As a first-generation college student with children, Murphy developed a passion for creating graduate learning environments where all students can thrive. After serving as academic associate dean for STEM fields at Arcadia University College of Global Studies, Murphy joined the Princeton Graduate School in 2013 as assistant dean for academic affairs, becoming associate dean in 2020. During the last year, she served as Director of Special Projects for the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Murphy said she sees many important similarities between British Columbia and Princeton. “BC, like Princeton, is well known for its stature as a liberal arts university. Additionally, British Columbia, like Princeton, is an R1 institution, the highest Carnegie classification for research activities. It is therefore essential that we leverage British Columbia’s strengths across the entire spectrum of teaching and research, and Morrissey College is a great example of this.

Thanks to her Catholic upbringing – her first paid job was working in a rectory – Murphy finds that the Jesuit and Catholic mission of BC and MCGS resonates with her.

“A Boston College education is mission-driven,” she said. “You are taught to find value in thinking about how your work affects the common good and the world at large. This is true for both the graduate and undergraduate experience: we want BC students to have a broader view of what they do, because research helps drive positive change.

Financial support for students continues to be one of the main areas of focus at MCGS, which seeks to provide benefits and stipends at a similar level to peer institutions, as well as health policies and well-being, sick/vacation leave and parental leave, among others. , according to Murphy.

“We appreciate and want to reciprocate these students’ investment and commitment to British Columbia,” she said. “Graduating students use the tuition remission and stipend they receive from British Columbia to support themselves and, in some cases, their families. We really want to enable them to live locally during their time at Morrissey College. BC values ​​in-person learning and scholarship because it helps students graduate in a timely manner and also creates bonds of camaraderie and connection among our students.

Additionally, Murphy said, MCGS is committed to providing “more holistic support” to its students by considering their academic, financial and social needs and preparing them to use their degrees in a wide variety of careers.

“Academic advising is an important component of higher education. It is also essential that students have access to mentors inside and outside the academy who can support them as they think about next steps after graduate school and envision a career path. . We also need to provide graduate students with resources that support them as learners, teachers, and scholars who often must balance classroom learning and teaching with independent research.

“The graduate student experience is a little different than that of undergraduates, but they want to feel a connection to the broader campus community – knowing how to find resources but also scholarships. We are fortunate that British Columbia has Murray House and MCGS to provide support and enrichment to the lives of graduate students.

Murphy graduated with honors from Ursinus College with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She completed her doctoral work in chemistry with Professors Thomas J. Meyer and Holden Thorp at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where she was a Graduate Assistance Fellow in Areas of National Need and a member of the Frank Porter Graham Honors Society. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry at Duke University. She is a highly regarded speaker in higher education and a member of several leading national organizations.