Meet Dr. O'Mahony!

At Saint Ursula, our teachers help guide each student through the difficulties we face both inside and outside of the classroom. This year Saint Ursula has numerous new additions to the staff, one such teacher being welcomed into the bulldog community is Dr. O’Mahony. During his first month teaching honors and AP chemistry at Saint Ursula, he has already become beloved by his students.

Interestingly enough, Dr. O’Mahony was born and raised in Ireland. When asked about his move to America and the differences between the two countries, he stated, “Ireland has a better sense of community and interconnectedness.” He moved to the United States after finishing graduate school and earning his PhD in Chemistry.

After earning his degree, Dr. O’Mahony decided to pursue his passion for teaching. His mother served as a lifelong inspiration for his teaching career, as Dr. O’Mahony reflected, “My mother was a teacher for forty years so that was always something I was potentially interested in. When I was doing my postdoctoral work I realized teaching appealed to me more than research so I shifted my research."

Thus, after moving to the United States and settling in New York City, he taught at the prestigious Spence School for nearly a decade. An interesting fact for fans of Gossip Girl, Cecily von Ziegesar, the author of the book series which inspired the hit show, attended the Spence School, and she based the upper-east-side drama of Serena and Blair on her own experiences at the prep school!

During his experience educating at Spence, Dr. O’Mahony describes his former students as “some of the best people I have ever met,” sharing that these young women “were some of the most empathetic, kindest, and caring people." When beginning to teach at SUA, he was looking forward to witnessing the similar characteristics and passion develop within the students.

Now living in the Queen City, he enjoys “being able to practically own a car, and the ability to go to the countryside and hike.” Additionally, outside of the classroom Dr. O’Mahony loves to read and is a self-proclaimed sports fan.

As he continues to learn about the Saint Ursula community, Dr. O’Mahony claims the schedule has been the most difficult adjustment as the compact block classes do not “provide the opportunity to grow relationships as much as I could at Spence.”

While Dr. O’Mahony continues to integrate into the Saint Ursula community make sure to give him a warm welcome!