September 2023
The Lead

Dear Alumni, Parents, & Friends,

Earlier this week, I was reminded just how much I love this time of year. No, not because of the crisp fall temperatures or the changing leaves that have finally painted campus shades of yellow and orange. It was the Tastykakes.

The boxes of these Philadelphia-area snacks were the latest goodies shared with our Alumni Association staff by members of the Notre Dame Club of Schuylkill County, along with a few other regional treats: hot bologna and a brew called boilo, which packs a punch! But what the Tastykakes reminded me of was just how wonderful it is to have so many alumni and friends visiting and passing through the office during this season. Not (just) because they often bring treats — oranges from Florida, fudge made by Trappist monks in Kentucky, chocolate buffaloes from New York —  but because we get to forge and strengthen our relationships when we gather as a Notre Dame family. 

We’re blessed to have a truly global community, supported by 260 domestic and international clubs that not only bring Notre Dame to cities and regions all over the world, but bring those places to Notre Dame, as well. What local delicacies or traditions make your town home? I can’t wait to learn more about them — and you!

All the best,

Dolly Duffy ’84

Executive Director

Notre Dame Alumni Association

[email protected]

WE ARE ND
Returning Home to Ignite Positive Change

Though offered other opportunities across the world to fight climate change and engage in activism, Garrett Blad ’15 chose to return to his home state of Indiana to ignite positive change in the community that raised him.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
High-Ranking Military Alumni Share Purpose, Advice for Next Generation of Leaders

Admiral Christopher W. Grady ’84 and General Bryan P. Fenton ’87, both four-star officers in the U.S. armed forces, spoke to a standing-room-only audience at the Carey Auditorium of the Hesburgh Library on Friday, Sept. 22.

UNIVERSITY NEWS
University Announces Plan for Construction of Two New Residence Halls

The University announced the construction of two new undergraduate halls on the south side of campus to provide on-campus housing to all undergraduate students, including transfer students.

NOTRE DAME STORIES
Golden Hour

Summer 2023 marked the first time in nearly two decades that the Golden Dome atop the University’s Main Building was regilded.

Elizabeth Wood '14

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Elizabeth Wood ’14

Senior Attorney, Immigration Intervention Project, Sanctuary for Families | Ryan Hall | New York City

“I get to know such resilient human beings and work with them to highlight something that’s really awful and traumatic and help them find a stable path forward. … Where you’re born, that’s just a matter of luck. It’s important to look at the entire person, have compassion, and be willing to truly hear their story.” » Read More on We Are ND
University of Notre Dame’s Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Grand Opening

On September 21, 2023, the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion opened in the LaFortune Student Center, featuring intentional spaces for collaboration and connection for both students and staff members.
Meals with Muffet

FiresideND Episode 3: Fukushima - Resilience, Recovery, and Redemption

In 2011, eastern Japan experienced an earthquake, a tsunami, and the nuclear meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant that led to a years-long evacuation. In May 2023, a Notre Dame Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies research team visited Japan to examine resilience from multiple perspectives — business, engineering, culture, science, economics and more. Take the journey with them in episode three of the FiresideND podcast from ThinkND. » LISTEN NOW

EVENTS

Football Fridays @ The Eck Visitors Center | Fri., Oct. 13 | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET

Kick off your gameday with Football Fridays at the Eck presented by Guinness. Stop by the Eck Visitors Center and enjoy interviews with Notre Dame celebrities, live music, Portillo’s, student group performances, and more. » JOIN US! 

Rosary Service | Fri., Oct. 13 | 12:30 p.m. ET

Join the Notre Dame family and Rev. Lou DelFra, C.S.C., ’92 in prayer at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. » YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK

“Religious Liberty, Courage, and the Necessity of Leadership” with Michael Pompeo @ DeBartolo Hall 101 | Fri., Oct. 13 | 4 p.m. ET 

The Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government at Notre Dame hosts the 70th Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, for its second annual Jeanie Poole O’Shaughnessy Memorial Lecture. » LEARN MORE

Everyday Holiness | Season 9, Episode 6 

Alex Jones ’15, co-founder and CEO of Hallow, shares the inspiring story of the struggle and growth of his spiritual life, eventually leading to the creation of one of the most well-utilized Catholic apps in the world today. » LISTEN NOW

“Civility and Bipartisanship in a Time of Polarization and Gridlock” @ Leighton Concert Hall | Fri., Oct. 27 | 2 p.m. ET 

As part of the 2023-24 Notre Dame Forum on the “Future of Democracy,” join University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., ’76, ’78 M.A. for a fireside chat with Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Todd Young (R-IN). This event will be livestreamed. » WATCH LIVESTREAM HERE

Easy Company: England to the Eagle’s Nest | June 24 - July 7, 2024

Join alumni and friends from both Notre Dame and the United States Naval Academy on this special Traveling Irish trip next summer to the beaches, bridges, cities, and villages where the legendary Easy Company fought crucial D-Day battles and changed the course of history. This journey will celebrate the common history between Notre Dame and the U.S. Navy — and will feature an original cast member from the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers. » REGISTER TODAY
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