Professor Tadhg O’Donovan
Deputy Principal for Education and Student Life
Biography
Professor Tadhg O’Donovan, a familiar and highly respected leader within the Heriot-Watt community, took on the role of Deputy Principal Education and Student Life in 2025. He currently serves as the University’s Chief Scientist and Deputy Vice Principal of the Dubai Campus.
With over 19 years in academia, he is a seasoned academic leader specialising in Renewable Energy Engineering, Technology Enhance Teaching Innovation and Transnational Education. Tadhg's research background in thermal science is largely applied to solar energy conversion, systems and storage. His research group focuses on the development of low-cost solar collector technology for domestic hot water systems, phase change thermal storage devices, characterisation of high solar photovoltaics, and the thermal management of Li-Ion batteries.