Sr. Margaret "Peggy" Murphy, OP, a recently retired professor of Religious Studies at Mount Saint Mary College, a Dominican Sister of Hope, and a former SUNY Orange Foundation Board member, earned the prestigious Anne Bushnell Memorial Award for Special Achievement from the New York Community College Trustees (NYCCT) in November.
The Bushnell Award is the highest accolade that NYCCT awards to a trustee. It recognizes extraordinary leadership and achievement to the trustee's local college or the community college system.
Sr. Murphy served the Mount community for two decades – from 1999 to 2019 – and has been a Dominican sister since 1962. She's been involved in the fields of counseling and education, has been a national conference speaker on child development and mental health issues, and is a New York State Certified Substance Abuse Counselor.
At the Mount, she was the well-liked and enthusiastic leader of the college's Heritage Tour for many years and taught hundreds of students, faculty, and staff about Dominican spirituality, world religions, and more.
Sr. Murphy earned a bachelor's degree in Education from St. John's University and a master's degree in Pastoral Counseling from Iona College. She also completed a Master of Clinical Social Work degree from Yeshiva University and a Doctorate of Ministry from Drew University.
She has always been heavily invested in her community, volunteering with many groups and organizations in an effort to improve the lives friends, neighbors, and strangers.
In the past, Sr. Murphy received the Orange County Woman of Achievement Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Award, and the New York State Senate Woman of Distinction Award.