Cathy R. May
October 28, 1961 - September 23, 2020
Our dear friend and colleague, Cathy R. May, passed away on September 23 at the age of 58. She was the beloved daughter of the late Margaret (nee Alterio) and the late Robert May; Cherished sister of Robert (Frank Rodriguez) May-Rodriguez, Jerry (Cheryl) May, David (Kym) May and the late William May; Loving aunt of Makayla, Emily, Rachel, Mallory, Marissa, Stephanie, Amanda, Rebecca, Bobby, Anthony, Billy, Angelina, Gia and Nick. In addition to being a loving aunt, she was a teacher and friend to her 10 nieces and four nephews, who brought her so much joy.
Cathy first came to DePaul as an undergraduate student in the 1980s. She subsequently earned her PhD at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and returned to DePaul's Department of Political Science where she taught for over 20 years. A dedicated professor, she was widely known as one of the most enthusiastic, thoughtful, and caring educators on campus. She taught a range of courses including political theory, American foreign policy, and food and politics, among other topics. She was also the director of the Political Science internship program for over a decade, and was instrumental in helping students find career tracks both before and after their time at DePaul. She was beloved by her students and went above and beyond to set them up for future success.
Cathy was deeply committed to issues of social justice. She was a fearless advocate for equity in the classroom, department meetings, and public life. She was an engaging public speaker and deeply interested in interrogating ideas. Everyone who knew Cathy respected the strength of her convictions, her integrity, and her intellectual acumen.
Cathy also loved to travel and always looked forward to her next adventure. She was a big foodie, and loved to throw dinner parties that would inevitably erupt into dance parties featuring always a solo performance of a Barbara Streisand song. Cathy's vibrancy has left a lasting impact on the incredible community of friends, family, students, and colleagues that she built over her lifetime.
Memorial Service
Cathy May Memorial.pdf
Cathy May Memorial Funds
Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, two scholarship funds have been created in Cathy's name to continue her efforts to help DePaul students. The first is an endowed fund that will exist in perpetuity, and the second is an expendable fund that will spend down over the course of the next five to ten years. All of the proceeds from both funds will go to political science students with financial need and will provide stipends for internships, study abroad expenses, and will help cover basic costs such as books and tuition.
You can contribute to these funds by going to this page: https://give.depaul.edu/cathymay