With deep sadness, the Trustees and administration of Barnard College mourn the passing of Nancy A. Garvey ’71, Ph.D.

A dedicated alumna, Nancy joined the Board of Trustees in 2008 and began serving as chair of the Budget and Finance committee in 2013. Garvey earned her doctorate in economics at Columbia University in 1980, where she later taught. Garvey long devoted her time and energy to giving back and advancing women’s progress by serving on a number of boards, including the New School, Pace University, and the Bronx Preparatory Charter School.

She went on to have an impressive career at General Motors and AlliedSignal (now Honeywell). At AlliedSignal, she broke the glass ceiling as one of the top 13 people among 14,000 corporate employees and one of only two women among the senior leadership.  

In 2018, she received the Joan Rivers ’54 Trailblazer Award, which is presented to those who exemplify the strength, determination, creativity, and courage that were the hallmarks of Rivers’ groundbreaking and illustrious career. In June 2022, the College named a stretch of campus “Nancy A. Garvey ’71 Walk” and established a science endowment fund in her honor at a dedication ceremony attended by her children, Katie and Zach. Heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and loved ones.

Cheryl Glicker Milstein – Chair, Board of Trustees
Sian Leah Beilock – President