We were devastated to learn of the death of our friend and colleague, Dr Aaron McConville, who passed away suddenly on 3rd November 2020.
Aaron joined the School of Engineering as a very successful and high achieving Biomedical Engineering student. He went on to complete a PhD before joining Ulster as a Lecturer over two years ago.
We have received some very kind emails that recalled the gentle, kind and ‘always willing to help’ nature of our softly spoken colleague. Aaron was very popular with our students and one of the many emails was from our student body expressing their sadness on hearing this news.
From teaching and research, to winning awards, Aaron was an exemplar in everything he did for Ulster University and in particular, the School of Engineering. He was also a valued Ulster University contributor to the popular annual Northern Ireland Science Festival, inspiring the next generation of inquiring minds. He was pioneering, with colleagues, the new pathways of teaching at SUST in China. Only months ago, he helped support frontline workers by raising funds, 3D-printing and producing an impressive 1,000 life-saving shields in his own home, distributing them to a number of care homes, hospitals and hospices in urgent need of PPE.
Aaron will be deeply missed by us all and especially by his closest friends in the School.
I know that, as a University family, we will come together to support Aaron’s family, friends and each other at this extremely difficult time.
Aaron will be deeply missed by all of us and on behalf of the University, our deepest sympathies are with his family at this time.
May he rest in peace.
Kind Regards,
Prof Jim McLaughlin