MCS Advancement Welcomes New Staff

In the past year, the Mellon College of Science's advancement team has hired three new staff members: Ally Jump, Brianne Smalley and Emily Toal. All three help MCS faculty, staff and alumni create partnerships.

Ally Jump

Ally Jump attended Florida State University where she received her bachelor's degree in international affairs and her master's degree in economics. Before arriving at Carnegie Mellon University in June 2023, she worked as a publishing manager at the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening, where she assisted with journal publications and helped host events on biotechnology.

"I was already in the life science and automation space, and I was familiar with the Emerald Cloud Lab and what Carnegie Mellon was doing with cloud labs," Jump said. "I was really excited about working with the CMU Cloud Lab, and I was ready to learn more about the future of science."

Jump serves as the assistant director for corporate and foundation relations, where she helps foster partnerships between MCS researchers and outside organizations. Her work has helped develop partnerships between Mellon College of Science researchers and external collaborators, particularly within the CMU Cloud Lab.

Brianne Smalley

Brianne Smalley received her bachelor's in public policy and community service from Emory & Henry College. Before she came to MCS in October 2023, she worked as an assistant director of development on Carnegie Mellon's university advancement team.

"In my original role, I worked with a number of Mellon College of Science alumni and parents, and I had the opportunity to work with the MCS advancement team, which was a very positive experience," Smalley said. "I like finding the perfect connection between a prospective donor's interests and important projects at MCS."

Smalley now works as associate director of development for MCS advancement. She travels to New York City, the San Francisco Bay area and the Boston area to connect with alumni and share recent developments at MCS. She also hosts community events such as dinners with MCS professors. Besides her work, she is pursuing a master's degree of public management through Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

Emily Toal

Emily Toal earned her bachelor's in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh and her master's in food studies from Chatham University. She worked as a program assistant for The Pittsburgh Foundation before joining MCS in April 2023.

"I coordinated with the Charles E. Kauffman Foundation, which provides grants to higher education institutions in Pennsylvania doing fundamental science research," Toal said. "I noticed there were already a couple of CMU recipients, and I thought it would be interesting to get to work with people doing such great work."

Toal is the development associate for MCS advancement. She coordinates with campus partners and plans events for MCS alumni, including planning dinners in other cities where other members of the advancement team travel to and coordinating the MCS Buggy Watch Party during this year's carnival celebration. She also works with development associates at other colleges at Carnegie Mellon to collaborate on events, such as the Victor M. Bearg Science and Humanity Lecture.