$1.5M State Commerce Grant Matches Funding for NDMU’s Endowed Chair

Endowed Chair Position Expands Faculty Research and Scholarship in Biology
An NDMU student works in a lab on campus


BALTIMORE – A new $1.5 million grant from the Maryland Department of Commerce matches private funding for Notre Dame of Maryland University’s recently established endowed chair position in biology to advance groundbreaking research and scholarship.

Named in honor of one of Notre Dame’s most distinguished alumnae, the Dr. Mary Kay Shartle Galotto ’64 Endowed Chair in the Biological Sciences will provide additional support for a talented scientist to collaborate with NDMU undergraduate students and faculty on interdisciplinary research needed to solve complex global challenges. The position will also strengthen existing community partnerships and develop new ones to bolster the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan region’s growing bioscience and health industry.


“The $1.5 million matching grant from the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative will enhance NDMU’s leadership position in STEM and healthcare education, supporting the state’s goals to grow the pipeline of professionals for these in-demand fields,” said President Marylou Yam. “The grant helps NDMU to advance innovative research and scholarship by expanding opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning and research with expert faculty mentors.”

The endowed chair will expand NDMU’s capacity to attract new research faculty, promote biology scholarship, and engage undergraduate students in significant research. The endowed chair will also 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 Sister Alma Science Year program. Funding for the endowed chair is part of the $45 million Go BeyoND: The Campaign for NDMU.


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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