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Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin overcame her belief that she had no ‘natural ability in mathematics’ to forge a successful career
, associate professor in the School of Stem Education, Innovation and Global Studies at DCU and award-winning science communicator, says it makes perfect sense now why she chose to study theoretical physics in UCD 25 years ago.
“At the time, it didn’t,” she says. “No one in my family had ever studied physics, mathematics, or engineering. But I grew up in a house where it was all about troubleshooting and problem-solving and fixing things if you could fix them.
“I have five younger brothers, and we were very much encouraged to build our own tree house and rewire a plug. I now know I was very lucky because I didn’t see any gendered gap in any of that. ” Ní Shúilleabháin’s interest in physics was entirely down to her environment, growing up in rural Mayo with a spectacular night sky when her dad would point out the Milky Way.
“I was blown away by the fact that looking at the stars is actually looking back in time, in history, and it got me interested in deep space and black holes. ”How can my daughter make the most out of her visit to Higher Options 2026?
And that’s when she thought about first studying physics, which was almost scuppered by the belief that she had no “natural ability in mathematics”, which she feels is something that can often put girls off the idea of Prof Paul Stynes, dean of NCI’s School of Computing, recognises that one of the biggest barriers to girls in Stem is perception.
“Stem, and particularly computing, is still often seen as male-dominated, and that can make it harder for girls to picture themselves belonging in those subjects or careers. When girls do not see enough women in those spaces, it can be harder for them to see Stem as somewhere they belong.
“That is why visible role models, encouragement and early opportunities matter so much. At NCI , we try to address this through initiatives such as our Ctrl Alt Compete summer camp for secondary school girls, our female Coding Club, and our partnership with the 30 per cent Club through a postgraduate scholarship.
” The NCI’s Stem for All: Multiple Inclusive Stem Engagements for Families, Communities project, led by Stynes, has been awarded €60,000 in funding through the Research Ireland Discover Programme.
“This funding allows us to further advance our research into inclusive Stem education, building a stronger evidence base on what works in engaging children and families from underrepresented communities,” he says. “As principal investigator, it enables us to evolve and scale our programmes in a way that is both research-informed and community-driven, strengthening pathways into Stem from an early age through to future study and careers.
” The gender stereotypes that frame Stem as masculine are still holding girls back from pursuing these subjects in secondary school, as these social norms can “erode confidence and interest,” says Dr Jennifer Keenahan, an associate professor in civil engineering at UCD.
“International evidence also shows gaps in self-efficacy and anxiety, even when attainment is similar, and that family, teacher, and wider societal expectations shape subject choices. ”As parents, teachers, and society in general, we need to be very careful about the messages we send about natural ability and giftedness.
“We know now from research that there’s no such thing as a math gene or a mathematical brain,” Ní Shúilleabháin says, “but some people are more numerate, and some people have more spatial ability than others, but that’s more an influence of environment more than anything else. ” Ní Shúilleabháin grew up with puzzles, jigsaws, and Lego, which all help build spatial awareness and correlates with mathematical achievement and interest.
Keenahan is encouraged by the shift towards coordinated, evidence-informed action in relation to STEM education.
“Ireland’s STEM Education Policy explicitly prioritises increasing female uptake and has dedicated work on gender balance and effective interventions,” she says. “At EU level, initiatives such asfestivals are designed to build girls’ digital and entrepreneurial confidence at scale, alongside efforts to grow women’s participation in STEM study and work. ’s STEPS programme works with schools and youth organisations, while participation of women in apprenticeships has risen, engineering remains heavily male-dominated.
” As such, Keenahan reminds students in junior and senior cycle that STEM is not just a set of subjects.
“STEM develops curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving that travel well across careers. Try the ‘real’ version of STEM early – clubs, projects, competitions, taster lectures – and seek out mentors and role models who make the path feel concrete and achievable. ” Stynes’s advice to girls choosing STEM subjects in secondary school is simple: choose subjects that genuinely interest you and do not rule yourself out of STEM too early.
“If you enjoy problem-solving, creativity, discovery, or understanding how things work, STEM subjects may be a very good fit,” he says. “It is also worth checking the entry requirements for any courses you may want to study later.or NCI’s own undergraduate project showcase. You will see girls and young women doing excellent work across a huge range of areas. Maths and science are not just school subjects.
They are ways of understanding the world and shaping the future. ” And for those interested in a STEM career, Keenahan recommends treating your interest like a skill by building a portfolio of experience, whether that is work experience, internships, lab or field projects, coding or making.
“Find people who will sponsor and challenge you,” she says. “Mentoring is particularly powerful for confidence and career clarity, so actively look for it, and when you’re established, pay it forward. When choosing employers, ask about progression, flexibility, and family-friendly policies, because retaining talent depends on workplaces being designed for real lives.
” Oftentimes, when we refer to STEM, we think of the core elements of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, but Ní Shúilleabháin pulls us back into thinking about the wider aspects of STEM. While we must have gender balance across all of the sciences, we also need to highlight the fact that we still need ecologists, entomologists, foresters. People who study plants, insects, the oceans, and the world around us.
“We’re not thinking about botany, zoology, or ecology,” she says, “which are even more important than ever, because we are in a biodiversity crisis. We’re in a climate crisis. There’s a shortage of ecologists, there’s a shortage of foresters, and there are very few botanists around any more. These are the sciences that we’re going to depend on for our future.
” STEM encourages the study of the world around us in the context of the big problems.
“As a scientist, you are collaborating to fix the problems of the world,” says Ní Shúilleabháin, “which are often energy or cyber-related, or biodiversity and climate-related. We’re very anthropomorphic when we think about the sciences these days.
“Everything is human-related and human-centred. It’s really important that we think about all those things in terms of the world around us, and the skills we can all build. ”Concerns raised across multiple Leaving Cert review groups that experts not being listened toSeven gardaí dismissed from their posts so far this yearRap singer Macklemore says he has been removed from tour with Ed Sheeran after Gaza commentOprah Winfrey in Dublin: ‘How do you reach the highest, truest expression of yourself?
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