# Disinformation Expert Tom Felle Accused of Falsely Claiming Doctorate University of Galway academic faces scrutiny over unverified PhD credentials from City St George’s. - **Source:** [RTÉ News](https://www.rte.ie/news) - **Published:** 2026-11-06 - **Topic:** [careers](https://brifing.si/c/careers) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/e2feb39e-bec8-4f0d-b74c-84ad4fcb3fc4 ## Academic Credentials Under Scrutiny Tom Felle, an associate professor at the University of Galway and a former Fulbright scholar, has been accused of falsely claiming a doctorate. Despite being listed as 'Dr Tom Felle' on university prospectuses and official submissions to the Oireachtas, evidence suggests the degree from City St George’s was never actually awarded. ## The Disputed PhD Claim Felle claimed to have earned a PhD by prior publication from City St George’s in 2022. However, the university confirmed that no such degrees were awarded in the journalism department during the 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 academic years. Furthermore, there is no record of a thesis submission in the university library. ## Lack of Standard Procedures Felle admitted during an interview that he had no supervisor, no external examiner, and did not undergo a viva voce oral defense. Academic experts note that a legitimate PhD program requires these specific components. Without these rigorous oversight mechanisms, the awarding of a doctoral degree is considered impossible by university standards. ## Institutional Response and Silence City St George’s declined to comment on specific individuals due to data protection obligations but clarified that all PhDs require a successful viva and supervision. The University of Galway has not responded to inquiries regarding whether they verified Felle's credentials before allowing him to use the title in official university communications. ## Digital Footprint Alterations Following inquiries from Prime Time, the University of Galway began deleting or editing online profiles and social media posts that previously referred to Felle as 'Dr'. This reactive measure highlights the university's struggle to manage the fallout from the controversy surrounding a senior faculty member who specialized in media disinformation. ## Expertise in Disinformation Ironically, Felle’s academic research interests include trust, transparency, and the verification of online information. He has served as an expert assessor for the media regulator Coimisiún na Meán and as a judge for the Irish Journalism Awards, positions that rely heavily on the integrity and credibility of the appointed expert. ## Historical Departmental Context This controversy creates further instability for the University of Galway’s journalism department. In 2018, the institution faced significant negative publicity and was forced to refund student fees due to complaints regarding course quality. Felle was originally hired to lead the department and restore its reputation following those previous institutional failures. ## Implications for Academic Integrity The situation raises critical questions regarding the vetting processes for senior academic appointments. As institutions rely on the perceived authority of their faculty to attract students and influence policy, the failure to verify basic credentials undermines the credibility of the entire department and the broader academic community's commitment to truth. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2026/1106/1598192-galway-university-fake-news-expert-claims-fake-doctorate/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._