Mountcollins native, Muirne Lane, has been among sixteen chosen from two hundred applicants to the prestigious WiSTEM2D Johnson & Johnson scholarship award.
This programme is open to female undergraduate students of STEM subjects entering their 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of studies in 2022/23. The Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D  (which stands for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing and Design) Programme aims to fuel development of the female STEM2D talent pipeline by awarding and spon-soring women at critical points in their careers in STEM2D disciplines. This programme was introduced in the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science in UCC in 2018 and has been instrumental in supporting our female students through a range of initiatives including leadership training, mentoring, internships, bursaries, and CV/recruitment clinics.
Muirne attended Coláiste Íde agus Iosef in Abbeyfeale after primary school, and it was there that she developed a keen interest into the world of Science. She is currently attending University College Cork and Munster Technological University, Cork (joint course).
She explained “I am a second-year student in UCC/MTU studying Biomedical Science. It’s a joint course which is great because I can make use of both campuses and facilities.  I love the course as it is a very varied course with multiple disciplines such as Haematology and Microbiology, which I find extremely interesting. It is also nice that it is a small class group, so everyone is on a first name basis and knows each other quite well.”
I asked her about the process of the WiSTEM2D Johnson & Johnson scholarship.
“I completed an application form and submitted my Curriculum Vitae.  I was then shortlisted for an interview and was finally chosen as one of the successful recipients. At the awards ceremony, which took place at Janssen Sciences in Ringaskiddy, we were told that they received a total of 200 applications over the STEM courses for this award. Based on these applications, they shortlisted 30 students for an interview, with 16 people being successful. Each recipient received a student and bursary award, industry mentoring along with the opportunity to attend career workshops, tours to Johnson & Johnson sites and participate in WiSTEM2D events”. She is understandably very happy with the result of her efforts.
“From receiving this scholarship, I hope to gain experience and knowledge to support my personal and professional development in a business environment. I also hope to identify with the J&J organisation and form a professional network with industry leaders.  Also, by engaging with this programme, I hope it allows me to become a more effective team contributor in decision making processes and to promote the opportunities for women for STEM careers.” She added “In the future, I see myself working in a multi-disciplined team of engineers, scientists, technicians, and admini-strative support in a changing environment.  This award will hopefully give me a solid foundation and launching board to achieving this career path.  Obviously, I would love to work for J&J, should the opportunity arise in the future.”
I’m sure that the company would be fortunate indeed to have this hard-working girl in its employ! With young ambitious students like Muirne, it’s safe to say that the future is in safe hands.
Congratulations to Muirne and continued success in her chosen field.