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2021

Carla Harris, business leader and gospel singer, to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal

Published: March 14, 2021

Carla Harris, vice chairman of wealth management and senior client adviser at Morgan Stanley — as well as a celebrated gospel singer, speaker and author — will be awarded the University of Notre Dame’s 2021 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics, at the 176th University Commencement Ceremony on May 23 (Sunday).

First-year journey: Irasema Hernandez Trujillo '24, political science and global affairs major

Published: March 10, 2021

Shannon Rooney

When Irasema Hernandez Trujillo '24 received a scholarship from the Lily Endowment that helped pave the way for her enrollment at Notre Dame, it felt like fate. Or a sign. Now Trujillo is in her second semester as a political science and global affairs major. She is also a Balfour-Hesburgh Scholar.

FDO offers staff equity programming during Walk the Walk Week

Published: March 09, 2021

NDWorks

The Facilities Design and Operations (FDO) division celebrated Walk the Walk Week, Feb. 22-28, with its own efforts to ‘walk the walk.’ In the fall, the division founded Equity FDO, an initiative for staff to learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion with the mission "to achieve a culture within FDO that embraces and empowers all individuals and celebrates their uniqueness."...

South Bend Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program kicks off second year of helping local entrepreneurs

Published: March 08, 2021

Cory Hankins

SBEAP is a 12-month course that leverages University and city resources to help participants establish sustainable ventures as a pathway out of poverty.

Women Who Empower: Thaïs Burmeister Pires

Published: March 08, 2021

Colleen Wilcox

A clinical psychologist by trade, Thaïs Burmeister Pires is on a mission to enrich the lives of people around her. It started with her three daughters. “Ever since they were little, I always empowered them to be whatever they wanted to be,” says Pires. “That empowerment started with a strong education and an experience outside of their comfort zone.”

Beyond a week or a month

Published: March 05, 2021

Cidni Sanders

Graduate students create resource guide to further antiracism actions at Notre Dame.

ND Law student Samantha Contreras receives Michael Best Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship

Published: March 03, 2021

Denise Wager

Samantha Contreras, a second-year student at Notre Dame Law School, has received a generous scholarship from Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The scholarship will provide tuition assistance for Contreras’ third year of law school. In addition, scholarship recipients are offered a summer associate position at Michael Best.

Q&A with Marian Botchway

Published: March 02, 2021

Elizabeth Smith

Marian Botchway is one of the program directors for the Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH). She discusses her current research, her position with the EIGH, and her path to a career in global health.

VIDEO: Michel Hockx Lecture on "The Regulation of Literature in Xi Jinping’s China”

Published: March 01, 2021

Liu Institute

On February 16th, 2021, Liu Institute Director Michel Hockx gave a lecture at the University of Chicago’s Center for East Asian Studies titled, "The Regulation of Literature in Xi Jinping's China.

New concurrent faculty member - Dr. Michael C. Rea

Published: February 25, 2021

Gender Studies Program

Dr. Michael C. Rea is Rev. John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy as well as Director of the Center for Philosophy of Religion. He also serves as the faculty advisor for FeministND, a student club.

VIDEO: Asian American Distinguished Speaker Series with Ai-jen Poo

Published: March 12, 2021

Christine Cox

Labor activist Ai-jen Poo, co-founder and CEO of the National Domestic Workers Union, was the inaugural guest for the Asian American Distinguished Lecture Series on March 11, 2021.

Women’s Investing Summit’s new format opens up event to more students, speakers

Published: March 09, 2021

Ryan Peters

The Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing (NDIGI) is hosting the third annual Women’s Investing Summit (WIS) this week. WIS Week consists of a series of speeches from women with extensive experience in different areas of investment, small group networking sessions and a student stock pitch competition.

Young Scholars Symposium in Latino Studies to convene emergent scholars from across country and distinguished Professor Charlene Villaseñor Black

Published: March 09, 2021

Oliver Ortega

Seven up-and-coming scholars from across the country, along with distinguished professor Charlene Villaseñor Black of UCLA, will headline the Young Scholars Symposium at the Institute for Latino Studies next week. The virtual gathering on March 18 and 19 is part of an annual ILS initiative to bring together advanced graduate students and junior faculty working to complete a dissertation, book, or other form...

Jennifer Schaefer honored with 2021 Catherine F. Pieronek Women in Engineering Impact Award

Published: March 08, 2021

Joan Fallon

Jennifer Schaefer, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, is the recipient of the 2021 Catherine F. Pieronek Women in Engineering Impact…

Flora Tang (Ph.D. in Peace Studies and Theology)

Published: March 08, 2021

Matthew Macke

Tang, whose hometown is Beijing, lists her research interests as post-traumatic theology, decolonial and queer theologies, gender and sexuality studies, religion, and literature. She attended Notre Dame as an undegraduate, then went to Harvard Divinity School for her master's degree.

Statement from Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on Pope Francis traveling to Iraq

Published: March 04, 2021

Notre Dame News

By making the first-ever papal visit to Iraq, he is bringing hope to the Christian faithful there who have faced persecution, while at the same time engaging in interreligious dialogue on the Plain of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham, the patriarch of Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Tijana Milenkovic honored with CRA-E award for mentoring undergraduates in computing research

Published: March 03, 2021

Nina Welding

She is one of two winners of this award for 2021.

Call for papers: Conference on the History of Women Religious

Published: March 01, 2021

Margaret McGuinness

The Program Committee invites proposals for papers and panels that address the conference theme, “Diversity and Dignity Across Time and Place.”

VIDEO: Julia Thomas Lecture on "Anthropocene Lessons from Japanese History"

Published: March 01, 2021

Liu Institute

On February 11, 2021, the Liu Institute hosted a lecture, "Anthropocene Lessons from Japanese History" by Julia Thomas. Julia Thomas is an associate professor in the Department of History and a faculty fellow of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies

New affiliated faculty member - Dr. Calvin Zimmermann

Published: February 25, 2021

Gender Studies Program

Dr. Calvin Zimmermann is an assistant professor of sociology. His current research examines how systems of race, class, and gender shape children's social relationships in early childhood, with a particular emphasis on Black children in school and family settings.

Sullivan testifies to effectiveness of wrap-around social service programs that truly fight poverty

Published: March 11, 2021

Colleen Sharkey

At the invitation of U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, ranking member of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee at the Ways and Means Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, Jim Sullivan, co-founder of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at the University of Notre Dame, testified at a March 10 hearing, “Health Profession Opportunity Grants: Past Successes and Future Uses.”

Jim Sullivan to testify on successful anti-poverty programs at US House committee meeting

Published: March 09, 2021

Colleen Sharkey

During his testimony, Sullivan will draw on the Lab For Economic Opportunities’ experience evaluating interventions with service-provider partners across the country to illustrate different evaluation approaches that can best identify effective models at the community level.

Garg appointed an editor of Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics

Published: March 08, 2021

Shelly Goethals

Professor Umesh Garg has been appointed an editor of Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (PTEP), an international, fully open access, online-only journal published by the Physical Society of Japan.

Women Who Empower: Jingyu Wang

Published: March 08, 2021

Colleen Wilcox

Jingyu Wang is hoping to redefine the meaning of a leader. As the executive director of the Beijing Global Gateway, Wang is working to change the focus from “leading” to “serving.” “The best leaders aren’t just motivating people to do the work; they’re helping and supporting them in a compassionate way,” says Wang.

Women Lead 2021

Published: March 05, 2021

Office of Brand Content

In celebration of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, meet eight women leaders who are challenging the status quo in their fields.

First-Year Journey: Emily Fuchs '25 embraces her love of design as an architecture major

Published: March 03, 2021

Grace McDermott

Emily Fuchs is a first-year student in Notre Dame’s architecture program and says that the unique character of the architecture school here was one of the major attractions that led to her enrollment.

March is Women’s History Month

Published: March 03, 2021

Cidni Sanders

The month of March is set aside as a time to celebrate the many contributions of women to society and learn more about what can be done to improve gender equality. The Gender Relations Center is hosting two events in conjunction with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day.

Empathy drives alumna in global health adventures

Published: March 01, 2021

Joanne Norell

When asked where she finds time for fun, Rachel Svetanoff ’15 M.S. laughed. It’s not that she thought the question was funny, per se. She wasn’t shrugging it off. It was more the idea that the perpetually busy global health professional wasn’t already having a good time.

Mortaza Saeidi-Javash (Graduate Minor in Peace Studies)

Published: February 26, 2021

Matthew Macke

"Peace studies provided me with a better perspective on the importance of my engineering research and its impact on people's lives," Saeidi-Javash said. "Knowing that my research may have such a tremendous impact encourages me to explore more and be a force for good."

New concurrent faculty member - Dr. Cara Ocobock

Published: February 25, 2021

Gender Studies Program

Dr. Cara Ocobock is an assistant professor of anthropology and the director of Notre Dame’s Human Energetics Laboratory. Her research program integrates human biology and anthropology, with a focus on the interaction between anatomy, physiology, evolution, and the environment.