About 65 colleagues, students, administrators and faculty celebrated the accomplishments of George Daly, the outgoing academic dean of the McDonough School of Business, Tuesday evening outside the Rafik B. Hariri Building.

University President John J. DeGioia emphasized the change Daly brought to the MSB in his six years on the Hilltop, highlighting the opening of the Hariri Building, the rise in the business school’s national ranking, the recruitment of faculty and the creation of the MBA Evening Program, the global MBA program, as well as new minors and initiatives.

“We are grateful to George as he strengthened and advanced the MSB to make sure students not only succeed in their careers, but also live a life of meaning,” DeGioia said on the PriceWaterhouseCoopers Plaza.

After his remarks to the crowd, DeGioia presented Daly with a copy of what is known as John Carroll’s prospectus, the university founder’s original proposal for the establishment of the academy of Georgetown.

Daly expressed his appreciation for the gift and his time here, emphasizing how welcoming the Georgetown community has been.

“It is a very, very special place. The Hilltop experience we describe is truly exceptional,” he said.

Daly will be on sabbatical next year to explore his longstanding interest and research of leadership in professional sports; he will also take advantage of the time off by travelling and potentially writing on higher education for The Wall Street Journal.

Looking forward to the following academic year, Daly said he hopes to return to Georgetown in whatever capacity seen fit by his successor, who has yet to be announced.

In an interview with The Hoya, Daly acknowledged that he was ready for a break after his years working in education and policy. Daly previously served as the dean of New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he also taught as a professor.

“I’ve been doing this for quite a while … and I’m excited to do things at my own pace.”

Even so, Daly said he would not have traded the Georgetown experience for anything else.

“It’s been a great experience, and I really like the values of this institution.”

Undergraduate Dean of the MSB Norean Sharpe praised Daly for his vision during his time at the helm of the business school. She cited a a recent rise in admissions yield numbers for the undergraduate business school, which spiked to over 63 percent for the Class of 2015, along with a myriad of academic programs the two had implemented.

“Dean Daly has been a wonderful advocate for the undergraduate program and supported me in my efforts to start new initiatives. He raised the bar to set for business programs,” Sharpe said.

Former MSB Academic Council President Lowell Karr (MSB ’11) echoed Sharpe’s statements.

“I respect Dean Daly a lot. … he’s been instrumental in creating change to move the MSB forward domestically and globally as evidenced by the jump to 10 in the Bloomberg Businessweek 2011 [undergraduate business school] rankings,” Karr said.

Daly said he was happy to have played a role in the academic advancement of Georgetown.

“I look forward to a very bright future for the MSB … and Georgetown as well, and I’m happy to have played a part.”