(BALTIMORE, Md.) – Notre Dame of Maryland University will establish a $1.5 million endowed chair position to advance groundbreaking research and scholarship in biology, as well as elevate NDMU as a leader in STEM and health sciences education in Baltimore and beyond.
Named in honor of one of Notre Dame’s most distinguished alumnae and loyal supporter, the Dr. Mary Kay Shartle Galotto ’64 Endowed Chair in the Biological Sciences is the first supporting the biological sciences. Offering Maryland’s only women’s college, Notre Dame has long been a champion of STEM education and innovation, producing graduates who excel at the highest levels in their fields.
“The Dr. Mary Kay Shartle Galotto ’64 Endowed Chair in the Biological Sciences will build on NDMU’s strong foundation of STEM education and research. Expanding opportunities for our Women’s College students to study and work with renowned researchers through this endowed chair will raise NDMU’s profile as a STEM education leader,” said Dr. Marylou Yam, president of Notre Dame of Maryland University. “We are excited to see how this endowed chair will inspire generations of young women to pursue advanced education and careers in STEM.”
The new endowed chair will expand NDMU’s capacity to attract new research faculty, enhance biology scholarship, and engage undergraduate students in significant research. The endowed chair position will work collaboratively with NDMU’s award-winning faculty across the science disciplines on research, as well as being a key mentor and advisor for the Sr. Alma Science Year Program, administered by the Biology Department. Sr. Alma Scholars are top biology juniors or seniors from NDMU’s Women’s College, who are selected to participate in a year-long biomedical research internship with the world’s top scientists at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Shartle Galotto dedicated her career in education and higher education administration to advancing the lives of her students by providing opportunities for hands-on experiences and lifelong learning. At Montgomery College, she held multiple leadership positions, including executive vice president for academic and student services, vice president and provost, acting provost, and dean of humanities. After retiring from Montgomery College, she led Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Johns Hopkins University for eight years. Dr. Shartle Galotto was named one of The Daily Record's 2009 Top 100 Women in Maryland.
The endowed chair is one of the funded initiatives that are part of Notre Dame’s Go BeyoND: The Campaign for NDMU. The $45 million campaign raises funds for strategic initiatives to include faculty research, capital improvements to the University’s Knott Science Center, and student scholarships. Learn more about Go BeyoND: The Campaign for NDMU at gobeyond.ndm.edu.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
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