Professor David Fitzpatrick

Responsibilities

Professor David FitzPatrick was recently appointed as Pro-Vice Chancellor at University of Nottingham. He has assumed the role of Interim Provost and CEO at the University of Nottingham Malaysia on 1 June 2024 and in line with formal requirements in Malaysia, this is subject to Ministry of Higher Education approval. He joins us from the Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), where he served as the inaugural president following its designation as a Technological University on 1 January 2019.

Profile

Professor FitzPatrick brings a wealth of experience from both industry and academic career perspectives to his management and leadership. Prior to his tenure at TU Dublin, he held prominent positions at University College Dublin (UCD) from 1998 to 2018, including Head of School, Vice Principal for Internationalisation & Development, and contemporaneously, Principal of the College and Dean of Engineering& Architecture. His extensive academic credentials are complemented by considerable executive experience, a significant international profile, and extensive industry experience. He managed product development and research of orthopaedic devices for the international division of a major US medical devices organisation. 

Teaching and Research Summary

 Professor FitzPatrick holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Trinity College Dublin and a doctorate in biomechanics from the University of Oxford. After earning his doctorate, he worked in the orthopaedic industry with Howmedica International Ltd. in Limerick and DePuy International in Leeds. His roles included managing product development, strategy, and research programmes for knee, upper limb, trauma, and spinal product lines. 

In 1998, Professor FitzPatrick returned to Ireland to join UCD’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2005, Associate Professor in 2010, and full Professor in 2012. He served as Head of the School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering from September 2005 to August 2011 and later as Vice Principal for Internationalisation & Development in the College of Engineering and Architecture. 

In 2012, Professor FitzPatrick was appointed as the inaugural Provost of the Beijing-Dublin International College, where he led the development of Ireland’s largest dual-degree programme initiative in China. He continued in this role while also serving as Principal of UCD’s College of Engineering & Architecture and as a member of UCD’s University Management Team from 2014 to 2018, before becoming President of TU Dublin on 1 January 2019. 

Professor FitzPatrick’s research primarily focuses on orthopaedic mechanics and medical device design, particularly concerning the knee joint and spine. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and major international conference proceedings. His work has been recognised with prestigious awards, including the International Society of Biomechanics Clinical Biomechanics Award (2003) and the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (RAMI) Haughton Lecture & RAMI Silver Medal (2017).