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Notre Dame celebrates new pope; Father Dowd offers prayers

2025-05-08T14:09:00-04:00

The bells at the University of Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart rang in celebration this afternoon, May 8, as white smoke billowed from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, signaling that Cardinal Robert Prevost, O.S.A., has been elected the new pope.

Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame, offered his prayers for Pope Leo XIV, elected by the College of Cardinals today in Vatican City as the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church.

“The Notre Dame community joins with the Church worldwide in giving thanks and rejoicing in the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope,” Father Dowd said. “We celebrate his work as a tireless missionary who has never hesitated to cross borders to announce the Gospel. A leader of vision, humility and energy, he has inspired us with his compassion, generosity and love for the people of God. As he begins his pontificate, we pray that Pope Leo will always be blessed with the wisdom, courage and fortitude he will need.”

Notre Dame will celebrate a special Mass of Thanksgiving for Pope Leo XIV at 5:15 p.m. today in the Basilica. Father Dowd will preside.

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

Collaboration with National Education Equity Lab to Create Pathways to Notre Dame

2025-05-07T12:32:00-04:00

Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., knows what it’s like to have more than your chances of being admitted on your mind when applying to college.

“When I was accepted to Notre Dame, tuition was much lower, but still out of reach for my family,” he said during his inauguration as the University’s 18th president last September. “My mom, the head of a single-parent household, knowing that it was my dream to attend Notre Dame, refinanced our house and took out loans to send me here. Decades later, it’s just not realistic to expect people to do what my mom did.”

Even with extraordinary financial aid, Fr. Dowd noted, rising costs have deterred far too many talented young people drawn to the University’s mission from pursuing a Notre Dame education. That’s why during his inaugural address, he announced the University’s move to make financial aid loan-free and admissions need-blind for all undergraduate students.

Now, in the spirit of this commitment, a group of campus units led by Notre Dame Learning’s Office of Digital Learning (ODL) are building another kind of pathway to the University for students who might not otherwise envision themselves as candidates to attend. It is an initiative made possible through a collaboration with the National Education Equity Lab, which partners with top universities to deliver actual college credit-bearing courses and supports to scholars in low-income high school classrooms across the nation.

Working with the Ed Equity Lab, Notre Dame will offer a course titled Responsible and Ethical AI to approximately 250 students at Title I and Title I-eligible high schools—those with large populations of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds—on a pilot basis in fall 2025. There is no cost to the students to take the course, and they will earn college credits and a transcript from Notre Dame upon finishing it.

High schoolers who successfully complete this or any other Ed Equity Lab course can typically apply their credits to the pursuit of a degree at any college or university at which they are accepted and subsequently enroll. In addition to contributing to the general college readiness of all students who take its AI course, Notre Dame’s participation in the program is expected to inspire a number of harder-to-reach students with immense talent to apply to the University.

“Our collaboration with the Ed Equity Lab is very much in keeping with Fr. Dowd’s call that we should build bridges for deserving students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, to be able to attend Notre Dame,” said Ron Metoyer, vice president and associate provost for teaching and learning. “I’m grateful to the many individuals on campus who have teamed up to turn a great idea into what promises to be a meaningful educational experience.”

Designed and developed by learning professionals in the ODL with faculty in Notre Dame’s Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, the Responsible and Ethical AI course will be considered a University elective and delivered entirely online.

“As AI continues to have a profound impact on the workforce, the environment, and public trust in media, it is imperative we give students the opportunity to thoughtfully examine its societal implications as early as possible,” said Nitesh Chawla, Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and the Lucy Family Institute’s founding director. “Introducing college-level coursework to interested high school students and engaging them in these thoughtful conversations can benefit not only their futures, but all of ours.”

Valya Kuskova, a professor of the practice and associate director of the Lucy Family Institute, will serve as the course’s instructor. In addition, current undergraduates in the Lucy Family Institute’s iTREDS (Interdisciplinary Training and Research in Ethical Data Science) Scholars Program will work with the high school students weekly as teaching fellows while a high school teacher will support scholars directly in the classroom.

The list of Notre Dame campus contributors doesn’t stop with the Lucy Family Institute and the ODL. The Office of the Registrar, Academic Advising, the Office of Pre-College Programs, and Undergraduate Admissions have all played essential roles in the pilot process. So, too, has the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI), which will partner with the Lucy Family Institute and the ODL to evaluate the impact of the course.

“A project of this scope truly requires that we think and work together as an institution,” said Sonia Howell, director of the ODL. “That collaboration will continue both in the delivery of the course itself and as we in the ODL work with the IEI to explore expanding the list of high schools the Ed Equity Lab serves. The goal there is to create pathways for more high-achieving students in under-resourced Catholic schools in particular to attend Notre Dame and other leading colleges and universities.”

Through this pilot, Notre Dame joins Howard University, Brown University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Stanford University, Wesleyan University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Arizona State University, and others as part of the Ed Equity Lab consortium.

“We are thrilled that Notre Dame will be joining our consortium of top colleges and universities offering college courses to scholars from low-income communities across the country,” said Ed Equity Lab founder and CEO Leslie Cornfeld. “We are especially inspired by Notre Dame’s deep commitment to expanding college access. They aren’t just saying the right things, they’re rolling up their sleeves and moving to action to enable the American Dream.”

Originally published by ND Learning at learning.nd.edu on May 05, 2025.

Clare Cullinan named valedictorian, Bennett Schmitt selected as salutatorian for the Class of 2025

2025-05-07T11:00:00-04:00

Clare Cullinan of South Bend, Indiana, has been named valedictorian and Bennett Schmitt from Jasper, Indiana, has been selected as salutatorian of the 2025 University of Notre Dame graduating class.

The 180th University Commencement Ceremony will be held May 18 (Sunday) in Notre Dame Stadium for graduates and guests. During the ceremony, Cullinan will present the valedictory address, and as salutatorian, Schmitt will offer the invocation.

Valedictorian Clare Cullinan (photo by Michael Caterina/University of Notre Dame)

Cullinan, a global affairs major with a studio art minor, is in the first graduating undergraduate class of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs. She will graduate summa cum laude with a cumulative 4.0 grade point average. She has been a member of the dean’s list every semester and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

As a research assistant in the Kellogg Institute for International 91��Ƶ, Cullinan worked with Professor Steve Reifenberg for three years, researching a range of topics including student and global health and well-being, team-based learning and the concept of accompaniment in international development work.

For her senior capstone, she completed a policy project through the organization Education Bridge. In collaboration with clients and teammates, she helped lay the groundwork for an alumni program ensuring access to further education for recent graduates of Greenbelt Academies, a secondary school in South Sudan.

Through her global affairs major, Cullinan has also collaborated with a variety of nonprofits, researching and launching a community gardens program in Argentina and working with entrepreneurs from low-income backgrounds in South Bend. A highlight of her Keough 91��Ƶ experience was serving as a student teaching assistant and a peer mentor for first-year students.

Cullinan was selected as an inaugural member of the student core team for the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good during her senior year. In that role, she helped create an undergraduate apprenticeship focused on virtue-rooted leadership and organized campus-wide events that explored ethical leadership and behavior, including Fr. TED Talks, a Notre Dame Forum event last fall that discussed ideas from the Catholic social tradition.

This summer, she will return to the institute as an intern coordinator with the Signature Course Fellowship program, where she will work with scholars and students from across higher education to launch courses addressing questions about human flourishing.

While studying abroad at Trinity College Dublin during the spring of her junior year, Cullinan served as a campus ministry intern. She has also held leadership positions in the Notre Dame Folk Choir, where she performed in domestic and international tours and recorded an album in Jerusalem.

In the South Bend community, she volunteered as an after-school caregiver and tutor at La Casa de Amistad and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Indiana.

Cullinan will begin a year of service at Amate House in Chicago this fall. There, she will work as a teacher and campus minister at Our Lady of Tepeyac High 91��Ƶ. Following her year of service, she plans to pursue a doctorate and to teach at the university level.

“What guides my work is the phrase ‘Lead, kindly light,’ which is the title of a hymn I sing with the folk choir,” Cullinan said. “How can I be a source of light for other people? How can I meet people right where they are and ensure they feel included and loved? Being a Christian to me means showing people the love of Christ — whether or not they are Catholic, whether or not they have a faith tradition — and Notre Dame has been an important starting place for that.”

Salutatorian Bennett Schmitt (photo by Michael Caterina/University of Notre Dame)

Schmitt, who has majors in environmental sciences and applied and computational mathematics and statistics and a minor in energy studies, will graduate summa cum laude from the College of Science with a 4.0 grade point average. He is a Sorin Scholar with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement, a member of the dean’s list and a Phi Beta Kappa early inductee.

He participated in research on sustainability and clean energy all four years at Notre Dame in the Jaffe Solid-State Chemistry Laboratory under Assistant Professor Adam Jaffe, the High Temperature Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory under Associate Professor Antonio Simonetti and the Fire and Grazing Ecology Laboratory under Professor of the Practice Ryan Sensenig.

With Jaffe, Schmitt is a co-author of a paper published in the journal Chemical Science, focused on developing novel materials for clean energy storage technology.

In addition, Schmitt works as an agrivoltaics policy researcher in the University’s Nanovic Institute for European 91��Ƶ, where he led the development of a policy brief to support combined agriculture and energy generation operations in the Midwest.

This spring, he was awarded the Nanovic Undergraduate Research Conference Silver Prize for his work on the policy brief, which will be presented to the Indiana state legislature. He has also presented his research at a number of conferences and workshops, both on and off campus.

Schmitt conducted research in the Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy Laboratory at University College Dublin while studying abroad during his junior year and is the lead author on a paper published on his work there exploring scalable green hydrogen production. In Dublin, he also served as a Nanovic Sustainability Fellow through Notre Dame Global and completed an energy audit on the Notre Dame Dublin building, presenting recommendations to decrease its environmental footprint.

He served in the Notre Dame Student Government throughout his time at the University, most recently as director of sustainability. Schmitt also worked as a teaching assistant in the Department of Biological Sciences and a peer tutor for students in calculus and linear algebra.

One of Schmitt’s most impactful moments came during an ND Energy trip to Puerto Rico for a seminar on renewable energy last year. There, he had the opportunity to see firsthand the challenges of the island’s fragile electric grid and helped to install solar panels for vulnerable families. The experience led him to be a founding member of ND SunRISE, an organization that encourages students to engage with renewable energy through technical projects and professional development opportunities.

After graduation, Schmitt will spend eight weeks in Kenya, conducting research on carbon cycling in savanna grasslands with Sensenig. Afterward, he will begin a master’s program in urban sustainability at Trinity College Dublin as a Naughton Fellow, with a focus on energy access.

“My passion for sustainability and environmentalism is rooted in my upbringing on a family farm, but I had the opportunity to build upon it in so many ways at Notre Dame,” Schmitt said. “Notre Dame helped me put my passion for the environment into a social context and consider how environmental challenges like climate change impact people in really different ways. Because, often, the people who are most impacted are the ones who are most vulnerable.”

As salutatorian, Schmitt will be prepared to deliver a valedictory address should the valedictorian be unable to do so.

The Notre Dame valedictorian and salutatorian selection process begins with each college or school nominating its top students among those with the highest grade point averages. Those students are then invited to complete an application that includes a draft of their commencement speech. A faculty selection committee, whose members are appointed by each college and school, is convened by the Office of Undergraduate Education in the Office of the Provost. This committee interviews selected finalists and chooses a valedictorian and salutatorian. The choices are approved by University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-631-4313

Notre Dame’s Fightin’ Irish Battalion receives Department of Defense award as nation’s top Army ROTC program

2025-05-07T09:00:00-04:00

The United States Department of Defense honored the University of Notre Dame’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) as the nation’s top Army collegiate program for the 2023-24 academic year.

This will be the first time Notre Dame’s Army ROTC Fightin’ Irish Battalion has received the department’s Educational Institution Partnership Excellence Award, which recognizes the program’s achievements in recruiting, educating, training and commissioning leaders of character to be the next generation of military officers.

The prestigious award, established in 2020, is given out annually to outstanding ROTC units and host educational institutions from each military branch and highlights overall program performance, student-cadet achievements and university support. With this honor, the Fightin’ Irish Battalion now ranks first out of 274 Army ROTC programs nationwide.

“Our Army ROTC cadets and leaders make us proud in so many ways, through their efforts in the classroom, their engagement across campus and their dedication to serving our nation,” said University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. “The Fightin’ Irish Battalion truly embodies the best of Notre Dame, and I am delighted that their extraordinary efforts have been recognized with this prestigious award from the Department of Defense.”

Award builds on previous accomplishments

This national award follows the battalion’s receipt of the 7th Brigade General Douglas MacArthur Award for the 2023-24 academic year, which recognized the program’s high standing among 38 universities within the 7th Brigade (including ROTC programs in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio), and allowed the unit to become eligible for the Department of Defense’s Excellence Award.

University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., presents the 7th Brigade General Douglas MacArthur Award to the Notre Dame Army ROTC Fightin’ Irish Battalion prior to the start of the annual Presidential Pass in Review ceremony. Brigadier General Maurice O. Barnett, far left, commanding general of the U.S. Army Cadet Command, Lt. Col. William Kobbe, center, and members of the Army ROTC unit stand by as the award streamer is attached to their battalion guidon. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

The MacArthur Award showcases the ideals of “duty, honor and country” and is based on the achievements of the school’s commissioning mission, its cadets’ performance and standing on the command’s National Order of Merit List, and a number of various quality performance metrics. This is the second year in a row that Notre Dame’s Army ROTC unit has won this award, presented by Cadet Command and the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation.

Among its accomplishments, the Notre Dame Army ROTC unit produced 25 commissioned officers at the end of 2024, 11 of whom graduated with military distinction. Three were selected as Fulbright English Teaching Award finalists, with one winning the Fulbright Award to teach in the Czech Republic and another chosen to teach in France. The program maintained a 92 percent progression rate and a 38.6 percent STEM rate, with an overall battalion GPA of 3.59. Cadets representing 28 states across the U.S. comprise the 100-member unit, with 46 of those being female. This year’s unit included three pairs of siblings serving simultaneously, with 14 cadets having at least one parent who graduated from Notre Dame’s ROTC program.

“The Fightin’ Irish Battalion’s success can be attributed to our deep sense of devotion to our people,” said Lt. Col. William Kobbe, professor of military science and Army battalion commander at Notre Dame. “We emphasize a team-first attitude, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability to get better. We seek to embrace the University’s motto of ‘God, Country, Notre Dame’ each and every day.”

Kobbe has been named the 2024 Professor of Military Science of the Year by the U.S. Army Cadet Command for his dedication and commitment as leader of the Fightin’ Irish Battalion. In this role, Kobbe is responsible for training and mentoring the cadets, preparing them to serve their nation and others as future Army officers.

This annual award is given to military science professors who exemplify outstanding performance, leadership and mission success, based on candidates’ physical fitness, commissioning mission success, training accomplishments and contributions to their respective programs.

Battalion excels in Ranger Challenge and Sandhurst Military Skills Competition

Not only are student-cadets of the Fightin’ Irish Battalion taught to be goal-oriented, dedicated and academically focused, but they are also rigorously trained for physical performance and endurance. In October, the battalion’s team won the 7th Brigade Ranger Challenge competition at Fort Knox, Kentucky, securing the top spot for the third straight year. This competition brings Army ROTC teams from more than 30 universities within the five-state brigade to face one another in feats of military skills, physical fitness, leadership and combat readiness.

Members of the Notre Dame Army ROTC Irish Rangers team pose with the Fightin' Irish Ranger Challenge flag as they prepare for the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point.

Winning the 2024 Ranger Challenge title qualified the team to compete in the annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Named after the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, this competition is regarded as one of the toughest military skills events in the world and brings together teams from across the U.S. Army and various ROTC programs, as well as international military units.

The team competed at the 2025 Sandhurst competition on May 2 and 3 and took home an impressive standing by placing 6th among all ROTC programs and 25th overall, securing its spot as one of the top programs in the country. Facing challenges in events such as fitness tests, land navigation (both day and night), ruck marches, one-rope bridge construction and weapons disassembly/assembly, among others, the Notre Dame rangers proved their ability to consistently perform and exhibit teamwork under intense circumstances.

“It is inspiring to witness the commitment to leadership excellence from all of our cadets, faculty and staff, which has led to the Fightin’ Irish Battalion’s exceptional accomplishments,” said Ken Heckel, director of Notre Dame’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs (OMVA).

The OMVA is charged with supporting the University’s ROTC programs representing all three major branches of military service (Army, Air Force and Navy), as well as all military-affiliated individuals at the University.

“Notre Dame has a proud lineage of Army officers who have selflessly served our nation upon graduation and commissioning. The accomplishments of this group of future leaders ensure that this legacy will continue,” Heckel said.

About Notre Dame Army ROTC

Notre Dame’s long history of military service and training can be traced back to the University’s founding by Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., in 1842. Just 16 years later, in 1858, a student military company called the Notre Dame Continental Cadets was formed. During the Civil War, many Congregation of Holy Cross priests and sisters served in varying capacities, with Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s third president, being the most notable for his granting absolution to the Union Army’s Irish Brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg.

In 1941, Notre Dame became one of the first universities to host all three military branches with an affiliated ROTC program, with former University President Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., signing official documentation in 1951 for the formal establishment of the Army ROTC program. Since then, thousands of men and women have been commissioned through the Army ROTC program and have served in every conflict where American forces have deployed.

In addition to serving abroad, members of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve support local and federal initiatives such as flood and natural disaster relief, Defense Support to Civil Authorities, and the operational ready reserve for the Active Duty component.

Esteemed graduates from Notre Dame’s ROTC programs include Gen. Bryan P. Fenton, a 1987 Army ROTC graduate, U.S. Special Operations Commander and recipient of the Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., Award, and Adm. Christopher W. Grady, a 1984 Navy ROTC graduate, the vice chairman and acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Notre Dame’s 2025 Commencement speaker.

The annual Tri-Military ROTC Presidential Pass in Review, held on Notre Dame’s campus, represents the University’s long-standing military legacy and continued desire to prepare future leaders for the armed forces. Standing in formation, the 300 cadets and midshipmen embody the University’s three values: God, country and Notre Dame. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu

In memoriam: Karl Ameriks, the McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy Emeritus

2025-05-06T15:00:00-04:00

Karl Ameriks, the McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy Emeritus (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Karl Ameriks, the McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, died on April 28 from pancreatic cancer. He was 77.

Born in post-World War II Germany, Ameriks’ family emigrated to the United States when he was a child, and he grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Yale University. He came to the Department of Philosophy at Notre Dame in 1973 during a formative time for the department, which had transitioned from a predominantly Thomist focus to the more analytical American philosophy in the 1960s.

“He joined the department at a time that was crucial to setting us on the path we’ve followed since,” said Paul Weithman, the Glynn Family Honors Professor of Philosophy and former chair of the department. “Any department would have been lucky to have him, but he was very happy here, and we were all much the better for it.”

During his 43-year career at Notre Dame, Ameriks predominantly focused on the history of modern philosophy, continental philosophy and modern German philosophy. He dedicated much of his research to 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, about whom he has published multiple books, such as “Kant’s Moral and Legal Philosophy,” “Kant and the Historical Turn” and “Reinhold: Letters on the Kantian Philosophy.” He continued to actively research after his retirement in 2016, publishing books including “Kantian Dignity and its Difficulties” and “Kantian Subjects: Critical Philosophy and Late Modernity.”

Ameriks, his colleagues said, was a world-renowned scholar of Kant and German idealism — but also possessed a wide-ranging intellectual curiosity with boundless insight.

“He seemed to know everything about everyone in the history of philosophy, in politics, in literature, in history,” said Samuel Newlands, the Carl E. Koch Professor of Philosophy and chair of the department. “To have a conversation with him about any topic was a bracing, thrilling journey — you never quite knew where it was going, but you could be confident that it would be full of dry, sly humor, sharp insight and unexpected twists and turns.”

In 2009, Ameriks was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A characteristically modest man, he deflected self-lauding remarks about this prestigious recognition by pointing to colleagues who received the distinction before him, saying he was merely pleased to “receive an honor that has come to others at Notre Dame who have always been quite an inspiration for me.”

In addition to his impressive scholarship, Ameriks was also personable. He was a beloved mentor for many graduate students, and he always prioritized time with family and friends. Colleagues described him as a bibliophile and a “scholar’s scholar” who constantly engaged in invigorating discussions.

“He was generous and gentle, always encouraging, and he was someone whose daily presence in Malloy Hall was a source of joy and delight for everyone who encountered him,” Newlands said. “He will be sorely missed.”

Ameriks is preceded in death by his parents and a brother. He is survived by his wife, Geraldine, an emerita associate teaching professor of Spanish at Notre Dame; two sons; three grandchildren; and his brother, John.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. May 31 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1021 Manchester Drive, South Bend. Memorial contributions may be made in Amerik’s honor to the American Cancer Society, the Northern Food Bank of Indiana and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Originally published by Mary Kinney at al.nd.edu on May 05, 2025.

Senior James Reintjes named 2025 Yenching Scholar

2025-05-06T13:00:00-04:00

University of Notre Dame senior James Reintjes has been named a 2025 Yenching Scholar. He is one of 114 Yenching Scholars overall, representing 40 countries and regions around the globe. He is Notre Dame’s 12th Yenching Scholar and its 9th since 2018.

Chosen as part of a highly selective application process, Yenching Scholars participate in an interdisciplinary master’s degree program in China studies at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing, with tuition and other expenses fully covered.

Reintjes worked closely with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) in applying for the award.

“We are grateful to be a partner university of the Yenching Academy and to send alumni to study there regularly,” said Emily Hunt, assistant director of scholarly development at CUSE. “Notre Dame alumni who complete the program have gone on to pursue a wide variety of paths, including medical school, law school, and careers in higher education and nonprofit work.

“It was a great pleasure working with James throughout the application process. James has been an active member of the Notre Dame community, receiving support and training from the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian 91��Ƶ, the Kellogg Institute for International 91��Ƶ and the Hesburgh Libraries. We are sure James will take advantage of the wonderful opportunities available through the Yenching Academy and are excited to see what the future holds.”

Reintjes is an honors track international economics and Chinese major from the Kansas City area. He is a circulation services assistant at the Hesburgh Library and a member and treasurer of the Notre Dame Glee Club.

During his undergraduate career, he has been a research assistant to Kyle Jaros, associate professor of Global Affairs, at the Kellogg Institute for International 91��Ƶ; Victoria Tin-bor Hui, associate professor of political science; and Santosh Kumar Gautam, associate professor of development and global health economics and director of the Sustainable Development Major within the Master of Global Affairs program, at the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian 91��Ƶ.

Reintjes was a consultant for the McDonald Center for Student Wellbeing, and he spent last summer as a Mandarin tutor in Hong Kong.

His honors economics thesis, advised by Lakshmi Iyer, professor of economics; and Victoria Barone, assistant professor of economics, explored the very timely question of whether fentanyl-related deaths affect anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S.

As a Yenching Scholar, he will continue his research into the relationship between fentanyl-related deaths and anti-Chinese sentiment while further examining the role of anti-Chinese sentiment in U.S.-China trade relations. He will also take advantage of China’s large and diverse population and land mass to study how and why groups form.

Looking further ahead, he hopes to contribute to the ever-growing financial sectors within China through career opportunities within the various stock exchanges in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, with the long term goal of becoming a global leader in research and economic development.

"To all my friends, family, loved ones and mentors who supported me on this journey, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Reintjes said.

For more on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu.

Federally funded research explores how AI tools can improve manufacturing worker safety, product quality

2025-05-06T10:06:11-04:00

Recent artificial intelligence advances have largely focused on text, but AI increasingly shows promise in other contexts, including manufacturing and the service industry. In these sectors, targeted AI improvements can improve product quality and worker safety, according to a new study co-authored by an interdisciplinary team of experts from the University of Notre Dame.

The study, published in Information Fusion, explores how a class of AI tools capable of processing multiple types of inputs and reasoning can affect the future of work. These tools, which include ChatGPT, are known as multimodal large language models. And while most studies on AI and work have focused on office work, this new research examined production work settings, where the benefits of AI may seem less apparent.

Notre Dame researchers collaborated with Indiana welding experts at the Elkhart Area Career Center, Plymouth High 91��Ƶ, Career Academy South Bend, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 172 and Ivy Tech Community College to gather images for the study, leveraging relationships cultivated through the work of the University’s iNDustry Labs. Northern Indiana has one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing jobs in the United States and iNDustry Labs has collaborated with more than 80 companies in the region on more than 200 projects.

Research focused on welding across several industries: RV and marine, aeronautical and farming. The study examined how accurately large language models assessed weld images to determine whether the welds shown would work for different products. Researchers found that while these AI tools showed promise in assessing weld quality, they performed significantly better analyzing curated online images compared to actual welds.

“This discrepancy underscores the need to incorporate real-world welding data when training these AI models, and to use more advanced knowledge distillation strategies when interacting with AI,” said co-author Nitesh Chawla, the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame and the founding director of the University’s Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society. “That will help AI systems ensure that welds work as they should. Ultimately, this will help improve worker safety, product quality and economic opportunity.”

Researchers discovered that context-specific prompts may enhance the performance of AI models in some cases, and noted that the size or complexity of the models did not necessarily lead to better performance. Ultimately, the study’s co-authors recommended that future studies focus on improving models’ ability to reason in unfamiliar domains.

“Our study shows the need to fine-tune AI to be more effective in manufacturing and to provide more robust reasoning and responses in industrial applications,” said Grigorii Khvatski, a doctoral student in Notre Dame’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering and a Lucy Family Institute Scholar.

Yong Suk Lee, associate professor of technology, economy and global affairs in Notre Dame’s Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs and program chair for technology ethics at Notre Dame's Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, said the study’s findings have important implications for the future of work.

“As AI adoption in industrial contexts grows, practitioners will need to balance the trade-offs between using complex, expensive general-purpose models and opting for fine-tuned models that better meet industry needs,” Lee said. “Integrating explainable AI into these decision-making frameworks will be critical to ensuring that AI systems are not only effective but also transparent and accountable.”

The study received funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation Future of Work program and is one of the federally funded research projects at the University of Notre Dame.

In addition to Chawla, Khvatski and Lee, study co-authors include Corey Angst, the Jack and Joan McGraw Family Collegiate Professor of IT, Analytics and Operations in the University’s Mendoza College of Business; Maria Gibbs, senior director of Notre Dame’s iNDustry Labs; and Robert Landers, advanced manufacturing collegiate professor in Notre Dame’s College of Engineering.

Originally published by Josh Stowe at keough.nd.edu on May 5.

Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu

Notre Dame psychologist explores how children best learn math — and yes, timed practice helps

2025-05-05T14:37:00-04:00

University of Notre Dame Professor of Psychology Nicole McNeil recently co-authored a report that examines the best way for children to learn arithmetic — whether that’s by memorizing number values and multiplication tables, or by studying math at a deeper, conceptual level.

The report, “What the Science of Learning Teaches Us About Arithmetic Fluency,” was published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest and shows that children learn most effectively when instruction follows an evidence‑based cycle: grounding facts in conceptual understanding, using brief timed practice to make those facts automatic, and then returning to discussion and reflection to deepen that knowledge.

McNeil, a fellow with the Institute for Educational Initiatives, researches cognitive development, with a primary focus on how children think, learn, communicate and solve problems in mathematics.

In a recent interview for the Association for Psychological Science, she discussed the report that deepened understanding of how arithmetic fluency develops, why it matters and how educators can help students achieve it.

“We want to be clear: Educators don’t have to choose between timed practice and rich classroom discussions,” McNeil said in the interview. “A carefully structured approach — pairing brief, timed sessions that strengthen facts in memory with purposeful reasoning and discussion activities that weave those facts into an integrated knowledge network — gives students the fluency they need to succeed.”

Media contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-631-4313

’Tis the season for ticks and mosquitoes. A medical entomologist talks about these pests and how to avoid them.

2025-05-05T12:21:00-04:00

Lee R. Haines, associate research professor of biological sciences at Notre Dame.

As the weather warms and people begin to spend more time outside, ticks and mosquitoes will do the same. While these pests are annoying, even more than that, they can be a threat to our health.

As a medical entomologist, Associate Research Professor Lee R. Haines studies how insects spread diseases. Her research at the University of Notre Dame focuses specifically on the complex relationships between insects, the microorganisms living in their bodies, and the disease-causing agents they transmit to humans and animals

In five questions, Haines explains the risks mosquitoes and ticks pose to the Midwest and discusses how the public can best protect themselves and family members from these bloodthirsty pests.

When can people expect to see ticks and mosquitoes outside?

Ticks are hardier than mosquitoes so they are out now, and have been since it warmed up in February. The last one I removed (from myself) was in mid-November. In this part of the world, it would appear that we are at risk all year from ticks; if the ground warms up to 40-45 degrees, they become active.

Bloodthirsty female mosquitoes need it to be much warmer to start hunting us — they love the heat as much as most people do. In colder weather (below 60 degrees), mosquitoes cannot fly well, so the cool temperatures are a natural mosquito repellent. Enjoy your barbecues now!

Mosquitoes thrive in temperatures above 70. The hotter the better, because the warmer a water body becomes (think of your bird bath), the quicker a mosquito can grow from egg to adult. Buy your repellents!

Which insect-borne diseases are we at risk for?

A tick on a blade of grass

Here in the Midwest, we are relatively lucky. We don’t have deadly mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever or chikungunya fever … yet. If the winters continually get warmer, the more tropical mosquitoes that spread these diseases will continue their migration north as they already are doing.

In Indiana, the most common mosquito-borne disease is West Nile virus, but only about 15 serious human cases are reported per year. However, for horses and birds, especially corvids like ravens, crows and jays, it is more of a concern.

The other menace to our health comes from biting ticks, especially the black-legged or deer tick. This tick has a long life (roughly three years) and can transmit Lyme disease in all its life cycle stages. Since 2017, not only did more than 47 percent of adult ticks in St. Joseph County test positive for the Lyme bacteria, but also 356 people were diagnosed with Lyme disease. If Lyme disease is left untreated, it can cause severe, chronic health complications (such as arthritis and heart and neurological problems) in humans and animals.

A bite from a black-legged tick, and many other types of ticks, especially the lone star tick, can also cause an allergy to red meat called alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). Although thought to be rare in Northern Indiana for now, AGS causes a difficult allergy to live with as many goods contain meat products, including some types of vitamin gummies, desserts, tattoo ink and medications. Furthermore, the symptoms of AGS can be confusing as they range from delayed anaphylactic shock to irritable bowel-like syndrome, and consequently, it can take an average of 7.5 years to be diagnosed.

When shopping for insect repellent sprays, what should people look for?

What types of repellents and insecticides are available changes every year.

When using the gold standard “arm-in-cage” test, which involves putting a naked arm painted with bug repellent into a cage of ravenous female mosquitoes, it is clear that anything with 25-30 percent DEET was the most effective. DEET’s repellency power also lasts the longest — sometimes exceeding eight hours.

The good thing about DEET-based products is that they are also safe for use on young children (unlike lemon eucalyptus); just keep them away from anything plastic. DEET has a nasty habit of making plastic turn foggy like your watch face or phone screen protector!

There are other options should you want an alternative to DEET; look for products containing at least 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535 or 20 percent picaridin, but be aware these products may have to be reapplied more frequently.

It is great to see that something like Consumer Reports exists, and its researchers have tackled this exact question.

Beyond sprays, what other insect repellent products and methods work best?

A mosquito biting skin

To have an evening on your porch with fewer ankle-biting mosquitoes, in addition to using repellents and assuming you don’t mind the smell of citronella, you could get some big citronella candles and place them on the floor so the scent and smoke curl around your feet. Better yet, sit downwind from a fan so it blows the smoke into the flight path of the upwind-flying mosquitoes hunting for human scents.

An interesting way to suppress mosquito numbers and other insects is to encourage a healthy population of mosquito-eating predators like bats and swallows near your home. Also, designing your gardens with plants that mosquitoes dislike (such as lemongrass, citronella and lavender) can also sometimes help — but if you have pets, be careful as often these kinds of plants are also toxic to pets.

What other advice do you have for avoiding ticks? And mosquitoes?

For ticks, be vigilant. Get into the routine of checking yourself and your pets after strolling outside near longer grass or through the woods, especially where there are fallen oak leaves. Ticks love hiding in them! Check also that your bug repellent is tick-approved (look for an EPA number) as many are only specific for mosquitoes and other biting flies.

For mosquitoes, in the summer it is very hard to avoid them, but you can lessen your chances of becoming dinner by employing a few strategies. Make sure there is no standing water (e.g., planters with water trays, bird baths, ponds) near where you want to relax at dawn and dusk. Such water is a beacon to females wanting to lay their eggs and then, after, in their hunger-crazed state, catch a meal.

Another way to dampen down your mosquito attractiveness is to avoid wearing dark colors, especially black. Stick to brighter colors—many mosquitoes dislike yellows and whites, regardless of their night-biting or day-biting preferences.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Junior Cade Czarnecki named 2025 Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service Scholar

2025-05-05T11:00:00-04:00

University of Notre Dame junior Cade Czarnecki is among 20 recipients of a 2025 Key Into Public Service Scholarship from Phi Beta Kappa. He is Notre Dame’s fifth Key Into Public Service Scholar since the program was established in 2020.

The Key Into Public Service Scholarship highlights the wide range of opportunities for arts, humanities, natural and social science and mathematics majors to pursue careers in the public sector.

A political science and economics major from Ohio, Czarnecki worked closely with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) at Notre Dame in applying for the award.

"It was a pleasure working with Cade on his application for this award as he had so many great accomplishments to share with reviewers,” Elise Rudt-Moorthy, associate director of national fellowships at CUSE, said. “He truly seeks to unite liberal arts students across the act of public policy through his on campus clubs like BridgeND and off campus internships."

Czarnecki is an Undergraduate Democracy Fellow, a teaching assistant and president of BridgeND, a “multi-partisan” political club. From September to December of last year, he studied and explored abroad in Greece.

Away from campus, he was an intern with the Department of Commerce and for the campaign of Judge Marilyn Zayas in Ohio. He also clerked for a law firm in Ohio. In his free time, he leads a small group of students who volunteer at Logan Center in South Bend.

Czarnecki will spend the upcoming summer working as a Poverty Research Fellow at the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunity, where he will focus on evidence-based solutions to poverty. Long term, he intends to pursue a law degree in order to translate his research experience into actionable policy change.

“I am very grateful to be selected for the Phi Beta Kappa Society Key into Public Service Scholarship. I see this award as a reflection of my dedication to building a better future for my country and its people, something I take great pride in,” Czarnecki said. “I would particularly like to thank Elise Rudt-Moorthy and Grace Song of Notre Dame’s Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement for their advice and support in the application process. Their guidance helped me reflect on how my college experience has prepared me to, in Notre Dame’s words, be a force for good in the world.”

He continued, “I look forward to attending the associated conference in Washington, D.C. this summer. I trust that this unique opportunity will further bring into focus the many routes toward careers that affect real, meaningful change in the public sphere.”

For more on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu.

Notre Dame Research, Athletics address challenges of ACL tears, sleep loss, and stress in new joint research projects

2025-05-02T13:36:00-04:00

Notre Dame Research and Athletics have awarded three research teams the first-ever Human Performance & Wellness Research Grants. The grants will provide funding to support exceptional research projects that contribute meaningfully to fields related to the health, well-being, and performance of human subjects.

Jeffrey F. Rhoads, vice president for research and professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, said, “Notre Dame Research is proud of our research relationship with Notre Dame Athletics. Through this collaborative partnership, Notre Dame will officially connect the lab to the playing field for the first time ever. We are excited to witness the potential of what it means to marry Notre Dame’s research excellence with its long-standing preeminence in Athletics — all for the good of our collective well-being.”

“We congratulate the researchers and practitioners who, through these projects, will help athletes train effectively, cope with difficult conditions, and perform safely,” said John P. Wagle, the Pat & Jana Eilers Sr. Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance. “We look forward not just to these results but also to our continued collaboration with Notre Dame Research and the role it will have in fostering high performance and overall well-being, both at Notre Dame and beyond.”

The 2025 awardees of the Human Performance & Wellness Research Grant are below.

Helping athletes return after ACL injuries

Edgar Bolívar-Nieto, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and principal investigator at the Wearable Robotics Laboratory, will lead a project titled “Towards Functional Return-to-Sport Assessment after Anterior-Cruciate-Ligament Reconstruction: A Wearable Framework to Estimate Muscle Strength.” He will be joined by co-principal investigator Mandy Merritt, DPT, the senior associate athletic trainer and physical therapist for the Notre Dame Men’s Lacrosse Team.

Bolívar-Nieto and Merritt will work to develop an instrumented functional test to help determine when an athlete who has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is ready to return to their sport. ACL injuries are common in young athletes. Although ACL surgeries can be effective, about 20% of athletes who experience a torn ACL reinjure the same or opposite knee. Better measures of an athlete's readiness to return will reduce the risk of repeated injury and ensure athletes are able to perform effectively and safely.

Reducing the “sports travel disadvantage”

Gerald Haeffel and Ivan Vargas will lead a project titled “The Sports Travel Disadvantage: Untangling the Effects of Circadian Rhythm Disruption and Sleep Loss on Athletic and Cognitive Performance.” Haeffel, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, leads the Cognition & Emotion Lab, and Vargas, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, leads the Sleep and Health Research Lab. Haeffel and Vargas will be joined by co-principal investigators Matthew Robison, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, and Carlie McGregor, a staff psychologist in the University Counseling Center and Notre Dame Athletics.

The researchers will explore the “travel disadvantage” — the well-documented phenomenon that teams that travel across multiple time zones before a competition are about 20% less likely to win than teams that do not have to travel. This disadvantage holds true regardless of the direction the team travels or what sport the team plays. By exploring the underlying causes related to sleep and circadian rhythm, the researchers will identify the best ways to intervene and enable teams to compete at their best, even when traveling long distances.

Building stress-resilience in student-athletes

Zhi Zheng, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, will lead a project titled “Smart Textile Sensors for Mental Stress Sensing During Daily Activities.” She will work with Yiyu Shi, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Ying (“Alison”) Cheng, a professor in the Department of Psychology and Associate Director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society.

Their project looks at mental stress, a significant challenge for college students as they encounter new academic responsibilities, unfamiliar social dynamics, and heightened expectations. The problem is especially difficult for college athletes, who face the additional pressure of athletic commitments. The research team will develop smart textile sensors to detect mental stress as students go about their daily activities. The textile sensors will detect electrodermal activity. Unlike existing sensors, they will be discreet, integrated into socks and other clothing, and they will use advanced AI computations modeling to overcome the signal challenges that arise due to movement. The researchers’ goal is to help students become more aware of stress, improve how they adapt to it, and ultimately support both their performance and mental health.

In addition to the outcomes within the award period, the grants will also serve as seed funding to generate preliminary results for larger, external grants.

To learn more about the ways Notre Dame Research is partnering with Notre Dame Athletics to provide new facilities, infrastructure, and funding to explore the science of elite performance, contact sportsperformance@nd.edu or athleticsresearch-list@nd.edu.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Originally published by Brett Beasley at research.nd.edu on April 22, 2025.

Notre Dame Law 91��Ƶ students help prepare religious charter school case for US Supreme Court

2025-05-02T13:17:00-04:00

Law students Jessica Smith, left, and Hadiah Mabry at the United States Supreme Court (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Days before she will graduate from Notre Dame Law 91��Ƶ, Hadiah Mabry had a rare opportunity on Wednesday (April 30) to witness oral arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) for a high-profile religious liberty case she has worked on for the past two years.

St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual 91��Ƶ v. Drummond challenges the exclusion of schools of all faiths from a program that supports privately operated charter schools in Oklahoma.

Mabry was among five current and former Law 91��Ƶ students in attendance for the SCOTUS arguments after working on the case through Notre Dame’s Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic (RLC).

For the past two years, the students have helped a team of attorneys from the RLC and two outside law firms represent St. Isidore. On Wednesday, the students watched as Notre Dame alumnus Michael McGinley of Dechert LLP argued on behalf of the school.

“It was truly an honor to experience oral arguments at the Supreme Court,” Mabry said. “Very few lawyers get to see a case they worked on go to the Supreme Court, and I’m so grateful to the Religious Liberty Clinic for making this possible while we are still in law school.”

Attorneys argued that religious organizations in Oklahoma have the constitutional right to have access to a state program that allows other private groups to operate charter schools, and to deny St. Isidore’s charter constitutes unlawful religious discrimination.

“If the First Amendment stands for anything, it’s that the government can’t exclude people because of their beliefs,” said John Meiser, RLC director and second-chair counsel to St. Isidore at the Supreme Court. “We called upon the court to reinforce that bedrock principle.”

Meiser and clinic staff attorney Meredith Holland Kessler have led the RLC’s work in the case since its inception in October 2023. Kessler, Meiser and McGinley were joined at the Supreme Court by a number of other attorneys from St. Isidore’s legal team, including fellow Notre Dame alumnus Michael Perri with Perri Dunn PLLC.

Michael McGinley, John Meiser and Meredith Holland Kessler exiting the United States Supreme Court following oral argument (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

In 2023, Catholic leaders in Oklahoma formed St. Isidore to bring a new school to families across the state, particularly in areas without access to Catholic education. St. Isidore was approved to join the more than 30 privately operated charter schools offering diverse learning options in the state. The school was set to open for the 2024-25 academic year until Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed suit to block it, stating it violated both the state and U.S. Constitutions.

After the Oklahoma Supreme Court sided with Drummond, the U.S. Supreme Court took up the case to review the constitutionality of that decision.

Meiser; Kessler; Nicole Stelle Garnett, the John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law; and more than a dozen Notre Dame Law 91��Ƶ students have assisted the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa in their efforts to operate the school.

“We are deeply grateful to Notre Dame’s Religious Liberty Clinic, faculty and students for their service to our dioceses and to the Church. We could not have built this school without their support,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and Bishop David A. Konderla of Oklahoma.

The students have worked in a variety of settings including helping to prepare for oral argument at the Supreme Court. Meiser said it’s hard to overstate how meaningful the experience has been for the students.

Notre Dame Law 91��Ƶ faculty and students enter the United States Supreme Court (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

“They used their legal skills to help a new school grow from the ground up. They navigated complicated regulatory processes, worked on two separate litigations and now have had the exceedingly rare chance to help prepare for oral argument before the highest court in the country. Lawyers go their entire careers without opportunities like our students have gotten before they graduate.”

As a student in the RLC, Mabry learned about Oklahoma’s charter approval process and contract negotiation while conducting legal research for the project. Once litigation began, she helped draft briefs and legal memos, prepared counsel for oral argument, participated in client calls and traveled to Oklahoma for argument.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work on this case, especially because we represent a school with a strong mission to serve the children of Oklahoma,” she said. “I’ve also learned innumerable practical skills that will help my future career. The case has solidified my interest in litigation, education law and school choice.”

Also in attendance at the Supreme Court was Jessica Smith, a second-year ND Law student. She joined the St. Isidore team last year when the school was preparing to file a petition for certiorari to ask the Supreme Court to hear the case. Along with the other students, she was involved in crafting both the cert petition and merits briefing.

“I’ve had a front-row seat and an insider’s look into how a case gets to the Supreme Court,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to watch how excellent attorneys approach everything from litigation strategy to oral argument and participate in that process.”

Before the school was formed, its leaders reached out to seek advice from Garnett due to her prominent scholarship addressing the free exercise rights of private charter school operators. Thereafter, they engaged the RLC for a variety of legal assistance as the project developed.

The Notre Dame Law 91��Ƶ St. Isidore team poses in front of the United States Supreme Court. Pictured (L-R): Bernadette Shaughnessy, Meredith Kessler, Steven Tu, Jessica Smith, Hadiah Mabry, Simon Brake, John Meiser and Nicole Stelle Garnett (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

“It has been an amazing privilege working with the RLC in service to the Church, seeing the incredible formation the project provided to our law students and partnering with Notre Dame alumnus Michael McGinley, who provided singularly excellent advocacy for St. Isidore,” Garnett said. “It’s also incredibly gratifying to see my own academic work reflected in such an important religious liberty case.”

The RLC’s highest-profile case to date, Meiser said the St. Isidore matter represents “a classic Notre Dame story” that blends faculty, students, alumni and service to the Church.

“It exemplifies Dean Marcus Cole’s vision for a clinic that can complement our faculty’s leading religious liberty scholarship,” he said. “When St. Isidore’s leaders reached out to Nicole because of her scholarship, ND Law was launching the clinic. Their request for one professor’s expertise grew organically into a relationship with our new clinic, which could support their developing legal needs.”

Created to promote religious freedom for all people, the Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic has led law students in representing individuals and organizations from an array of faith traditions. In addition to fighting discrimination against religious schools and families, it has defended the right to religious exercise in prison, secured asylum for individuals fleeing religious persecution, worked to preserve sacred lands from destruction and provided a variety of legal services to enable religious nonprofit organizations to carry out their ministries.

“It is hard to express how meaningful this has been,” Meiser said. “We have the opportunity to help a group of deeply good, faithful people bring new resources to kids who need them. We have given our students legal experiences that can’t be replaced and which I could never have imagined during my own time as a Notre Dame student. And we’ve done it all alongside, and because of, so many great people from Notre Dame.”

Mabry plans to clerk for Judge Joan Larsen on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit after graduating on May 18.

Smith will clerk for Judge Elizabeth Branch on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit followed by Judge Don Willett on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

A decision on the St. Isidore case is expected by the end of June.

Alumnus Charles Yockey named 2025 Schwarzman Scholar

2025-05-02T11:00:00-04:00

University of Notre Dame alumnus Charles Yockey has been named a 2025 Schwarzman Scholar. He is the University’s second Schwarzman Scholar since the program was established in 2015. He is one of 150 students selected for the award from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants.

Schwarzman Scholars participate in a one-year, fully funded master’s degree program in global affairs at Tsinghua University in China. Designed to build a global community of future leaders, the program offers an immersive learning experience dedicated to leadership development.

“We were so happy to find out that Charles had been selected as a 2025 Schwarzman Scholar,” said Jeffrey Thibert, senior director of undergraduate scholarly initiatives and the Paul and Maureen Stefanick Executive Director of the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) at Notre Dame. “One of the most rewarding aspects of working at Notre Dame is seeing our students and alumni receive these kinds of opportunities and knowing they are pursuing them not in service to themselves but in service to justice. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Charles over these past few years, and we’re looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop as a leader, both in the Schwarzman Scholars program and throughout his career.”

Yockey thanked CUSE and others.

“I am deeply grateful to the entire Notre Dame community, whose encouragement has played a crucial role in my academic and professional growth,” Yockey said. “I would especially like to thank the Program of Liberal 91��Ƶ and the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government, which have been instrumental in shaping my intellectual development. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Thibert and the CUSE team, who provided invaluable guidance and support during the Schwarzman application process.”

Yockey graduated from Notre Dame in 2023, earning a bachelor’s degree in the Program of Liberal 91��Ƶ. He minored in constitutional studies. He was a Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government Tocqueville Fellow and a member of the Notre Dame chapter of the Federalist Society. He participated in research alongside Matthew E.K. Hall, the David A. Potenziani Memorial College Professor of Constitutional 91��Ƶ, and Emilia Justyna Powell, professor of political science and concurrent professor of law.

Away from campus, he was a summer analyst for two investment firms — one in New York and one in Chicago — as well as an undergraduate intern for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Illinois. As a senior, he was presented with the Stephen Rogers Award, given annually to a Program of Liberal 91��Ƶ graduate for the purpose of graduate study.

Following his time at Notre Dame, he earned a Master of Philosophy in political thought and intellectual history from the University of Cambridge. He studied at Peterhouse, the oldest of the Cambridge colleges. His thesis explored sovereign debt remediation in historical perspective.

He currently resides in Budapest, where he works remotely as a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute’s Center for Legal Policy. His work focuses on antitrust, corporate governance and regulatory policy.

Additionally, he is a Budapest Fellow at the Hungary Foundation, which seeks to deepen cultural ties between Hungary and the U.S., and, in conjunction, a visiting researcher at Mathias Corvinus Collegium’s Center for International Law. He is a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, the Federalist Society, the International Institute for Strategic 91��Ƶ and the Royal Institute of International Affairs, and he sits on the board of the D’Oyly Carte Foundation.

He was named a 2025 Publius Fellow by the Claremont Institute and, in February, received the Director’s Award from the Hoover Institution for a paper on technology policy.

Looking ahead, he hopes to leverage his Schwarzman experience to promote greater Sino-American understanding and facilitate collaboration between the public and private sectors as a diplomat, lawyer or policymaker.

“The Schwarzman Scholars program offers a unique opportunity to foster mutual understanding between China and the United States, two nations whose relationship will play a pivotal role in shaping the 21st century,” Yockey said. “In today’s contentious geopolitical climate, the importance of Sino-American relations cannot be overstated. I am eager to continue my research on sovereign debt diplomacy, which I began in graduate school and have carried forward in my early career. My experience living abroad and working on policy issues will, I hope, enable me to contribute meaningfully to the 10th cohort of Schwarzman Scholars and strengthen the vital relationship between our two political communities.”

Inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship, the Schwarzman Scholarship is a highly selective, one-year master’s degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing. It is designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders for the challenges of the future.

For more on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu.

Vaccine scientist Teresa Lambe to deliver Graduate 91��Ƶ commencement address

2025-05-02T09:00:00-04:00

Teresa Lambe, who played a critical role in the fight against COVID-19 as a principal investigator in the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine program, will deliver the keynote address during the Graduate 91��Ƶ’s annual Commencement Ceremony on May 17 at the University of Notre Dame.

The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. inside Notre Dame Stadium, with University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., on hand to confer the master’s and doctoral degrees.

“Dr. Lambe is a world-renowned scientist and a passionate advocate for improving global health through vaccines. Her work is an outstanding example of the impact a brilliant and determined scientific leader can have on the world,” said Michael Hildreth, associate provost and vice president of graduate studies and dean of the Graduate 91��Ƶ. “We are so pleased to welcome her as our commencement speaker. I am very much looking forward to her reflections as she helps us launch our new graduates into their futures.”

Lambe co-designed the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, led the preclinical studies and spearheaded the laboratory research required for regulatory approval. The vaccine is estimated to have saved more than 6 million lives in 2021 alone.

As Calleva Head of Vaccine Immunology at the University of Oxford, Lambe currently focuses her research on developing and testing vaccines against a number of biodefense pathogens, including Ebola virus, Marburg virus disease and coronaviruses.

A passionate advocate for women in STEM fields, she has sought to support future leaders through the Teresa Lambe Bursary Fund established in her hometown of Kilcullen, Ireland.

Her scientific excellence has been recognized with numerous honors, including an honorary appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her service to sciences and public health in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honors and the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad in 2022. In 2024, she was named a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Lambe completed a joint honors bachelor’s degree in pharmacology and genetics and a doctoral degree at University College Dublin.

In addition to delivering the Graduate 91��Ƶ commencement address, Lambe will receive an honorary doctor of science degree at the 180th University University Commencement Ceremony on May 18.

“I am humbled to receive an honorary degree from such a prestigious institution and honoured to speak at the Graduate 91��Ƶ’s annual Commencement Ceremony,” Lambe said. “There is a very strong sense of purpose and mission in Notre Dame — embodied by alumni, staff and students alike. This spirit of grit, determination and compassion will serve us well as we move through life’s many adventures.”

The Graduate 91��Ƶ has also announced the following student, faculty and alumni awards for the 2024-25 academic year:

Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award: Justin Farrell, (’14 Ph.D.), professor of sociology at Yale University.

James A. Burns, C.S.C., Award: Darren T. Dochuck, professor in the Department of History and co-director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism; and Alexander Dowling, associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Dick and Peggy Notebaert Award: Glen L. Niebur, professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and former director of the Bioengineering Graduate Program.

Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Award in Engineering: Marlee Elizabeth Shaffer, doctoral candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences.

Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Award in Humanities: Tegha A. Nji, doctoral candidate in the Department of Theology.

Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Award in Science: Alyssa Marie Willson, doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Award in Social Sciences: Henry Downes, doctoral candidate in the Department of Economics.

Social Justice Award: Oghenemaro Anuyah, doctoral candidate in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

Junior Alex Young named 2025 Truman Scholar

2025-04-25T17:00:00-04:00

University of Notre Dame junior Alex Young has been named a 2025 Truman Scholar. He is the University’s 13th Truman Scholar since 2010, a group that includes three Rhodes Scholars: Alex Coccia (’14), Christa Grace Watkins (’17) and Prathm Juneja (’20).

Young is among 54 students from 49 U.S. colleges and universities honored with the award. The selection process is highly competitive, taking into account applicants’ academic, leadership and service records and their likelihood of success in graduate school.

"Notre Dame's Class of 2026 really blew me away this year, and I am so happy for Alex to receive the recognition he absolutely deserves,” said Elise Rudt-Moorthy, associate director of National Fellowships with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) at Notre Dame. “Alex has demonstrated a conviction to improve critical aspects of life for Kentuckians like physical safety and civil rights, and we are lucky to have him represent our campus as a Truman Scholar."

A former Hesburgh Democracy Fellow, Young, from Kentucky, is a political science major with minors in public service and constitutional studies.

Around campus, he is co-president and co-lead of the Student Policy Network; co-president of the College Democrats; a resident counselor with Notre Dame Pre-College Programs; a columnist for the student newspaper, The Observer; and a volunteer for ND Listens. He is a former member of BridgeND, and he participated in Notre Dame RISE as a first-year student.

Away from campus, he is a member of the board of directors of the United States Alliance to End the Hitting of Children and co-founder and leader of the Sister Thea Bowman Society for Racial Justice, serving underrepresented members of the Louisville community through service and policy advocacy. He has served as an intern in the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division since January.

Active in local, state and federal politics, he previously interned at the White House and for the Indiana Democratic Party. He also served as a political consulting and mayoral campaign associate to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.

Truman Scholars participate in an internship and training program in Washington, D.C., the summer before graduate school. Young, a longtime advocate for persons with disabilities, will pursue work with the American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights.

Looking ahead to graduate school, he plans to pursue a law degree from Georgetown Law and then return to his hometown of Louisville and serve as deputy chief of staff in the mayor’s office.

Ultimately, he plans to enter politics in order to advance health, education and civil rights in Kentucky, first as a state representative and later as a member of Congress.

“Since my initial exposure to public service in my efforts to end corporal punishment in Kentucky schools, I have come to appreciate the role I can play in improving communities throughout Kentucky and beyond,” Young said. “The incredible network and resources of the Truman Foundation will allow me to further this passion for service. I am grateful for the guidance of Elise Rudt-Moorthy, the team at CUSE, Dr. Claudia Francis, Dr. Sandra Gustafson and all of the mentors who helped me throughout this process.

“I look forward to utilizing the Truman Scholarship and my Notre Dame education in a way that decreases gun violence in Louisville, improves outcomes for Kentuckians with disabilities and promotes civil rights more broadly.”

Rudt-Moorthy thanked those involved in the award.

“Special thanks to Jeffrey Thibert, Emily Hunt, Gregory Miller, Claudia Francis, Sandra Gustafson, Jim Wayne, Chloe Gibbs, Jill Seyfred, Emily Morgan, Duncan Teater, Mike Ward, Sara Clark, Barbara Sexton Smith, Mike Schmuhl and Becca Blais for their hard work and assistance during the application process,” she said. “Members of this group reviewed for the nomination process, wrote recommendation letters for Alex, sent in thoughtful quotes for the nomination letter and served as his practice interviewers. Their time and efforts to help Alex were greatly appreciated.”

Established as a living memorial to former President Harry S. Truman, as well as a national monument to public service, The Truman Scholarship seeks to support and inspire the next generation of public services leaders.

For more on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu.

Two Notre Dame historians win Guggenheim fellowships

2025-04-25T15:30:00-04:00

Two faculty members in the University of Notre Dame’s College of Arts & Letters have been awarded fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation as part of its 100th class of honorees.

Thomas Burman, the Robert M. Conway Director of the Medieval Institute and a professor of history, and Karen Graubart, a professor in the Department of History, are two of the 198 scholars, scientists and artists chosen based on their prior career achievement and exceptional promise.

The Guggenheim Foundation has granted more than $400 million in fellowships to more than 19,000 people over the past century, including members of national academies, Pulitzer Prize winners and more than 125 Nobel laureates.

“We are thrilled to see two of our scholars receive this prestigious recognition from the Guggenheim Foundation,” said Ernest Morrell, associate dean for the humanities and equity and the Coyle Professor of Literacy Education. “This support for their work is testament to their groundbreaking scholarship and insightful analysis, and it underscores the strength and caliber of the research done throughout our history department.”

Engaging the religious other

Thomas Burman, Robert M. Conway Director of the Medieval Institute and professor in the Department of History (Photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)

Burman will use his fellowship to finish a book he’s been working on for more than a decade, tentatively titled “Beyond the Mediterranean: The Intellectual Venture of Ramon Martí.”

Martí, a 13th-century Dominican friar, wrote enormous works exploring and refuting Judaism. He also wrote shorter works directed at Islam, which was unusual for a medieval Latin European scholar.

“This book is an attempt to take in the full arc of Martí’s career and also — maybe more significantly — to place it in a broader intellectual context than he’s been looked at in before,” Burman said.

Burman, the past recipient of two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, has spent most of his career examining interactions across religious divides during the Middle Ages.

“There’s a lot of interesting research about what ordinary people in medieval Europe thought about Judaism and Islam,” Burman said. “But I’ve always been most interested in what the people who know the other religions best think about these religions. How do they engage this religious other?”

Burman’s research will also be aided by his recently awarded membership at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and he will spend the next year there working on his book and collaborating with other medievalists in his cohort.

“Both of these recognitions have been aspirations that, for most of my career, seemed well beyond me,” he said. “So I’m equally delighted to be spending a year there.”

Self-representation in the African diaspora

Karen Graubart, professor in the Department of History (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

In “Making Malambo: Free Black Collectivity in Early Spanish America,” historian Graubart will examine how a free African-descent community in colonial Panama represented itself in conversation with Spanish officials.

In the late 16th century, Spanish King Philip II imposed a new tax on all free Black people and people with mixed African heritage within the empire. In response, the targeted community in Panama organized a collective petition detailing their challenges and accomplishments.

“My work provides ways to think about not only what kind of work they did, and how they were overlooked by so many, but also what kind of influence they were able to exercise over these proceedings,” Graubart said.

Graubart — who is also a member of the Institute for Advanced Study, and whose work has been previously supported by the NEH and the American Council of Learned Societies — will travel during her fellowship year to both Peru and Panama to scour archives that may be relevant to her research.

She is particularly interested in Catholic archives, as she recently received the Cyprian Davis, O.S.B., Prize from the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, in partnership with the American Catholic Historical Association, to research Black Catholicism.

“The Catholic Church provided semi-autonomous spaces for enslaved and free people to organize for worship and festivals, including in Panama,” she said. “So I will be thinking about how Catholicism might have shaped their collectivity.”

Continuing a legacy

The College of Arts & Letters’ Franco Family Institute for Liberal Arts and the Public Good offers support to faculty across the arts, humanities and social sciences in applying for major national and international fellowships, including the Guggenheim.

With the addition of Burman and Graubart, 24 Arts & Letters faculty members have won Guggenheims in the last 25 years.

In 2024, Notre Dame awardees were Barbara Montero, the Rev. John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy; Program of Liberal 91��Ƶ professor Gretchen Reydams-Schils; and associate professor of English Roy Scranton.

“Our faculty continue to demonstrate a broad and urgent commitment to the public good of scholarship in the liberal arts,” said Kate Marshall, director of the Franco Institute and associate dean for research and strategic initiatives. “Thomas and Karen are the two latest examples of critical work done throughout the College to expand our understanding of the past in a way that vitally informs our present.”

Originally published by Adah McMillan at al.nd.edu on April 24, 2025.

Pope Francis’s lasting impact on Notre Dame

2025-04-25T13:55:00-04:00

In February 2024, Pope Francis met with the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees at the Vatican for the final time.

During the meeting, he praised Notre Dame for dedicating itself to “advancing the Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel through the formation of each person in all his or her dimensions” and shared what he saw as the “secret of education”—asking the University to continue to educate students in three languages: “the head, the heart, and the hands.”

“Always remember,” Pope Francis said, “this is the crux of the matter.”

A Catholic university must expand not only the mind, but also the heart, he said, helping its students to cultivate “an openness to all that is true, good, and beautiful.” And a Catholic education then commits us to building a better world with our own hands, he said, by teaching “mutual coexistence, fraternal solidarity, and peace.”

“We cannot stay within the walls or boundaries of our institutions, but must strive to go out to the peripheries and meet and serve Christ in our neighbor,” Pope Francis said. “In this regard, I encourage the University’s continuing efforts to foster in its students zeal for meeting the needs of underprivileged communities.”

It is one of many lessons from the late pontiff that the University has taken to heart.

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Alumni Association to hold annual Global Day of Service on Saturday

2025-04-24T15:00:00-04:00

This Saturday (April 26), the Notre Dame Alumni Association will host the third annual Notre Dame Global Day of Service, with alumni, parents and friends across the world poised to serve their communities in the name of Our Lady’s University.

As of Tuesday (April 22), 177 service projects had been registered with pledged participation from 134 Notre Dame clubs, as well as alumni groups and other alumni, parents and friends in 50 states and 26 countries. Projects range in size from large-scale group projects to individual efforts that benefit local, national and international causes.

In its second year in 2024, more than 3,000 volunteers participated in 189 service projects, representing 126 clubs, 50 states, and 30 countries.

“The Notre Dame Global Day of Service is about connection, unity and living out the Notre Dame mission of being a ‘force for good’ in a powerful and accessible way,” Alumni Association Executive Director Dolly Duffy said. “In its third year, we’re building on that spirit with the help of our passionate alumni, clubs and groups across the globe and we’re excited to get started.”

In South Bend, the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley is offering two opportunities to get involved through outdoor cleanup events. From 10 a.m. to noon, the club will help with gardening and outdoor cleanup at Good Shepherd Montessori 91��Ƶ (1101 E. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend) before transitioning to Unity Gardens (3701 Prast Blvd., South Bend) from 1 to 4 p.m. Both events are family-friendly, and full-day volunteers will meet for lunch at a local restaurant between service projects. Volunteers should plan to wear weather-appropriate clothing and bring work gloves. Tools will be provided.

Anyone interested in volunteering with the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley can register here.

The Alumni Association is also offering two opportunities for those interested in participating virtually:

Blessings in a Backpack: Organize a food drive or write inspirational notes for food-insecure children across the United States. Blessings in a Backpack provides food for the weekend for school-aged children who might otherwise go hungry.
Street Samaritans: Write notes of encouragement for homeless individuals in Chicago. Participants can find instructions and a blank template here. Simply print the template at home on cardstock or copy paper and mail the finished cards to the Street Samaritans office.

For more information on Notre Dame Global Day of Service or to locate a project near you, visit globaldayofservice.nd.edu.

Eight Notre Dame students, alumni awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

2025-04-23T09:00:00-04:00

Eight current or former University of Notre Dame students have been awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships, with an additional 16 singled out for honorable mention for the award.

Established in 1952, the Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides financial and other support to students in NSF-backed STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) disciplines to participate in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs at accredited institutions in the U.S.

Applicants work closely with their advisers to create compelling personal statements and research plans. Notre Dame students can also consult with experts from the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) or its counterpart, the Office of Grants and Fellowships, in the Graduate 91��Ƶ.

Jeff Thibert is the Paul and Maureen Stefanick Director of CUSE.

"On behalf of CUSE, I'd like to congratulate this year's NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recipients and honorable mentions,” Thibert said. “In a year where the number of fellowships was reduced to 1,000 from the expected number of 2,300, it is an especially significant accomplishment to be not only a recipient but also an honorable mention. It is our hope that more funds will become available to the NSF, allowing them to convert at least some of the honorable mentions to recipients.

He continued, “Thank you, as always, to the students' and alumni's mentors, and thank you especially to Emily Hunt, the CUSE assistant director of scholarly development, who works with the NSF GRFP (among other fellowships) and devotes a significant amount of time to providing advice and feedback to our applicants. We're lucky to have her on our team.”

Michael Skalski, associate program director of the Office of Grants and Fellowships, said, “The success of our students in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship competition is a testament to their individual drive, the mentorship of their faculty advisors, the vibrant research environment fostered at Notre Dame and the collaborative support offered by resources like the Graduate 91��Ƶ's Office of Grants and Fellowships. This year, we are especially proud of and impressed by the robust number of students who received honorable mention. We celebrate the achievements of all of those recognized and look forward to their future contributions to STEM.”

The fellows are:

Undergraduate alumni

• Joseph Kelly (psychology)

• Caroline Lubbe (STEM education and learning research)

• Patrick Schwartz (engineering)

• Timothy Welch (engineering)

• Bailee Zacovic (mathematical sciences)

Graduate

• Marla Gravino (chemistry)

• Madison MacDougall (life sciences)

• Sophia Richter (life sciences)

The honorable mentions are:

Undergraduate

• Katherine Brandin (life sciences)

• Sara Murray (chemistry)

• Delaney Smith (engineering)

Undergraduate alumni

• Emma Bartley (psychology)

• Sydney Carlino (social sciences)

• Cassandra Franke (psychology)

• Nikol Garcia Espinoza (engineering)

• Lauren Hollmer (life sciences)

• Doyup Kwon (engineering)

• Quinn Mackay (geosciences)

• Michelena O’Rourke (engineering)

• Oliver Reyes (life sciences)

• Joseph Tatarka (social sciences)

Graduate

• Regina Mannino (mathematical sciences)

• Hannah O’Grady (life sciences)

• Daniel Volpi (engineering)

• Andrew Yang (computational science and engineering)

Alumni Association announces 2025 spring award winners

2025-04-22T11:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame Alumni Association honored several outstanding alumni and staff at its annual board of directors meeting in April. Throughout the year, the association presents awards in six key areas that reflect the University’s commitment to excellence: the arts, athletics, service to the Alumni Association, service to the country, service to humanity, and service to the University.

The following six awards were presented on campus April 9 and 10.

Dr. Thomas A. Dooley Award

Alumnus Dr. Brian J. McCarthy, a 1968 graduate, received the 2025 Dr. Thomas A. Dooley Award, which honors graduates demonstrating outstanding service to humankind.

Throughout his career, McCarthy has been dedicated to improving maternal and perinatal health systems globally. He began his work with the U.S. Public Health Service, focusing on maternal and newborn risk assessments. His expertise expanded internationally through his secondment to the World Health Organization, where he co-authored the WHO Risk Approach Manual and established a global network of WHO Perinatal Collaborating Centers. He advised numerous international organizations on maternal and child health initiatives across more than 45 developing countries.

From 2002 to 2011, McCarthy focused on building MCH surveillance systems in Afghanistan, training local health professionals there. Following the Kabul evacuation, he secured funding to sustain midwifery-led maternity care at Al Jannah Hospital and is currently working to expand these vital centers across Afghanistan.

William D. Reynolds Award

Established in 1985, the William D. Reynolds Award, presented this year to alumna JoAnn Chávez, recognizes a graduate doing exceptional work with youth for the betterment of their quality of life.

Chávez, senior vice president and chief legal officer for DTE Energy, was honored for her distinguished career and dedication to empowering underrepresented youth. A proud Notre Dame graduate who credits the University for her foundation, Chávez oversees DTE Energy's legal strategy and advises its leadership.

A Detroit native and sixth-generation Mexican-American, Chávez was instilled with resilience by her family. She earned her business administration degree from Notre Dame in 1986 and her law degree in 1990.

Driven by a commitment to uplift others, Chávez founded DTE’s Summer Talent Exposure Program, offering more than 15 years of business experience to students. She is also the founder, president and CEO of the Michigan Hispanic Collaborative (MiHC), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing economic equity for first-generation students. Chávez's advocacy ensures opportunities for future generations.

James E. Armstrong Award

Alumna Shannon Kelly, a 2011 graduate, received the 2025 James E. Armstrong Award, recognizing alumni who are current or former University employees for distinguished service to the University.

As director of athletics admissions since 2024, Kelly oversees recruitment and evaluation for Notre Dame's 26 varsity teams. A former varsity softball player and history major with a minor in international peace studies, she began her admissions career at Notre Dame in 2011. After earning a master's degree from the University of Virginia and developing a program for first-generation students, she returned to Notre Dame in 2017.

Throughout her tenure, Kelly has collaborated with various University departments to support student-athletes. Outside of her primary role, she has advised student groups focused on pediatric cancer, mentored graduate students and co-taught the Moreau First Year Seminar course. Kelly is also the proud adoptive mother of her daughter, Layla.

Dr. William P. Sexton Award

Jim Reimer, former director of Notre Dame’s Bon Sel Initiative (BSI), received the 2025 Dr. William P. Sexton Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to the University as a non-alum. Established in 2001, the award honors individuals whose lives embody the spirit of Notre Dame through outstanding service.

From 2012 to 2024, Reimer spearheaded BSI's efforts in Haiti to combat lymphatic filariasis and prevent iodine deficiency disorders by implementing a faith-based social enterprise model centered on fortified salt. His leadership involved collaborations with the Congregation de Sainte Croix, the Haitian Ministry of Health and Cargill Salt to process, market and distribute these vital products nationwide. Under Reimer, BSI achieved self-sufficiency through specialty salt products, becoming a key partner in a broader alliance improving public health across Haiti.

Prior to his impactful work with BSI, Reimer held leadership positions at Cargill Inc. across multiple continents and served as a thesis advisor for Notre Dame’s ESTEEM program. He holds degrees from the University of Nebraska and the University of Michigan 91��Ƶ of Business. Reimer currently resides in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife, Portia

Rev. Anthony J. Lauck Award

Established in 2000, the Rev. Anthony J. Lauck Award, presented this year to alumna Beth Albright, a 1998 graduate, recognizes an alum for their outstanding accomplishments or achievements as practicing artists.

Since 2009, Albright has been a character shading and groom artist on numerous Pixar films, including “Toy Story 3,” “Brave,” “Monsters University,” “Finding Dory,” “Coco,” and “Incredibles 2.” She made history as Pixar’s first female character supervisor on “Luca” and is currently the visual effects supervisor for the upcoming “Hoppers” (spring 2026). In this role, she leads key technical departments, ensuring seamless collaboration and a balance between technical and creative aspects.

Prior to Pixar, Albright spent a decade in 2D animation. A Columbus, Ohio, native, she holds a BFA from Notre Dame and an MFA from The Ohio State University and currently resides in Oakland, California.

Rev. Robert F. Griffin, C.S.C., Award

The late Mark Shields, a distinguished figure in American politics and journalism, posthumously received the 2025 Rev. Robert F. Griffin, C.S.C., Award, which honors alumni for outstanding writing achievements. His wife, Anne Shields, accepted the award on his behalf.

A 1959 Notre Dame philosophy graduate, Shields served in the Marine Corps before embarking on a career in politics, working on Capitol Hill and managing campaigns. In 1979, he transitioned to journalism, joining the Washington Post and launching a syndicated column that ran for four decades. He became a prominent political commentator on shows like “The Capital Gang,” “Inside Washington,” and “PBS NewsHour,” where he served as a political analyst from 1987 until his retirement in 2020, covering 12 presidential campaigns. He also authored “On the Campaign Trail” about the 1984 election.

Beyond his journalistic work, Shields taught at Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania and was a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. A frequent commencement speaker, he received numerous honorary degrees, including one from Notre Dame. His contributions were recognized with accolades like Washingtonian of the Year (2003) and the Prize for Civility in Public Life (2012). Shields passed away in 2022 at the age of 85, leaving a significant legacy in political commentary.