John Murray is a lecturer in palaeontology in Earth & Ocean Sciences, which is part of the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Galway. He holds a BA and PhD from Trinity College Dublin and taught there for two years before taking up his present lecturing position in Galway in 2003. He teaches to all years at undergraduate level, mainly in areas dealing with palaeontology, biological evolution and the history of the earth. John is equally at home teaching to students in a large lecture hall, small classroom, laboratory or even outdoors (in the field) at a rock outcrop (preferably somewhere scenic!) He has completed postgraduate training in teaching and learning in higher education and has received three University of Galway teaching awards.

Since 2011, John has run the History of Life film-project, which enables science students to experiment with film-making and enhance their science communication skills. The project has been very fortunate to receive several awards along the way - these reflect the hard-work, imagination and ingenuity of the student film-makers who make it all happen.

John has quite has wide-ranging research interests in all aspects of palaeontology, palaeoclimatology and geology. If an animal is extinct and lived in the distant past - he is interested! When not looking at dead things, he coaches the local U13 rugby team.ern Caucasus.