Assistant Dean, Advancement, School of Law
Boston University
Talent Citizen congratulates Courtney Ward on her appointment as Assistant Dean, Advancement at Boston University School of Law, effective September 2, 2025. As Assistant Dean, Courtney will partner with Dean and Ryan Roth Gallo Professor of Law Angela Onwuachi-Willig and lead the School’s development and alumni relations team, cultivating philanthropic engagement and enhancing the School’s connections with alumni and friends.
Courtney joins Boston University from Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD), where she served as Managing Director of Development, responsible for managing a team of eight and cultivating six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts. Over the course of nine years at the GSD, Courtney progressed to positions of increasing responsibility, including serving as Interim Associate Dean of Development and Alumni Relations by request of the School’s dean during a period of transition. As a trusted fundraising partner to the dean and academic leaders across the School, Courtney drove and supported the strategy for several fundraising initiatives and the School’s leadership committees, including the creation of the inaugural Real Estate Council.
With 15 years of experience in fundraising, Courtney brings expertise in annual, major, principal, and planned giving, as well as alumni engagement and communications, campaigns, and fundraising operations. Courtney’s experience includes supporting cross-generation philanthropists and associated family foundations in transformational gifts, and guiding donors through the joyful experience of supporting an institution they care about. Prior to joining Harvard Graduate School of Design, Courtney spent three years at the Harvard College Fund, where she supported the engagement and fundraising efforts of Harvard College parents. A proponent of the importance of mission-driven work and education, Courtney previously held roles at the Meadowbrook School of Weston and the Chestnut Hill School.
Courtney is known as a deeply involved and committed advocate for the institutions and communities she serves. An active volunteer in her work and personal life, Courtney has been involved in Women in Development of Greater Boston and the Harvard College Board of Freshman Advisors, as well as holding various volunteer roles in her children’s schools and organizations. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, where she played Division 1 women’s lacrosse.
Talent Citizen President Tracy Welsh led this search with Managing Director Rachel K. Partin.