The 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award: Maureen Staub '78

Edited remarks from Alumni Association executive director Dolly Duffy ’84 at the presentation of the 2025 award:

The 2025 Volunteer of the Year is someone whose commitment to Notre Dame has spanned more than four decades and continues on in her work with the Notre Dame Club of Jersey Shore: Maureen Staub of the Class of 1978. 

Staub began as the admissions volunteer coordinator with the club before she became co-president. If there was a club event, it most likely came from her imagination. From hosting UND Celebrations and helping to organize the first Kickoff Classic at the Meadowlands, to coordinating student transportation to and from campus during breaks, her hands are in everything.

She was also the mind behind the “Here Come the Irish” event in 2024, uniting all five clubs in the state to welcome [Dick Corbett Head Football Coach] Marcus Freeman to New Jersey—just another example of her ability to foster connection and inspire collaboration.  

And if you ask those closest to Staub, they’ll say that she’s a force. As her husband, Micheal, describes her: “She’s a fighter—when she puts her mind to it, it’s getting done.” 

Even when the Jersey Shore club accidentally was shorted 100 football tickets—in the days of physical ticket distribution—she made certain every single ticket was accounted for so as many people had an opportunity to attend as possible. 

Staub’s extraordinary passion for this University and its mission began when she attended the historic game when Notre Dame broke USC’s winning streak in 1973 as a high school senior. That love was only strengthened by her time as a student, and the bonds between her and the women she met at Notre Dame still remain strong today. 

For Staub, Notre Dame has always been more than where she went to school. And for over 40 years, she has devoted herself to strengthening this community.