John Patrick Shanley (STEINHARDT ’77, HON ’09) graduated as valedictorian from the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development with a degree in educational theatre. Shanley is a Pulitzer Prize-, Academy Award-, and Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and theatre and film director; and is well-known for his award-winning play Doubt: A Parable and its film adaptation. He has 23 plays and nine films to his credit and his theatrical work is performed extensively across the United States and around the world.