The University of Notre Dame celebrated its 181st Commencement Ceremony on Sunday (May 17) at Notre Dame Stadium. An audience of more than 20,000 family members, friends, faculty and graduates were in attendance as 2,120 degrees were conferred on undergraduate students.

Over the course of Commencement Weekend, the University conferred a total of 3,335 degrees.

University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., and John McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, introduced the speakers and welcomed the guests. The ceremony opened with the singing of “America the Beautiful,” led by Rev. Kevin Grove, C.S.C., an associate professor of theology.

Salutatorian Allison Elshoff, a business analytics major from Valencia, California, offered an invocation. On behalf of the graduating class, she expressed gratitude for Christ’s love, for family and friends, for teachers and mentors, and for the University of Notre Dame. Elshoff also prayed for God’s guidance and asked that the graduates “leave these halls eager to enter the world as instruments of your peace.”

In his valedictory address, Martin Soros, from Bethesda, Maryland, considered the journey that each graduate took to Notre Dame, which he noted was not so different from that of its founder, Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., who arrived on the frozen grounds in late November 1842 with a vision for what the University could become.

“We all came to create something, just like Father Sorin,” he said. “What did he see in that frozen landscape? He saw you and he saw me. He saw researchers fighting to end disease. He saw students tutoring at a local middle school. He saw members of a choir sharing their gifts, and he saw neighbors cracking jokes in a dorm hallway. Over these last four years, at every turn, we cultivated warmth for others.”

Soros, a civil engineering major who is perhaps best known as co-creator of St. Olaf’s ice chapel on campus this winter, said that warmth is something the world desperately needs.

“Like Father Sorin, we stand before a world that has grown cold,” Soros said. “And though the people we encounter may know nothing about Notre Dame, we can leave its mark on their hearts with the warmth we have cultivated here. This may seem daunting. But we’ve been doing it for four years, and we are just getting started.”

Honorary degrees were conferred upon Marguerite Barankitse, a humanitarian leader, teacher and founder of the education, development and relief organization Maison Shalom (House of Peace); Mary Boyce, provost emerita and professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University; Eamon Duffy, emeritus professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Cambridge and former president and fellow of Magdalene College at Cambridge; Christopher J. Murphy III, executive chairman of 1st Source Corporation; J. Christopher Reyes, co-founder and chair of Reyes Holdings LLC; and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the sixth archbishop of Newark.

Father Dowd then introduced the principal speaker, Sister Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., who also received an honorary degree. Sister Petrini is president of the Pontifical Commission and Governorate of Vatican City State, serving at the invitation of both the late Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, and becoming the first woman to hold these positions.

“Sister Petrini speaks to us today at a historic time in the Church, as we embrace the first American-born pope, Pope Leo. … It is clear that Pope Leo is a pope for all, as he has centered his papacy on unity, charity and ‘crossing borders in order to announce the Gospel,’” Father Dowd said. “In many ways, our speaker today has embodied these ideals throughout her ministry, as an Italian-born member of an American-based religious community who is tireless in her service to the Church and to all of God’s people around the world.”

In her address, Sister Petrini built on the recent Jubilee year theme chosen by Pope Francis, “Pilgrims of Hope,” inviting the graduates to become “leaders of hope.”

“You will be people of hope if, centered in Christ, the Principle of Communion, you embark on your new beginning, driven by a sincere desire to build bridges: bridges between humanity and God; bridges between those you meet; bridges between those who are the main players and those who are left behind; bridges between cultures, languages and personal histories; and bridges between individuals and generations,” she said.

Sister Petrini also called upon the graduates to “dream, make choices and set priorities” and to “continue to search for more.”

“I pray that you will march on and contribute to the common good, that you will move forward strong of heart and remain true to your faith, with kindness and courage,” she said. “May you take responsibility for others with loyalty and integrity, and be our hope.”

The University presented the 2026 Laetare Medal — the most prestigious award given exclusively to American Catholics, and Notre Dame’s highest honor — to Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics.

Shriver, who began his career as an educator, described his decision to lead Special Olympics, which was founded by his mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Special Olympics, he said, is “a global witness to the truth that every human being is a sacred creation, with inherent dignity, made in the image and likeness of God — and should be treated that way.

“The precious occasions when we gather and see this truth together are moments of lasting grace.”

Shriver, who also co-founded UNITE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people bridge political divides, said that the need to make dignity the standard for how we treat each other is both an ancient call — and “the most urgent call of our times.”

“In answering the call, you here at Notre Dame have an extraordinary advantage,” Shriver said. “You will walk out of here with the advantage of having been schooled here — on this campus, in this special place — and your university was blessed for this calling even before Father Sorin baked the first brick to build Notre Dame.

“So as you leave the home field of the Fighting Irish to launch the next chapter of your lives, what would you fight for? What were you born to fight for? I pray you will fight to honor the inherent dignity in every human being — and renew the face of the earth.”

Following the conferral of all baccalaureate degrees, Father Dowd offered a charge to the graduates.

“Never forget that your charge as a Notre Dame graduate is to be a force for good in the world. And as you go out into the world, to build your careers and communities and deepen your awareness of God’s mysterious presence and action in your lives, I hope you will rely on the moral, intellectual and ethical foundation you’ve cultivated here,” he said. “Class of 2026, as you go forth from here, be assured of our gratitude for you — and be assured of our prayers for you. I hope you will come back to Notre Dame often, because it is and always will be your home.”

The ceremony closed with a benediction by Cardinal Tobin, followed by a special performance by Irish folk band The High Kings.

“Send [these graduates] forth as bearers of light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair, and unity where there is division,” Cardinal Tobin said. “May their lives reflect the values they have learned here — a commitment to truth, a heart for service and a faith that seeks understanding.”

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

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on May 17, 2026.

Sister Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., president of the Pontifical Commission and Governorate of Vatican City State, will be the principal speaker and will receive an honorary degree. Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics, will receive the 2026 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics.

Notre Dame will confer six additional honorary degrees on distinguished leaders in engineering, business, history, humanitarian efforts and the Church at the University Commencement Ceremony: Marguerite Barankitse, a humanitarian leader and founder of Maison Shalom; Mary Boyce, provost emerita and professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University; Eamon Duffy, an emeritus professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Cambridge and a former president and fellow of Magdalene College at Cambridge; Christopher J. Murphy III, executive chairman of 1st Source Bank; J. Christopher Reyes, co-founder and chair of Reyes Holdings LLC; and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the sixth archbishop of Newark.

Martin Soros, a civil engineering major with minors in theology and education, schooling and society and a native of Bethesda, Maryland, will deliver the valedictory address. Salutatorian Allison Elshoff, a business analytics major with minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service, the Business Honors Program and impact consulting from Valencia, California, will offer the invocation.

Cardinal Tobin will offer the benediction.

On Saturday, 548 students will receive master’s and doctoral degrees at the Graduate School Commencement Ceremony, along with 462 master’s degree students at the Mendoza College of Business ceremony and 203 at the Law School ceremony. The University will confer 2,120 degrees on undergraduate students at Sunday’s ceremony.

Weather permitting, graduates will process into the stadium at 9 a.m. Sunday, and the University Commencement Ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. All guests must have an e-ticket for admission.

The Commencement Mass will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday in Purcell Pavilion, with University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., presiding.

The Commencement Mass, University Commencement Ceremony and certain diploma/hooding ceremonies will be livestreamed. A complete schedule of events is available on the Commencement website, and senior stories and other features can be found here.

Many common items will not be allowed in the stadium during Sunday’s ceremony. Visit the Commencement website for a complete list of prohibited items. In the event of severe weather, ceremonies will be moved indoors to the Joyce Center. Should weather conditions necessitate a move indoors, the University will communicate changes online and via ND Alert messages, social media and local news outlets.

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

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on May 11, 2026.

Martin Soros of Bethesda, Maryland, has been selected as valedictorian, and Allison Elshoff of Valencia, California, has been named salutatorian of the 2026 University of Notre Dame graduating class.

The 181st University Commencement Ceremony will be held May 17 (Sunday) in Notre Dame Stadium for graduates and guests. During the ceremony, Soros will deliver the valedictory address and Elshoff will offer the invocation.

Soros, a student in the College of Engineering, has a major in civil engineering and minors in theology and education, schooling, and society. He holds a 3.966 grade point average.

He is a member of Notre Dame Students Empowering through Engineering Development, known as NDSEED, a program that fights poverty in rural communities by expanding access to healthcare and education through the design and construction of footbridges. He served as an assistant bridge designer during his sophomore year and as design manager his junior year. During summer 2025, he worked for two months in Papachacra, Bolivia, constructing the pedestrian bridge for which he had led the design.

Soros has also worked as a mechanical design intern at Notre Dame’s Innovation Lab and spent the summer after sophomore year as a construction intern on a project to build U.S. Army barracks in Fort Meade, Maryland.

Soros serves as a resident assistant for Coyle Hall and was the co-creator of the St. Olaf’s Ice Chapel on North Quad. The ice chapel, which made national headlines in February 2026, took Soros and co-creator Wesley Buonerba more than 70 hours to build — often in subzero temperatures — and drew more than 2,000 students for a special Mass on Candlemas.

The experience that has impacted him most, he said, has been the time he has spent at La Nazarena, a community center in Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, where his family is originally from. Run by the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, the center works with adults, families and children to break the cycle of poverty through programs in education, personal formation, workforce development and healthcare.

He first visited the center during the summer before his first year at Notre Dame — an experience that inspired him to change his major from aerospace engineering to civil engineering.

“Building planes is amazing, but it didn’t feel right for me after that summer,” he said. “I had found a home in that context, in that world, and I wanted something that was applicable to that. So, I looked around and realized some of the important things that are missing from that environment are infrastructure: roads, sewer systems, housing. I decided to study civil engineering so that I could contribute to solving those issues.”

Soros has returned to La Nazarena each summer and also teaches online English classes to adults at the center. Drawing on his civil engineering major, NDSEED experiences and interest in education and theology, he plans to continue to work as a manager at La Nazarena for at least two years after graduation.

“It’s funny because some people have said to me that I should think bigger,” Soros said. “But this doesn’t feel small to me. I feel called to be there, interacting with the people I’m helping. Whatever happens or wherever I am, I want to be in the grass roots as much as possible. For me, that means everything.”

Elshoff is a student in the Mendoza College of Business, with a major in business analytics and minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service, the Business Honors Program and impact consulting. She holds a 3.950 grade point average.

As co-president of the Innovation for Impact Club, Elshoff leads initiatives to support women’s education at Saint Bakhita’s Vocational Training Center in Kalongo, Uganda. Part of the Powerful Means Initiative, the club allows students to lead hands-on projects, organize fundraising campaigns and engage directly with global partners like Saint Bakhita’s.

Through her impact consulting minor, Elshoff also traveled to the training center in Uganda to connect with students during winter break of her junior year. The experience was pivotal, she said.

“It was one of those moments when I thought, ‘This is why I’m here at Notre Dame, to do this kind of work,’” she said. “And I took away as much from that experience as I offered. Getting to know the women of Saint Bakhita’s, first over Zoom and then in person, was transformative in ways that classroom instruction alone couldn’t have been.”

From her first year at Notre Dame, Elshoff has written for the student newspaper, the Observer, as a viewpoint columnist. This year, she launched a new series of faculty and staff profiles, titled “Off the Dome,” to showcase the people who help shape Notre Dame.

As a sophomore, Elshoff was selected as a member of the Cabinet of University Policy in Notre Dame Student Government. She has also served as a team lead for the Student International Business Council and for the Notre Dame Student Policy Network.

Elshoff has mentored middle school students in data science through the Early Bridges to Data Science program. And last fall, she became a peer leader in the Notre Dame Moreau First-Year Seminar program, where she served as a mentor to first-year undergraduates and led community-building initiatives.

Elshoff, who worked as a teaching assistant for several courses in Mendoza over the last two years, said that her hands-on experiences in education and mentorship have defined her Notre Dame experience.

“I think what sets Notre Dame apart from other schools is its focus on cultivating people’s character and their moral compass,” she said. “There has always been an emphasis not just on what we learn, but what the purpose of it is — how it will help us find fulfillment and help us improve the lives of other people. For me, that has been developing a passion for storytelling — especially for those whose stories are often overlooked. I don’t think I would have been able to find that perspective at a different school.”

Elshoff also served as a communications intern with the U.S. House of Representatives after her sophomore year. After studying abroad at University College Dublin during the spring of her junior year, Elshoff worked as a Government and Public Services intern at Deloitte in Washington, D.C., last summer. She will return to Deloitte to begin her career in government consulting after graduation.

As salutatorian, Elshoff will be prepared to deliver the valedictory address should Soros be unable to do so.

The Notre Dame valedictorian and salutatorian selection process, coordinated by the Office of Undergraduate Education in the Office of the Provost, begins by asking each college to nominate four students among those with the highest grade point averages and asking each school to nominate two students among those with the highest grade point averages. The colleges and schools submit to the Office of Undergraduate Education the names of these students and brief statements justifying the nominations. Those students are then invited to submit a resume and a draft of their valedictory address. A selection committee, consisting of representatives from each college and school, the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Division of Student Affairs, and Student Government, selects finalists. Finalists are asked to submit a draft of their invocation. The selection committee then interviews the finalists and chooses a valedictorian and salutatorian from among them, who are approved by University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

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

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on May 07, 2026.

In announcing these appointments, Board Chair John Veihmeyer said, “The election of these exceptionally talented leaders further strengthens our Board of Trustees and Board of Fellows. Their diverse experiences and deep commitment to Notre Dame’s unique Catholic character will provide essential perspective as we navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead. On behalf of the entire Board, I welcome our new colleagues and thank them for their dedication to Our Lady’s University.”

“We are profoundly grateful to Claire, Chris, Bishop Pat and Paulita for their willingness to serve the University of Notre Dame in these vitally important governance roles,” said University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. “Each brings a remarkable breadth of leadership that will be invaluable to the Board’s work. I look forward to working closely with them in advancing Notre Dame’s distinctive mission.”

Babineaux-Fontenot is the former chief executive officer of Feeding America, the nation’s largest charity, distributing food to more than 49 million people facing hunger each year. Prior to joining Feeding America, Babineaux-Fontenot was executive vice president of finance and global treasurer at Walmart. She is the 2024 recipient of the Laetare Medal, the University’s most prestigious award given each year to an American Catholic.

Babineaux-Fontenot holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center, and a Master of Laws in taxation from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. She and her husband, Barry Fontenot, have two children.

Admiral Grady retired in 2025 after 41 years of distinguished service in the United States Navy. From 2021 to 2025 he served as the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s second-highest-ranking military officer. He also held the position of acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from February to April 2025. From April 2021 to September 2025, he was the Navy’s “Old Salt,” the longest-serving surface warfare officer on active duty.

Grady graduated from Notre Dame with an undergraduate degree in history and received his commission through Notre Dame’s Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He also holds master’s degrees from Georgetown University, where he participated as a fellow in foreign service at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and the National War College. He and his wife, Christine, are the parents of three children, including two Notre Dame graduates.

Elected to the Board of Fellows, Bishop Neary was appointed as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud, Minnesota, by the late Pope Francis in December 2022. Prior to this appointment, he served as pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland, Oregon, and spent eight years in leadership of the Congregation of Holy Cross seminary in Nairobi, Kenya, and as district superior of Holy Cross in East Africa. Since 2025, he has served as chair of the board of Catholic Relief Services.

Bishop Neary earned an undergraduate degree in history from Notre Dame, and completed his Master of Divinity degree at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California. He was ordained a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1991.

Elected a Fellow, Pike has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2022. She serves as managing partner of the Chicago office of the law firm Ropes & Gray and is a partner in its asset management group, representing registered fund products and counseling boards of directors on governance, regulatory risks, industry trends and insurance matters.

She earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Notre Dame and teaches courses in mutual fund regulation at Notre Dame Law School and the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. She and her husband, Zulfiqar Bokhari, who also holds two degrees from the University, are parents of two children, one of them a Notre Dame student.

Composed of six laywomen and laymen and six priests of Notre Dame’s founding religious community, the Congregation of Holy Cross, the Board of Fellows is the University’s highest governing body. The Fellows elect the Trustees, adopt and amend the bylaws and are specifically charged with maintaining Notre Dame’s Catholic character.

Originally published by Notre Dame News at news.nd.edu on May 05, 2026.

As it turns 25 (a celebration is planned for Wednesday, April 29), the Notre Dame Robinson Community Learning Center stands as a lasting symbol of trust and shared purpose between Notre Dame and its closest neighbors—the many and diverse residents of the Northeast Neighborhood—as well as a source of support and encouragement for those who have passed through its doors.

Starting from its original location in a former shopping center and continuing at Eddy Street Commons, the center, with support from Notre Dame and others, has served thousands of men, women, and children across generations, engaged hundreds of volunteers, and distributed tens of thousands of books, promoting service and learning throughout the community.

But the center is also a physical space, and in that capacity, it has served as a hub for events, celebrations, lectures, performances, competitions, and student- and community-organized service projects such as Back the Bend and Turning Over a New Leaf—always with a deep and abiding commitment to the underserved, particularly children, families, and the elderly.

“We have a mission and a passion to serve the breadth of the community; we make efforts to reach the under-resourced and the vulnerable,” said Susan Devetski, an educational consultant and former chief academic officer for the South Bend Community School Corp. who has served as director of the RCLC since 2023.

In that sense, the center’s impact is practically immeasurable.

Read the story

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on April 27, 2026.

Established by the late Pope Francis in 2016, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development supports the Church’s worldwide efforts in the areas of human dignity and human rights, economic justice, care for creation, migration and displacement, as well as peace, conflict and humanitarian crises.

As a dicastery member, Father Groody will contribute to the body’s ongoing discernment process that will help orient the Church’s mission and priorities. He will continue in his roles at Notre Dame while serving the dicastery.

While numerous Notre Dame faculty members have served the Vatican as consultants to dicasteries and have been named to pontifical academies and commissions, Father Groody’s appointment is a distinct honor, noted University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

“To be called upon by the Holy See to serve in this capacity is a testament to Father Groody’s deep commitment to leadership in service of the most vulnerable among us. This appointment is also an affirmation of Notre Dame’s ongoing contributions to Catholic social thought, to integral ecology and to forming leaders dedicated to the common good,” Father Dowd said. “I am profoundly grateful for Father Groody’s dedication to the University and to the Church, and I am confident that his leadership will be a tremendous blessing as he helps to guide the Church in these areas.”

The most notable precedent in Notre Dame history is the appointment of then-President Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., as a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture by Pope St. John Paul II in 1983.

“I am truly honored and humbled by Pope Leo’s appointment,” Father Groody said. “My vocation is to serve, together with my colleagues at Notre Dame and around the world. The work of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is vital to informing the Church’s response to the world’s most vulnerable people and the most pressing global challenges of our time.”

Father Groody’s academic and pastoral work has focused in part on migration, theology, refugees and human displacement — areas that are directly relevant to the mandate of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. An internationally recognized expert on migration, Father Groody is also an award-winning author, teacher and documentary film producer. He has written four books and numerous articles and has edited or co-edited five books. His works have been translated into nine languages.

Father Groody’s most recent book, “A Theology of Migration: The Bodies of Refugees and the Body of Christ,” includes an introduction written by Pope Francis and received first-place recognition from the Catholic Press Association.

This announcement follows Father Groody’s appointment under Pope Francis in 2025 to the General Council of the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center in Castel Gandolfo, which is now known as Borgo Laudato Si’.

In that role, Father Groody helps shape the vision, direction and formation of the center, as well as advising on initiatives and global partnerships. He also plays an essential role in Notre Dame’s recently announced partnership with the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center to establish a Global Alliance dedicated to integral ecology and global sustainability.

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

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on March 30, 2026.

On Thursday evening (March 26), Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame, presided and preached at a Mass for peace at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The Mass was held in light of ongoing global conflicts and in the spirit of Pope Leo XIV’s prayer for disarmament and peace earlier this month.

Father Dowd began his homily by encouraging those in attendance to consider the immense suffering caused by the wars that rage in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere — particularly as the Church approaches Holy Week and prepares to commemorate the Lord’s Passion.

“In a sense, the Lord’s Passion is being played out on a daily basis as people are killed, disfigured, orphaned, widowed, rendered homeless or displaced,” Father Dowd said. “We all know that the suffering is immense.”

Father Dowd stated that as Christians and members of the Notre Dame community, “we are compelled to ask ourselves what God is calling us to do in the face of all this pain.”

“We are so privileged here on this campus to have the opportunities we have to conduct research, to study and to learn together. However, this Catholic university must never exist in a bubble,” he said. “And we must make sure that we are never indifferent to the suffering that goes on in the world around us.”

Referencing the Mass’s readings from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12, Father Dowd noted that Jesus calls on his disciples to be peacemakers.

“Let me propose that all of us, regardless of our discipline, our major or minor, regardless of our research agenda or our career goals, all of us in one way or another are called to be peacemakers and peacebuilders,” Father Dowd said.

Being a peacemaker or peacebuilder, he continued, does not mean being naive to the dangers in the world, being oblivious to the affronts to human rights and human dignity, or giving way to bullies or aggressors who seek to dominate, exploit or destroy.

Rather, Father Dowd said that in order to be peacemakers in the pattern of Jesus, “we must deepen our understanding of these realities and take them seriously.”

“Jesus immersed himself in the violence that afflicted the people of his day, especially those on the margins of society, who are so often those who pay the highest price for war,” Father Dowd said. “In fact, his redemptive mission demanded such immersion, and he himself was a victim of such violence.

“Being a peacemaker means, among other things, doing everything we can to seek nonviolent solutions. Being a peacebuilder means doing everything we can to create conditions that make war less likely in the future. Both peacemaking and peacebuilding require hard work — the hard work of building bridges.”

Father Dowd concluded his homily by noting that Pope Leo has been clear and persistent in calling for a ceasefire and for renewed dialogue as the war with Iran and in the Middle East “intensifies, causing immense suffering and possibly making us all less secure.”

He exhorted those present to join their prayers to the prayers of Pope Leo, to pray for peace, that every person might become the peacemaker that our society and world need.

Father Dowd also prayed for governmental leaders, that they might be guided by wisdom in decisions that bring an immediate end to bloodshed, for the safety of the men and women in the armed forces and their families, and for all victims of war.

“Even as we take the violence and threats of violence in our world seriously, let us never grow cynical or fatalistic,” he said. “Let us not lose heart and instead cultivate hope through all that we say and all that we do. As we commemorate the Lord’s Passion soon, let us not forget the end of the story: The Lord Jesus, who was put to death in a most humiliating way, was raised from the dead.

“There is no killing the power of love. There is no killing the Prince of Peace, in whom a new day always dawns. Let us pray that we might cooperate with the crucified and risen Lord, who is mysteriously in our midst, to be the peacemakers and peacebuilders the world needs.”

Father Dowd’s full homily is available at president.nd.edu.

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

The honorees are:

Marguerite Barankitse (doctor of laws)

Marguerite Barankitse, a humanitarian leader and teacher, is credited with saving more than 50,000 children and providing them with access to health care, education and culture through her organization, Maison Shalom (House of Peace). In 1993, as civil war raged in Burundi, Barankitse, a Tutsi, tried to hide 72 of her closest Hutu neighbors to keep them safe from persecution. They were discovered and executed, while Barankitse was forced to watch. She was, however, able to shelter 25 children from the massacre. This experience set her on a path toward humanitarian work, which she continues to this day, providing refugees and children affected by war with access to education, health care, economic empowerment and psychosocial support. What began as a relief effort has evolved into a comprehensive development entity, offering job training, microfinance and medical care across Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2015, following her protests against government overreach in Burundi, Barankitse was forced to relocate to Rwanda, continuing her work in exile. Animated by her deep Catholic faith and belief in the inherent dignity of every human being, Barankitse has been a stalwart advocate for human rights, often at great cost to her own safety and livelihood.

Mary Cunningham Boyce (doctor of engineering)

A distinguished expert in mechanical engineering and champion of interdisciplinary scholarship to confront global challenges through basic research and real-world implementation, Mary Boyce is provost emerita and professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University. She joined the faculty at Columbia in 2013, serving as dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. She was appointed provost in 2021 and oversaw the return to campus following the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to her tenure at Columbia, Boyce was a faculty member at MIT for 25 years. A leading researcher of polymeric materials and soft composites, her groundbreaking contributions include creating new modeling methods for the use of engineers in commercial products, transportation vehicles, and biomedical devices, among others. Boyce’s contributions to the field led to her election as a fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and her election to the National Academy of Engineering. She is the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2024 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Mechanical Engineering, the 2020 Timoshenko Medal and the 2015 Engineering Science Medal.

Eamon Duffy (doctor of laws)

Eamon Duffy is an emeritus professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Cambridge and a former president and fellow of Magdalene College at Cambridge. Originally from Dundalk, in County Louth, Ireland, Duffy is a renowned scholar of Christianity in the Middle Ages and the Reformation, the history of the papacy, and Christian material and visual culture. Duffy has written extensively for both scholarly and popular audiences, and two of his books, “The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England, 1400-1580” and “The Voices of Morebath: Reformation and Rebellion in an English Village,” are widely credited with reshaping the modern understanding of Catholicism in late medieval England as a vibrant and popular faith rather than a dying institution. In addition to his academic achievements, he was a member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences and chaired the editorial board for the Calendar of Papal Letters, tasked with publishing Vatican material concerning Britain and Ireland between the 14th and 16th centuries. For his outstanding scholarship, Duffy was elected a fellow of the British Academy in 2004. He is also a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. In 2017, Duffy was one of two Cambridge professors honored with a Papal Knighthood by Pope Francis in honor of his outstanding work for the Church and the Holy See.

Christopher J. Murphy III (doctor of laws)

Having earned an undergraduate degree at Notre Dame, a J.D. from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Harvard University, Chris Murphy joined with his father-in-law and a group of investors in 1972 to purchase The First Bank and Trust Company of South Bend, now 1st Source Bank. He joined the bank as a director in 1972 and an employee at the end of 1976. He has served the organization as a board member, president, CEO and, most recently, executive chairman for more than 50 years, growing it to become the largest locally held financial institution in the region and consistently recognized among America’s best banks. Deeply committed to a life of generous service, Murphy has offered his considerable talents to numerous organizations seeking to address some of society’s most critical needs — including health care, economic development, education and support for the arts — at the regional, state and national levels. Among many other leadership positions, Murphy has served as chairman and CEO of the World Presidents’ Organization, on the international board of The Young Presidents’ Organization and on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. In 2001 he was inducted into the Indiana Academy and served as chair of its board of regents. He was named Business Leader of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce in 2000, was inducted into the South Bend Community Hall of Fame in 2013, and has twice been named a Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana’s highest honor. He and his wife, Carmen (Carmi), are parents to six children, including four Notre Dame graduates.

J. Christopher Reyes (doctor of laws)

J. Christopher Reyes is co-founder and chair of Reyes Holdings LLC, one of the largest global providers of food and beverage production and distribution services, with operations spanning North, Central and South America, as well as Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific. Reyes founded the company with his father and brother in 1976, beginning as a small beer distributor in South Carolina, and today delivering 1.3 billion cases of food and beverages globally each year. A widely respected philanthropist and member of many charitable boards, Reyes is a distinguished lifetime director of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and a director of Northwestern Memorial Healthcare and the Ronald McDonald House Charities. He has served on Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees since 2003, providing invaluable leadership and wise counsel to three University presidents. Reyes and his wife, Anne, have four children, three of whom are graduates of the University.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. (doctor of laws)

Named a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2016, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., has served as the sixth archbishop of Newark since 2017. The son of Irish immigrants and the eldest of 13 children, he was ordained a priest for the Redemptorist Order in 1978 and ministered for 11 years in parishes in his native Detroit and Chicago. After serving as superior general of the Redemptorists, he was ordained archbishop in 2010 and appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to serve as the Secretary of the Congregation (now Dicastery) for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. From 2012 to 2017, he led the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. In addition to his responsibilities in the Archdiocese of Newark, he serves on the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Synod of Bishops, the Dicastery for Culture and Education, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the Council for the Economy, the Dicastery for Bishops, and the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. Fluent in five languages, Cardinal Tobin is a graduate of Holy Redeemer College with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, and he earned a master’s in religious education and a Master of Divinity degree from Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary.

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

Corcelli, who has served as interim science dean since July, was selected through a comprehensive national search launched after his predecessor, Santiago Schnell, was appointed as Dartmouth’s provost.

“In multiple roles at Notre Dame, including associate dean, department chair, and most recently as interim dean, Steve has consistently earned the respect of his colleagues and proven to be a wise and visionary leader who is deeply dedicated to our Catholic mission,” Father Dowd said. “I am confident that under his leadership, the College of Science will continue to play an essential role in Notre Dame’s pursuit of excellence as a global Catholic research university.”

As dean, Corcelli will lead six departments comprising more than 280 faculty, more than 600 doctoral students, and 1,726 undergraduate student majors. He will guide the college in its mission to prepare the scientific leaders of tomorrow, seek greater understanding of the natural world and foster discoveries that answer the world’s toughest questions and solve its most enduring problems.

John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, said Corcelli rose to the top of a highly qualified pool of candidates. “Over the past two decades at Notre Dame, he has shown a commitment to collaboration and innovation in the laboratory and the classroom,” McGreevy said. “Steve’s leadership experience, his background as a first-generation college student, his distinction as a nationally recognized computational chemist and his commitment to the University’s Catholic mission will make him a superb dean of the College of Science.”

Corcelli leads a research program focused on the molecular-level understanding of aqueous acids, bases and salts, as well as on the mechanisms of biomolecular binding. His lab uses advanced simulations to investigate ion transport in aqueous electrolytes — relevant to battery technologies — and the binding interactions critical to biological function and drug development.

He has received national recognition for his research, including an NSF CAREER Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award. Corcelli is a fellow of the American Chemical Society and a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. He has authored over 90 publications and given more than 100 invited talks.

Corcelli is also a dedicated educator who has received multiple teaching awards, including the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Thomas P. Madden Award for Excellence in Teaching First-Year Undergraduates.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Brown University and his doctoral degree in chemistry from Yale University. After completing a postdoctoral research position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he joined Notre Dame’s faculty as an assistant professor in 2005.

Prior to his appointment as interim dean, Corcelli served as chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry from 2022 to 2025, and as the associate dean for interdisciplinary studies and faculty development in the College of Science from 2019 to 2022.

“I am deeply honored to serve as the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science,” Corcelli said. “Notre Dame has a unique opportunity to integrate scientific discovery with its Catholic mission in ways that serve both the University and the broader world. I look forward to working with our community to strengthen partnerships across the University and beyond; support our faculty, students and staff in their pursuit of discovery and learning; and advance an intellectually ambitious vision for science in service to the common good.”

McGreevy thanked the search committee for its work over the past several months. “Members represented the University well and were diligent in identifying, evaluating and recruiting an excellent pool of candidates,” he said. “I appreciate their steady work and discernment throughout the search process.”

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

Sister Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., president of the Pontifical Commission and Governorate of Vatican City State, will be the principal speaker and receive an honorary degree at the University of Notre Dame’s 181st University Commencement Ceremony on May 17, Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., announced today.

In February 2025, the late Pope Francis appointed Sister Petrini, a member of the religious congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, to the dual roles of president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and president of the Governorate of Vatican City State. She is the first woman to hold these top leadership positions in the Vatican. Prior to these appointments, Sister Petrini served as secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

“Sister Raffaella is an extraordinary leader who works tirelessly for the common good and radiates the peace, love and hope of Christ. As the highest-ranking woman in the Vatican, she embodies the future of women’s leadership in the Church, having served Pope Francis and now Pope Leo with deep wisdom, unfailing dedication and true humility,” Father Dowd said. “It is a privilege to have her address the members of the Class of 2026 and their loved ones who are sure to be inspired by her words and prophetic witness.”

As president of the governorate, Sister Petrini is responsible for the administrative operations of Vatican City State, which has approximately 600 inhabitants and nearly 2,000 employees. Her responsibilities include managing public services; overseeing security, health care and the Vatican Museums; chairing the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State; and ensuring that all operations align with the pope’s mission.

Sister Petrini is also a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, which assists the pope in the selection and appointment of bishops, and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, the body responsible for managing Vatican finances.

On Feb. 3, Pope Leo XIV appointed Sister Petrini to the Commission for Reserved Matters, the entity responsible for awarding financial contracts in confidential areas of the Vatican.

Born in Rome, Sister Petrini is a distinguished scholar and economist. She holds a degree in political science from Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali (LUISS) in Rome, a master’s degree in organizational behavior from the University of Hartford and a doctorate in social sciences from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. In addition to her responsibilities in the Vatican City State, Sister Petrini is a professor of welfare economics and sociology of economic processes in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Angelicum.

Sister Petrini visited the Notre Dame campus in November 2023 to present the Keeley Vatican Lecture at the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, focusing on integral human development and organizational management rooted in a “leadership of care.”

The 2026 University Commencement Ceremony will be held in Notre Dame Stadium on May 17 beginning at 9 a.m. with the academic procession.

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

The event, which will feature opening remarks from University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., will be moderated by NBC Sports play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico.

Panelists will reflect on the impact and evolution of this storytelling as part of this year’s Notre Dame Forum theme, “Cultivating Hope.”

Over the past 20 years and through 117 two-minute spots, produced in partnership with NBC Sports, the WWYFF series has showcased Notre Dame’s effort to build a better world and inspire hope through research, scholarship and service.

A reception will follow the panel discussion where faculty featured in WWYFF spots and their teams will be available to speak with attendees. The list of faculty members who will be in attendance can be viewed here.

Panelists will include Rob Hyland, coordinating producer of NBC Sunday Night Football; Notre Dame alumna Lindsay Schanzer ’11, supervising producer of NBC Sports; Meenal Datta, the DeFlorio Collegiate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame; and Notre Dame undergraduate Lauren Eglite, a chemical engineering major.

Datta’s work on glioblastoma includes a first-of-its-kind experiment exploring tumor models in microgravity at the International Space Station. Her research was highlighted in the WWYFF feature, “Fighting to Cure Brain Cancer.”

Eglite was 12 years old and attending a Notre Dame home football game with her dad when she saw a WWYFF feature about groundbreaking peanut allergy research in 2017. That moment inspired Eglite, who has a life-threatening peanut allergy, to come to Notre Dame where she is now working alongside engineering professor Başar Bilgiçer to advance his research and create a safer future for millions living with allergies. Her story was featured in the 2025 piece “Still Fighting to Cure Peanut Allergies.”

The WWYFF series has won three Telly Awards and a 2024 Sports Emmy for outstanding public service content.

The event is free and open to the public. Large bags and backpacks will not be permitted.

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on March 17, 2026.

As chairman of the Special Olympics International board of directors, Shriver has played a leading role in driving the organization’s largest expansion in its history — growing the movement from 1 million athletes to over 4 million athletes in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.

Shriver is also the co-founder of UNITE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people bridge political divides, and was instrumental in developing the Dignity Index — a new tool to help Americans disagree without demonizing each other.

“Drawing on his deep faith, Tim has devoted his life to being a force for good. Whether through his leadership of Special Olympics, his work in education or his commitment to fostering civil discourse, he is a tireless advocate for human dignity,” Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., said. “In awarding him the Laetare Medal, we honor his inspiring witness and his dedication to building bridges in service of a more just and compassionate world.”

Special Olympics — a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities through programming in sports, health, education and inclusive leadership — was founded in 1968 by Shriver’s mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Shriver’s father, Robert Sargent Shriver, also served as president and board chair in the 1980s and 1990s.

“My parents never retired. They loved their work. They loved the Special Olympics movement. So my mom and dad were not looking to hand off the torch; they just wanted someone to help carry it,” Shriver said. “Most of all, I think they wanted confidence that whoever was going to lead the movement into the future understood it. And we have tried to maintain that same vision — to see the dignity of every human being and to stay focused on what matters most, which is that every child who comes into this movement deserves to be treated with dignity and hope and justice and joy. Give them a chance, every one, no exceptions.”

Shriver joined the Special Olympics movement in 1996 and currently serves as chairman. During his tenure, he has broadened Special Olympics’ global reach and sought to enhance the quality of life for millions of people with disabilities by creating new initiatives in athletic leadership, health services and education development.

To date, the Healthy Athletes initiative, launched in 1997, has provided free health care screenings to more than 2 million athletes in more than 135 countries. And the Special Olympics Unified Sports initiative, which began in the 1980s and was significantly expanded under his leadership, brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same playing field to promote a culture of inclusion.

“I look at the work of the last half century of the Special Olympics movement as largely shifting the lens from, ‘What’s wrong with them?’ to ‘How much can we accomplish if it’s us, not us versus them? If we’re all seen as equally gifted, as opposed to some being better than others?’” he said. “These were all lessons that were taught to me very early in life, and I’m grateful for them.”

Shriver earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a master’s degree from Catholic University and a doctoral degree in education from the University of Connecticut. He began his career in public education and helped launch the field of social and emotional learning (SEL) by leading the New Haven Social Development program, which pioneered SEL strategies across K-12 classrooms. Building on that program’s success, Shriver co-founded the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) at Yale in 1994 and chairs its board of directors.

Building on his experience with Special Olympics and convinced that treating others with dignity eases division, Shriver founded UNITE in 2018 to try to bridge the political divides in the United States. Launched in 2022, the Dignity Index is an eight-point scale to gauge whether the language people use reflects contempt or respect for those with other views. The UNITE team now works with politicians, educators, faith leaders and corporations across the country to advocate for dignity as a “winning strategy” in every field of endeavor.

Shriver, who has also served as executive producer of several award-winning films, is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Fully Alive: Discovering What Matters Most” and co-editor of “The Call to Unite: Voices of Hope and Awakening.”

In recognition of his visionary leadership, he has been honored with numerous awards, including the Medal of the City of Athens, Greece; 1995 Connecticut Citizen of the Year; the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero of the Republic of Panama and the Presidential Medallion from the University of Illinois. He has also received honorary degrees from Georgetown University, Fordham University and Villanova University, among others.

The Laetare (pronounced lay-TAH-ray) Medal is so named because its recipient is announced each year in celebration of Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent on the Church calendar. “Laetare,” the Latin word for “rejoice,” is the first word in the entrance antiphon of the Mass that Sunday, which ritually anticipates the celebration of Easter. The medal bears the Latin inscription, “Magna est veritas et praevalebit” (“Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail”).

Established at Notre Dame in 1883, the Laetare Medal was conceived as an American counterpart of the Golden Rose, a papal honor that antedates the 11th century. The medal has been awarded annually at Notre Dame to a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the Church and enriched the heritage of humanity.”

Previous recipients of the Laetare Medal include Civil War Gen. William Rosecrans; Governor of New York Alfred Smith; actress Helen Hayes; Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day; teacher, musician, liturgist and scholar Sister Thea Bowman; novelist Walker Percy; counselor and advocate for death row prisoners Sister Helen Prejean; Cardinal Joseph Bernardin; singer Aaron Neville; actor Martin Sheen; and CEO of Feeding America Claire Babineaux-Fontenot.

“I know I don’t belong in the company of many of the people who have received this medal,” Shriver said. “I think it’s being given to me as a placeholder for the people who are doing the work every day. It’s being given to me so that the athlete who’s in a refugee camp in Tanzania running 50 meters this afternoon will somehow know that the world is paying attention, and so that his mom at the finish line will know that her son matters. I’m a good channel for people who deserve it, and I’m grateful to be able to be that channel.”

Shriver is the only Laetare Medalist in Notre Dame history whose parents were both recipients as well. His mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, received the Laetare Medal in 1988 for her own work with Special Olympics, and his father, Robert Sargent Shriver, was the 1968 Laetare Medalist in recognition of his work in founding the Peace Corps. Timothy Shriver’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy, received the medal in 1961.

Read more about 2026 Laetare Medalist Timothy Shriver here

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

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on March 15, 2026.

The University of Notre Dame’s Just Transformations to Sustainability (JTS) Initiative has partnered with the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education to establish the Global Alliance for Laudato Si’, an international network dedicated to supporting integral ecology and global sustainability. The alliance will serve as a hub for connecting, amplifying and spearheading research, curriculum and action initiatives for supporting a sustainable future, as inspired by the principles articulated by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato si’ (On Care for Our Common Home) and embraced and amplified by Pope Leo XIV as he begins his papacy.

The Global Alliance was created to strengthen cooperation among universities worldwide and connect sustainability leaders in academia and beyond to advance a shared vision for transformative change. Responding to Pope Francis’ call to “hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor,” the partners hope their combined efforts will effectively address global environmental degradation, inequality and ecological injustice.

The alliance launched with an inaugural meeting March 9-10 at the Laudato Si’ Village in Castel Gandolfo, the pontifical summer residence outside of Rome. Nearly 100 researchers and institutional leaders — representing more than 60 universities across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa, as well as major international organizations — gathered to develop a shared research and action agenda and a long-term vision for the alliance.

Speakers and participants stressed the need for collaboration that connects the natural and applied sciences with philosophy, anthropology, the social sciences and theology — building research networks that generate cutting-edge knowledge, inform public debate and contribute to the development of policies and strategies for sustainable development.

“We emerge from this first gathering of the Global Alliance with a renewed sense of purpose and hope,” said University of Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. “These interdisciplinary research and education initiatives reflect our commitment to an integral ecology that recognizes the deep connections between environmental sustainability and human dignity and flourishing. We look forward to the many ways this collaboration will serve the common good and advance care for our common home in the days ahead.”

Representatives from both Notre Dame and the Vatican attended the meeting at the Laudato Si’ Village, including Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and one of the founders of the Global Alliance, and Sister Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and member of the board of directors for the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education.

The convening will serve as a catalyst for significant positive action at the local, regional and global levels, and the insights that emerged will provide a roadmap for the alliance to follow.

“This enthusiasm must now be translated into concrete objectives through working groups that will continue beyond the conference, launching a lasting process of collaboration among research centers and institutions,” Cardinal Baggio said.

Arun Agrawal, founding director of Notre Dame’s JTS Initiative and the Pulte Family Professor of Development Policy at Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, said Notre Dame’s research expertise and mission-driven approach to addressing environmental issues make it uniquely suited to help advance this effort.

“We feel that Notre Dame, a leading Catholic research university, is positioned to assist the Holy See in its objective to seek transformative change in a manner consistent with the best available science, as well as the foundational elements of integral ecology and integral human development,” Agrawal said.

Rev. Daniel Groody, C.S.C., vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education and professor of theology and global affairs, said that it was important for the alliance members to gather together as a global community because the issues being faced are shared. “The environment is something that affects all of us,” he said. “We can come together as a human community before God and reflect on how we can work together to preserve our common home.”

“It’s also important to see how Notre Dame can be at the service of the Church,” Father Groody added. “We can connect the research engine of Notre Dame with the research needs of the Church, especially as we’re looking at the problems of the world and helping those who are afflicted, particularly the most vulnerable members of our human community.”

Together, the Global Alliance hopes to advance three main goals: to form a global network of leaders and institutions focused on sustainability, to create thematic working groups for developing research plans and educational curricula on sustainability, and to strengthen Catholic visibility and contributions to international sustainability dialogue.

Six interdisciplinary working groups will advance the main research areas of the Global Alliance in the coming years. Their work will focus on strategic priorities that include:

• • removing barriers to access to water, energy and food security
  • transforming economic systems toward more sustainable and just models
  • developing best practices and tools to promote collective action

“There is already so much inspiring work being done all over the world,” Agrawal said, “and the goal of the Global Alliance is not to substitute for any of that work, but rather to share, to learn, to connect and to support what is already going on and to provide a space in which anyone who is interested in sustainability and integral ecology can learn from what others have done and to build on that.”

A key element of Notre Dame’s strategic framework, the JTS Initiative is the University’s far-reaching response to the urgent and cascading effects of sustainability challenges on food, energy, water and infrastructure — all of which threaten the well-being and dignity of people everywhere. The initiative brings together interdisciplinary scholars, dedicated students and action partners from around the world to advance transformative solutions for a more just and sustainable future.

“We look forward to cultivating these new relationships with other global leaders in the sustainability field and operationalizing the interdisciplinary research needed to effect this deep and lasting change in our world,” Agrawal said.

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

Originally published by Notre Dame News at news.nd.edu on March 13, 2026.

University of Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., announced today the appointment of Rev. Gregory P. Haake, C.S.C., as vice president for mission engagement and Church affairs, effective July 1. Father Haake, an associate professor of French and Francophone studies and the religious superior of the Holy Cross priests and brothers at Notre Dame, will succeed Rev. Austin I. Collins, C.S.C., who is stepping down to return to teaching in the Department of Art, Art History and Design and to his work as a sculptor. Father Collins will also serve as special adviser to Father Dowd.

“Knowing that he will build on Father Austin’s many accomplishments as vice president over the past five years, I am delighted that Father Greg has agreed to take on this important leadership role,” Father Dowd said. “Father Greg is widely admired for his scholarly achievements, his deep commitment to Notre Dame’s mission, and his pastoral gifts. He is uniquely situated to work closely with me and with colleagues across the University to steward and deepen Notre Dame’s Catholic mission and to forge strategic partnerships both at the University and beyond in service of the Church. I am truly grateful to both Father Greg and Father Austin, my brother priests in the Congregation of Holy Cross, for their unfailing support and dedicated service.”

A specialist in 16th-century France, Father Haake focuses his research on the intersection of religion, politics and literature — specifically on how discourse can be used to achieve ideological and religious goals. As the religious superior of the Holy Cross priests and brothers at Notre Dame, he has served as an ex officio Fellow and Trustee of the University and as a member of the President’s Leadership Council.

“I am honored by Father Bob’s invitation to serve as the vice president for mission engagement and Church affairs,” Father Haake said. “Notre Dame’s Catholic and Holy Cross mission contributes deeply to what makes this University special and embeds us firmly within the life and tradition of the Church. On both fronts, Notre Dame has unique opportunities, and I look forward to helping the University to fulfill its mission on campus and beyond.”

Father Haake received both a bachelor’s and a Master of Divinity degree from Notre Dame, a Master of Arts from Middlebury College and a doctorate from Stanford University. He was ordained a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the University’s founding order, in 2007, and he joined the faculty at Notre Dame in 2015. Father Haake is a priest-in-residence in Coyle Hall.

Father Collins was appointed vice president for mission engagement in 2021. Among many other accomplishments, he has played an important role in building relationships with Church leaders in the U.S. and around the world and developing programs for faculty and staff aimed at deepening their understanding of Notre Dame’s Catholic mission. Prior to serving as vice president, Father Collins served as religious superior of Holy Cross priests and brothers at Notre Dame and as an ex officio Trustee and Fellow of the University from 2015 to 2020, and as chair of the Department of Art, Art History and Design from 1997 to 2003. Father Collins has been a faculty member since 1985.

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

Originally published by Andrew Barlow at news.nd.edu on March 03, 2026.

Twenty-two Notre Dame students, including 18 undergraduate students and four graduate students, were awarded Fulbright Scholarships for the 2025-26 academic year, ranking 12th among U.S. doctoral institutions. Slightly more than 30 percent of the Notre Dame students who applied to the program were accepted, exceeding the respective rates for the 11 schools ahead of Notre Dame in the rankings.

Notre Dame has been a top producer of Fulbright students 13 times since the 2009-10 academic year. Full results are available online at the Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Last year's Fulbright process was unusually challenging due to shifting federal funding priorities. Many countries lessened the amount of awards they offered halfway through the process,” said Elise Rudt-Moorthy, associate director of national fellowships with Notre Dame’s Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement. “However, our students worked incredibly hard to earn their placements and then displayed great patience amid uncertainty. It was a pleasure and honor to serve them alongside my colleagues Mathilda Nassar, Emily Hunt, Michael Skalski and Veronica Vos.”

Mary Ann McDowell, a professor of biology and associate dean for professional development at the Graduate School, offered similar praise.

“Fulbright awards are highly competitive and recognize academic excellence, leadership potential and a strong commitment to global engagement and public service,” McDowell said. “The continued success of Notre Dame students earning Fulbright awards reflects their remarkable talent, dedication and drive to make a meaningful difference in the world. I am sincerely thankful to the exceptional teams in the Graduate School’s Office of Grants and Fellowships and the Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement, whose guidance and expertise are instrumental in supporting students throughout the Fulbright application process.”

Established in 1964, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government’s flagship educational and cultural exchange program, offering students the opportunity to study, teach or pursue research or other projects abroad.

For more information on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu (undergraduate students) or graduateschool.nd.edu/graduate-training/research-communication/the-office-of-grants-and-fellowships/ (graduate students).

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on February 04, 2026.

The annual observance of Walk the Walk Week is rooted in Notre Dame’s mission as a Catholic university and in the principles of Catholic social teaching, which call us to live in solidarity with all people, particularly the most vulnerable, and to honor the God-given dignity of every person.

Among the week’s events is a keynote conversation titled “Champions of Hope” at 4 p.m. Monday (Jan. 26) in the Reyes Family Board Room (215/216 McKenna Hall). The talk, which will focus on what it means to lead with integrity, moral courage and hope, will feature two distinguished business leaders, both of whom are members of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees and former Notre Dame football student-athletes — Tracy Graham ’95 and Byron Spruell ’87, MBA ’89 — in conversation with University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. This event is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed.

Graham is the founder and managing principal of Graham Allen Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in technology and tech-enabled businesses across the U.S. He is currently focused on leveraging data and artificial intelligence to help companies evolve via digital transformation.

Graham began his career by founding Internet Services Management Group, which became one of the largest privately held ISPs in the United States. He then went on to co-found GramTel Inc., a managed data center provider, in partnership with The Jordan Company. As CEO of GramTel, he led the company to become the largest provider of managed data center services in Indiana and the largest privately held provider in the Midwest. He successfully sold GramTel to Cincinnati Bell in 2007.

Graham completed a bachelor of arts degree from Notre Dame, where he was a member of the Fighting Irish football team from 1992-95. He is also a dedicated public servant, philanthropist and community advocate who serves on the boards of Lippert Components and 1st Source Bank, in addition to his role on the University’s Board of Trustees.

Spruell serves as president of league operations for the National Basketball Association, where he oversees critical league operations. In that role, he effectively integrates the departments of domestic and international basketball operations, referee operations and basketball strategy and analytics.

Spruell also collaborates with USA Basketball and the International Basketball Federation to promote the global growth of the game and development of players worldwide. He joined the NBA in 2016 from Deloitte where he last served as a managing principal and marketplace leader.

He has served on several charitable boards and committees, and is currently on the boards of Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago, the Jackie Robinson Foundation in New York and Aon, a leading global professional services firm. He is also on the board of governors of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Spruell earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a member of the football team from 1984-87, serving as co-captain in 1987. On the University’s Board of Trustees, he chairs the Undergraduate Education and Student Life Committee.

An annual Candlelight Prayer Service for members of the Notre Dame community will also take place at 8 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Main Building Rotunda, with Father Dowd presiding and a keynote reflection from Rev. Hugh R. Page Jr., vice president for belonging, engagement and mission and advisor to the president.

The prayer service will be followed by a candlelight procession to the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue and a dessert reception in the Sister Thea Bowman Center in the LaFortune Student Center.

Other Walk the Walk Week events include a campus-wide donation drive for classroom, cleaning and art project supplies for local organizations working with children and teens, as well as a student service project on Saturday (Jan. 24) packaging after-school kits for local youth.

A complete list of events is available at walkthewalk.nd.edu.

Contact: Carrie Gates, Associate Director of Media Relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on January 20, 2026.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant will be used to support children’s literacy by expanding the number of individuals connected to schools, from tutors and aides to parents, who are trained in the science of reading.

The award positions Indiana as one of just 10 states receiving an EIR grant this cycle.

“We are thrilled that Indiana has been selected for this highly competitive federal award,” Gov. Mike Braun said. “Through a partnership between the state of Indiana, higher education and community-based organizations, we can ensure more Hoosier students, in every corner of our state, are building the foundational literacy skills that prepare them for lifelong success.”

Building on the successful Tutor-ND model developed by researchers at Notre Dame, IDOE will scale the Tutor Cognitive Science Connection Hub (Tutor-CogSci), a capacity-building model integrating high-impact tutoring with workforce development, to serve additional students — particularly in rural and underserved areas of the Hoosier state.

“The Tutor-ND program reflects the University’s long-standing commitment to expanding educational opportunities through data-driven practices and partnerships that strengthen communities,” said University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. “We are deeply grateful for the generosity of the Department of Education, which will allow Tutor-ND to broaden its crucial support for educators and students across Indiana.”

Tutor-CogSci supports college and high school students, aides and other school-connected adults through interdisciplinary learning design teams connected to university researchers and teacher educators. These teams then partner with schools, bolstering schools’ capacity to sustain effective literacy support while contributing to ongoing learning about what works.

Together, Notre Dame, IDOE and WestEd will build the human infrastructure needed to meet Indiana’s reading goals at scale; develop the youth-serving workforce, especially aspiring teachers, pediatricians, cognitive scientists and parents; and ensure continuous improvement through data-driven, design-based implementation.

“Helping children learn to read is a universal good, and that’s what brings so many Hoosiers together to do this work,” said Nicole McNeil, professor of psychology and the Sweeney Family Director of the Center for Educational Research and Action at Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives, which will manage the day-to-day aspects of the project. “Indiana is demonstrating what’s possible when leaders value research evidence and invest deeply in early literacy. We’re honored to support the educators who are leading this work.”

WestEd, a nonpartisan research, development and service agency that works to promote excellence, improve learning and increase opportunity for children, youth and adults, will serve as the project’s independent evaluator to ensure the project yields high-quality evidence to guide practice and policy.

“As evaluators, we’re excited to support this initiative that fundamentally rethinks how we scale effective tutoring,” said Jodi Davenport, vice president of learning sciences and technology at WestEd. “By grounding tutors in cognitive science and engaging college and high school students as tutors themselves, this project creates a multiplier effect: improving third-grade reading outcomes today while building the educator workforce of tomorrow.”

“This grant will help us accelerate student learning through targeted, high-impact tutoring, deepen our commitment to the science of reading and better support educators and students across all 92 counties.

Indiana is uniquely positioned to tackle one of the most urgent challenges in education: ensuring that every student receives effective, relationship-focused literacy instruction tailored to individuals’ needs.

Tutor-CogSci has been refined and tested over four years, producing gains in school readiness and reading achievement. Unlike outreach programs that deploy untrained “reading buddies” or “homework helpers,” it connects tutors directly to cognitive science, preparing them to support the full developmental literacy trajectory.

University partnerships are central to this strategy, supplying well-trained, mission-aligned tutors while advancing research and workforce development, prioritizing formation, relationships and learning outcomes over profit, ensuring fidelity, replicability and scalable impact. Tutor-ND currently partners with the Alliance for Catholic Education to support summer enrichment and learning at the Notre Dame Robinson Community Learning Center.

“Central to our state’s continued improvement in literacy is bringing everyone to the table to identify and deploy solutions,” said Katie Jenner, Indiana secretary of education. “This grant will help us accelerate student learning through targeted, high-impact tutoring, deepen our commitment to the science of reading and better support educators and students across all 92 counties. We are grateful for this opportunity and eager to get to work for Indiana students!”

Since its inception, Tutor-ND has worked with schools and community organizations to build capacity for high-impact tutoring through cognitive science. Its literacy partnership with the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC) began in 2021-22 with two pilot schools and a small group of students in grades two to four. The following year, the model expanded to nine SBCSC schools that collectively served about 1,600 students in grades two to four. In 2023-24, with AmeriCorps support, Tutor-ND added on-demand training, curriculum inserts and assessment guides, supporting new partnerships with Catholic schools, community centers and universities, including Boston College and the University of Dayton.

Today, the program supports high-impact tutoring across nine SBCSC schools during the school day, provides on-demand assistance for community-based and after-school tutors, trains school staff to lead summer programs and shares science-of-reading-aligned materials with families. It is part of the Aspiring Teachers as Tutors Network, a national collective organized by Deans for Impact that brings together educator-preparation programs and nonprofit tutoring initiatives to strengthen the formation of future educators through high-impact tutoring.

Coinciding with the rollout and expansion of the program, SBCSC’s IREAD pass rate rose from 53.7 percent in 2021 to 70.8 percent in 2025 — the largest gain among comparable public districts in the state. Those partnered with Tutor-ND increased IREAD pass by 26.4 percentage points, five times the state average over the same period. Work with Catholic schools resulted in increases to above 95 percent pass rates for all participating schools.

Additional information about Tutor-ND is available online.

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on January 15, 2026.

“Congratulations to Emmanuel Uzobuife, his professors and his family on this impressive accomplishment,” University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., said. “Emmanuel represents the very best of Notre Dame, epitomizing the commitment to scholarship and social engagement we seek to instill in our graduates.”

Born in Nigeria, Uzobuife, a Galvin Scholar and Sorin Fellow, moved to the U.S. at the age of 3, settling with his family in the Bronx section of New York as one of seven siblings.

A science-business major with minors in science and patient advocacy, chemistry and musical theater, his interests revolve around the question of how science can intervene where society has failed, with a particular focus on the development and equitable distribution of life-saving drugs to prevent and combat opioid and other substance use disorders.

“It is my honor to be a recipient of the Marshall Scholarship with which I will use to continue to advance Notre Dame’s mission of being a force for good in the world by ‘caring for the least of these,’” Uzobuife said. “I’m deeply grateful to my loving family, my professors, mentors and classmates at Notre Dame, as well as the Galvin Scholars and Transformational Leaders Program for supporting me throughout the years.”

A Transformational Leaders Program Scholar, Uzobuife is active in research and other endeavors at Notre Dame.

He is an undergraduate researcher in the Lieberman Analytical Chemistry Lab, conducts biological education research with Michelle Whaley, teaching professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, is co-director of Health and Wellness for Notre Dame Student Government and is a resident assistant in Baumer Hall. He is a member of the Notre Dame Glee Club and the Biotech Club and he worked as an operations supervisor at RecSports for three years.

In his role with the Lieberman Lab, he co-authored a peer-reviewed study evaluating fentanyl test strip efficacy along with the lab’s director, Marya Lieberman, the Nancy Dee Professor of Cancer Research at Notre Dame, and others. He is currently examining the sensitivity of test strips in detecting xylazine, a new and powerful adulterant in illicit opioids.

Away from campus, he is a research intern with the Mayo Clinic Otolaryngology Research Program and in the Walsh Lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In his free time, he volunteers with Our Lady of the Road, a Catholic drop-in center in South Bend.

His interest in substance use stems from his time growing up in the Bronx, where he witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of the opioid epidemic, as exacerbated by factors such as stigma, poverty and structural neglect.

As a Marshall Scholar, he intends to pursue master’s degrees in pharmacology and toxicology (year one) and drug discovery and artificial intelligence (year two) at the University of Liverpool. He will then return to the U.S. to attend medical school and continue building a career at the intersection of pharmacology, public health and equitable medical care.

“Manny brings his passion for science to bear on real problems in our community,” Lieberman said. “In his research, he helped evaluate the quality of lateral flow immunoassay test strips that are used to detect the presence of fentanyl and other harmful opioids in street drugs, which resulted in a co-authored paper in the journal Harm Reduction. After he learned about the risk of opioid-laced pills to the student community, he planned a series of workshops about opioid use, drug stigma and training in Narcan use for pre-professional undergraduates, dorm rectors and RAs. Through these workshops, 107 campus participants received training and free Narcan.”

Established in 1954 to commemorate the Marshall Plan, the Marshall Scholarship supports Americans of exceptional ability to pursue graduate-level studies in the U.K., covering university fees, cost of living, research and thesis grants and travel to and from the U.S., among other expenses.

In applying for the award, Uzobuife worked closely with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE), which promotes the intellectual development of Notre Dame undergraduates through scholarly engagement, research, creative endeavors and the pursuit of fellowships.

“I am pleased to congratulate Manny on his selection as a 2026 Marshall Scholar, our third in four years,” said Emily Buika Hunt, assistant director of scholarly development at CUSE. “At Notre Dame, Manny has pursued academic excellence while also demonstrating a deep commitment to serving our community through research, outreach, mentorship and music. His dedication to saving lives is representative of Notre Dame's core values and we are excited to watch his continued growth as a Marshall Scholar.”

Buika Hunt thanked the Transformational Leaders Program, the Mary E. Galvin Science and Engineering Program, CUSE Associate Director of National Fellowships Elise Rudt-Moorthy “and the many mentors Manny has had both within and beyond the Notre Dame community for the advice and mentorship they've offered to him during his time at the University.”

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

Contact: Erin Blasko, associate director of media relations, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on January 06, 2026.

The grant will also support the establishment of a robust, interconnected network that will provide practical resources to help navigate challenges posed by rapidly developing AI. Based on principles and values from Christian traditions, the framework is designed to be accessible to people of all faith perspectives.

“We are deeply grateful to Lilly Endowment for its generous support of this critically important initiative,” said University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. “Pope Leo XIV calls for us all to work to ensure that AI is ‘intelligent, relational and guided by love,’ reflecting the design of God the Creator. As a Catholic university that seeks to promote human flourishing, Notre Dame is well-positioned to build bridges between religious leaders and educators, and those creating and using new technologies, so that they might together explore the moral and ethical questions associated with AI.”

With the support of a $539,000 planning grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded in October 2024, ECG spent the past year mapping the landscape of faith-informed work in AI ethics. Drawing on insights from more than 200 conversations with representatives of these various constituencies, ECG created DELTA, a Christian-inspired ethical framework that stands for Dignity, Embodiment, Love, Transcendence and Agency. The framework was launched at the inaugural Notre Dame Summit on AI, Faith and Human Flourishing in September 2025.

“Lilly Endowment’s continued support enables Notre Dame to address one of the defining questions of our time — how to guide the use of artificial intelligence with wisdom, responsibility and a commitment to human dignity,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “As a leading global Catholic research university with deep partnerships across technology, faith and academia, we are uniquely positioned to convene these conversations.”

“The depth of engagement and support from the wide variety of participants at the Notre Dame summit for further development of the DELTA framework was most compelling,” said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment’s chairman and CEO. “Lilly Endowment is pleased to support this effort that acknowledges the beneficial opportunities AI offers while encouraging uses of AI that align with important moral and ethical values that draw from religious insights and traditions.”

Notre Dame’s DELTA network will be organized around interdisciplinary and intergenerational communities of practice focused on education, pastoral ministry and public engagement. The communities of practice will come together to learn about and engage with the principles of the faith-based ethical framework. They will nurture relationships between those who are developing AI technology and those in education, workplaces, religious communities and a variety of public settings who must discern ethical ways to use AI.

As part of the project, ECG will launch a series of programs to encourage and support young adults to lead with convictions shaped by DELTA principles. In addition, by developing hubs in communities in Silicon Valley and the Northeastern U.S., the institute will invite tech leaders and the public to engage with DELTA principles through issue-focused events and retreats.

Each community of practice will be supported by a timely, high-impact slate of resources, programs and events that will enable and leverage sustained engagement with the DELTA framework, developing a common language and set of tools that will energize and guide conversations around the ethics of AI and its applications.

DELTA builds on collaborations already in place around technology ethics, including the University’s partnership with IBM through the Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab.

“Here at Notre Dame, we’re committed to shaping public thought about how humans can flourish in an AI-driven world by drawing upon our Catholic and Christian tradition,” said Meghan Sullivan, the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy and director of ECG and the Notre Dame Ethics Initiative. “With this work, Notre Dame and ECG will deepen our mission to grow networks of corporate leaders, faith leaders, educators, storytellers and others to advance ethics and the common good. Given the monumental impact that AI will have on our lives, this work is more vital than ever.”

Those interested in staying connected with DELTA and this work may visit ethics.nd.edu/DELTA to join the DELTA mailing list.

Notre Dame has always focused on ethics in both research and formation. In 2024, the University intensified its commitment to the field with the launch of the University-wide Ethics Initiative, which aims to establish Notre Dame as a premier global destination for the study of ethics, offering superb training for future generations of ethicists and moral leaders, a platform for engaging the Catholic moral tradition with other modes of inquiry and an opportunity to forge insights into some of the most significant ethical issues of our time.

A signature element of the Ethics Initiative, the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good facilitates interdisciplinary research in foundational and applied ethics, coordinates projects that cross departments and units and supports ethics-related education and public engagement efforts.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the roles that people of all faiths and various religious communities play in the United States and around the globe.

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

Originally published by Carrie Gates and Laura Moran Walton at news.nd.edu on December 19, 2025.

Today, the City of South Bend’s Redevelopment Commission pledged financial support for the development of Colfax Corner, a new 202,000-square-foot research and innovation hub led by Ancora in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame. The city’s financial support comes through an Innovation Development District (IDD) bond, which will be repaid by incremental tax revenue generated by the project. The IDD is a novel partnership between the City of South Bend and the State of Indiana that will be an asset for attracting additional jobs and investment into the community.

Colfax Corner represents the first phase of the DTSB Tech and Talent District, and was envisioned by the Downtown 2045 Plan to serve as a catalyst for broader revitalization activities.

The project will feature a restored South Bend Tribune building and an adjoining modern research and office facility. The two will be linked on the second floor, and together frame an outdoor public plaza designed for events, pop-up programming and everyday use. Vertical construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2026, with completion expected by summer 2028.

By locating more than 400 high-tech jobs to downtown South Bend and engaging the community with an active calendar of programming and events, Colfax Corner will spark renewed energy in the city, with a projected $750 million direct impact to the local economy over the next 10 years.

“This project shows what’s possible when a university, private partners and a city pull in the same direction — innovation speeds up, talent sticks and opportunity widens for South Bend,” said Josh Parker, chairman and CEO of Ancora, an investment management firm that partners with universities to deliver projects that support academic, research and community goals. Ancora is the development, construction, asset and property manager for the project.

More than a real estate project, Colfax Corner is the product of cross-sector collaboration among Notre Dame, Ancora, the City of South Bend, the State of Indiana, Lilly Endowment Inc. and the Judd Leighton Foundation. The announcement follows a $30 million grant from Lilly Endowment through its College and Community Collaboration program, aimed at fueling job creation, economic growth and improved quality of life in Indiana’s college towns.

“We are grateful for the support Colfax Corner has received from our public and nonprofit partners,” said Shannon Cullinan, executive vice president of Notre Dame. “Together with other new developments in downtown South Bend, we look forward to the positive impact this project will have on advancing our region.”

“This game-changing project will not only reshape the landscape of our downtown, but also catalyze shared growth in our community.”

Notre Dame, as the anchor tenant, will work alongside Ancora to attract world-class research and talent while also welcoming educational programs, events, and dining and retail experiences — creating a vibrant district where innovation connects with the broader community. The district will also host ethics and leadership training through Holy Cross College and youth and early childhood programming through South Bend City Church.

“We are proud to partner with Ancora and the University of Notre Dame on this transformative investment in the heart of South Bend,” South Bend Mayor James Mueller said. “This game-changing project will not only reshape the landscape of our downtown, but also catalyze shared growth in our community.”

The Tribune building, acquired by Notre Dame in 2023 to preserve it from demolition, will undergo full historic restoration to provide classroom, research and innovation space. The new adjacent building will strengthen downtown South Bend as a hub for technological advancement and collaboration.

Phase Two of the project will expand west across Lafayette Boulevard, further extending the district’s economic and cultural reach.

To learn more about the project, visit www.colfaxcorner.com.

Contact: Erin Blasko, associate director of media relations, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on December 18, 2025.