As a teenager, Maggie Ryan, AB ’16, began a yearslong mentoring relationship with Michelle Niescierenko, MD, MPH, a pediatric emergency medicine physician and director of the Global Health Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. Niescierenko’s mentorship ignited Maggie’s passion for global health. Whenever they met, Maggie Ryan would return home and tell her parents stories about Niescierenko’s accomplishments. She was in awe of the young physician and sought to follow in her footsteps.
When Maggie arrived at Washington University in St. Louis, she pursued dual majors in Arts & Sciences — anthropology in the global health and environment track, and women, gender, and sexuality studies. After graduation, she planned to spend a year in Kenya addressing maternal health challenges at a 52-bed rural community hospital affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. Afterwards she wanted to attend medical school. Tragically, Maggie’s vibrant life was cut short when she died in a car accident on her way home to Boston just two days after her WashU Commencement.
In honor of their late daughter, Tony and Ann Ryan of Boston made a gift to establish the Margaret C. Ryan Deanship in the university’s planned School of Public Health. The endowed deanship was instrumental in attracting Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, a renowned physician and epidemiologist who will join the university Jan. 1. In this critical role, Galea will help shape and launch WashU’s first brand-new school in a century.
“Sandro Galea is a trailblazer in the field of public health, and we’re grateful that the Ryan family’s generosity has allowed us to bring his visionary leadership to WashU as the inaugural dean of our School of Public Health,” Chancellor Andrew D. Martin says. “With Sandro leading the way, we’re poised to elevate community health to new heights in St. Louis and worldwide.”
Galea currently is dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health and the Robert A. Knox Professor. He is one of the most cited social scientists in the world, with more than 1,000 scientific journal articles, 75 chapters, and 24 books. At WashU, he will also hold the Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professorship in Public Health.
A born leader
Maggie Ryan grew up the older sister to three younger brothers. Serving as a counselor and teacher to them came naturally to her. “She was very nurturing and loved helping care for them,” says Ann Ryan, now a member of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Philanthropic Board of Advisors. “She was kind of another little mother, and the boys adored her.”
Maggie fell in love with WashU during a prospective student tour and thrived during her four years on campus. During her first year, she began participating in the annual Dance Marathon fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals of Greater St. Louis. She felt a strong connection to the organization’s mission and recognized she could improve children’s health and well-being by raising awareness about the importance of medical research.
As a junior, she served as the group’s morale chair. The position involved entertaining and energizing participants, especially during the 12-hour dance-a-thon that concluded the yearlong fundraiser. Friends remember Maggie dancing in spirited clothing, from a cowgirl outfit to a rainbow tutu. “Being morale chair was perfect for Maggie,” her mother says. “She drew people in. She had an infectious spirit and personality.”
Maggie, who also held a leadership role in the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, believed in working together to serve others and build community. “When we think of WashU, we think of community,” says Tony Ryan, who is partner, president, and chief executive officer at Arrowstreet Capital, an investment management firm. “Maggie grew so much during college and formed many close friendships. It’s easy to see why she treasured the university. As parents, we’re thrilled our daughter had that positive experience.”
Honoring Maggie
The Ryans remain thankful for the unwavering support they received from WashU following Maggie’s death. The university established the Maggie Ryan Memorial Endowed Scholarship and hosted a memorial service in fall 2016 for the campus community to celebrate her life and say goodbye.
Tim Bono, assistant dean in the office of the vice chancellor for student affairs and a lecturer in psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences, was another source of support. Maggie took Bono’s course on the science of happiness, and he sent the Ryans copies of her weekly journal assignments. There, she reflected on her life and how happy she was at WashU. Reading Maggie’s unfiltered and authentic voice after she died was a gift to her family.
“We are forever grateful for the leadership and support provided by [then] Chancellor Mark Wrighton and the faculty and staff,” says Tony, who now sits on the university’s Board of Trustees. “It was incredibly touching,” Ann adds. “After losing Maggie, we became personally attached to the university because of its response during such a difficult time in our lives.”
“Our gift ties together the two things that Maggie was so passionate about in terms of public health — service to others and leadership. It’s a tremendous way to leverage her vision and honor her legacy.”
Tony Ryan
The Ryans contributed to Maggie’s memorial scholarship for many years. In 2020, they also created the Maggie Ryan Endowed Service Leader Scholarship for WashU students committed to improving the health and well-being of others. When the couple learned about the university’s plans for a new School of Public Health, they decided to increase their support. For the Ryans, endowing the deanship allows them to keep their daughter’s spirit alive while also ensuring the school’s success.
“Our gift ties together the two things that Maggie was so passionate about in terms of public health — service to others and leadership,” Tony says. “It’s a tremendous way to leverage her vision and honor her legacy.”
Leaving a lasting mark
With their deanship gift, the Ryans are helping WashU advance a bold vision for the School of Public Health. A key goal of the new school is uniting existing interdisciplinary partnerships and collaborations across the university. WashU is among the nation’s foremost centers of academic public health, and the school will centralize education, research, and community engagement in this area.
“The collaborative vision underlying the school resonates with our operating philosophy as a family and as individuals,” Tony says. “To solve challenging global issues, you need to bring together many different disciplines. We’re excited about the potential for WashU to become a world leader in public health. We’ve witnessed the effort, energy, and passion of many university leaders during the planning process, and we are very encouraged.”
Along with helping recruit Galea to WashU, the Margaret C. Ryan Deanship provides resources for the dean to attract additional talent to the university, facilitate new research initiatives, and more. The Ryans also hope the named position ensures Maggie’s life continues to be a source of inspiration for others, as it has been for them.
“The ability to make something good out of a tragedy has been empowering,” Tony says. “This is an opportunity for us to help others in Maggie’s name, and we think she would be proud.”
Contact us to learn more about establishing an endowed position at WashU.
