Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Donna Shalala attended Western College for Women and received a degree in urban studies. In the early 1960s she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Iran. Upon her return, she enrolled in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Shalala received a Ph.D. in 1970. After teaching at Baruch College in New York City, Shalala became a member of the Municipal Assistance Corporation in 1975. This organization was responsible for solving New York City’s financial problems. Shalala became assistant secretary for policy and development at Housing and Urban Development in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. In 1979 she was named president of Hunter College, the largest school in the City University of New York system. In 1987 Shalala became chancellor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Shalala left Wisconsin in 1993 to serve as secretary of health and human services under President Bill Clinton.
