Why I Give: Brittany T. McGhee

Why I Give turns the spotlight on our supporters and explores why they made the University of Chicago Library part of their philanthropic giving. We are grateful to Brittany T. McGhee, AM’13, for agreeing to sit down for an interview with Amber Cullen, Associate Dean of Development and Strategic Initiatives.

McGhee is Senior Director of Mission Engagement at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. She has over a decade of experience leading highly successful cross-sector collaborative efforts to affect change across Chicago and globally. Prior to joining Catholic Charities, McGhee worked as Director of Community and Strategic Engagement Initiatives at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She also serves as President of the University of Chicago Alumni Club Board, as a Founding Director of Chicago Artists for Action, and as a regional leader of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

In May 2023, the University’s Board of Trustees invited McGhee to join the Library Council and serve as a volunteer advisor to the Dean.

What impact did the Library have on your academic studies at UChicago?
Spending countless hours each day in the Library is still such a cherished memory that captures my time at UChicago. As a graduate student living farther south from campus and a faculty research assistant, the Library was everything—a space for study, discovery and research, dining, respite, and even socialization. I preferred the tranquil space of the D’Angelo Law Library when I needed to write extensively, Mansueto for early morning reading, and the Reg for research resourcing. Each Library space had its own unique atmosphere and specific utility.

Why do you believe it’s important for UChicago alumni to give to the Library?
All alumni have some experience of the Library that shaped them. Perhaps the Library staff supported them with wayfinding in their first days on campus. Maybe their research was fed by its inimitable collections. Alumni share the benefit of one of the world’s most impressive libraries. The Library is the heartbeat of scholarship at the University and on the forefront of innovation in learning, information sharing, and free expression on campus and amongst its peers nationally. All who believe that the proliferation of knowledge will enrich human life today and tomorrow should give to the Library.

What motivated you to make the Library part of your philanthropy?
I am inspired by the refreshed vision for the Library. I believe its role in the culture of the University and that of the broader South Side community can be transformative. As a donor, I want to ensure my investments can impact people and elevate communities. The Library’s endeavors to thoughtfully engage the communities of Hyde Park and Woodlawn will pay dividends in the future and deepen access to knowledge in alignment with UChicago’s founding mission.

What makes being involved at the Library exciting for you?
Years from now, we will look back at this time in the University’s history and identify this moment as a vital inflection point for the Library and its ascendant role as the campus nucleus. It is exhilarating to be a part of this portion of the Library’s journey. I encourage my fellow alumni to support the Library in whatever way they can.