received his award in recognition of his “outstanding entrepreneurial achievements in carbon-neutral construction”. Ecocem Materials was founded by O'Riain in 2000 and the company  produces low carbon, high-performance cement. The company now produces over a million tonnes annually across Ireland, the Netherlands and France. Ecocem says that its cement provides increased strength, durability and improved appearance, and can reduce the environmental impact of concrete by over 70%. O'Riain said he was "truly honoured" to receive the award and described it as "great personal milestone". "It's also a recognition by one of best universities in the world of the work of the Ecocem team in developing low-carbon construction solutions for an increasingly carbon-constrained world," he added.