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Notre Dame seeks to enhance our community by attracting employees from all walks of life. The work of maintaining and advancing our University requires individuals who approach challenges from unique perspectives borne of varied and nuanced personal experiences. Moreover, it requires learning from one another in an environment that welcomes open discussion and invites personal as well as professional growth in this area.

The stories below showcase the diversity of thought and experience of the people who work at Notre Dame.

Conversations That Matter: The Intersection of Racial Justice and Life Issues

Published: February 01, 2021

McGrath Institute for Church Life

The Notre Dame Office of Life and Human Dignity will host a free, three-part webinar series through spring 2021 addressing the integral relationship between racial justice and the culture of life, from conception to natural death. The first event is Feb. 3.

The Rome Gateway commemorates the International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Published: January 27, 2021

Costanza Montanari

The Rome Gateway has had a special connection to the historical heritage of the Jewish presence in Rome since the acquisition of the ND Villa, the living-learning community where the students of the University of Notre Dame in Rome live, located in Via Celimontana. The ND Villa housed a Jewish school in the two-year period from 1938 to 1940

Civil Rights Memoir Resonates with Today’s Call for Racial Justice

Published: January 25, 2021

Kathryn Pitts

Taking the Fight South is available in paperback and digital editions from the University of Notre Dame Press.

Blue and Gold and Black and White

Published: January 18, 2021

Notre Dame Magazine

From the health disparities that COVID-19 has exposed in communities of color, to the killing of George Floyd that sparked nationwide protests, it has been a tragic and tumultuous year, prompting a reckoning with racial issues across the country, including at Notre Dame.

ThinkND series to explore world religions

Published: January 13, 2021

Amanda Skofstad

University of Notre Dame theologians from the World Religions World Church program will embark on a seven-session virtual teaching series examining the Catholic Church in a global religion context starting Jan. 26 (Tuesday) and running through October.

United Way in need of support, now more than ever

Published: November 24, 2020

Gwen O'Brien, NDWorks

The COVID-19 pandemic has made 2020 a rough year for everybody. For some of our Michiana neighbors, it’s been unbearable. “Our food bank and pantries are getting slammed. People are lining up at 8:30 a.m. for a 4:30 p.m. food distribution, and we haven’t yet hit the peak of this crisis. How can you wrap your head around that?” said…

Trick flavors make the judges say ‘fa-boo-lous!’ on ‘Halloween Baking Championship’

Published: November 09, 2020

Sue Ryan, Media Relations

When deciding to indulge in a tasty dessert, ingredients like black garlic and beets aren’t usually a go-to flavor choice. But taking risks with uncommon flavors helped to lift University of Notre Dame executive pastry chef Sinai Vespie into the finale of the Food Network “Halloween Baking Championship” series.

Notre Dame files formal comment with Department of Homeland Security

Published: October 24, 2020

Notre Dame News

Three University of Notre Dame leaders have filed a formal comment on behalf of the University urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to withdraw a proposed rule that would make it harder for international students to enroll in U.S. universities. The comment amplifies concerns expressed this week in a letter from Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.…

Bridging the Divide speaker series adds event with Pete Buttigieg

Published: October 14, 2020

Ted Fox

Bridging the Divide is free and open to all members of the Notre Dame community as well as the public. Past events included "Exploring Racial and Social Injustice and Inequality in America," and the series will also tackle “The 19th Amendment and the Myth that All Women Vote the Same” among other topics.

Asian cultural events drew enthusiastic audiences in 2019-20

Published: October 04, 2020

Liu Institute

The three biggest cultural events sponsored and co-sponsored by the Liu Institute in 2019-2020 saw enthusiastic capacity audiences. Bijayini Satpathy, a globally acclaimed Odissi dancer known for her intense facial expressions, performed her solo show Kalpana on September 5, 2019, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center’s Patricia George Decio Theater. Coordinated by the Asian Indian Classical Music Society, Satpathy’s performance...

Begin with empathy: Notre Dame Ethics Week explores finding common ground

Published: January 29, 2021

Carol Elliott

Notre Dame Ethics Week, held Feb. 16-19, features four events exploring the theme “Beginning with Empathy: Listening and Learning From Others.” The sessions explore a wide range of topics related to empathy, including the underlying science, diversity and inclusion, teaching empathy as part of problem solving and how medical professionals employ empathy.

Elizabeth M. Renieris appointed founding director of the Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab

Published: January 26, 2021

Notre Dame News

Elizabeth M. Renieris, currently a technology and human rights fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a practitioner fellow at Stanford University’s Digital Civil Society Lab, has been appointed founding director of the Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab at the University of Notre Dame.

Statement from Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on the passing of baseball legend Hank Aaron

Published: January 22, 2021

Notre Dame News

“When Notre Dame bestowed an honorary degree on Hank Aaron in 2005, our citation referenced his legendary baseball career and concluded that, most importantly, he had done it all ‘fair and square.’ His many records, particularly in the face of racial prejudice, make him one of the greats of the game.

Notre Dame launches interdisciplinary Initiative on Race and Resilience

Published: January 18, 2021

Josh Weinhold

The University of Notre Dame has launched the Initiative on Race and Resilience, a new interdisciplinary program focused on the redress of systemic racism and the support of communities of color both within and beyond the Notre Dame campus. Led by the College of Arts & Letters with additional support from the Office of the Provost, the initiative will bring...

Wrongful Convictions: Notre Dame law students pursue exoneration cases in nearby Elkhart

Published: December 14, 2020

Brendan O'Shaughnessy

Elliot Slosar was in a Zoom meeting in April with Notre Dame law students working on a wrongful conviction case when he got a call asking him to pick up Andy Royer, whom a judge had just freed after 16 years in prison.

Campus Dining prepares holiday meals for local centers

Published: November 23, 2020

NDWorks

Campus Dining continues its tradition of preparing turkey and/or side dishes to three South Bend organizations hosting Thanksgiving meals. - the Center for the Homeless, St. Margaret’s House Day Center for Women and Children, and Hope Ministries.

Statement by Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on Pope Francis elevating Archbishop Wilton Gregory to cardinal

Published: October 26, 2020

Notre Dame News

"We offer Archbishop Gregory our warmest congratulations on his elevation to cardinal by Pope Francis and assure him of our prayers and support."

2020 United Way Campaign is underway

Published: October 22, 2020

NDWorks

According to the United Way of St. Joseph County, four in 10 families struggle to meet basic needs. This year is even more challenging as many in the South Bend community face financial devastation and health challenges due to COVID-19. Each year, Notre Dame faculty and staff donate to the United Way…

The Snite Museum of Art Announces Important Acquisitions to its Mesoamerican Collection

Published: October 07, 2020

Gina Costa

The Snite Museum of Art announces five gifts to the Museum’s distinguished Mesoamerican collection. Mr. William. J. Gallagher Jr. ND’1950, was one of the original lenders of Pre-Columbian objects to the Snite Museum of Art when it opened its doors in the fall of 1980. These early loans from the Gallagher Family were foundational objects to the development of...

Notre Dame Police Department issues equity in policing report

Published: September 16, 2020

Dennis Brown

In collaboration with a group of Black University of Notre Dame students, and after receiving suggestions from them as well as from faculty, staff and alumni, the Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD) has developed a report that includes acknowledgement of past problems, a commitment to equitable policing and a comprehensive series of initiatives designed to create a more fair, impartial,...

State license ‘the culmination of a decade-long dream’ for Robinson Center preschool program

Published: January 29, 2021

Erin Blasko

The Robinson Community Learning Center’s early childhood program is now a licensed preschool program in Indiana, allowing it to accept voucher students and participate in the state’s child care quality and rating system as a reference for parents and a pathway to accreditation.

Notre Dame, others join to fight rising local hunger

Published: January 25, 2021

Erin Blasko

The Health Improvement Alliance of St. Joseph County, in partnership with Cultivate Food Rescue, established the Emergency Food Initiative in March as a way to support food security in South Bend and the surrounding area and negotiate the complexity of that task during the pandemic.

Statement by Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on presidential orders and actions

Published: January 21, 2021

Notre Dame News

"We’re thankful that President Biden has taken immediate action through an executive order to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and for his support for legislation to provide permanent status and a path to citizenship for Dreamers."

Books in Honor of MLK Jr. Day from Notre Dame Press

Published: January 14, 2021

Notre Dame Press News

The University of Notre Dame Press is proud to publish two profoundly moving books this spring that look at the history of the civil rights movement and a great abolitionist and archivist of the Underground Railroad.

Niele Ivey speaks up about speaking out

Published: December 09, 2020

USA Today

USA Today article highlights how Notre Dame's women's basketball coach balances sports with social justice

2020 Presidential Awards for staff announced

Published: November 14, 2020

Emily Knouse, Human Resources

The Presidential Awards recognize staff members for their significant contributions to the betterment of the University and whose actions exemplify Notre Dame’s Core Values: Accountability, Teamwork, Integrity, Leadership in Excellence and Leadership in Mission. Congratulations to Darrell Rowell, Jennifer Wittenbrink Ortega, Calvin Metts, Tina Jankowski, Brandi Wampler and Scott Rinehart.

I Am ND: Meet Sharla Lewis

Published: October 26, 2020

Carrie Stone, Internal Communications

Spontaneous dancing happens. But most people aren’t in front of national cameras when it does. Sharla Lewis, Notre Dame women’s basketball program manager, couldn’t help herself after the team’s 2018 championship win, and ESPN captured her victory jig.

Notre Dame partners with Fulbright COMEXUS to strengthen ties between US, Mexico universities

Published: October 22, 2020

Colleen Wilcox

The University of Notre Dame and partners are now accepting applications for the Becas Fulbright-García Robles COMEXUS Mexico Studies Chair, which funds a senior scholar from a Mexican university to be in residence for a semester.

Staff psychologist Weiyang Xie wins grant to improve mental health in the Asian community

Published: October 05, 2020

Natalie Davis Miller, NDWorks

When University Counseling Center (UCC) Staff Psychologist Weiyang Xie, Ph.D., HSPP, alongside three outside collaborators with the national grassroots non-profit organization United Chinese Americans, submitted a grant to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), they never thought they would get it due to the high competitiveness of the applicant pool. In fact, they began to console and encourage each other...

“Everyday Religion” class delves into religious diversity

Published: September 16, 2020

Josh Stowe

When one encounters the rich diversity of the world’s religions, working to understand different faith traditions can promote tolerance, interreligious dialogue, and peace. This was the idea students explored during the second session of “Everyday Religion in a World of Many Faiths.” The class, offered by the Ansari Institute, meets online Thursday evenings and is free and open to the public.