Keynote speaker Sabine Hadida encouraged students to embrace the future and take up the baton of âsaving the worldâ during the âs annual commencement ceremony Saturday (May 18) at Notre Dame Stadium.
âToday is not just about looking back at what you have achieved; itâs about embracing the opportunities that the future brings. And donât you worry, there will be many as long as you are willing to take up the challenge they present,â Hadida said.
That said, âAs you get on with this next chapter of your life, remember the values you have learned as graduate students: integrity, humility and a commitment to excellence,â she said. âAnd never forget the support system that has brought you to this moment â your family, friends, mentors and colleagues who have supported you along the way.â
Hadida is senior vice president and San Diego site head at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where she and her team have developed a variety of FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system.
For her revolutionary work in drug discovery, she was a co-recipient, with Paul Negulescu and Fredrick Van Goor, of the 2024 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, as well as the 2023 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences.
Not that itâs been easy.
Hadida recalled the cold response from the scientific community to her and her teamâs early research theorizing that small molecules could restore the function of a mutant protein â a âcrazyâ idea at the time but one that ultimately would lead to the first medication to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis.
âI remember presenting experimental data at a conference related to what ultimately became our first (cystic fibrosis) drug. I was, believe it or not, shouted off the stage because the experts did not believe in this approach,â Hadida said. âI thought that only happened in movies, but I guess my mother-in-law was right all along when she said: âIf it happens on TV, it can happen in real life.ââ
Fortunately, she said, she ignored the naysayers and followed the evidence.
âThat experience taught me that there are no crazy ideas as long as they donât violate the laws of physics or thermodynamics,â she said. âSo the next time someone shrugs their shoulders about your idea, just tell them what I just told you.
âYou must have faith in yourself,â she told the graduates. âAfter all, you are a graduate of Notre Dame.â
In introducing Hadida, , the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame, referred to her as a âheroâ and âinnovatorâ who âuses her expertise to fight for patients who have been fighting for every breath.â
Following Hadidaâs remarks, Notre Dame , conferred degrees on the students before delivering his final charge to the class. Father Jenkins will step down from his role as president at the end of the academic year, making way for his successor,
"As I step down from the presidency, I am most proud of the progress Notre Dame has made in research and graduate school education in recent decades, as a university traditionally known for undergraduate education increasingly takes its place among the distinguished graduate programs in the world,â Father Jenkins said. âThis growth is due not only to our distinguished faculty and academic leaders, but also to the scholarly contributions you, our graduates, have made and will make. We are so proud to call you our graduates."
In addition to Hadida, McGreevy and Father Jenkins, Saturdayâs ceremony featured , associate provost and vice president for graduate studies and dean of the Graduate 91ÊÓÆ”, and , the Rev. John A. Zahm Professor of Science at Notre Dame, among others. Hildreth opened the convocation, welcoming students, faculty, staff and visotors and introducing the platform party. Kamat, one of two winners of this yearâs , delivered the invocation.
Commencement activities conclude Sunday (May 19) with undergraduate commencement, at which Hadida will be recognized as one of four honorary degree recipients. For more information, visit .