Ulster University student Jennifer Connolly, has been named as this year’s winner of the Dairy Council for Northern Irelands’ ‘Sports Nutrition Award’.
Presented to the student who achieves the highest mark in their MSc in Sports and Exercise Nutrition, the annual Sports Nutrition Award aims to celebrate the exceptional individuals emerging as sports and exercise nutritionists.
It is delivered in partnership between the Dairy Council NI and Ulster University’s School of Sport and Exercise Science in recognition of a candidate whole exemplifies excellence in the field.
Having joined Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados as a faculty member, Connolly now lectures in physiology and continues to excel in her discipline.
Sports Nutrition Award
Upon receiving the Sports Nutrition award, she said: “I am extremely honored to be the recipient of this award. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would like to acknowledge the staff and faculty, as well as my peers at Ulster for their support.
“This recognition inspires me to further explore the intersection of sports and exercise nutrition and my background in reproductive physiology.
“I look forward to utilizing the knowledge and skills I have gained through this course to undertake new and meaningful research that integrates these fields. Thank you for this encouragement to continue striving for academic and professional excellence.”
The award was announced at Dairy Council’s 2024 Sports Nutrition Seminar in November, where Subject Lead and Senior Lecturer at UU, Dr Andrea McNeilly added:
“This accomplishment represents a significant milestone for Jennifer and serves as a testament to her commitment and diligence throughout her Master of Science programme.
“We extend our best wishes for her continued success in her future career and look forward to following her next steps in sport and exercise nutrition.”
The Award is part of the Dairy Council’s ‘Milk It’ programme which aims to communicate the importance of good nutrition for sports and a healthy, active lifestyle, including the role of milk.
Commenting on the presentation of 2024’s winner, Dairy Council Chief Executive, Ian Stevenson, said: “This award is a testament to the School of Sport and Exercise Science’s exemplary output and the continued hard work and innovation of Ulster students.
“Each year we recognise those best-in-class individuals, like Jennifer, as they set out to become the sports and exercise nutritionists of tomorrow. On behalf of Dairy Council, I would like to congratulate Jennifer and very much look forward to seeing how her career develops in the field.”