The Independent College Fund of Maryland – also known as the I-Fund – honored Sheela Murthy at their Evening of Excellence celebration, held in the Athenaeum of Goucher College on February 8, 2012. Murthy is the proud recipient of this year’s I-Fund Leadership Award, a prestigious prize bestowed on an outstanding businessperson who exemplifies the values of independent liberal arts education, and whose activities in the community demonstrate a commitment to higher education.

The I-Fund was created over 58 years ago to create partnerships between the business community and Maryland’s independent colleges, with a view to ensuring what the Fund calls “a balanced system of higher education that produces quality minds for Maryland’s future.”

In announcing the award, I-Fund Executive Director, Rick Halberstick, said, “The nature of Sheela’s success and continued engagement in the success of young people in Maryland is a shining example of the type of leadership we would like to honor.” Indeed, Murthy’s philanthropic work reflects her keen interest in higher education; she has served on the Stevenson University Board of Trustees since 2008, and recently was appointed Honorary Chair for the Center for Global Education at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). She also is an active member of the Harvard University Alumni Association for Maryland, and has endowed student scholarships and faculty fellowships at her alma mater, Harvard Law School.

The I-Fund Leadership Award acknowledges Murthy’s outstanding work in support of higher education, and we couldn’t be more pleased to see her achieve this well-deserved recognition.

Copyright © 2012, SHEELA MURTHY. All Rights Reserved