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Statement on national championship game from University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

2025-01-20T23:30:00-05:00

“On behalf of the University, I want to congratulate Ohio State University on their national championship. I would also like to express my profound gratitude to our Notre Dame football players, coaches, and staff for their incredible dedication and congratulate them on everything they have accomplished during this historic season. Special thanks to Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua and the Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman for their tremendous leadership. The entire Notre Dame community takes pride not only in this team’s achievements, but also in what this team stands for: faith, perseverance, selflessness, and a steadfast commitment to Notre Dame. Go Irish!”

Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.
President, University of Notre Dame

Statement on New Orleans incident from University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

2025-01-01T11:34:00-05:00

“Our prayers are with the family members and loved ones of all those impacted by the terrible attack in New Orleans early this morning. We also pray for all those injured and extend our deepest gratitude to the brave first responders who risked their lives to protect others. To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame. Today, we are in solidarity with all those impacted by this tragedy.”

Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

President, University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame mourns the passing of President Jimmy Carter

2024-12-29T19:54:00-05:00

Former President of the United States Jimmy Carter speaks during a tribute ceremony for the late President Emeritus Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. in 2015 (Photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)

The University of Notre Dame’s president, Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., joined today with leaders worldwide in mourning the death of former President Jimmy Carter at age 100 at his home in Plains, Georgia.

“President Carter was a cherished friend of Notre Dame, and, in particular, of our longtime president, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.,” Father Dowd said. “The Notre Dame community joins in mourning the passing of our 39th president while also celebrating his remarkable service to our nation and the world, both in and out of the Oval Office. We extend our deepest condolences to the Carter family.”

Notre Dame’s relationship with Carter began in the summer of 1976. Soon after accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, Carter called Father Hesburgh late one evening seeking advice on a variety of issues. Carter appreciated the insights Father Hesburgh shared, so much so that he provided the priest-president with his home phone number in Plains and asked for any recommendations he might have for people to serve in his administration if he were to win the election.

Soon after Carter was elected in November, Father Hesburgh met with the president-elect in Washington, D.C., to discuss recommendations made by the Presidential Clemency Board, a panel to which Father Hesburgh was appointed by President Gerald Ford.

After Carter was inaugurated in January 1977, Father Hesburgh invited the new president to Notre Dame’s commencement ceremony in May to deliver the principal address and receive an honorary degree. Carter accepted and gave what many regard as the most important foreign policy address of his presidency, advocating for the creation of new global alliances and championing human rights, policies built upon the “new reality of a politically awakening world.” He also spoke about his desire to decrease tensions with the Soviet Union, work for Middle East peace and reduce the danger of nuclear war.

Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., talks with President Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office

During his one-term presidency, Carter appointed Father Hesburgh to head a delegation of Americans to a United Nations conference on science and technology for development, held in Vienna in 1977, and as chair of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. Father Hesburgh also joined Rosalynn Carter on a fact-finding mission to Southeast Asia that led to a plan that averted mass starvation among Cambodian refugees.

The Carters returned to Notre Dame in 1992 as the inaugural recipients of the Notre Dame Award, which recognizes men and women of any faith or nationality whose life and deeds have shown exemplary dedication to the ideals for which the University stands: faith, inquiry, education, justice, public service, peace and care for the most vulnerable.

At a memorial tribute to Father Hesburgh after his death at age 97 on Feb. 26, 2015, the Carters joined with other dignitaries in honoring the Holy Cross priest who led Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987. Among several anecdotes, Carter recalled how he made the “mistake” in 1979 of asking Father Hesburgh if there was anything he could do for him. Father Hesburgh told Carter he wanted a ride on an SR-71 supersonic reconnaissance jet, known as the Blackbird.

“I said, ‘Father Hesburgh, it’s not customary for civilians to ride on top-secret aircraft,’” Carter recalled with a smile. “He said, ‘That’s all right. I thought you were commander in chief.’”

With that, Carter stood by his word and arranged for the flight. As he recalled at the tribute: “I sent word to a pilot of an SR-71 that he would be having his first civilian passenger who was a special friend of mine. And, I asked him how fast the Blackbird had ever flown. He said 2,193 mph. It was the fastest plane on earth. I said I would be very pleased if he could go a little faster than that when he took up Father Hesburgh. And, on the last day of February 1979, Father Ted went up in an SR-71 Blackbird airplane and he and the pilot went 2,200 mph, which set a new world record.”

Carter last visited the University in 2018 when he and Rosalynn worked alongside Notre Dame and other community volunteers on 38 Habitat for Humanity homes.

Notre Dame Stadium becomes first outdoor university venue to move to Wi-Fi 6E standard

2024-12-10T09:00:00-05:00

When nearly 80,000 fans gather for the college football playoff game between the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University on Dec. 20, they will enjoy an improved overall gameday experience, thanks to the implementation of Wi-Fi 6E standard power.

Notre Dame Stadium became the first outdoor college venue to implement Wi-Fi 6E this fall. To do so, the University of Notre Dame’s Office of Information Technology partnered with PIER Group to overhaul the stadium’s wireless network.

Wi-Fi 6E standard power taps into a new part of the Wi-Fi “highway” in the 6 GHz band, offering faster speeds, stronger connections and less congestion — even in packed venues.

For fans of the Fighting Irish, that means reliable streaming, no dead zones and a consistently strong signal no matter where they’re sitting.

While Wi-Fi 6E has been available since 2020, the Federal Communications Commission didn’t approve it for outdoor use until September — and on Sept. 28, Notre Dame Stadium was the first to implement it.

“Moving to 6E standard power isn’t just about creating a better experience for fans — it’s about improving connectivity for staff, faculty and students across the University,” said John Buysse, senior director of University Network and Telephony Services. “We’re thinking long-term.”

The goal of the upgrade is not only to enhance the current experience, but also to meet the needs of fans as technology evolves and devices such as smart glasses and other wearable tech become more popular.

“Imagine viewing a replay instantly in 3D or accessing interactive player stats in real-time from your seat,” Buysse said. “This advanced network makes things like real-time play tracking, augmented reality highlights and immersive experiences not just a dream, but an inevitable reality.”

The 6E Wi-Fi infrastructure is built to handle these data-heavy applications even in a sold-out stadium. Ticketless entry, in-seat concessions ordering and many other aspects of the fan experience are also supported by this network. The technological innovation will also benefit stadium staff through improved crowd management, optimized concessions and advanced security monitoring.

To preserve the aesthetics of the historic stadium, the network was designed to be as invisible as it is reliable, Buysse said. More than 1,100 access points were carefully installed across the stadium, seamlessly integrated into the architecture to maintain the venue’s iconic look.

For special events, such as concerts or movie nights, the team also introduced flexible, movable Wi-Fi setups that ensure coverage wherever needed — even on the field.

But the advancements at Notre Dame Stadium are just one piece of a larger puzzle, Buysse noted.

The University has embraced a Wireless First initiative, a three-pronged plan to install cutting-edge wireless technology all over campus. The 6E standard wireless network is future-proofed to accommodate the growing needs of the University, in sports as well as academics and research.

For Notre Dame’s Wireless Institute, the new network will enable advanced research on smart devices, artificial intelligence and augmented reality, supporting pioneering academic projects.

“With Wi-Fi 6E standard power now in place, Notre Dame is laying the foundation for advanced research and supporting academic and operational growth across campus,” Buysse said. “At Notre Dame, the things you don’t see — like a powerful wireless network — help make the things you do see extraordinary. At this point, if we can imagine it, we can find a way to do it.”

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu or 574-993-9220.

Panel explores pathways to peaceful co-existence in the Middle East

2024-11-19T13:00:00-05:00

Lisa Schirch, the Richard G. Starmann, Sr. Professor of the Practice of Peace 91��Ƶ, moderates the discussion “Peaceful Co-Existence Among Israelis and Palestinians: Vision for a Shared Future.” (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Peacebuilding activists Nidal Foqaha, Tehila Wenger and Ezzeldeen Masri joined the University of Notre Dame’s Lisa Schirch on Nov. 11 for a discussion in DeBartolo Hall about how to resolve the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in a way that provides peace, security and equal rights for all people living in the region. The event was the second in the Israel-Palestine Series of the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum on “What Do We Owe Each Other?”

The panel discussion, “Peaceful Co-Existence Among Israelis and Palestinians: Vision for a Shared Future,” offered different perspectives on how to move forward despite lasting disagreements over past actions by both sides. Supported by the work of the OneVoice Movement, these peacemakers regularly speak at events in the United States to build support for the notion that Israeli-Palestinian co-existence is possible, and to advocate for a shared future that unlocks the full potential of both peoples.

Michael Desch, the Packey J. Dee Professor of International Relations and the Brian and Jeannelle Brady Family Director of the Notre Dame International Security Center, formally opened the event and introduced Schirch. The panel was co-sponsored by the Notre Dame International Security Center, the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion and the Kroc Institute for International Peace 91��Ƶ at the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs.

Schirch, the Richard G. Starmann Sr. Professor of the Practice of Peace 91��Ƶ, emphasized the need to engage in these complex discussions despite the ongoing violence because most wars are ended through negotiation, which begins with respectful dialogue, mutual understanding and trust. Despite different perspectives, the speakers agreed that a two-state solution that creates a Palestinian state side-by-side with Israel offers the most practical way forward.

Schirch told the audience of about 200 people that “coexistence means living side-by-side with equal rights and safety.” She reviewed the previous Forum series event that focused on the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, and the Israeli response in Gaza, and attempted to understand the violence as part of a long history of conflict. Schirch introduced the three guest speakers and moderated the conversation before inviting audience questions.

Masri “grew up in Gaza under Israeli occupation,” he said, and has experienced three wars, with the current violence responsible for the deaths of 80 members of his extended family. He is the chief field officer for the PeaceWorks Foundation and OneVoice Movement.

Foqaha grew up in Ramallah in Palestine and concurred with Masri that peacebuilding work is necessary for achieving a two-state solution because the alternative is continued violence. Providing an Israeli perspective, Wenger said she believes the only way to achieve peace and security for Israelis is to provide the same conditions for Palestinians.

The panelists answered Schirch’s questions about why they support a two-state solution, the importance of protests, and the role of the United States. Foqaha and Wenger posited that while a two-state solution will be difficult and require compromise, it has a better chance of succeeding than one-state solutions with either equal rights or the status quo of unequal rights.

Masri said that protest is the nonviolent way to raise one’s voice against injustice, while Wenger noted that protests anywhere must have clear strategies and goals or they can do more harm than good. All three stressed that the United States plays a pivotal role because it can exert pressure on both sides to come to the negotiating table and find solutions for the future.

After this discussion, Schirch opened the floor for about an hour of questions from the audience.

She concluded the event by thanking the attendees and inviting them to stay engaged with future events in the Israel-Palestine series throughout the academic year. The next event, “On the Ground in Israel-Palestine,” is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Eck Visitors Center.

This series and a corresponding academic course for Notre Dame students are being co-led by Mahan Mirza, the executive director of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion and a teaching professor, and Tzvi Novick, the Abrams Jewish Thought and Culture Professor of Theology.

Watch a recording of the Nov. 11 event here. To see other and future events related to the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum, visit forum2024.nd.edu.

Theologian Gary Anderson awarded 2024 Barry Prize; Paolo Carozza, Richard Garnett and Christian Smith also honored

2024-10-25T15:00:00-04:00

Gary A. Anderson, the Hesburgh Professor of Catholic Thought at the University of Notre Dame, has been awarded a 2024 Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. The academy conferred the prize Wednesday (Oct. 23) in a ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Three other Notre Dame faculty were also invested as members of the academy: Paolo Carozza, a professor of law and concurrent professor of political science; Richard Garnett, the Paul J. Schierl/Fort Howard Corporation Professor of Law and a concurrent professor of political science; and Christian Smith, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Sociology.

In becoming academy members, the honorees join prestigious fellow members including Salman Rushdie, Jay Bhattacharya, Jonathan Haidt, Steven Koonin, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Steven Pinker, Niall Ferguson, Nicholas Christakis, Akhil Reed Amar and two Nobel laureate scientists — chemist Arieh Warshel and biochemist Jennifer Doudna.

The Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement, open to scholars across diverse fields and disciplines, honors “those whose work has made outstanding contributions to humanity’s knowledge, appreciation, and cultivation of the good, the true and the beautiful.” Recipients are also inducted into the academy.

“It is a great honor, of course, to receive this sort of recognition about one’s academic work,” Anderson said. “I still find myself a bit in shock to be listed among such leaders in their respective fields. I am humbled to have been chosen.”

Anderson, who joined Notre Dame’s Department of Theology in 2003, focuses his research on the religion and literature of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, with special interest in the reception of the Bible in Judaism and Christianity. According to the prize citation, he was recognized for his contributions to humanity’s understanding of one of its oldest and most influential sacred traditions.

“By his thorough exploration of the theology of the Hebrew Bible and its relationships to later traditions, Gary Anderson has illuminated some of history’s most influential metaphysical and moral ideas, as well as contributing to interfaith understanding,” the citation stated. “His work explores both continuity and changes over the millennia in our understanding of such concepts as compassion for the poor, good and evil, atonement, reconciliation and our existence.”

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220 or c.gates@nd.edu

‘One must hold up the dignity of all human life’: Distinguished scholars discuss history, future of Israel and Palestine at Notre Dame Forum event

2024-10-08T14:56:00-04:00

Distinguished scholars Hussein Ibish and David Myers joined the University of Notre Dame’s Maura Policelli on Sept. 25 at DeBartolo Hall for a discussion addressing the approaching first anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The event began the Israel-Palestine Series of the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum on “What Do We Owe Each Other?”

The presentation, titled “One Year After October 7: Historical Backdrop and Future Prospects,” offered multiple historical and political perspectives on what led to the attack and Israel’s subsequent response in Gaza, as well as the expansion of the conflict to include Lebanon and Iran. At the heart of the discussion was an emphasis on the need for respectful dialogue, mutual understanding, empathy and genuine engagement in addressing these complex issues.

Tzvi Novick, the Abrams Jewish Thought and Culture Professor of Theology at Notre Dame, provided introductory remarks at the Notre Dame Forum. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, formally opened the presentation, which was co-organized by Tzvi Novick, the Abrams Jewish Thought and Culture Professor of Theology, and Mahan Mirza, an Islamic studies scholar and the executive director of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion in the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs.

Novick reminded those in the standing-room-only audience that the gathering was not meant to commemorate Oct. 7, but rather to take stock of the causes and consequences of that day. “The context is complex. The circumstances are terrible and tragic,” he said. “We seek to acknowledge the terror and the tragedy, and to appreciate the complexity.”

Policelli, professor of the practice and executive director of the Washington Office of the Keough 91��Ƶ, introduced the two speakers and moderated the concluding question-and-answer portion of the program.

Myers, a distinguished professor and the Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History at UCLA, has written extensively in the fields of modern Jewish intellectual and cultural history. He offered a few guiding principles to help frame the joint discussion.

“We believe that when it comes to understanding this conflict, and really when it comes to understanding anything in the world, one must hold up the dignity of all human life. One cannot choose sides,” Myers said. “The second guiding principle is epistemological modesty, a degree of humility about knowing what we don’t know, about knowing that what we present is going to be a partial account of this very fraught relationship between Jews and Arabs, Palestinians and Israelis.”

Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and a columnist and regular contributor to several national and international publications, also set the stage for the conversation by saying the two speakers would be grappling with competing narratives but not competing facts. He noted that while historians mostly agree on who did and said what and when throughout the region’s history, they do not always know or understand why.

Hussein Ibish (left), a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, and David Myers (right), a distinguished professor and the Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History at UCLA, led the discussion during the Notre Dame Forum event on Sept. 25. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

The two speakers offered an overview of the historical and political factors, beginning with the United Nations General Assembly’s issuance in late 1947 of a resolution calling for the partition of Palestine and culminating in the events of Oct. 7 when Hamas breached the border between Gaza and Israel, assaulting Israeli citizens and destroying communities, killing 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 240 hostages into Gaza where nearly 100 remain.

Israel launched a massive military response, calling up 300,000 reservists and bombarding Gaza in an effort to eradicate Hamas. After a full year of conflict, 41,000 Palestinians have been killed — 17,000 of whom were children; 95,000 have been wounded; and 2.2 million residents of Gaza have been displaced.

“We both believe it is a moral imperative to condemn what occurred on Oct. 7 as well as the extraordinary destruction that has been brought by the Israeli military,” Myers emphasized. Such destruction often induces “blindness to the suffering of the other,” he went on to say. Both traumas, he argued, must be held together.

After their presentation, Policelli opened the floor for 45 minutes of questions from the audience, with guidance offered by Ibish and Myers laying the groundwork for the dialogue.

“In light of the president’s commitment to the question ‘What do we owe each other?’” Myers said, “do your best to be as informed as you are, but modest enough that you know you don’t know everything. Be skeptical at every turn and wary of confirmation bias. And finally, recognize that the stakes are very high. So, when talking with someone, bring curiosity and genuine interest in hearing what they have to say, as well as empathy and active listening.”

Questions from the audience were wide-ranging, with some supporting the conversation’s framing and others raising questions about the speakers’ narratives and interpretations. Ibish and Myers responded graciously and thanked all participants for their probing and insightful questions.

To conclude, Mirza thanked all attendees and invited them to stay engaged with future events that are part of the Israel-Palestine series throughout the academic year. Alongside the Forum events, Mirza and Novick are co-teaching a course titled Israel, Palestine and What We Owe Each Other, which offers a way for students to delve deeper into the multiple narratives and facilitates respectful discussion and constructive engagement across differences.

You can watch a recording of the Sept. 25 event here. To see other and future events related to the Notre Dame Forum 2024-25, visit forum2024.nd.edu.

Global leaders discuss ‘What do we owe each other?’ in 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum Inauguration Series

2024-09-17T09:00:00-04:00

The historic Inauguration of Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., included a special Notre Dame Forum event on Thursday, Sept. 11, addressing this year’s theme, “What do we owe each other?” The Forum’s Inauguration Series featured four “fireside chats” with distinguished leaders in technology, global development, philanthropy and foreign affairs. Equally notable were the moderators — leaders from business, finance, the media and the academy — who led the thoughtful and inspiring conversations before fielding questions from hundreds of audience members in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center’s Leighton Concert Hall and many others who joined the conversation via livestream.

Since its establishment in 2005, each year the Notre Dame Forum invites campus-wide dialogue about issues of importance to the University, the nation and the larger world. This year’s theme, chosen by Father Dowd, invites reflection on our responsibilities to one another. In a world where ideological and cultural divisions seem to have deepened, the Forum aims to bring people together across differences to face the most pressing challenges of our time.

The Future of Responsible Tech

Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM, speaks on the topic, “The Future of Responsible Tech.” (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

In a conversation with John Veihmeyer, former global chairman of KPMG and current chair of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees, Arvind Krishna, IBM’s chairman and CEO, kicked off the Inauguration Series by sharing his thoughts on the future direction of responsible technology.

He compared the recent rise in awareness around generative AI to the broad adoption of internet use when the first web browser was created in 1995.

“AI by itself is not new,” said Krishna. “[OpenAI] is building on 20 years of research and progress, and now the next thing is to make it easy…That accessibility and ease of use of this generation of what is called ‘large language models,” is about. And when you make things effectively–that means 100 times cheaper or more accessible–as you all know, that’s a big difference. So I think the world is still grappling with, ok we kind of knew this, but how many things can we do now using these new technologies?”

Krishna and Veihmeyer discussed the responsible application of AI as well as the role society and government will need to play in determining the regulations that are needed.

“There are so many factors that are going to play into this. One is ethics, which for us the lens becomes ‘What is [AI] used for, what should it be used for?’ But equally important, ‘What is it trained on?’ And that has ethics in it, but it also is eventually going to have, I think, legislation in it,” Krishna said. “At IBM, we have principles around trust and transparency. Those are really important to us.”

They also addressed how academia, including groups such as the Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab, and policymakers should work together to establish rules for how AI can be used. Krishna provided insight into IBM’s goal as a technology ethics leader, explaining that they hold themselves responsible to their consumers, including considering how the data curated for training their AI and the emergence of quantum computing can be used to address some of the world's most pressing problems.

“Do I want to design a better battery for an electric vehicle? Do we want to design better fertilizer? Do we want to design more lightweight materials that are still very strong? Do I want to be able to get more energy out of an existing oil well? These are all problems that I think a quantum computer is going to address … I think we will be able to approach them in the five- to seven-year time frame, which means by the end of this decade,” Krishna said.

Business as a Global Force for Good

Sanda Ojiambo, assistant secretary-general, CEO and executive director of the United Nations Global Compact, discusses business as a force for good with Anne Thompson, chief environmental affairs correspondent for NBC News. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Sanda Ojiambo, assistant secretary-general, CEO and executive director of the United Nations Global Compact, discussed the role of ethical leadership in business and her optimism about the global future with Anne Thompson, chief environmental affairs correspondent for NBC News.

A voluntary program, the Global Compact was designed to encourage and support businesses in tackling persistent problems facing the global community, like water cleanliness, according to Ojiambo. She said to solve these major issues, government and business need to work together.

“Governments need to set policy frameworks,” she said. “Businesses can then come in and look at issues like distribution, but you need the two working in tandem.”

A Kenyan national, Ojiambo has worked in business and nonprofit organizations in areas of education, maternal support, environmental conservation, gender violence and investing. Of the Global Compact’s 17 goals, she said top priorities include the climate crisis and agriculture and food systems, with water cleanliness falling below its deserved level of importance. In response, Thompson noted that Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment in which he referred to clean water as a human right.

“Water isn’t seen as the finite resource that it is,” Ojiambo said. “We have a climate conference every year. We have a Human Rights Council. We just haven’t done that for water. There are millions of people in the world that just don’t have access to safe drinking water.”

Noting the efforts of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business to “grow the good in business,” Thompson asked Ojiambo how to best educate business leaders to be a force for good.

“Business schools have a huge challenge and opportunity because there is so much that is unknown about the world,” Ojiambo said. “Instill a global perspective where they’re ready to embrace the world and the uncertainty that exists. No business is perfect. What we look for is progress.”

Mendoza has publicly committed to adhering to the UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), and its Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership was a co-sponsor of Ojiambo’s visit to campus.

A Legacy of Giving Back

Philanthropist and environmentalist David Rockefeller Jr. speaks during a session titled ‘A Legacy of Giving Back.’ (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Philanthropist and environmentalist David Rockefeller Jr. spoke with Jack Brennan, retired CEO and chair of Vanguard and a member of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees, on his lifelong commitment to giving back. Rockefeller, who has served as citizen chair of the National Parks Foundation and chair of the Rockefeller Foundation, has dedicated himself to furthering his family’s contributions to education, the arts, innovation, conservation and social justice.

Brennan began by highlighting the transformative impact of the Rockefeller family, including the founding of Spelman College and the University of Chicago, the establishment of several national parks and the creation of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

He asked Rockefeller how the family has maintained their motivation and strength in philanthropy across several generations.

“The act of making philanthropic decisions together,” Rockefeller said. “Businesses can tear families apart, right? And they don’t always, but there’s a big risk. Whereas philanthropy tends, I think, to draw people together, and that’s true in our case.”

Rockefeller and Brennan discussed the value of global engagement, public service and higher education, as well as the importance of diversity.

“Diversity … I deeply believe is the necessary condition for all of us getting along in the world,” Rockefeller said. “We not only need to believe abstractly in it, we need to come up against people who are not ourselves, understand them, understand their ways and their backgrounds.”

Rockefeller also emphasized to Notre Dame students, in particular, that people should consider their own passions when determining how to best contribute to a world in need.

“The media lets us know every day how many urgent problems there are, but, you know, what is your skill? What is your interest? … Where is there not only the need, but the lever to address that need?” he said. “I think you’ve got to think about what you care about, what you can bring and where the opportunities are for you to make a difference. And focus — don’t try to do 10 things at once.”

Advancing Peace in a Fractured World

Joe Donnelly, former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican and former U.S. Senator, was joined by Adm. Christopher W. Grady, the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a conversation titled “Advancing Peace in a Fractured World.” (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Adm. Christopher W. Grady, the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Joe Donnelly, former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican and former U.S. senator, joined John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, to discuss peacebuilding and diplomacy in the fourth and final session of the Inauguration Series. Grady, a Notre Dame alumnus, received his commission through Notre Dame’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps and is the nation’s second highest-ranking military officer. Donnelly, also an alumnus, represented Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate before serving as the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See under President Joe Biden.

While discussing the state of diplomacy around the world and the prospects for peace in 2024, both Donnelly and Grady pointed to the importance of the U.S. in establishing a model of peace for the rest of the world to emulate. From his years of serving abroad as a diplomat and politician, Donnelly heard firsthand how crucial U.S. support and dependability is to countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine and Israel.

“The world is looking toward us,” Donnelly said, “and so you tell me how we do in the United States this year, and I’ll tell you the prospects for peace.”

For Grady, whose military career has spanned four decades, the world that we are passing down to our children is “increasingly congested, contested, competitive and prone to conflict.” But, Grady said, in spite of all of that, he doesn’t consider war to be inevitable or that lasting peace is unattainable. “We can get there, and it is U.S. leadership in the world that will do that.” By leveraging the strong ties the U.S. has with its global allies and partners, “peace has a chance,” he added.

To bring people together in our polarized country to face the challenges of our times, Donnelly said he supports the idea of a national year of service, whether it be through the military or teaching — referencing Notre Dame’s ACE program as an example.

“When you give of yourself, you connect to a place,” Donnelly said. “I worry about how connected everybody is to this amazing country that we have. And I worry about how everybody is almost an island of their own, as opposed to a country pulling together. Let’s come together and let’s be a strong nation that supports our allies and our friends.”

When asked what gives him hope, Grady said, “It has to be a pursuit of truth.

“And I think what Notre Dame does better than anybody else is it enables our students to get after the truth, to be a discerning consumer of all of the various things that are out there.”

Donnelly, who is now a Notre Dame faculty member teaching in the political science department and the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, said that the greatest lesson he learned from Pope Francis while serving in the Vatican was the way in which he “looks out for the least of us.”

“His focus is on how I can make sure that every person has a chance. He truly is a reflection of what you would think Jesus might be on Earth,” Donnelly said.

This final conversation was co-sponsored by Notre Dame Student Government.

You can watch the recordings of all four “fireside chats” here. Visit forum.nd.edu for more information.

University of Notre Dame makes historic investment in affordability and access

2024-09-13T16:00:16-04:00

The University of Notre Dame announced a historic expansion to its affordability and accessibility initiatives, becoming the first highly selective faith-based university in the United States to be need-blind for all students, both domestic and international. Notre Dame’s 18th President, Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., made this announcement during his address at his Inauguration Ceremony on Friday. In charting a course for Notre Dame, Father Dowd articulated the University’s unwavering commitment as the world’s leading Catholic research university to ensuring that a Notre Dame education should be affordable for all students.

Representing a historic financial aid commitment, Pathways to Notre Dame includes two significant initiatives: a new no-loan policy for undergraduate students, ensuring middle- and low-income families who are admitted will be able to afford attendance, and an expansion of its need-blind policy — an institutional commitment to not consider a student’s financial circumstances when deciding whether to admit them — to include both domestic and international students. Notre Dame is now one of only nine highly selective colleges and universities that have a need-blind admissions policy for all students.

“We want an undergraduate student body that reflects the rich diversity of the Catholic community in and beyond the United States, which requires a Notre Dame education be both accessible and affordable,” Father Dowd said. “We are profoundly grateful for the extraordinary generosity of those benefactors who have made it possible for us to take this important next step in ensuring that every student who is admitted will have the opportunity to attend the University, no matter their financial circumstances or where in the world they call home.”

“The University has throughout its history been committed to welcoming students from all walks of life and providing them with a distinctive Notre Dame education, one that seeks to educate the mind as well as the heart,” John B. Veihmeyer, chair of the Board of Trustees, said. “Today’s announcement will ensure that the University is able to carry forward this proud tradition in important new ways, welcoming students from across the U.S. and around the globe and creating an even more vibrant learning environment for all.”

Effective immediately, Notre Dame will not consider the financial situation of students or their families, domestic or international, in the application for admission. Student loans will not be a component of the financial aid offer for full-time first-year and transfer undergraduate students entering fall 2025; instead, that need will be met with gift aid. While Notre Dame will not include loans in financial aid packages, families may still elect to take out federal student or private loans.

“Pathways to Notre Dame reflects Notre Dame’s commitment to attracting students who seek academic excellence and have the desire, curiosity and zeal that is at the heart of a Notre Dame education,” Vice President for Undergraduate Enrollment Micki Kidder said. “These initiatives will remove barriers for talented and faith-filled students to flourish here, regardless of their families’ financial circumstances.”

“At Notre Dame, we are called to be seekers of truth, sustainers of hope and builders of bridges,” Father Dowd said. “By extending and expanding the opportunities we are able to offer students, we seek to prepare the next generation of capable, compassionate, ethical leaders for our communities, our nation and the world.”

Contact: Sue Ryan, executive director of media relations, 574-631-7916, sue.ryan@nd.edu

Statement on Freedom of Expression from University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

2024-08-27T10:00:00-04:00

We live in polarized times, and we witness this in not only national forums, but also local communities. Regrettably, we occasionally see these tendencies manifested here in the Notre Dame community. It is timely to remind ourselves of the ideals we espouse and the community we strive to be.

Because Notre Dame is a university committed to the pursuit of truth through teaching, learning, inquiry, and dialogue, we are committed fully to the academic freedom of scholars to research and publish the results of their research and to teach in accord with their obligations and training. For the same reason, we are committed to students learning in accord with their obligations, vision, and interests.

We recognize that sometimes the views expressed by faculty, staff, and students may be disagreeable to others, or even make some members of our community uncomfortable. Some of the views expressed may not be in accord with the principles of Catholic teaching or the values of the University, even as we ensure that Catholic views are represented on campus. Our commitment to freedom of expression permits controversial opinions. Our Catholic mission demands that when we engage those who hold such views, we do so with respect and charity.

The right of free expression does not, of course, extend to speech that threatens violence or constitutes harassment against an individual or a group. Such expressions violate University values and policies and will not be tolerated. We are committed to taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of members of our community. In addition, compliance with Notre Dame’s policy regarding time, place, and manner for free expression is essential so that the work of the University—the teaching, learning, research, and intellectual exchange core to our mission—can continue even as we grapple with these important issues. I link here to our policy statement on these matters.

Distinct from threats and harassment are remarks that attack a dialogical opponent personally and show contempt. Such language seeks to vilify, rather than counter arguments; it tries to vanquish an opponent, rather than illumine the truth. Although such remarks do not foster dialogue in pursuit of truth, we do not, because of our commitment to freedom of expression, prohibit them or exclude those who make them. They are, however, corrosive of the culture of inquiry we seek to cultivate and certainly do not reflect the values at the core of Notre Dame’s mission.

While Notre Dame’s commitment to freedom of expression aligns with the celebrated principles first articulated by the University of Chicago, our Catholic mission calls us to do more. We should strive to combine a commitment to inquiry and dialogue in pursuit of truth with a commitment to show respect and charity toward those with whom we disagree. The most effective way to realize this ideal is not by silencing or excluding those who fail to live up to it, but by showing such respect in our own interactions and by calling others to do the same.

Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.
August 26, 2024

Notre Dame to convene federal, state and nonprofit leaders to address national opioid crisis

2024-07-19T16:34:00-04:00

Across the United States, the opioid epidemic has devastated communities as opioid-related deaths have skyrocketed. According to data from the National Vital Statistics System and the CDC Wonder Database, the opioid death rate rose by 2,473 percent between 1979 and 2022.

To hold drug manufacturers and distributors accountable for the rise in fatalities, states and local political subdivisions brought lawsuits against major pharmaceutical distributors, manufacturers and pharmacy chains, reaching settlements that total nearly $50 billion to date.

The National Opioids Settlement and other settlement agreements have created a sense of hope for families and communities affected by the opioid crisis and provided a profound opportunity for states across the nation to begin to repair the damage the epidemic has wrought.

On Aug. 5-6, the University of Notre Dame will convene A Pathway to Hope: Summit on the National Opioids Settlement to bring together elected officials, academic researchers and other federal, state and nonprofit organization leaders from across the country to discuss and develop evidence-based strategies to most effectively distribute the opioid lawsuit settlement funds. The summit’s presentations will focus on framing the overall opioid crisis, its impact on communities and families, and potential solutions backed by evidence. The goal is to find ways to maximize the funds’ impact on the families and communities affected by the opioid crisis.

Led by Notre Dame’s Poverty Initiative, the summit will explore how evidence-based practices can inform decisions and ensure that settlement funds best help the victims.

“A primary goal of the Poverty Initiative, which launched last fall, is to bring faculty together with policymakers, philanthropists and providers to discover new pathways to break the cycle of poverty,” said economics professor Jim Sullivan, who also serves as the director of the Poverty Initiative and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities.

“The Pathway to Hope Summit embodies that mission as the University will convene some of the nation’s leading experts to find solutions to the opioid crisis that has afflicted families all across this country.”

Sullivan and his team expect one unique outcome of the summit to be a co-created research agenda led by Notre Dame faculty to work with people on the frontlines to ensure the approaches are accurate, scalable and effective.

The Pathway to Hope Summit is an invitation-only event. More information is available at pathwaytohope.nd.edu.

Contact: Sue Ryan, Executive Director of Media Relations, sue.ryan@nd.edu; 269-377-5983
Tracy DeStazio, Associate Director of Media Relations, tdestazi@nd.edu; 269-769-8804
Brandi Wampler, Associate Director of Media Relations, brandiwampler@nd.edu; 574-248-0428

Indiana Research Consortium will advance tech, promote economic growth and attract top talent and industries to the state of Indiana

2024-06-05T16:51:00-04:00

Purdue University, Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame have formalized a joint research effort to address the nation’s most critical defense challenges.

The Indiana Research Consortium (IRC) will leverage the combined strengths, facilities and capabilities of the state’s three leading research universities, which together have decades of cutting-edge defense experience, in support of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) mission.

Officials from the three universities gathered at WestGate Academy on Monday (June 3) to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and begin planning discussions for the consortium.

The IRC is a regional research engine that aims to drive innovations and advancements in areas critical to U.S. national security while positioning Indiana as a hub for defense research. The consortium is a first-of-its-kind defense research effort in the state. Whereas existing university-affiliated research centers connect individual universities with the U.S. Department of Defense, the IRC unites Indiana’s leading research institutions to advance defense technologies and the broader research and development landscape.

Each of the founding institutions brings a proven track record of successful collaborations with the Department of Defense, along with significant investments in national security research and infrastructure. Together, they will work to address challenges in areas including microelectronics, hypersonics, energetics and cyber-physical systems while concurrently developing the critically needed workforce.

“Indiana is home to a deep bench of research experts and programs that are critical to our national defense. Through the spirit of collaboration and cooperation by the state’s three leading research universities, we can pool our expertise and programs to support the missions of NSWC Crane and the Defense Department and help to solve significant challenges in key areas of national security research,” said Karen Plaut, Purdue University executive vice president for research. “Indiana’s superpower is working together to solve big problems, and this is the first step toward that goal.”

Purdue’s unique defense research capabilities include the nation's largest low-disturbance hypersonic tunnel (Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel); advanced hypersonic test and manufacturing facilities; high-precision research in microelectronics; the Purdue Energetic Research Center; and cybersecurity research programs through CERIAS, the world’s foremost interdisciplinary academic center for cyber and cyber-physical systems. Purdue is also home to state-of-the-art research facilities like Birck Nanotechnology Center and Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories and workforce development initiatives such as Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) and the Defense Civilian Training Corps.

Notre Dame researchers plan to contribute key expertise in areas such as microelectronics, hypersonic flight and cyber-physical systems. Researchers will also draw upon the University’s world-class infrastructure for nanofabrication, materials analysis and hypersonic testing.

“The most difficult challenges we have to tackle as a society are not ones that any of us can solve alone — and ensuring national security for the next generation is one of those challenges,” said Jeff Rhoads, Notre Dame vice president for research. “Partnering on projects with the scientists and engineers at NSWC Crane will give researchers at Notre Dame, IU and Purdue an unprecedented opportunity to understand national security-related challenges and translate their findings into meaningful improvements in our nation’s, and our allies’, safety and security.”

IU is home to cutting-edge programs in resilient microelectronics, cybersecurity, cyber-physical security systems, artificial intelligence/machine learning, high-performance computing and secure data analytics. The IU Center for Reliable and Trusted Electronics, a universitywide center under IU Research, is testing and designing radiation-hardened microelectronics that can withstand extreme conditions.

“The Indiana Research Consortium will leverage IU’s immense research expertise to support today’s defense challenges, including robust networks to aid the analysis of vast amounts of data and workforce training programs to prepare our students for in-demand careers,” said Russell J. Mumper, IU vice president for research. “We will work in conjunction with our partners at Purdue and Notre Dame to grow our transformative research to make Indiana a leader in defense research and increase the security of our state, nation and world.”

In addition to research endeavors, the consortium will focus on a multi-university workforce development infrastructure and will take advantage of existing programs and create new methods for talent development.

NSWC Crane, a shore command and federal laboratory of the U.S. Navy, will leverage its technical capabilities in microelectronics and hypersonics to support the IRC mission through access to facilities and opportunities for collaboration with U.S. Navy scientists and engineers.

“We are thrilled to see Indiana’s premier R1 universities take this collaborative approach to support critical technology areas that align with our naval mission,” said Kyle Werner, NSWC Crane deputy technical director. “Individually, each of the universities has an impressive research portfolio and has made significant institutional investments to Defense Department research opportunities. NSWC Crane looks forward to a collaborative partnership with the IRC to bring our combined strengths to bear on our nation’s highest-priority research challenges.”

The IRC will collaborate with NSWC Crane on the following projects to bolster U.S. defense capabilities:

Creating a “Consortium for Secure Microelectronics” that accelerates the transition of chip technology from commercial to defense markets.
Building a series of hypersonic reference design vehicles at scale to meet mission requirements.
Developing energetic materials that provide superior range, speed and energy through full-scale manufacturing.
Establishing a framework to update naval cyber-physical systems using advanced technologies such as AI-enabled control, modeling, testing, verification and provenance tracking.

The MOU signing was held in conjunction with an appreciation event for teachers participating in SCALE K-12, a program that provides curriculum development and teacher training to integrate microelectronics into K-12 classrooms as a way to generate early interest in the field. SCALE K-12 is part of the Purdue-led SCALE, which is funded by the Department of Defense and managed by NSWC Crane.

The founding members of the IRC addressed the teachers involved in this program and emphasized its importance to developing the microelectronics workforce — a key aspect of the consortium’s mission.

In the future, the IRC will explore establishing more formal structures to enable more effective collaboration between the universities and any affiliated partners.

Notre Dame elects new Trustees, University Fellow

2024-05-31T12:00:00-04:00

Two new Trustees — Cathy Molnar and Ryan McInerney — have been elected to serve on the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees, and Trustee Stephanie Gallo has been elected to the University’s Board of Fellows, effective July 1.

Molnar is the executive director of CHS Management Group LLC, a single-family office. She has served previously as a shareholder and wealth manager at Wetherby Asset Management, as a vice president at Goldman Sachs and as a CPA at Ernst & Young.

Molnar holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from Notre Dame and a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law 91��Ƶ. She has served on Notre Dame’s Provost’s Leadership Group, been involved with the University’s Women’s Investing Summit and assisted with the design of and served as a guest lecturer in a new MBA course at the Mendoza College of Business regarding family enterprises. Her husband, Mike, also earned an undergraduate degree from Notre Dame, and they have two children, one of whom is a current Notre Dame student.

McInerney serves as the chief executive officer of Visa. Before being named CEO in February 2023, he served as the company’s president since 2013. Prior to joining Visa, he served as CEO of consumer banking for JPMorgan Chase, as well as other roles, and before that he was a principal at McKinsey and Company.

McInerney earned an undergraduate degree in finance from Notre Dame in 1997. He has served as a member of Notre Dame’s Undergraduate Experience Advisory Council since 2019 and is a member of the University’s For Good Cabinet. He and his wife, Angela, have three children.

Gallo has been a University Trustee since 2002 and is the chief marketing officer for GALLO, a family-owned company and global leader in the total alcohol beverage category. She earned a bachelor’s degree in government and international studies from Notre Dame and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg 91��Ƶ of Management. She and her husband, Chris Tyler, have two children, one of whom is a current student.

Composed of six laywomen and men and six priests of Notre Dame’s founding religious community, the Congregation of Holy Cross, the Board of Fellows is the University’s ultimate governing body. The Fellows elect the Trustees, adopt and amend the bylaws and are specifically charged with maintaining Notre Dame’s Catholic character.

Additionally, Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., assumes the role of University president and John Veihmeyer becomes Board chair effective June 1. On Dec. 4, 2023, Father Dowd was elected Notre Dame’s 18th president by the University’s Board of Trustees after Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., announced he was stepping down to return to teaching and ministry after leading the University for 19 years. Veihmeyer, who is the retired chairman and CEO of KPMG and has served as vice Board chair since October 2023, succeeds John J. Brennan as Board chair.

Statement from President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on House v. NCAA settlement

2024-05-23T20:34:00-04:00

“The settlement, though undesirable in many respects and promising only temporary stability, is necessary to avoid what would be the bankruptcy of college athletics,” said University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. “To save the great American institution of college sports, Congress must pass legislation that will preempt the current patchwork of state laws; establish that our athletes are not employees, but students seeking college degrees; and provide protection from further anti-trust lawsuits that will allow colleges to make and enforce rules that will protect our student-athletes and help ensure competitive equity among our teams.”

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.: 2024 Graduate 91��Ƶ Commencement Charge and Benediction

2024-05-20T13:20:00-04:00

Dean Hildreth, Provost McGreevy, family and friends, welcome and thank you for being here with us today.

Graduates, after years of hard work and perseverance, you did it, and this is your day. But, while this accomplishment is truly your own, you know you didn’t do it all on your own. You may have done the studying, but your families and loved ones did the sweating and the stressing along with you. They cheered you on at your successes and cheered you up at your setbacks. Many of them are sitting behind you today, and they have been behind you every step of the way to help you reach this milestone. So, to the mothers and fathers, siblings and spouses, friends and relatives: thank you and congratulations. This day also belongs to you as well. Graduates, let’s applaud your family members and supporters here today.

Class of 2024, you are a distinguished class, boasting many accolades and accomplishments in every field and every discipline. As I step down from the presidency, I am most proud of the progress Notre Dame has made in research and graduate school education in recent decades, as a University traditionally known for undergraduate education increasingly takes its place among the distinguished graduate programs in the world. The growth is due not only to our distinguished faculty and academic leaders, but also to the scholarly contributions you, our graduates, have made and will make. We are proud to call you our graduates.

Your degrees represent too what you, through your talent and hard work, have accomplished, and your promise for the future. They give you the right to expect much as you go out into the world; they also indicate that the world has a right to expect much from you.

What can the world expect? Certainly, the highest level of learning and skill in your chosen fields. But, because this is Notre Dame, we hope for more.

We hope you will use the advantages of the education you received here for the common good. We hope that you will use your talents and skills not simply to serve your own interests but to care for the neediest and create a more just society. We hope that what you have acquired here not only the knowledge to make a good living, but the wisdom to live a good life.

A critical part of living a good life is finding the way in which you are called to use your learning for a purpose beyond yourself. As Pope Francis has said, “We must never forget that true power, at whatever level, is service.” My hope for each of you is that you, no matter your field, will find and direct your learning and efforts to service.

Graduates, we congratulate you, we celebrate you, and we wish you every success. Thank you for your presence here with us. We look forward to hearing all about the many great things you will do with what you have learned at Notre Dame.

Let us bring today’s ceremony to a close with a brief prayer:

Let us pray: Lord God: Of all the gifts you have bestowed on us, none is greater than giving us intellects to seek truth, to learn and to understand your creation. We thank you for these graduates who have labored so hard to learn and to understand. We ask that you guide them to use what they have learned to go forth and heal, enlighten and unify a world deeply in need. We pray this in your name. Amen.

2024 Commencement Highlights (VIDEO)

2024-05-20T13:06:52-04:00

Cardinal Christophe Pierre: 2024 Commencement Mass Homily

2024-05-20T12:50:00-04:00

Dear Friends,
As the representative of the Holy Father to the United States, I am pleased to convey to all of you the spiritual closeness and affection of Pope Francis, especially to all of you graduates. Thank you, Fr. Jenkins, for your invitation, and for your 19 years of service as President of Our Lady’s University. Many blessings to Fr. Robert Dowd as he assumes the presidency later this summer.

Dear Graduates: It is fitting that we celebrate your commencement on this feast of Pentecost. Pentecost was the day on which the Holy Spirit empowered the Church to “go forth” in proclaiming that Christ is alive, and that all who believe in him can share his eternal life. As you graduate, you are also being sent forth. Your education has equipped you to enrich the world with the formation you have gained at this University. What do you give to the world as you “go forth”? The fruits of your academic studies, to be sure. The knowledge and skills that will make you an effective contributor to your professional field. But as a graduate of an institution whose foundation is Christ and his Church, you have the opportunity to give the world even more than that. For what is distinct about a Catholic education is that you have been prepared, no matter what field you enter, to offer the world the saving hope of Jesus Christ, who, having risen from the dead, is present to the human family and to each individual in all circumstances. In other words, you leave Notre Dame not only with an academic degree, but with a spiritual mission.

As Pope Francis has said: “In our day Jesus’ command to ‘go and make disciples’ echoes in the changing scenarios and ever new challenges to the Church’s mission of evangelization, and all of us are called to take part in this new missionary ‘going forth’. Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel.”

Your mission is not unlike the mission of the prophet Ezekiel from whom we heard in the first reading of this Mass. Ezekiel was sent by God into a field of “dry bones”, which represented the withered hope of God’s people who had been taken into exile. But when Ezekiel was filled with the Holy Spirit and obeyed the Lord’s command to speak God’s word to those dry bones, they came to life again. They turned into a living people ready to re-claim their identity as God’s children. So much in our world seems like those “dry bones”. Endless wars between nations. Violence in our streets and neighborhoods. The persistent gap between the wealthy and the poor. Crimes against the dignity of the vulnerable. Our common home in need of urgent care. And in the face of all of these ills, a plague of indifference that can infect any of us. Looking at this field of “dry bones”, we can be tempted to lose hope.

But that is why we must listen to the word of God. In the second reading, St. Paul spoke of how “all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now,” and how even we, “who have the first fruits of the Spirit...groan within ourselves” as we await redemption. For Paul, the sufferings of this world are not reason to despair, but precisely the opposite: they are the motive to arouse our hope. “For in hope we are saved,” he declares. If, when we looked at the world, all that we saw were goodness and the fullness of life, then we would have already “arrived” at the goal of our longing. There would be no need to hope. But as Paul says, “we hope for what we do not see”. In other words, hope is our assurance that what Christ has promised – the redemption of all things – will come to pass. And so we, together with all creation, “groan” as if we are in labor. This “groaning” is not a cry of despair, but a prayer of hope: a prayer that peace and harmony and freedom and joy, which we all long for, will come about. As Paul says, we are not alone in this prayer, because “the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings”. That is to say: God is praying within us. And since this is God’s prayer, we know that it will be answered.

For our part, we are called to be like Ezekiel. To obey God’s call. To follow our vocation. To let “the hand of the Lord” come upon us, and to speak God’s word of truth and life to the “dry bones” of our contemporary world.

No single one of us can make a direct impact on every situation of suffering in this world. But each of you is willed by God to be a prophet in the place to which you are called: in the environment of your professional life, in your vocation, or in your further studies – wherever you are being “sent forth”. In the Psalm we pray: “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth”.

God hears this prayer. And he answers it by filling us with his Spirit and sending us into the world to be his ambassadors. As Pope Francis said to university students in Lisbon last August: “I would encourage you, then, to keep seeking and to be ready to take risks. At this moment in time, we are facing enormous challenges; we hear the painful plea of so many people. [...] Yet, let us find the courage to see our world not as in its death throes, but in a process of giving birth, not at the end, but at the beginning of a great new chapter of history. We need courage to think like this."

In order to carry out your prophetic mission in the world, remember what Jesus exclaimed in today’s Gospel: “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.”

Always remember that you have a Source of living water to turn to each day. In personal prayer. In the Eucharist. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation. All of us are thirsty, and Jesus is here to nourish us with grace and the Gift of his own Spirit. When you believe in him, then “Rivers of living water will flow from within” you. Those rivers of living water will flow to the people to whom you are sent – to the people who need your proclamation that Christ is alive, and that he is our hope of eternal life. Amen.

Notre Dame to confer 3,343 degrees over Commencement Weekend, May 18-19

2024-05-13T08:30:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame’s 179th University Commencement Ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 19, in Notre Dame Stadium.

University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., will be the principal speaker and recipient of an honorary degree. This year’s event will be the final University Commencement Ceremony at which Father Jenkins will preside as he steps down from the presidency at the end of this month after 19 years in the role to return to teaching and ministry at Notre Dame. The University’s Board of Trustees has elected Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., as Father Jenkins’ successor.

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, chief executive officer of Feeding America, will receive the 2024 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics.

Notre Dame will confer four additional honorary degrees on distinguished leaders in business, science, the Catholic Church and the arts at the University Commencement Ceremony: Jack Brennan, the chair emeritus of Vanguard, a Fellow of the University and chair of the University’s Board of Trustees; medicinal chemist Sabine Hadida, senior vice president and San Diego site head at Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States; and sculptor Jaume Plensa.

Brennan will also be awarded the University’s Hesburgh-Stephan Medal, becoming just the third recipient of the honor. The Hesburgh-Stephan Medal is named in honor of the late Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s 15th president, under whose leadership theBoard of Trustees, comprised of both lay members and clerical members from the Congregation of Holy Cross, was established, and Edmund A. Stephan, first chair of the Board. It is given to a Trustee for uncommon and exemplary contributions to the governance and mission of Notre Dame during his or her tenure on the Board. The medal celebrates the dedication of those who serve as Notre Dame Trustees, and the critical role Notre Dame’s Board plays as the governing body of the University.

Isabela Tasende, an economics and political science major with a minor in theology from Panama City, Panama, will deliver the valedictory address, and salutatorian Shaker Erbini, a neuroscience and behavior major with a minor in compassionate care in medicine from Crown Point, Indiana, will offer the invocation.

Weather permitting, graduates will process into the stadium at 9 a.m., and the University Commencement Ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. All guests must have an e-ticket for admission.

On Saturday, 523 students will receive master’s and doctoral degrees at the Graduate 91��Ƶ Commencement Ceremony, along with 547 master’s degree students at the Mendoza College of Business ceremony and 201 at the Law 91��Ƶ ceremony. The University will confer 2,275 degrees on undergraduate students at Sunday’s ceremony.

The Commencement Mass will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday in Purcell Pavilion, with Cardinal Pierre presiding.

The Commencement Mass, University Commencement Ceremony and all diploma/hooding ceremonies will be livestreamed. A complete schedule of events is available on the Commencement website, and senior stories and other features are here.

Many common items will not be allowed in the stadium during Sunday’s ceremony. Visit the Commencement website for a complete list of prohibited items. In the event of severe weather, ceremonies will be moved indoors to the Joyce Center. Should weather conditions necessitate a move indoors, the University will communicate changes online and via ND Alert messages, social media and local news outlets.

Five Notre Dame faculty elected AAAS Fellows as program celebrates 150th anniversary

2024-04-18T10:00:00-04:00

Notre Dame AAAS Fellows Beth Archie, Peter Burns, Nitesh Chawla, Patricia Culligan and Nathan Swenson

Today, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals, announced its newest class of AAAS Fellows, including five faculty from the University of Notre Dame.

This class represents expertise and accomplishment in the fields of biological sciences, chemistry, medical sciences, engineering, neuroscience and physics.

“To be elected by one’s peers as a AAAS Fellow is a tremendous honor and a mark of disciplinary excellence and innovation,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost and Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History. “We are proud to celebrate the achievements of these extraordinary colleagues whose scientific contributions help advance Notre Dame as a leading global Catholic research university and a force for good in the world.”

Notre Dame faculty elected to the 2023 class of AAAS Fellows include:

Elizabeth A. Archie, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. Archie’s research aims to understand the scientific impact of community. The AAAS recognizes her for novel and important contributions to the understanding of health and disease in the context of evolution and ecology, particularly in wild mammal populations. Archie is co-director of the Amboseli Baboon Research Project, a collaboration among Notre Dame, Princeton University, Duke University and the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, and one of the longest-running primate studies in the world.
Peter C. Burns, the Henry Massman Professor of Civil Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences and director of Notre Dame’s Center for Sustainable Energy (ND Energy). Burns is recognized for contributions to advancing actinide chemistry, geochemistry and mineralogy to improve the nuclear fuel cycle, manage nuclear waste and address environmental contamination. He has focused most of his research over the past decade on the solid-state chemistry, mineralogy and environmental chemistry of uranium, as well as the transuranic elements neptunium and plutonium.
Nitesh Chawla, the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society. Chawla is recognized for distinguished contributions to artificial intelligence and data science, specifically in machine learning from imbalanced data, machine learning on graphs, and data science for societal impact. Chawla is also a fellow of the Association for Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the Association of Computing Machinery and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Patricia J. Culligan, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of Engineering and professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. Culligan’s expertise is in geo-environmental engineering, with a focus on sustainable urban infrastructure, social networks and the application of advanced measurement and sensing technologies to improve water, energy and environmental management. She is recognized for advancing the understanding of the physical mechanisms governing porous media flow and transport, emphasizing knowledge generation in areas spanning from groundwater protection to energy dissipation and urban water management.
Nathan G. Swenson, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Gillen Director of Notre Dame’s Environmental Research Center (UNDERC). Swenson is recognized for his distinguished contributions in elucidating the drivers of the structure, diversity and dynamics of forest tree communities. His research is focused on leveraging information regarding the intra- and inter-specific variation in tree performance to understand and predict the past, present and future distribution of biodiversity — including a collaboration with NASA to measure forest health.

“We would like to thank the AAAS for recognizing these stellar members of the Notre Dame faculty, and we congratulate each of them on receiving this distinct honor,” said Jeffrey F. Rhoads, vice president for research and professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. “They are leading scientists, engineers and innovators who also embody Notre Dame’s commitment to make discoveries that yield benefits for the common good. We are grateful for the work they are doing to prepare the next generation of researchers at Notre Dame and beyond.”

Election as a fellow of AAAS is a lifetime honor, with an expectation that recipients maintain commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

New fellows join noted fellows such as Alondra Nelson, the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study and former deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to go to space; Steven Chu, 1997 Nobel laureate in physics who served as the 12th U.S. Secretary of Energy; W.E.B. Du Bois, considered the founding father of American sociology; Ellen Ochoa, veteran astronaut and the Johnson Space Center’s first Hispanic and second female director in its history; Grace Hopper, pioneer in computer software development and programming language; and Vint Cerf, who co-designed the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the internet and received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.

AAAS first launched its lifetime recognition in 1874, about 25 years after the association was founded, and included Rev. Joseph Celestine Basile Carrier, C.S.C., the first director of the science program at the University of Notre Dame in 1865, when the College of Science was established.

The Shirt 2024 to be unveiled April 19

2024-04-15T13:00:00-04:00

The Shirt Project invites students, alumni and fans of the University of Notre Dame to The Shirt 2024 unveiling at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, on Library Lawn. This year’s unveiling will feature student groups including the band, cheerleaders, dance groups and more, as well as guest appearances. In the event of rain, the unveiling will take place at Midfield Commons in Duncan Student Center, beginning at 5 p.m.

The unveiling will be streamed live on The Shirt Project’s YouTube channel and covered on Instagram and Facebook (@TheShirtND) for anyone who is unable to attend the in-person event.

The Shirt 2024 is currently available for presale on the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore website. At 6 p.m. April 19, after the unveiling, The Shirt will be available for purchase onsite on Library Lawn or at the Hammes Bookstores on campus and on Eddy Street, as well as online.

For 35 years, The Shirt Project has made a positive and influential impact on students, clubs and organizations, while simultaneously uniting the Notre Dame community across the globe. All proceeds from sales go directly to The Shirt Charity Fund and the Student Experience Fund, which allow all students at Notre Dame to receive the entire experience of a well-rounded education at the University. Since 1990, more than 3 million shirts have been sold, making it the single highest-selling piece of college athletic apparel in the nation.

To learn more, visit theshirt.nd.edu.

Contact: Katherine Williams, The Shirt Committee, kwilli36@nd.edu