Dr. Mottilla passed away on June 7, 2021, after a short and valiant fight against brain cancer. Her wishes were to make an enduring impact for students of the John L. Grove College of Business. The Dr. Donna T. Mottilla College of Business Memorial Scholarship was established by her son, Brendan Barclay, according to her wishes. Her love of teaching and her service to the John L. Grove College of Business at Shippensburg University will always be remembered.
Shippensburg University played a significant role in the life of Dr. Donna Mottilla. As a student at Shippensburg State College, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government, a Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Public Administration. After earning a Doctorate in Business Administration from Kent State University, she returned to Shippensburg University to join the faculty in the fall of 1983.
Dr. Mottilla’s teaching career at Ship spanned nearly fifteen years, ending when she was selected to serve as the University’s acting associate provost. The following year she was appointed Interim Dean of the John L. Grove College of Business.
Dr. Mottilla’s accomplishments at Ship included three degrees, multiple teaching awards, authorship of multiple professional papers, AACSB accreditation of the John L. Grove College of Business, and the nickname “Mottilla the Hun,” a play on the name Attila the Hun. Dr. Mottilla’s nickname was given by her students to the professor who graded harshly but fair, providing them an opportunity to better prepare themselves for the world off campus.
Following her career at Ship, Dr. Mottilla went on to become the Dean of the Colleges of Business at Christopher Newport University in Virginia and Gannon University in Pennsylvania.
To make a gift to this scholarship go to tinyurl.com/SUFMotillaScholarship