Men on the Scene: Donal O’Shea

As President of New College of Florida, Dr. Donal O’Shea understands the excitement of finding a field of study that engages a passionate interest for a lifetime. That perspective resonates with New College’s student-focused independent study and active learning approach. While O’Shea has spent more than 20 years in leadership positions at liberal arts colleges, his love for his own field–mathematics–is apparent. He studied mathematics at Harvard University and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at Canada’s Queen’s University. “I love mathematics. People think it is very defined, but it’s also a dreamy field, and the shapes involved are very wonderful,” O’Shea says, “but I also got interested in the role liberal arts plays in preparing students for scientific careers.” Since becoming President in 2012, O’Shea has introduced New College’s first graduate program, a master’s degree in data science. He secured funding for a new science building and is playing a significant role in developing a consortium of local colleges and universities, which benefits the local community as well as students. “This has tremendous implications,” O’Shea says. “We have the human capital and research capabilities. It’s not just potential. It’s already here.” That speaks to a current goal of raising awareness of New College’s major contributions to science and mathematics. It is the alma mater of the late Bill Thurston, one of the 20th Century’s greatest mathematicians. National Science Foundation statistics show more than one in eight New College graduates subsequently earn doctorate degrees in science and engineering. Only three universities–Caltech, Harvey Mudd and MIT–exceed that proportion. O’Shea still keeps a hand in his own field of study. He finds time daily to mull math problems and regularly publishes in the field.