In the past two decades, the McNulty Family and Foundation have supported Ashesi’s growth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Their early philanthropic gift towards Ashesi’s Biotechnology laboratory infrastructure has given students the tools and space they need to do meaningful research, helping to drive innovation. Over the years, the lab has helped student teams advance their research and gain global recognition. Most recently, Ashesi students earned a silver medal and four nominations at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition in Paris.
In 2025, the McNulty Foundation launched the McNulty STEM Scholars Program — a two-year fellowship advancing women’s leadership in STEM through research, mentorship, and leadership development. Being the Foundation’s first university partnership in Africa, the program supports Ashesi’s vision to become an R2 research university and expand research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.
The inaugural cohort includes ten students working on challenges in artificial intelligence and ethics, hardware systems, human-computer interaction, and sustainable technologies across Africa.
“They are all incredibly bright and doing really interesting research, and they themselves are the leads on that research” Johnny McNulty, Director of the McNulty Foundation shared. “I think that’s really unique, and it could be an important model for how students get into research-based careers.”
For the ten student researchers, this is an opportunity to explore a range of research interests while gaining hands-on experience in the process.
“I’m excited to be getting the opportunity to explore a project I deeply care about,” said Tanatswa Mhiribidi ’27. “As a young woman in STEM, researching trust and security in the African e-commerce industry is a step toward building homegrown solutions to our unique challenges.”
As the program evolves, Ashesi and the McNulty Foundation will continue to co-design its direction, preparing scholars to contribute to leading research and innovation across the continent and beyond.
“People who are going to be leading the next generation of businesses to come out of Ghana and the world are being steeped in Ashesi’s ethical tradition,” McNulty shared. “If the inaugural cohort is any indication, that future is already taking root.”
