Mary Jane Daly MCP ’83 honored for “enduring and transformative effect” on MIT’s alumnae community

The 2025 MIT Alumni Leadership Conference recognized four SA+P alumni

By Maria Iacobo

Mary Jane Daly MCP ’83 was honored with the Margaret L. A. MacVicar ’65 SCD ’67 Award at the 2025 MIT Alumni Leadership Conference held on campus last month. Daly, the professional development director and a lecturer for the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, has volunteered with the Association of MIT Alumnae (AMITA) for nearly a decade and served two terms as AMITA’s president (2018-2022). She currently serves on the group’s nominations committee. 

AMITA’s mission celebrates the “legacy and accomplishments of alumnae” and supports women students and alumnae “in attaining their fullest potential and achieving their desired impact on the world.” The MacVicar award specifically recognizes “innovation, dedication, and meaningful impact” to the association and Institute — attributes which were generously outlined and shared for Daly’s nomination by colleagues in AMITA.

Daly was recognized for her “leadership, mentorship, and inclusive vision” and for revitalizing the organization by “expanding its membership and ensuring it appropriately reflected the diversity of MIT’s alumnae across generations, disciplines, and geographies. Under her leadership, AMITA launched meaningful programming addressing issues such as pay equity, gender bias in STEM, and the global achievements of MIT women.” 

Daly built partnerships with alumni groups and clubs nationwide and worked to build a board with international representation.  She  led efforts to honor the Institute’s commitment to gender inclusion, particularly through initiatives celebrating alumna Ellen Swallow Richards (SB 1873), MIT’s first woman student and AMITA’s first president. Her thoughtful navigation of generational shifts within AMITA and her service on the nominations committee exemplify her inclusive leadership style and her ability to inspire and unify.”

“I’m just incredibly honored to be recognized for what was a privilege in the first place,” says Daly of the honor. “The women I interact with are all amazingly talented women. Knowing that I was nominated by my colleagues, means the world to me.”

After earning her degree at DUSP, Daly launched her career in planning. She returned to DUSP in 1998 to provide professional development guidance to students and alumni and foster connections that are aimed at cultivating a single DUSP community of practice. Serving on AMITA’s board provided Daly the opportunity to focus her professional interest in issues associated with women, families, and work and her personal commitment to helping women navigate the work environment in the planning field. 

Other SA+P alumni were recognized at this year’s leadership conference:

Dima Ayyash ’12, MCP ’13 and Emily Huang MA ’91, MArch ’91 were also awarded the MacVicar Award. Carissa Climaco ’89, MCP ’96 was recognized with the Henry B. Kane ’24 Award for exceptional service and accomplishments in fundraising for the alumni association and MIT.