Professor Yvonne Buckley, Co-Director of the Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water, has been awarded a 2026 Royal Irish Academy (RIA) Gold Medal in recognition of her outstanding contribution to science, research, and scholarship.
The RIA Gold Medals were established to acclaim Ireland’s foremost thinkers in the humanities, social sciences, and across the sciences. The medals recognise inspirational figures, celebrate excellence in higher education in Ireland, and aim to inspire future generations. As a result, the Gold Medals have become a nationally recognised celebration of scholarly achievement.
Professor Buckley MRIA, was honoured with the RIA Gold Medal in the Environmental Sciences, Geography and Geosciences for her expertise in environmental decision-making, conservation, natural capital management and population ecology. She leads a research team studying the drivers of plant and animal populations in a rapidly changing world and uses these discoveries to provide support for environmental decisions in the areas of biodiversity conservation, invasive species management, climate change and habitat restoration.
In her acknowledgement speech, Professor Buckley said:
‘It is a great honour to receive the 2026 Royal Irish Academy Gold Medal in the Environmental Sciences, Geography and Geosciences. I am grateful for the recognition of my research and for the opportunity to contribute, alongside many outstanding colleagues, to advancing knowledge of our natural world at a time of rapid environmental change.’
Since 2005, 40 Gold Medals have been awarded. Notable recipients include philosopher Professor Dermot Moran, literary and cultural studies scholar Professor Anne Fuchs, immunologist Professor Fergus Shanahan, scientist Professor Seamus Martin, and environmental scientist Professor Jennifer McElwain.
