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New book examines the plight of migrants from a Christian perspective

2022-10-18T12:18:00-04:00

“A Theology of Migration,” a new book by Rev. Daniel Groody, C.S.C., vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame, examines the historical, philosophical and theological perspectives on migration and asks readers to reconsider their views on how to understand and respond to this global crisis.

This book is an interdisciplinary study, but, as its title suggests, it is grounded on a deeply religious and spiritual view of migration. Featuring a foreword by Pope Francis, it documents the current divisive perspectives about migrants and seeks to foster a more human and Christian point of view on one of the most complex and pressing challenges of our time. Key facts from the book include:

By the first two decades in the third millennium, there were more than 281 million international migrants around the world, a number likely to reach 405 million by 2050.
At the end of 2019, there were roughly 79.5 million forcibly displaced people on the planet, including 26 million refugees, 45.7 million internally displaced people and 4.2 million asylum seekers.
As of 2019, as many as 40.3 million people around the world live in “modern-day slavery” as forced laborers, bonded laborers, child soldiers and sex-trafficking victims.

Through a series of compelling narratives, Father Groody draws on his years of working with migrants and farmworkers in the American West and on various continents around the world, putting a human face on issues that are all too often reduced to data and statistics.

“As we look beyond the staggering numbers, my hope is that readers of the book will come to see the human face of the migrant and the face of God in each migrant,” Father Groody said. “I hope that a theological perspective will contribute to reforming our dehumanized narratives and dysfunctional policies and reframe how we think, respond and structure our responses to this global crisis. It seeks to stimulate more creative and compassionate ways to work toward a just and humane society.”

The book highlights the integral connection between the inner journey of faith and the outer journey of migrants by drawing correlations between the biblical migration stories and the complex contemporary situations facing migrants today. Father Groody asks readers to view the plight of migrants who are victims of war, economics and international crime under the light of a more comprehensive vision of spiritual communion and global solidarity.

The book also looks at some of the approaches being taken by organizations to assist these victims in Central and South America and in U.S.-Mexico border communities.

An internationally recognized expert on migration and refugee issues whose papers and books have been translated into seven languages, Father Groody is an associate professor of theology and global affairs at Notre Dame and a Trustee and Fellow of the University. He is the author of “Globalization, Spirituality, and Justice: Navigating a Path to Peace” and “Border of Death, Valley of Life: An Immigrant Journey of Heart and Spirit,” and he has edited or co-edited four books on poverty, justice and migration. He has also produced various documentary films on this subject.

Through detailed analysis and first-person accounts, he asks readers of “A Theology of Migration” to open their hearts and minds not only to the challenges migrants have faced over the millennia, but also to the contributions migrants have made in their adopted homelands and societies.

“Regardless of one’s political perspectives, and however one evaluates the issue of immigration, virtually everyone can agree that the current approach in the United States is not working,” Father Groody said. “We can and should do better because ultimately it is connected to who we become as people in our migration through this world.”

A book launch event and interfaith conversation exploring religious perspectives on the treatment of migrants will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Oct. 27 (Thursday) at the University of Notre Dame Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs Washington Office. Sponsored by the Keough 91��Ƶ, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Migration and Refugee Services and Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration, the event will include scholars, migration policy experts and others concerned about the treatment of migrants in the U.S. and globally.

Notre Dame, IBM launch Tech Ethics Lab to tackle the ethical implications of technology

2020-06-30T12:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame in partnership with IBM today launched a collaboration that will address the myriad ethical concerns raised by the use of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum computing, to address society’s most pressing problems.

Funded by a 10-year, $20 million IBM commitment, the new Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab will conduct applied research and promote models for the ethical application of technology within the tech sector, business and government.

Based at Notre Dame, the Tech Ethics Lab will operate as a separate unit within the University’s Technology Ethics Center (ND-TEC), conducting applied research that leverages Notre Dame’s growing strength in technology ethics and IBM’s deep expertise in artificial intelligence and other emerging areas of innovation, as well as IBM’s strong industry connections.

The lab will serve as the convener for technology-related ethics expertise, bringing together academia and industry to develop and deliver evidence-based ethics frameworks to address new and emerging technologies. Its work will be especially important as society grapples with the role of technology in moving us through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic, and in addressing systemic inequality that has come to the forefront in the dialogue around racial justice.

“We are grateful to IBM for its leadership in technology and business ethics and for its support of research to form ethical foundations for emerging technologies,” said Thomas G. Burish, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame. “The convening power of our organizations will allow us to bring together leading scholars and industry leaders to truly champion responsible technology development as a force for good on a global scale.”

“AI has tremendous potential to make our world smarter, healthier and more prosperous, but the technology raises ethical issues that are broader and more complex than those of past transformative technologies,” said John E. Kelly III, IBM’s executive vice president. “Ethical considerations are at the heart of how IBM brings technology into the world, and we are proud to partner with Notre Dame to create the Tech Ethics Lab and elevate the role that ethics will play in the global dialogue.”

The Tech Ethics Lab will foster scholarly dialogue through an extensive affiliated scholars program, in which Notre Dame faculty members will collaborate with academics from other institutions and thought leaders from across the industry on technology-related ethics questions. The Tech Ethics Lab will provide a “convening sandbox” for affiliated scholars and industry leaders to explore and evaluate ethical frameworks and ideas.

“Through this partnership, we hope to develop research-based standards and practices to ensure ethical impacts of new technologies are considered throughout the entire development process,” said Mark McKenna, the John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law at Notre Dame and founding director of ND-TEC. “Rather than following the ‘ready, fire, aim’ approach sometimes used in developing new technologies, we hope to provide resources that allow developers and industry to create better, more responsible technologies that positively benefit society.”

Media Contacts:

Ashley Bright

IBM

brighta@us.ibm.com

Amanda Skofstad

University of Notre Dame

skofstad@nd.edu

Nitesh Chawla appointed the founding director of Notre Dame’s Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society

2020-06-23T15:00:00-04:00

Nitesh V. Chawla, the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, has been appointed the founding director of the University’s Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society.

Launched in December of 2019 with a $25 million gift from alumnus Robert Lumpkins and his wife, Sara, the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society will serve as Notre Dame’s interdisciplinary, University-wide hub for data science programs committed to using the power of data and innovation as a force for good in the world.

The institute will also pursue strategic partnerships with industry, government, non-profits and academia, as part of a broader effort to establish Notre Dame as a leader in data science and analytics research and innovation while developing graduates who are data-enabled, analytically savvy and ethically driven.

“Nitesh’s expertise in data science, artificial intelligence and analytics, his commitment to serving the less privileged through the ethical application of technology and data science and his infectious enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit position him well to help establish and lead this new institute,” said Thomas G. Burish, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame.

“Like many faculty members at Notre Dame, Nitesh has an excellent scholarly reputation that precedes him,” said Provost-elect Marie Lynn Miranda, who is herself a data scientist. “Nitesh is widely known as someone who is not only advancing the science, but also applying it to serve disadvantaged communities.”

Chawla, who joined the Notre Dame faculty in 2007, is an expert in artificial intelligence, data science and network science, and is motivated by the question of how technology can advance the common good through interdisciplinary research. As such, his research is not only at the frontier of fundamental methods and algorithms but is also making interdisciplinary advances through collaborations with faculty at Notre Dame and community, national and international partners.

“Notre Dame has tremendous capabilities and faculty expertise in the rapidly evolving fields of data science, artificial intelligence and analytics,” Chawla said. “I look forward to working with colleagues across the University as we pursue new interdisciplinary research and translational opportunities, advance data science, artificial intelligence and analytics, strengthen our scholarship, nourish existing connections and build new ones with others outside the University. I believe the Lucy Family Institute will be an intellectual and interdisciplinary beacon that produces impactful and equitable data-driven solutions for the good of society.”

Chawla is the recipient of multiple awards for research and teaching innovation including outstanding teacher awards (2007 and 2010), a National Academy of Engineers New Faculty Fellowship and a number of best paper awards and nominations. He also is the recipient of the 2015 IEEE CIS Outstanding Early Career Award, the 1st Source Bank Commercialization Award, the IBM Watson Faculty Award and the IBM Big Data and Analytics Faculty Award. In recognition of the societal and community driven impact of his research, Chawla was recognized with the Rodney F. Ganey Award.

He is a fellow at the Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values, the Kroc Institute for International Peace 91��Ƶ, the Kellogg Institute for International 91��Ƶ, the Pulte Institute for Global Development and the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian 91��Ƶ. He also serves on the steering committee for the Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center and the Health and Wellbeing Initiative. He is also a concurrent professor with the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics.

Chawla is presently the director of the Center for Network & Data Science and co-founder of Aunalytics, a data science and cloud computing company, headquartered in South Bend, Indiana.

Sarv Devaraj succeeds Rich Taylor as director of Notre Dame California

2020-06-03T13:15:00-04:00

Sarv Devaraj, the Fred V. Duda Professor of Business in the Department of Information Technology, Analytics and Operations at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, has been named director of Notre Dame California, a program created in 2015 to strengthen and broaden the University’s myriad connections in the nation’s most populous state.

“Sarv's scholarship, creativity and knowledge of both Notre Dame and the Silicon Valley area position him well for this important role,” said Thomas G. Burish, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame. “His insights as an entrepreneur and founder of a health information technology company will lend additional credibility in the Silicon Valley community for our ND California initiative.”

Richard Taylor

Devaraj succeeds Rich Taylor, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Notre Dame, who has overseen Notre Dame California since 2017. The leadership change will take effect June 30.

"Over the past three years, Rich has done a superb job as director of ND California, including overseeing expansion of the Silicon Valley Semester from a one-semester program for engineering students into a model “study-away” program for students from all colleges and schools across the University," Burish said.

“Even as we work our way through the challenges caused by the coronavirus, this is an exciting time for Notre Dame California,” Taylor said. “Students find the program’s part-time internship is an important complement to their typical classroom instruction. Moreover, the Silicon Valley semester’s unique course curriculum and professional development programming helps them see new value in their other studies and provides them many new post-graduation connections and opportunities.”

Devaraj — whose expertise includes business analytics, healthcare and supply chain management and the application of business technology — has taught undergraduate, MBA and executive MBA courses in business analytics, technology and operations management. He earned his doctoral degree in business administration from the Carlson 91��Ƶ of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Devaraj is the co-founder of the healthcare information technology company CarexTech, located at Innovation Park at Notre Dame, whose flagship product is used by more than 700 senior care facilities. He currently serves as the senior editor for the journal Production and Operations Management and is co-author of The IT Payoff: Measuring the Business Value of Information Technology Investments (Prentice-Hall & Financial Times). He has a prolific research record and his research in information systems and operations management has won many best paper awards.

“I am very excited about taking on this new opportunity,” Devaraj said. “With the ongoing expansion of Notre Dame’s data science, analytics and technology ethics programs and efforts, we have many new opportunities to pursue as we continue to build Notre Dame California.”

Stefanos Polyzoides appointed dean of Notre Dame’s 91��Ƶ of Architecture

2020-02-25T12:00:00-05:00

Stefanos Polyzoides, co-founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) and partner in Moule & Polyzoides Architects and Urbanists, has been appointed the Francis and Kathleen Rooney Dean of the University of Notre Dame's 91��Ƶ of Architecture by University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., effective July 1. He succeeds Michael Lykoudis, who is stepping down as dean after 16 years to return to teaching.

Polyzoides is an award-winning architect and urbanist whose approach to design emphasizes cultural continuity, urban regeneration, environmental responsibility and community engagement. He is co-founder and partner with his wife, Elizabeth Moule, of Moule & Polyzoides, Architects and Urbanists, a Pasadena, California-based firm with an international reputation for innovative design that has completed more than 700 projects around the U.S. and abroad since 1990.

“Stefanos brings to Notre Dame an international reputation for architectural work informed by tradition and moral purpose,” Father Jenkins said. “He brings together design, the realities of urban living and sustainable development to produce buildings that serve communities and humanity. His leadership will enrich our 91��Ƶ of Architecture.”

In 1991, under the auspices of the California-based nonprofit Local Government Commission, Polyzoides, Moule and several colleagues developed a set of principles for community land use and architectural planning called the Ahwahnee Principles. The 15 principles — which stress walkability, sustainability, diversity and neighborhood and district design — laid the groundwork for the 1993 founding of the CNU, which today includes more than 3,000 members who promote integrated development through education, legislation and planning. Polyzoides and Moule are two of the six CNU founders.

“Stefanos is both a world-class educator and practitioner whose vast experience and ties within the architectural and urban design communities will be invaluable to our 91��Ƶ of Architecture,” said Thomas G. Burish, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame. “His many years of experience in the academy, as well as his broad technical expertise and deep appreciation of the intersection of design, construction and community, will greatly benefit our students and faculty in architecture and in other areas of the University as well.”

“I am deeply honored to have been chosen by Notre Dame to be the next dean of its 91��Ƶ of Architecture,” Polyzoides said. “In recent years, I have come to believe that this may well be the single institution in our country that prepares its students to address the diverse acute needs of our time. Not satisfied with teaching skills alone, the school professes an architecture and urbanism that is centered on human values, personal responsibility and community contribution.

“I plan to safeguard the school’s pedagogical excellence, while leading our faculty and students to renewing the process of learning from tradition and directing our collective energies to the urban, institutional and environmental challenges facing every region and culture of the world. Liz and I are excited about engaging with colleagues in various schools and departments whose work may illuminate the teaching and practice of architecture, and becoming active members of the Notre Dame family and South Bend community.”

Born in Athens, Greece, Polyzoides earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from Princeton University and has lived in Southern California since 1973. He was a faculty member at the University of Southern California 91��Ƶ of Architecture from 1973 to 1996, and is a registered architect in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida and Texas.

A highly regarded speaker and lecturer on the subjects of architecture, transit-oriented and mixed-use development, housing and sustainability, Polyzoides is the coauthor of “Los Angeles Courtyard Housing: A Typological Analysis,” “The Plazas of New Mexico,” and is the author of “R.M. Schindler, Architect” and the forthcoming “In Praise of the Ordinary: The Architecture of Housing.” A monograph of the work of Moule & Polyzoides is due shortly.

Burish praised the search committee members who recommended Polyzoides from among a number of eminently qualified candidates considered during a national search.

“The search committee members represented the school and University well,” Burish said. “We owe them our gratitude for their diligence in helping to fill this vitally important leadership position.”

Patricia Culligan appointed dean of Notre Dame’s College of Engineering

2020-01-21T12:55:00-05:00

Patricia J. Culligan, currently the chair and Carleton Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University, has been appointed the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame by University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., effective Aug. 1.

Internationally recognized for her expertise in water resources and environmental engineering, Culligan is a civil engineer whose research focuses on sustainable urban infrastructure, social networks and the application of advanced measurement and sensing technologies to improve water, energy and environmental management. She also is the founding associate director of Columbia’s Data Science Institute and has served as the vice dean of academic affairs for Columbia engineering.

“Trish is a distinguished scholar, research engineer and respected academic leader,” Father Jenkins said. “She brings to Notre Dame a creative cross-disciplinary approach, demonstrated success and a commitment to seek ways in which technological innovation will truly serve humanity. She will be a wonderful addition to our senior leadership team and University community.”

Culligan is currently co-directing a $12 million research network sponsored by the National Science Foundation that is developing new models for urban infrastructure to make cities cleaner, healthier and more enjoyable places to live. Through her research, she has developed several techniques to improve understanding of the fundamental mechanisms governing water and contaminant flows in soils and aquifer systems. She also is actively engaged in community outreach and citizen science programs.

Importantly, her work transcends a variety of other research fields, including urban design, policy, microbiology, ecology and geochemistry.

“Working within and beyond the academy, Trish has built a consistent record of excellence,” said Thomas G. Burish, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame. “Her broad technical expertise, deep appreciation of the liberal arts, commitment to helping the underserved and educating the whole person, and honed leadership ability make her an ideal candidate for the deanship. In addition, she is committed to further building programs and partnerships across the University and local community as well as with government and industry. We are thrilled that she accepted our offer to serve as dean.”

As dean, Culligan will lead the College of Engineering’s nearly 160 faculty members, who oversee undergraduate and graduate education for nearly 1,900 students along with a wide array of research programs

Culligan earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Leeds as well as a master’s degree in philosophy and a doctorate in engineering from the University of Cambridge. She also earned a diploma in language, literature and civilization (with honors) from the Université d’Aix-Marseille III. She has served on the National Academies Nuclear and Radiation 91��Ƶ Board as well as on the Board of Governors of the ASCE’s Geo-Institute. She has also chaired the National Academies Standing Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering.

She is the author of seven books, seven book chapters and numerous journal articles, publications and reports. At Columbia, she has received more than $20 million in research funding.

“During my visits to the campus, I sensed the strong enthusiasm and momentum in Notre Dame’s engineering programs,” Culligan said. “The faculty has a distinguished reputation for engineering and scholarly excellence, and I am honored to be offered this opportunity to contribute to their continued success and growing stature.”

Burish praised the search committee that recommended Culligan from among a number of eminently qualified candidates considered during a national search.

“The search committee members were selfless in their efforts to identify and recruit a strong field of candidates for this crucial position,” Burish said. “The members represented the college and University well. We all owe them a great deal of gratitude.”

Notre Dame launches new Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society

2019-12-13T11:00:00-05:00

In the past decade, the University of Notre Dame has made significant investments to create a strong foundation in new data-driven academic programs, including programs in applied and computational mathematics and statistics, business analytics, an online master’s degree in data science, a University-wide undergraduate minor in data science, and a proposed liberal arts computer science major, to name a few.

These programs complement and enhance existing undergraduate and graduate degree programs in computer science and computer engineering as well as a number of college and university centers and institutes devoted to the collection, curation and analysis of data to support decision-making in key problem domains across society.

The University will now take the next steps in these efforts, thanks to a transformative $25 million gift from alumnus Robert Lumpkins and his wife, Sara, a Saint Mary’s College graduate, to establish the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, an interdisciplinary, university-wide hub that will connect faculty, students and research across existing data science and analytics programs on campus while serving as a catalyst for future programmatic needs.

The new institute also will serve as an incubator for collaboration with industry, government and academia to advance data-science and analytic innovations. In doing so, the Lucy Family Institute aims to make Notre Dame a leader in data science and analytics, graduating students in all fields who are data-enabled, analytically savvy and ethically driven.

The Lumpkins, who over the years have generously funded numerous scholarships, endowed faculty positions and applied programs in business, science and mathematics at Notre Dame, asked that the new institute be named in honor of a meaningful name within the Lumpkins’ family, “Lucy.”

“We are exceedingly grateful to Bob and Sara for their past generosity in helping Notre Dame keep pace with emerging trends in data science and business analytics,” University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., said. “With this latest gift, they have ensured that our undergraduate, graduate and professional students will wield the latest tools, knowledge and innovations to better society and the world.”

Thomas Burish, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, said the gift will provide resources needed to grow and strengthen the faculty across a broad range of disciplines that leverage data science and analytics applications, create new innovative academic and research programs, and enhance external engagement through conferences, publications and industry partnerships.

“Bob and Sara have been tremendous partners and supporters in our efforts to strengthen data- and analytics-driven academic programs and research at Notre Dame,” Burish said. “Much of the progress we have made in this area is a result of their vision, leadership and generosity.”

Mary Galvin, William K. Warren Foundation Dean of Notre Dame’s College of Science, where several existing data science and applied mathematics programs reside, agreed.

“Our ability to offer innovative and rigorous academic degree programs that integrate data science and analysis across disciplines, regardless of a student’s chosen major or career aspirations, is vital to helping our students succeed after graduation,” Galvin said. “Bob and Sara’s support of these efforts has been unfailing.”

Burish said that as the new institute grows and expands it will collaborate closely with the University’s existing data-analytics, ethics and technology-related research centers as part of a broader strategy to apply advanced data science and analytics techniques in fields ranging from health and wellness to the social sciences and business.

“We are pleased to support Notre Dame’s vision in this endeavor, which meshes with our values,” Sara and Bob Lumpkins said. “We believe data science and analytics offer a powerful opportunity to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration and learning at the University, and that Notre Dame is uniquely positioned to bring an ethical perspective to its use for the good of society.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Notre Dame and master of business administration degree from Stanford University, Lumpkins began a 38-year career with Cargill Inc., a Minnesota-based provider of food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services. He served in a succession of line and financial management positions and was the company’s CFO from 1989 to 2005. He was elected to the Cargill board of directors in 1991 and elected vice chair in 1995, retiring in 2006. Among his achievements at Cargill was founding the company’s hedge fund and distressed asset investment business.

While at Cargill, Lumpkins and a colleague merged the company’s crop nutrition business with a publicly held competitor to create The Mosaic Company, the world’s largest combined producer of phosphates and potash. He served as the company’s chairman of the board from its inception in 2004 to his retirement in 2018.

Bob is a longtime member of Notre Dame’s College of Science Advisory Council. He is a trustee of the Educational Testing Service, a senior advisor to Varde Partners and has served on numerous boards of directors, including several Fortune 500 companies as well as non-profit organizations. He is a trustee emeritus of Howard University.

After earning her bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s, Sara Lumpkins received a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. She had a 25-year career in education, followed by a “second career” in volunteering and philanthropy. The Lumpkins are residents of Nokomis, Florida, and La Jolla, California.

Rev. Tim Scully, C.S.C., to step down as head of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives to become emeritus director

2019-09-27T12:00:00-04:00

Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) founder Rev. Timothy R. Scully, C.S.C., announced he will step down from his role as director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame and become director emeritus of the institute beginning in January.

“During the more than 25 wonderful years leading the Alliance for Catholic Education and 22 years of serving the institute, I have been extraordinarily blessed to contribute to building a mission in service to children in under-resourced Catholic schools with the most talented, faith-filled and committed team of educational scholars and professional practitioners imaginable,” Father Scully said. “I can think of no more fulfilling expression of my vocation as a Holy Cross priest. I look forward to continuing to support the mission of ACE and the institute in any way I can as director emeritus as I continue teaching and research in my home department of political science.”

“As a highly regarded scholar, challenging and popular teacher and creator of the Alliance for Catholic Education, and through his many administrative roles, Father Scully has devoted his life to Notre Dame, its students and its mission,” said Thomas G. Burish, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “In doing so, he has improved the lives of countless students and families. We are grateful for his many contributions.”

A professor of political science and faculty fellow of the Helen Kellogg Institute for International 91��Ƶ, the Institute for Educational Initiatives and the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development, Father Scully has long-standing research and teaching interests in comparative political institutions, especially political parties and party systems. More recently, he has also focused on international faith-based education.

Father Scully has written a number of scholarly articles and six books, including his most recent, “Democratic Governance in Latin America,” published by Stanford University Press. He has won multiple teaching awards at Notre Dame, including the Sheedy Excellence in Teaching Award in the College of Arts and Letters, the O’Malley Undergraduate Teaching Award and a Kaneb Teaching Award.

Father Scully founded ACE in 1993 and served as chair of its advisory board until 2013. In 1997, he became the director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives, which today comprises more than two dozen initiatives focusing on the academic quality of and access to faith-based, and particularly Catholic, schools. In addition to ACE, these initiatives include the Center for Research on Educational Opportunity; the Education, 91��Ƶing and Society undergraduate minor; the Notre Dame Center for STEM Education; and the Notre Dame Center for Literacy Education.

Under Father Scully’s stewardship, the Alliance for Catholic Education has become the most sought-after source of talent and innovation for Catholic schools in the United States and, increasingly, beyond, contributing to the professional formation of thousands of teachers and school leaders serving in all 50 states. Over the past decade, ACE has focused especially on literacy initiatives in Haiti, improving the reading skills of 36,000 children in that country.

Ordained a Holy Cross priest in 1981, Father Scully served his first years of priesthood teaching at Saint George’s College in Santiago, Chile. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, after graduating summa cum laude from Notre Dame in 1976 and receiving his master of divinity degree from the University in 1979. During his three decades on the faculty at Notre Dame he has served as a University trustee and fellow, executive vice president, and vice president and senior associate provost.

Father Scully’s skill as a leader and educator has been recognized on numerous occasions. Among these recognitions were the 2008 Presidential Citizens Medal presented in a ceremony in the Oval Office, the 2013 William E. Simon Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Social Entrepreneurship, and the 2015 Elizabeth Ann Seton Award (awarded to ACE) for outstanding contributions to Catholic education from the National Catholic Educational Association.

Father Scully is a member of the advisory boards of Notre Dame’s Helen Kellogg Institute for International 91��Ƶ, Institute for Latino 91��Ƶ, Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy and Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish 91��Ƶ, as well as Saint George’s College. He is also a life member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations, the Inter-American Dialogue and the Latin American 91��Ƶ Association.

New Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center to address ‘big questions’ of emerging technology

2019-09-24T10:45:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame plans to add 15 new faculty positions in its recently established Technology Ethics Center, which aims to address the increasingly complex and continuously evolving ethical and policy questions related to the impact of technology on society and individuals.

The center, known as ND-TEC, will connect faculty members from across the University’s colleges, schools and institutes, including leaders in the sciences, engineering, law, philosophy and other disciplines.

Those affiliated with ND-TEC will conduct research to explore enduring and emerging ethical concerns across a wide range of innovation and technological contexts and from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and perspectives.

The center also will convene leading figures in industry, nonprofit organizations and government agencies to develop and apply ethical and legal frameworks, and it will develop curriculum that engages students at all levels of the University on technology ethics issues.

“Through the work of this new center, Notre Dame has an opportunity to play an important role in ensuring ethical questions are carefully considered throughout the entire innovation and technology development process,” said Sarah Mustillo, the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters, who has spearheaded the initiative. “We are in the midst of a search for a leading authority to serve as founding director of this initiative and help us attract the types of faculty members needed to ensure its success.”

“We are living in an age of unbridled and increasingly fierce competition to pursue ever-more-capable and human-like technologies,” said Mark McKenna, the John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law at Notre Dame and interim director of ND-TEC. “The aim of the new center is to explore the myriad ethical and policy issues associated with these new and emerging technologies to help us keep pace with their human and societal impacts.”

ND TEC will host its first event — a series of panel discussions on deepfakes and other manipulated content, featuring leading academic, industry and policy experts — on Oct. 18 (Friday) at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Former House Speaker Ryan joins Donnelly, McDonough on Notre Dame faculty

2019-04-15T12:00:00-04:00

Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan will join the University of Notre Dame faculty as a professor of the practice for the 2019-20 academic year as a guest lecturer in political science and economics.

Denis McDonough

Other recent professor-of-the-practice appointments include those for former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly and former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough. Like Ryan, they bring experience at the senior-most levels of government, providing Notre Dame students with firsthand knowledge and insights that are difficult to find elsewhere.

“The study of political science is strengthened when students hear from people with real-world policy and political experience,” said David Campbell, Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy and chair of the Department of Political Science at Notre Dame. “Having former officials in the classroom provides important insights for students — an opportunity to put the theories we study to the test.”

Campbell said Ryan will be guest-lecturing on the fundamentals of American government, the current state of political polarization, and Catholicism and economics, among other topics. Ryan also will be delivering an address at a conference hosted by Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities and the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy.

Donnelly began guest-lecturing this semester, speaking in courses on American politics, public policy and leadership. He has also met regularly with a group of undergraduate students to discuss his experience running for and serving in office.

“It has been an amazing experience to teach and work with our students and professors at the same beloved Notre Dame that I was privileged to attend,” Donnelly said. “It is easy to see every day that our Catholic mission plays a huge role in daily life at Notre Dame. Our students are bright, energetic, hard-working and will change the world. I look forward to working in the classroom with Speaker Paul Ryan and Chief of Staff Denis McDonough next semester.”

Joe Donnolley

Donnelly earned his bachelor’s and law degrees at Notre Dame before entering politics. He was elected to the U.S House of Representatives in 2006, representing Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District, and served three terms before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012.

Ryan — who represented Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District for 20 years, serving for the last four as the 54th Speaker of the House — has his own connection to Notre Dame, where his brothers Stan and Tobin earned their bachelor’s degrees in economics. Ryan has visited Notre Dame many times over the years and now looks forward to getting directly involved with its students and faculty.

“As an Irish Catholic from the Midwest, the University of Notre Dame has always held a special place in my heart,” Ryan said. “It is an honor to be part of a University where Catholic principles, robust debates, academic freedoms and diverse viewpoints are allowed to flourish. As much as I hope to impart as a lecturer, I know that I will learn a tremendous amount from Notre Dame’s remarkable students as we discuss the big challenges before our nation and collaborate on how best to address them.”

McDonough served as White House chief of staff for President Barack Obama from February 2013 until January 2017. He is an executive fellow in Notre Dame’s Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, where he is an instructor for the Global Policy Seminar, a course that engages students with policymakers and leaders on topics and geographies essential to the world of global policy.

Martijn Cremers appointed dean of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business

2019-03-19T13:00:00-04:00

K.J. Martijn Cremers has been appointed Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame by University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., effective July 1.

Cremers, the Bernard J. Hank Professor of Finance and interim dean of the college since July, was selected from among a number of eminently qualified candidates who were considered during a six-month national search.

An internationally recognized expert in the empirical aspects of investing and corporate governance, Cremers joined the Notre Dame faculty as a professor of finance in 2012 after serving 10 years on the faculty of Yale University’s 91��Ƶ of Management.

Cremers’ research has been published in the field’s leading academic journals, including the Journal of Finance, Review of Financial 91��Ƶ, Journal of Financial Economics, Stanford Law Review and Northwestern Law Review. His research also has received significant media attention from the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and numerous other major publications.

“Martijn is a distinguished scholar with a deep understanding of and commitment to Notre Dame's distinctive mission,” Father Jenkins said. “He will further the Mendoza College of Business’ work of making important contributions to research, training capable graduates who will be ethical leaders and encouraging us all to ask more of business.”

As dean, Cremers will lead Mendoza’s nearly 160 faculty members, who oversee undergraduate education and a variety of professional education programs.

“Martijn is a gifted scholar, teacher and leader who brings to this position an innovative business focus, global business perspective, the highest standards of excellence and integrity and a deep understanding of and dedication to Notre Dame’s Catholic mission,” said Thomas G. Burish, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “He is committed to partnering with the faculty to raise the level of research and instruction at Mendoza to even higher levels, and to help integrate Mendoza’s many strengths with other programs throughout the university.”

Originally from the Netherlands, Cremers earned his bachelor’s degree in econometrics from the VU University Amsterdam and a doctoral degree in finance from the Stern 91��Ƶ of Business at New York University.

At Notre Dame, Cremers has taught courses on investments and corporate governance to undergraduate and MBA students. His study titled “How Active is Your Fund Manager? A New Measure that Predicts Performance,” which was published in the Review of Financial 91��Ƶ, introduced a new measure of active management called “Active Share,” which is based on a comparison of the holdings of a fund with those of its benchmark. Since the study’s publication, Active Share has been widely adopted in the financial industry and has been incorporated in Morningstar Direct and FactSet ratings.

Since 2010, Cremers has been an associate editor at the Review of Finance, and he previously served an associate editor of the Review of Financial 91��Ƶ and of European Financial Management. He said he plans to continue building upon Mendoza’s strengths in undergraduate and professional programs, while focusing on ways to increase the college and its graduates’ positive impact on business and society.

“I am honored to be offered this challenging new role at Notre Dame and look forward to working alongside our impressive group of faculty members and students as we confront the myriad business challenges and opportunities facing our society,” Cremers said. “I am grateful for the trust being placed in me and committed to advancing Mendoza’s distinctive mission as a Catholic business school, where we seek to educate business leaders who seek to contribute to human flourishing, cooperate in solidarity and compete with excellence.”

Burish praised the committee that recommended Cremers.

“The search committee members worked selflessly and effectively to identify and recruit a strong field of candidates for this important position,” he said. “The members represented the University well and were exceptional in every regard.”

Notre Dame engineers part of consortium proposing US-Mexico ‘energy-water corridor’ in lieu of border wall

2019-03-18T11:00:00-04:00

Engineering professors at the University of Notre Dame have joined a consortium of 28 scientists, researchers and engineers in a proposal to build an extensive energy- and water-producing industrial corridor along the U.S.-Mexico border as an alternative to a border wall.

The proposal, outlined in the white paper “Future Energy, Water, Industry and Education Park (FEWIEP): A Secure and Permanent US-Mexico Border Solution,” makes the case for developing a light industrial zone in the territory along the nearly 2,000-mile border as a means to curb illegal immigration and create jobs on both sides of the border in the potentially energy-rich region.

Ken Christensen

Kenneth Christensen, Viola D. Hank Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and Harindra Joe Fernando, Wayne and Diana Murdy Family Professor of Engineering, represent Notre Dame on the consortium, which is led by Luciano Castillo, Purdue University’s Kenninger Professor of Renewable Energy and Power Systems.

The group’s paper proposes to develop an international border industrial complex featuring solar farms, wind turbines, gas pipelines, desalination plants and agriculture zones. Christensen and Fernando bring significant expertise that underpins many of the proposal’s scientific focus areas, including wind energy, hydrologic sciences and carbon dioxide mitigation.

The proposed corridor would be unlike any international border region in the world.

“Admittedly, this proposal would be a major undertaking,” Christensen said. “But given the regional economic, energy and water needs, coupled with the situation along the U.S.-Mexico border, we are dealing with challenges that require innovative and transformative thinking. And in some ways, it’s an idea that has been hiding in plain sight for many years.”

“Just like the transcontinental railroad transformed the United States in the 19th century, or the interstate highway system transformed the 20th century, this would be a national infrastructure project for the 21st century,” Castillo said. “It could do for the border region what the Tennessee Valley Authority has done for parts of the southeastern U.S. over the past several decades.”

Harindra Fernando

The U.S.-Mexico border stretches through arid and semi-arid regions and features abundant high solar irradiation and wind resources, making it nearly ideal for an energy corridor, the researchers said. Moreover, the subsequent development of industrial facilities would complement and supplement existing border security, reducing the enormous expense of building a passive international border barrier.

The group also suggests creating specialized institutes along the border that could expand innovations related to manufacturing, construction, engineering, management and agriculture. They could provide workforce development and mentoring, as well.

The researchers say the proposed energy-water corridor has the potential to host large agricultural production, relieve energy and water needs and food shortages, reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and create wealth for the U.S. and Mexico. Businesses would be attracted to the region by cheap electricity and plentiful water resources.

According to previous research conducted at Purdue, wind farms in the region would power desalination plants providing 2.3 million acre-feet of water per year, an amount that would meet the water needs of all of the manufacturing, mining and livestock in the state of Texas.

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire and the Imperial College of London found that a line of solar panels along the border would produce as much energy as the hydroelectric power production along the border of the U.S. and Canada, which includes Niagara Falls.

“In contrast to a passive barrier that physically stifles innovation and collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico,” Christensen said, “this energy-water corridor would inspire and support economic, social and scientific advances and transform the regional enterprises along the border to the benefit of both countries.”

Notre Dame’s Michael Lykoudis named to American Institute of Architects College of Fellows

2019-02-25T13:35:00-05:00

Michael Lykoudis, Francis and Kathleen Rooney Dean at the University of Notre Dame’s 91��Ƶ of Architecture, has been named to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows, an honor awarded to those who have made significant contributions to the profession.

A recognized national and international leader in classical architecture, new urbanism and sustainable development, Lykoudis has devoted his career to the building, study and promotion of traditional architecture and urbanism. The fellowship recognizes his many contributions to society and the profession as a scholar, leader and educator.

“We are pleased to see Michael receive this well-deserved recognition for his leadership and many contributions to the architectural profession,” said Thomas G. Burish, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame. “Michael is a gifted architect in his own right and someone who works tirelessly to further the profession, and to inspire and educate others.”

As dean, Lykoudis has established a number of new initiatives to provide students hands-on experience with urban and architectural design, and to recognize those who excel in this area. He retooled the school’s graduate education program and increased the school’s engagement with the city of South Bend. He also established the Richard H. Driehaus Prize, awarded annually to a living architect whose work embodies the highest ideals of classical architecture in contemporary society and creates a positive cultural, environmental and artistic impact.

Lykoudis is a member of the Congress for New Urbanism and the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism. He served on the board of directors for the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art and frequently lectures at universities around the country and abroad and speaks to professional and civic organizations.

Prior to joining the Notre Dame faculty, he worked as a project designer and architect for firms in Florida, Greece, Connecticut and New York. He has directed his own practice since 1983 in Athens, in Stamford, Connecticut, and now in South Bend, Indiana.

A graduate of Cornell University, Lykoudis earned his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois with a concentration in business.

Stanford professor Marcus Cole appointed dean of Notre Dame Law 91��Ƶ

2019-01-10T12:00:00-05:00

G. Marcus Cole, the William F. Baxter-Visa International Professor of Law at Stanford University, has been appointed Joseph A. Matson Dean of the Law 91��Ƶ and professor of law at the University of Notre Dame by University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. Cole succeeds Nell Jessup Newton, who is stepping down July 1 after serving 10 years as dean.

A leading scholar of the empirical law and economics of commerce and finance, Cole joined the Stanford faculty in 1997. He previously held two endowed chairs and served for five years as associate dean for curriculum and academic affairs. Before joining the Stanford Law faculty, Cole was an associate with the Chicago law firm of Mayer Brown. He clerked for Judge Morris Sheppard Arnold in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.

Cole currently teaches courses including bankruptcy, banking regulation, contracts and venture capital. His research explores the ways in which the world’s poor are using technology to overcome local government restrictions to solve community and societal problems.

“Professor Cole brings to Notre Dame scholarly accomplishment, experience in academic leadership, an impressive set of international appointments and a concern for social inequities and the human impact of law,” Father Jenkins said. “We warmly welcome Professor Cole as the new dean of our Law 91��Ƶ.”

Cole currently serves on the editorial board of the Cato Supreme Court Review, the academic advisory board of Bar-Bri and the advisory board of the Independent Institute’s Center on Culture and Civil Society. He is the former president of the board of directors of Rocketship Education, a national, nonprofit charter school network operating California’s most successful charter schools for low-income children. He also is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit's Bankruptcy Judicial Advisory Committee and the Board of Trustees of Bellarmine College Preparatory, the oldest Jesuit secondary school on the West Coast.

“Professor Cole is an extraordinary person, teacher, scholar and leader who brings to this role a deep commitment to our Law 91��Ƶ’s mission, vision and values,” said Thomas G. Burish, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame. “Search committee members were uniformly impressed with his reputation for collegiality, as well as his global experience and involvement on issues ranging from social justice and equality to providing educational access for low-income children. We are pleased to welcome him to our University community and family.”

Cole earned his bachelor’s degree in applied economics from Cornell University and his juris doctorate at Northwestern University, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business.

“To me, law is the noblest profession in the world,” Cole said. “Lawyers save lives, protect rights and grease the wheels of the economy. It has been the great honor of my life to train lawyers, and I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to help do so at one of the most important law schools in the world. As the needs of our society call for ethically and morally guided lawyers and leaders, Notre Dame will continue to answer that call.”

Cole’s extensive legal and scholarly background includes serving as a national fellow at the Hoover Institution, and he is a fellow at the University of Amsterdam Center for Law and Economics. He has been a visiting professor at a number of institutions around the world, including the University of Amsterdam, the University of Vienna, Leiden University, Bucerius Law 91��Ƶ in Hamburg, Germany, Northwestern University, Korea University and Peking University 91��Ƶ of Transnational Law in Shenzhen, China.

Cole also has served on the boards of several civic and charitable organizations, including those of the Central Pacific Region of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith and Businesses United in Investing, Lending and Development.

Burish praised the work of search committee members who recommended Cole.

“Committee members worked tirelessly to identify, evaluate and recruit a strong slate of candidates for this important position,” he said. “We all owe them our gratitude.”

Notre Dame IDEA Center creates fund to support startup companies

2018-10-10T10:15:00-04:00

The Notre Dame IDEA Center, established in 2017 to spur innovation and commercialization efforts at the University, has established a separate for-profit investment fund to accelerate promising early-stage technologies and startup ideas toward development.

Drawing on the IDEA Center’s race car-related branding, the Notre Dame Pit Road Fund will provide seed funding for faculty, student, alumni and community startups. To qualify for funding, technologies or startups will be evaluated through the IDEA Center’s de-risking and validation processes.

Bryan Ritchie, Notre Dame’s vice president and associate provost for innovation, said the fund fills a critical resource gap that often exists between an inventor or innovator’s business idea and the ability to ready it for follow-on investments and the commercial market.

“The fund will give promising early-stage IDEA Center-vetted projects access to the right amount of capital at the right time,” said Ritchie, who serves on the fund’s investment committee along with two other senior IDEA Center executives who also are experienced in startup ventures and funding. “The ability to apply small, light, fast money to these projects makes all the difference in the early stage of de-risking.”

Without such a fund, he said, potentially valuable ideas might be abandoned for lack of resources.

“While a large amount of funding options exist for more mature companies, it is often very difficult for nascent business ideas to find the early-stage funding needed to move them forward,” Ritchie said. “The Pit Road Fund will help our projects bridge the all-important gap between ideation and the market.”

A private group of investors who support acceleration of Notre Dame’s innovation and commercialization efforts invested more than $22 million to establish the fund. The investors will have no decision-making authority regarding which projects are funded.

The IDEA Center has hired an outside accounting firm to oversee auditing, compliance and reporting requirements.

Contact: Bryan Ritchie, 574-631-5154, britchie@nd.edu

Joseph Antenucci Becherer appointed director of Notre Dame’s Snite Museum of Art

2018-10-09T08:00:00-04:00

Joseph Antenucci Becherer, the founding director and curator of the sculpture program at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been appointed the new director of the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame.

Becherer joined Meijer Gardens in 1999, and became its chief curator and vice president of sculpture and horticulture, collections and exhibitions in 2009. He also is the Lena Meijer Professor in the History of Art at Aquinas College, where he teaches courses in Renaissance, Baroque and Contemporary art.

At Notre Dame, Becherer will lead a staff of 16 responsible for exhibition development and educational programs that serve Notre Dame students and faculty as well as thousands of primary and secondary school students who visit the Snite Museum of Art annually. He also will play a major role in helping design the University’s new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at Notre Dame, scheduled to open in 2021.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Joseph’s artistic vision, talents and operational experience joining our team at Notre Dame,” said Maura Ryan, vice president and associate provost for faculty affairs, who oversaw the national search that led to Becherer’s appointment. “We are confident he will continue and enhance the museum’s role in the University’s vibrant arts district that is taking shape on the southern edge of our campus and includes the Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park, which opened in 2017.”

“This directorship is a great honor and opportunity beyond measure as the museum and entire academic community fully embrace the essential role of the arts at the heart of Notre Dame,” Becherer said. “Following in the great tradition that is the Snite Museum of Art, I look forward to working with donors, staff, faculty, students and artists to create in the new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art one of the nation’s pre-eminent and most innovative university art museums.”

A scholar of modern and contemporary sculpture, Becherer has authored numerous books, catalogues and articles, and curated many major exhibitions. As curator at Meijer Gardens, he has overseen the development of one the foremost collections of modern and contemporary sculpture in the world. In 2015, he debuted a new Japanese Garden designed by Hoichi Kurisu with the permanent installations by Jenny Holzer, Zhang Huan, Anish Kapoor, Masuyuki Koorida, David Nash and Giuseppe Penone.

Most recently, Becherer curated a monumental exhibition with Ai WeiWei and oversaw legacy gifts of George Segal and Beverly Pepper – including her entire repertoire of prints and drawings.

Becherer has served on numerous civic art advisory committees, including those which commissioned major public works by Dennis Oppenheim and Maya Lin, and acquisition of a major work by Robert Indiana. He chaired the national committee to commission a sculpture of President Gerald R. Ford for the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol dedicated in 2011.

Becherer earned bachelor’s and master’s of fine arts degrees at Ohio University, which in 2012 awarded him its Medal of Merit. He received his doctoral degree from Indiana University.

Walther Cancer Foundation matching gift seeks to spur support for cancer research at Notre Dame

2018-09-17T11:00:00-04:00

For the past six years, the Indianapolis-based Walther Cancer Foundation has funded research at the University of Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute that has led to important discoveries in the early detection of and novel treatments for cancer.

To date, the foundation has provided nearly $9.5 million to support research at the institute to explore bioanalytical approaches for molecular detection of cancer in tissues; evaluate tumor development, progression and metastasis; and use multidimensional imaging to better understand the structure of cancer cells.

Now, in an effort to help extend and expand the Harper Institute’s research programs, the Walther Foundation has made a $3.5 million matching-fund gift that it hopes will inspire those with a similar passion to support novel, multidisciplinary approaches to cancer research.

Sharon Stack

“The Walther Foundation has been a vital partner and supporter of our work at the institute since our inception,” said Sharon Stack, Kleiderer-Pezold Professor of Biochemistry and the Ann F. Dunne and Elizabeth M. Riley Director of the Harper Cancer Research Institute. “This gift not only represents an endorsement of the institute’s work, but also provides further evidence of the Walther Foundation’s broad-based commitment to support novel approaches to cancer research.”

“The most recent commitment by the Walther Cancer Foundation provides continued funding to the Harper Cancer Research Institute, reflecting our belief in the interdisciplinary approach to cancer research at Harper,” said foundation president and CEO Thomas W. Grein. “This was on full display via poster presentations at a recent Harper Research Day. We saw teams of researchers which could include representatives from the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Biomedical Informatics, to name a few. Collaborative research is real at Harper.”

The Walther Cancer Foundation is dedicated to accelerating research to develop effective treatments for cancer as well as supporting patients with cancer and their families. Since its founding, it has invested almost $150 million to support and promote interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cancer research, ranging from basic and clinical research and behavioral studies to palliative care and end-of life support to patients and their families.

“We are exceedingly grateful to the Walther Cancer Foundation for supporting the Harper Institute’s multidisciplinary approach to cancer research and for encouraging others to join this noble effort,” said Notre Dame Provost Thomas Burish. “We share the foundation’s commitment to developing innovative, collaborative solutions to address this complex family of diseases and their impact on patients and their families.”

Ovarian Cancer Cells

Stack said grant funds will be used to sustain and expand collaborative research programs at the institute, such as the Cancer Cure Ventures program and the Interdisciplinary Interface Training Program for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

With more than 70 faculty scientists from across the University who teach and conduct research, the Harper Cancer Research Institute focuses on novel, multidisciplinary approaches to detect and treat cancer in its early stages.

The Mike and Josie Harper Cancer Research Institute is a novel collaboration between the University of Notre Dame and the Indiana University 91��Ƶ of Medicine-South Bend. Collaboration is a foundational principle of the institute, which welcomes investigators from all colleges within Notre Dame and Indiana University seeking to address cancer-specific problems.

Notre Dame to host TEDxUND 2018 April 28

2018-04-10T13:00:00-04:00

TEDxUND organizers, in partnership with the IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame, will present TEDxUND 2018 in the Patricia George Decio Theatre at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center April 28 (Saturday) as part of IDEA Week.

Designed to showcase the ideas and talents of individuals from Notre Dame and the surrounding community, TEDxUND 2018 features a diverse lineup of speakers exploring the topic “Dare To …” They range from a faculty member working to engineer a cure to cancer to a pair of undergraduate students who unplugged from the world of modern technology for a week as an experiment.

The daylong event will feature two live sessions, one from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and one from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Admission to both events is free, but tickets are required and seating is limited. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 9 a.m. Thursday (April 12) through the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center box office.

Notre Dame alumna Jacqueline Thomas, the Young Alumni program manager at the Notre Dame Alumni Association, will emcee the event. Scheduled speakers and their topics include the following:

Session 1

Brian Baker, faculty member: Dare to Imagine Curing Cancer
Kendrick Peterson, undergraduate student: Dare to Differentiate
Joanna Fava, alumna: Dare to Exceed Expectations
Matthew Stackowicz, community member: Dare to Be a Visual Storyteller
Sophia Buono, undergraduate student: Dare to Dance Hand-In-Hand
William Clark, undergraduate student: Dare to Say “No”
Martin Klubeck, staff member: Dare to Listen with an Open Heart
Tracy Kijewski-Correa, faculty member and alumna: Dare to Discover the Innovator Within

Session 2

Aaron Perri, alumnus and community member: Dare to Embrace Failure
Nick Barella and Chris Mire, undergraduate students: Dare to Unplug
Weiyang Xie, staff member: Dare to Rewire Your Brain for Self-Compassion
Laura Kloepper, Saint Mary’s College: Dare to Navigate a Complex World
Marisa Lucht, undergraduate student: Dare to Humanize Data
Stephen Trzeciak, alumnus: Dare to Tackle the Most Pressing Problem of Our Time
Samuel Jackson, undergraduate student: Dare to Let the Arts Transform You
Amber Selking, faculty member and alumna: Dare to Think Like a Champion Today

More information is available online at the TEDxUND 2018 website.

About TEDx, where x = independently organized event

In the spirit of “Ideas Worth Spreading,” TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDxUND strives to re-create the unique experience found at TED, where the world’s leaders, thinkers and doers congregate to share ideas about which they are most passionate.

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” It started in 1984 as a conference that brought together people from three worlds: technology, entertainment and design. Since then, its scope has become ever broader, including two annual conferences: the TED Conference on the West Coast each spring and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, each summer. TED also now includes the award-winning TED Talks video website. For more information, go to www.ted.com.

Contact: Caitlin Murphy, cmurph26@nd.edu; Tim O’Connell, toconne3@nd.edu

Study links rising heroin deaths to 2010 OxyContin reformulation

2018-04-09T09:00:00-04:00

Efforts by Purdue Pharma in 2010 to make its blockbuster prescription opioid painkiller OxyContin less prone to abuse did nothing to reduce the number of drug overdose deaths across the nation. In fact, according to researchers at the University of Notre Dame, the reformulation of OxyContin instead fueled a heroin epidemic that continues to claim lives at an increasing rate.

In a working paper circulated by the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers at Notre Dame and Boston University studied the rise in heroin death rates since 2010 in relation to the reformulation of OxyContin, a prescription opioid introduced in 1996 to treat acute or chronic pain. They found that while prescription opioid consumption stopped rising in August 2010, heroin overdose deaths began climbing the following month, and the rate of growth was greater in areas with greater pre-reformulation access to heroin and opioids.

“A key component of the federal government’s response to the opioid epidemic has been encouraging the development of abuse-deterrent formulations of drugs,” said William N. Evans, co-author of the study and Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Economics at Notre Dame. “Our work suggests that as long as there are readily available substitutes for prescription opioids, such as heroin, reformulating painkillers will do little to mitigate the effect of the crisis.”

When used as directed, prescription opioids offer an effective treatment for acute and chronic pain, but they are known to be addictive and have been associated with a rapid rise in prescription drug overdoses and deaths. OxyContin became popular for recreational use and abuse because the drug offered much more of the active ingredient, oxycodone, than other prescription opioids and the pills could easily be manipulated to access the entire store of the active ingredient.

In early August 2010, the makers of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma, pulled the existing drug from the market and replaced it with an abuse-deterrent formulation that made it difficult to manipulate. However, the researchers discovered the reformulation led many abusers to simply shift to readily available and cheaper substitute — heroin.

“Although the abuse-deterrent formulation for OxyContin reduced prescription opioid mortality,” Evans said, “the movement to heroin as a result of the reformulation meant there was a one-for-one substitution of heroin deaths for opioid deaths.”

The NBER paper was co-authored by Ethan Lieber, assistant professor of economics at Notre Dame, and Patrick Power, a graduate student at Boston University.

Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu

Sarah Mustillo appointed dean of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters

2018-02-28T13:20:00-05:00

Sarah A. Mustillo, department chair and professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame, has been appointed I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts and Letters by University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. She succeeds John McGreevy, who is stepping down July 1 after serving 10 years as dean.

An expert in the social causes of childhood mental illness and statistical methods used in social science research, Mustillo joined the Notre Dame faculty in 2014, after serving seven years as a professor of sociology at Purdue University and six years on the faculty at Duke University 91��Ƶ of Medicine. She has served as chair of the Department of Sociology since 2016.

“Throughout her career, Sarah has proven herself to be an accomplished scholar and skilled administrator,” Father Jenkins said. “Since returning to Notre Dame, she has shown character, selflessness, sound judgment and commitment to our distinctive Catholic mission through her service as department chair and on numerous committees and advisory boards. Sarah’s global perspective and focus on integrated learning and knowledge make her an ideal candidate to lead the College of Arts and Letters.”

As dean, Mustillo will lead Notre Dame’s largest and oldest college, comprising 20 departments and more than 550 faculty members.

“Sarah is a gifted leader, teacher and researcher who will bring to this position a deep understanding of the college and its mission, as well as a compelling vision for its future,” said Thomas G. Burish, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “The search committee members were uniformly impressed with her deep commitment to providing our students with a world-class education that integrates a strong Catholic liberal arts foundation with state-of-the-art analytical tools and methods and a global perspective.”

Mustillo said she is humbled by the confidence being placed in her.

“I am honored and delighted to be offered this challenging new role and to work with some of the very brightest scholars and dedicated academic professionals in the country and indeed the world,” Mustillo said. “I am exceedingly grateful for the trust being placed in me, and I look forward to working alongside students, faculty and colleagues across the college and University as we advance academic excellence and our distinctive scholarly mission at our nation’s premier Catholic research university.”

Mustillo earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from Duke University, after graduating magna cum laude from Notre Dame in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and gender studies.

Mustillo’s research interests include medical sociology, statistics, social epidemiology and social psychology. She is co-editor of the American Sociological Review, the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and a frequent speaker at domestic and international conferences on topics ranging from child mental health and wellness to advanced statistical methods.

Mustillo has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on several multimillion-dollar grant-funded studies and is presently co-investigator on a $2.4 million study of sibling socialization of alcohol and drug use from early through late adolescence, funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

In the classroom, Mustillo has been honored with a number of awards for teaching and scholarship excellence, including a fellowship from the Center for Instructional Excellence at Purdue.

Mustillo said she plans to continue building upon the college’s strong undergraduate programs in the arts, humanities and social sciences, focusing on ways to maximize their vibrancy and relevance for the 21st century, while elevating the prominence of Notre Dame’s graduate programs and supporting the research and creative activity of its scholars.

Burish praised the search committee, which recommended Mustillo.

“The search committee members worked tirelessly, selflessly and effectively to identify and recruit a strong field of candidates for this important position,” he said. “The members represented the University well and were exceptional in every respect.”