EDII Team
Professor Lorraine McIlrath
Professor Lorraine McIlrath joined MIC in January 2022 as the inaugural Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism (EDII). Prior to this appointment, Lorraine has led, and been involved in, a number of Irish, EU and internationally funded partnerships to look at the advancement of tools, research and pedagogies that support equality, diversity, inclusion and interculturalism.
Edel Foster
Edel Foster 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.
Kathleen Maher
Kathleen Maher joined the MIC EDII team in September 2023 as the inaugural MIC Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Manager. Prior to this Kathleen work in the domestic violence sector and brings a wealth of experience and wisdom to the Framework for Consent at MIC and to other higher education institutions in Ireland.
Dr Lylian Fotabong
Dr Lylian Fotabong is the inaugural Race Equality and Sanctuary Manager at MIC, a role uniquely informed by her lived experience and a robust academic and professional background. Her recent PhD in Applied Linguistics from MIC, postgraduate teaching experience and a career in radio and newspaper journalism across Ireland and internationally, equip her with an understanding of the media's influence on societal attitudes towards marginalised groups. Through the lens of corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis (discourse historical approach), her research explores the complex intersections of media language and crucial themes of race, racism, xenoracism, ethnicism, identity, and discrimination. Lylian’s work uncovers discriminatory language patterns and advocates for emancipatory practices that promote equity, inclusivity, and social justice, aiming to develop activist and solution-oriented approaches within academic discussions of these vital issues.
Órna Quinn
Órna Quinn joined the EDII team in April 2025 after working with the MIC Human Resources team for over a year. Órna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Ethics, which began her interest in Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism. In particular, Órna is interested in the intersectional approach to achieving environmental justice. Passionate about learning beyond the traditional classroom setting, Órna has participated in various workshops and courses including SafeTALK, Disclosure, Consent, as well as Baking Pastry Theory and Sign Language.
