Silver Spring Resident Shelly Donaldson Awarded McNulty Scholarship to Attend Saint Joseph's University

2014 Oct 2

Saint Joseph's University and Anne Welsh McNulty are pleased to announce that Shelley Donaldson of Silver Spring, Md. has received the John P. McNulty Scholarship for Excellence in Science and Math. Donaldson, who graduated in May from Montgomery Blair High School, received a four-year, full-tuition, merit-based scholarship and will be immersed in an intensive mentoring and research program.

Donaldson is a mathematics major and will work with faculty mentor Sandra Fillebrown, Ph.D., professor of mathematics and director of the McNulty Scholarship program, who will serve as her research supervisor.

"I am so grateful to the McNulty family for providing me with the opportunity to study math at Saint Joe's," says Donaldson. "I am thrilled to be a part of the supportive community of McNulty scholars and mentors, and I can't wait to take advantage of all the networking and research opportunities that the program provides."

"McNulty Scholars are young women who dare to be the best," says McNulty, a former managing director of Goldman Sachs, who supports the program in honor of her late husband, alumnus John P. McNulty '74, who was head of Goldman Sachs' Investment Management Division and served on the management committee. "John exuded energy, creativity and ambition. Through this program, we hope to ignite the same extraordinary spirit in others."

"Young women are consistently underrepresented in top positions in the fields of science, technology, mathematics and actuarial science," says director Sandra Fillebrown, Ph.D., professor of mathematics. "The McNulty Scholarship program enhances women's success in these areas by exposing students to a challenging learning and professional environment, designed to inspire them to achieve leadership roles at the top of their professions."

"John was a firm believer in the power of women to achieve greatness in their chosen fields," adds McNulty. "He inspired them to take risks and challenged them to tackle problems creatively and enthusiastically."

The scholarship recipients will develop professional readiness through internships in business and research settings, a senior capstone experience and activities that enhance networking, marketing and communications skills, and each scholar is assigned an individual faculty mentor. The upper class scholars in existing cohorts also serve as mentors to the new group.

John P. McNulty '74 is remembered for his philanthropy, strong leadership and dedication to Saint Joseph's. As an undergraduate accounting major, he served as student body president and later became a member of the SJU Board of Trustees, managing the University's endowment fund and leading the formation of the New York Council of SJU alumni, parents and friends. Throughout his life, he mentored many young associates and always challenged women to achieve their fullest potential.