Patrick Gerald McKenna, DL, FIBMS, FRSB, MRIA (born 10 December 1953), known informally and widely as Gerry McKenna, is a Chartered Biologist (CBiol, 1982) and Chartered Scientist (CSci, 2006) from Northern Ireland.
Professor McKenna is most well known for his long affiliation with the University of Ulster in Coleraine, where he was honoured with the Freedom of the Borough of Coleraine[1][2] and as Coleraine Business Person of the Year, as well as being appointed Deputy Lieutenant and later Vice Lord Lieutenant for County Londonderry.[3]
During McKenna's successive tenures as founding Director of the Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, Head of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Dean of Science, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research), and finally Vice Chancellor/President of the University of Ulster, the university became the foremost provider of healthcare programs (both undergraduate and postgraduate), and was top-ranked for research (5*) in Biomedical Sciences and Celtic Studies in the UK, one of only 20 universities to have two 5* ratings.[4] It also became the largest university on the island of Ireland.[5] The university rose to 27th in Quality Research Funding (research power) in the UK and was shortlisted for Sunday Times University of the Year.[6]
McKenna has strongly promoted social inclusion,[7] most notably via the acclaimed 'Step Up' program for school pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. He also established a range of e-learning programs via Campus One.[8][9][10]