Edel Foster
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Edel Foster B.Sc. , MA by Research, Prof. Diploma
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism Manager
Edel was appointed Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism Manager at MIC in 2021. Previously she was the MIC Athena Swan Project Manager (2018-2021) and MIC School Placement Manager in the MIC Faculty of Education (2015-2018). Prior to this Edel worked in a range of roles within higher education, both private and public sector organisations. Edel is deeply committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and interculturalism both at MIC and across the higher education sector in Ireland. Edel is particularity motivated by supporting others and creating positive change that impact people’s lives and careers.
At MIC, Edel offers advice and support to the MIC community across a range of EDII activities and projects that seek to create positive change across the nine protected grounds. In addition, she has facilitated the MIC’s Athena Swan journey in terms of developing infrastructure and processes that have led to several awards including the MIC Athena Swan Institutional Bronze and MIC Faculty of Arts Bronze Awards. She is also an Athena Swan National Practitioner member and has engaged in national peer review panels as an observer, panelist and Chair. Edel is an Advance HE Aurora Champion and at MIC supports staff to engage in women leaderships programmes to support career progression. She has offered a range of presentations on areas that include EDII, gender equality initiatives and embedding EDII within organisations at MIC, nationally and internationally. Edel has been successfully awarded funding from the Higher Education Authority to collaborate with other colleges on projected related to gender identity, engaging men in gender equality work and gender in initial teacher education.
Having graduated with a first class honours degree in Quantity Surveying in 2008 from Limerick Institute of Technology, Edel continued with her studies completing a Masters by Research in the Built Environment in 2011. During her PG studies, she lectured part time and was part of a research team that published Management in the Built Environment in Ireland. Edel completed a Professional Diploma in Human Rights and Equality from the IPA in 2021 and the Aurora Leadership Programme in 2023.
