She earned her MFA in painting from Columbia University and her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University. She has exhibited in galleries including "Selections 45" at The Drawing Center, "Variations in Paint" at The Painting Center, "Persona" at the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery, College of St. Elizabeth, "Reductive", at Jeffrey Leder Gallery, "Portraits" at Storefront Gallery and others. She received a Ucross Foundation Residency and Santa Fe Art Institute Artist’s Residency. For over a decade McConaughy was on the staff of New Observations Magazine, a non-profit art journal. McConaughy is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Bergen Community College. Her experience as an educator includes adjunct teaching at the School of Visual Arts and Marymount Manhattan College. Current Exhibitions