Aisling Judge

Aisling Judge
Judge (left) with Mary Hanafin.
Born1991 (age 32–33)
Known forHer device for bad packaged food
AwardsBT Young Scientist of the Year (2006)
3rd Place EU Young Scientist of the Year (2006)

Aisling Judge is an Irish scientist from Kinsale, County Cork. She was the winner of the 42nd Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in 2006 at the age of 13. She was the youngest winner in the history of the competition, until her record was taken two years later by thirteen-year-old Emer Jones from Tralee in County Kerry.[1][2] Judge later finished in third place at the 18th European Union Contest for Young Scientists.

Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition

At the time of her win Judge was a second-year student at Kinsale Community School in Kinsale.[1] Her project involved the creation of a device to demonstrate when packaged food had gone out of date.[3] It was called "The development and evaluation of a biological food spoilage indicator".[4] The judges said her work involved "a highly innovative and creative use of experimental biology" and that it was "very impressive" and "a novel use of technology".[4]

Judge was also part one of what was to become the first school in the country to be attended by multiple Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition winners in 2009 when her fellow students Liam McCarthy and John D. O'Callaghan won the same award whilst she was still a student there.[5] McCarthy and O'Callaghan cited her success as an influence in encouraging them to compete and helping them to achieve their win.[6]

Judge won the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS, Dublin on 13 January 2006.[1]

Media appearances, further competitions

Judge appeared on the Turkey Talking segment of children's television programme Dustin's Daily News in 2007 to discuss a CD she had created to assist science students with their examination revision.[7] She went on to finish in third place at the 18th European Union Contest for Young Scientists,[7] which was held in Sweden.[4]

Education

Judge went on to attain a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at University College Dublin and a master's degree in biochemical engineering at University College London.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Youngest ever winner of Scientist competition". RTÉ. 14 January 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  2. ^ Dick Ahlstrom (8 January 2009). "Gravity-defying motorcyclists give young scientists a touch of vroom". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 January 2010. President Mary McAleese was on hand yesterday to launch the exhibition along with drummers and an eight-foot robot. [...] The Unity Drummers played while the cage was rolled out of the BT Arena and then co-presenters Ray D'Arcy and Aoibheann Ní Shúilleabháin introduced last year's BT Young Scientist, Emer Jones, who at 13 was the youngest winner yet in the exhibition which is now in its 45th year. BT chief executive officer Chris Clark introduced Mrs McAleese who roundly congratulated the students for their achievement in being accepted to display their projects at the RDS.
  3. ^ Sean O'Riordan and Niall Murray (10 January 2009). "Milk project wins school its second scientist gong". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 7 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Dick Ahlstrom (14 January 2006). "YAisling's winner is a fresh idea for spoiled food". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  5. ^ Leo McMahon (17 January 2009). "Kinsale Community School celebrates another BT Young Scientist success". The Southern Star. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  6. ^ Denise Clark (10 January 2009). "Cream of the crop". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2010. The boys said seeing fellow student Aisling Judge winning the 2006 competition was an incentive for them to enter. "We saw Aisling winning it and we became interested in entering. We wanted to come up and experience the competition and have some fun. Winning it is an added bonus. We just can't believe it," said Liam.
  7. ^ a b "Aisling Judge DDN". Dustin's Daily News. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  8. ^ O'Connell, Claire. "From Dublin's RDS to the world – Aisling Judge on being a young scientist". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Aisling Judge". Linkedin. Retrieved 21 February 2021.