This weeks Campus Celebrity is Erin Duffy, a senior Molecular and Cell Biology major as well as irish dancer!
Name: Erin Duffy
Year: Senior
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
Hometown: Hebron, Conn.
How did you get started in Irish dancing?
I saw Riverdance on TV for the first time when I was 4, and I just kept watching it over and over again, trying to replicate those taps. Eventually, my parents caved and brought me to the Duffy Academy of Irish Dance, and after the first class I was hooked.
What is your role in UConn Irish?
I’m the social chair and choreographer, so I help plan our cultural events around campus and choreograph all of our routines.
What has been your biggest accomplishment in competitive dance?
Probably my biggest accomplishment was going to the World Irish Dance Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in 2010. It was a fantastic and very humbling experience to meet so many amazing dancers from all over the world.
I heard that you placed in the New England Regional Championships! What’s next for you?
Now it’s time to start training for Worlds, which will take place in Belfast, Ireland, over Easter weekend.
After you graduate in May, what would be your dream job?
Now I’m applying to PhD programs in Biochemistry, so I’ll be in school for a long time. When I’m done, though, I would love to do research at the Schepens Eye Institute in Boston. On the side, I’d love to become an Irish dance judge for competitions.