Home ›
News ›
Student Stories

Student Stories

One whistle changes everything

Published: May 24, 2023

If you follow Notre Dame football, you’ve seen John Sexton on the field for every home game for the past four years. You may not have noticed him much for his first few seasons. He was usually one of the last guys to take the field. As a senior, though, John got his turn at the front of the rotation....

AANHPI Heritage Month student spotlights

Published: May 22, 2023

diversity.nd.edu

Multicultural Student Programs and Services asked five students to share what makes their family and culture special, how they celebrate their heritage on campus, and what they wish other people knew about their culture.

Monica C. Regalbuto honored with 2023 Notre Dame Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award

Published: May 16, 2023

Karla Cruise

Monica C. Regalbuto, ND Ph.D. ’89 (chemical engineering) will receive the 2023 Notre Dame Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award, an award given annually to a graduate alumnus or alumna who has contributed significantly to scholarship, research or society.

Ground broken, mural taking shape at Foundry Field, a true community project

Published: May 16, 2023

Erin Blasko and Carrie Gates

The proposed public-access baseball field is designed to celebrate the Foundry Giants and other underrepresented baseball teams from South Bend’s past. Active during the 1920s, the Giants were a predominantly Black baseball team whose players typically worked in the Studebaker Foundry. The team included several players who went on to play in the Negro Leagues.

Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Clinic represents Sikh, Jewish, and Muslim groups defending a Muslim inmate’s religious rights

Published: May 11, 2023

Arienne Calingo

A Muslim man’s right to practice his religion was suppressed by state officials while being held in a New York correctional facility. His case highlights the importance of interpreting religious freedom laws to provide sufficient remedies in protecting the rights of religious minority groups in prison. …

3L Erica Patterson named ABA Law Student Representative of the Year

Published: May 09, 2023

Jonathan Bailey

Erica Patterson, a third-year student at Notre Dame Law School, was named Law Student Representative of the Year by the American Bar Association. Patterson finished with the most student representative member points for the academic year. “Winning ABA Law Student Representative of the Year is such an honor,” said Patterson. “Thank you to the ABA Law Student Division for recognizing...

Kristen Friday named valedictorian; Miguel Coste selected salutatorian

Published: May 05, 2023

Sue Ryan

Kristen Friday of Pittsburgh has been named valedictorian and Miguel Coste from Tampa has been selected salutatorian of the 2023 University of Notre Dame graduating class.

Junior Lizzie Stifel named 2023 Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service Scholar

Published: May 01, 2023

Erin Blasko

University of Notre Dame junior Lizzie Stifel, of Easton, Pennsylvania, has been named a 2023 Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service Scholar. She is the University’s fourth Key into Public Service scholar since the program was established in 2020.

ND Law’s Religious Liberty Clinic participates in oral argument before the en banc Ninth Circuit to defend Oak Flat

Published: April 28, 2023

Arienne Calingo

Apache Stronghold v. United States was one of the first cases that the Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Clinic supported when the clinic was newly established in the 2020-21 academic year. For the past two years, faculty and students from the Religious Liberty Clinic have stood with members of the Apache tribe to protect Oak Flat, a sacred site...

JoAnn Chávez ’86, ’90 J.D. devotes energy to helping Detroit youth

Published: April 25, 2023

Notre Dame Law School

Chávez is senior vice president and chief legal officer for DTE, an energy provider and Fortune 250 company based in Detroit.

Class of 2023: Meet six ND Law graduates who have become a ‘different kind of lawyer’

Published: May 23, 2023

Denise Wager

Notre Dame Law School’s mission is to educate a “different kind of lawyer.” Our graduates learn to view the practice of law not only as a profession but also as a service to others and the common good. This weekend, we celebrate commencement for our Class of 2023. Each student in the class had their own story when they first...

First-year or freshman? Internal Communications offers guidance on gender-neutral language

Published: May 22, 2023

diversity.nd.edu

The Office of Internal Communications recently updated the University Style Guide to reflect a preference in the term “first-year” rather than “freshman” when referring to students. Doing so is aligned with recent publishing trends to avoid using needlessly gendered language.…

ESTEEM alumnus James Lutaaya named a recipient of the 2023 Michiana Forty Under 40 class

Published: May 16, 2023

Olivia Poole

James Lutaaya, a 2022 alumnus of the University of Notre Dame’s ESTEEM Graduate Program, has been named a recipient of the 2023 Michiana Forty under 40 class…

Keough School announces two graduate students as recipients of the annual Hesburgh Global Fellowship

Published: May 12, 2023

Kate Chester

For the first time ever, two graduate students have been tapped by the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame to receive the prestigious annual Hesburgh Global Fellowship simultaneously. Haleemah Ahmad, who graduates in May 2023 with a master’s in global affairs with a concentration in international peace studies, will return to the Da’wah Institute …

Biology graduate student and postdoc earn prestigious fellowships to study glial cells

Published: May 10, 2023

Deanna Csomo Ferrell

A graduate student and a postdoctoral researcher each received prestigious fellowships from the National Institutes of Health for work they are doing to investigate the roles of glial cells during the development of the nervous system.

Emmanuel Cannady (PhD 2022) wins 'Best Dissertation' award

Published: May 08, 2023

Sociology Department

Former Notre Dame Sociology graduate student Emmanuel Cannady has received the “Best Dissertation Award” from the American Sociological Association’s (ASA) section devoted to study of Collective Behavior and Social Movements. All dissertations defended in 2022 were eligible for the award. The title of his dissertation is Black Lives Matter University: How Activist Knowledge Affects Organizational Sustainability.…

Global Religious Observances Calendar highlights diversity, promotes inclusion

Published: May 05, 2023

Cidni Sanders

The free resource is designed to help the Notre Dame community stay informed about faith traditions and celebrations that may be observed by students and colleagues.

London book launch with Lord David Alton explores need for international response to genocide

Published: April 28, 2023

Arienne Calingo

The Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Initiative hosted a book launch and discussion in London last month for Lord David Alton’s and Ewelina Ochab's recently published book, State Responses to Crimes of Genocide: What Went Wrong and How to Change It. The event, organized by Professor…

Latino studies students learn spiritual leadership skills during Easter Monday workshop

Published: April 25, 2023

Angela Olvera

ILS group flanked by CSPL's Gabriel Lara (left) & Michael Nicolás Okinczyc-Cruz (right) (Credit: Joanna Arellano-Gonzalez for CSPL) A group of students from the Institute for Latino Studies embarked on a trip to Chicago on Easter Monday. Their mission was to meet with the Coalition of Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) and partake in an immersive Chicagoan experience.…

Notre Dame Law School holds second annual Interfaith Dinner in observance of Ramadan, Passover, Easter, and Ridvan

Published: April 24, 2023

Jonathan Bailey

Notre Dame Law School held its second annual Interfaith Dinner on April 12 in observance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Jewish Passover, Easter, and the Baha’i festival of Ridvan.

Coming full circle: Blake Ziegler finds politics, God and a good life at Notre Dame

Published: May 23, 2023

Tracy DeStazio

“The mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart,” said Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross. This core University of Notre Dame mission and vision is one that spoke to the heart of graduating senior Blake Ziegler ever since his middle school days at Holy Cross School in his hometown of New Orleans.…

Jewish American Heritage Month celebrated on campus and across the nation

Published: May 16, 2023

diversity.nd.edu

DeBartolo Performing Arts Center film festival and Hesburgh Library exhibit are among several ways to learn more about the Jewish experience.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Published: May 16, 2023

diversity.nd.edu

Get resources to learn more about the month, the cultures being celebrated and how you can help combat anti-Asian racism.

Graduating seniors present research theses in Latino Studies

Published: May 12, 2023

Oliver Ortega

Nathalie Garcia '23 was one of two seniors to do a Latino Studies research thesis this year (Credit: Maribel Rodriguez) Two undergraduate students presented their senior theses in Latino Studies last week to a packed classroom on Bond Hall’s third floor.…

The Creator's Game: Lacrosse

Published: May 09, 2023

NDWorks

Tara Kenjockety, undergraduate community engagement librarian, Hesburgh Libraries and member of the Indigenous Faculty and Staff Group and Tiffany Gillaspy, music librarian for Hesburgh Libraries hold the flag of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. Notre Dame’s lacrosse teams were recently recognized at the March 25 men’s game and the March 27 women’s game. Lacrosse, known as “the Creator’s Game” by its...

NDLA Board honors Vietnam veteran John Lancaster ’67, ’74 J.D. for contributions to disability rights

Published: May 08, 2023

Charles Williams

John Lancaster ’67, ’74 J.D., a Vietnam War veteran and pioneering advocate for disability rights, was honored this spring with the Notre Dame Law Association’s Father William Lewers Award.

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., recognizes Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Published: May 01, 2023

diversity.nd.edu

“Our campus community is enriched by their contributions and cultures,” Jenkins said.

One-day gathering celebrates Latinidad and poetics in all its complexity

Published: April 28, 2023

Oliver Ortega

A select group of poets and critics convened at the University of Notre Dame for "Latinx Poetics, a One-Day Gathering", as part of a marquee spring event for Letras Latinas, the literary arm of the Institute for Latino Studies. The event, held on the second floor of McKenna Hall, was composed of an afternoon session and an evening session, with a...

FLTA spotlight: Cin-Hua Chen

Published: April 25, 2023

Luke Van de Walle

Taiwan boasts a rich culture and picturesque scenery unlike any place in the world, offering a unique blend of indigenous, Chinese, and Japanese influences that is evident in its architecture, cuisine, and traditions. From the vibrant night markets and bustling shopping districts in Taipei and Kaohsiung, to the stunning peaks of the Alishan and Taroko National Parks, to the pristine...

Notre Dame Black Law Students Association holds 50th alumni reunion

Published: April 19, 2023

Jonathan Bailey

The Notre Dame Black Law Students Association held its Spring Alumni Weekend 50th Reunion on March 23-26. The weekend included an alumni panel discussion, awards banquet, and black-tie gala, among other activities.