Dear Colleagues,

I’m excited to share with you that Justin Siler has been hired as Clubs Program Manager at the Alumni Association. His official start date is May 1st.

Justin is a proud member of the ND Class of 2011 and went on to graduate from Northwestern University with a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration & Policy in 2018.

As an undergraduate at ND, Justin worked as a campus tour guide within the Visitors’ Center, where he developed a passion for serving the Notre Dame community. After graduating from ND, he moved to Chicago and worked at Ipsos, a global market research firm, where he was a Senior Account Manager. Since earning his master’s degree and beginning his career in higher education, Justin has served as the Director of Affinity Programs at the UCLA Alumni Association, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement at the IU School of Nursing, and Policy Analyst at the IU Public Policy Institute.

Outside of work, Justin enjoys traveling, hiking, and following ND football. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, Lauren (class of 2012), daughter, Maya (class of 2043), and Australian Cattle Dog, Sydney, who never goes anywhere without her ND collar.

Please help me welcome Justin to the team!

Sincerely,
Abbey

Please join me in congratulating Isabel, Austin, and big sister Lillie on the arrival of baby August Miller Dance! August was born on April 17th at 10:29 pm at 6Lbs 13 oz, 19 inches. Both mom and baby are doing great!

Anita

UR Family,

For 52 long years, Colombia was in turmoil due to a protracted civil war between the Colombian government and the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). When the warring sides signed the historic Colombian peace accord in 2016, Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies became responsible for verifying and monitoring its implementation—making Notre Dame the first and only university in the world to play such a direct role in maintaining peace.

In the 11th episode of For Good, Josefina Echavarría Alvarez, Professor of the Practice and Director of the Kroc Institute’s Peace Accords Matrix, explains how Notre Dame has become an internationally recognized leader in peacebuilding around the world, how she addressed the U.N. Security Council on resolving disputes peacefully, and how her team is preparing a peace accord to end armed conflict in the Philippines.

Watch on YouTube →

Listen on Spotify →

– Brandon Tabor

The effort to become more global is as important for the next generation at Notre Dame as the effort to develop research was in the last. Every part of the University, in collaboration with Notre Dame Global (formerly Notre Dame International), will contribute to a more global Notre Dame.  

With this, we are launching a new council this fall – the Advisory Council for Notre Dame Worldwide – dedicated to supporting the global aspirations of Notre Dame 2033: A Strategic Framework (pp. 22-26) and the specific objectives defined in the University’s forthcoming global strategy report. 

This council is unique in that it will offer broad access to academic leaders across the University. Support through this council will be vital to the success of integrating and implementing this global strategy and the University’s overall mission to be a force for good in the world.

Objectives of the Advisory Council for Notre Dame Worldwide:

• To promote the funding priorities for NDG, the international priorities of the Office of Financial Aid, and other global priorities of the University.
• To enhance the relationships of leading NDG and international financial aid donors with the University’s President, Provost and Executive Vice President.
• To increase our presence internationally through undergraduate student experiences, international student presence on campus, graduate exchanges, and increased research and programming, particularly in the Global South. 
• To convene leaders from across the University, showcasing multidisciplinary, global initiatives. 

With the creation of this new council, and the goal to grow beyond a regional focus, we have dissolved the Latin American & Caribbean AC. Four members from the LACAC have been invited to serve as inaugural members of this new council. The remaining members will be retired from the AC program and their leadership and service will be acknowledged by Fr. Jenkins.

Michael Pippenger, Vice President & Associate Provost for Internationalization, will serve as the AC leader for Notre Dame Worldwide. Caitlyn Clinton is the Academic Advancement partner for ND Worldwide.

If you have questions about this new council, or anything Advisory Council-related, contact Betsy Quinn at bquinn7@nd.edu.

To learn more about the rebrand of Notre Dame Global, read the recent news release here.

Dear Colleagues,

The Leadership Events team is beginning to plan the various events that will take place during the 2024 Commencement Weekend. As you know, Commencement is an “all hands on deck” weekend for our team, and yet, even with all of us involved we still need the help of our Development colleagues to steward our benefactors and other special guests.

We are in need of assistance with the following events: 

• May 18:  Saturday Mass in Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. We need volunteers from approximately 3:15 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
• May 18:  Saturday President’s Reception in Club Naimoli at the Joyce Center.  We need volunteers to stay post Mass.  Shift would begin immediately after Mass and ending at approximately 8:00 p.m.
• May 19:  Sunday Commencement Ceremony. We need volunteers from approximately 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. to assist with seating in Development’s Preferred Seats and with the movement of the Platform Party. (Times may vary due to weather)

Please click here to provide us with your availability.

We will provide specific details in the weeks closer to Commencement. Please know if you are a non-exempt staff volunteering, you will need to have your supervisor’s approval. Please let us know by Friday, May 10th. 

Thank you for your selfless dedication to Our Lady.

In Notre Dame,

Kristen Nevill

Associate Director, Leadership Events

University Enterprises & Events

Dear Colleagues,

The Office of Leadership Events is looking forward to working with you as we plan for the Class of 2024 Commencement Weekend (May 18 & 19, 2024). Outlined below is important information regarding requests for:

• Commencement Mass Preferred Seating – Saturday, May 18

• President’s Cocktail Reception invitation criteria and special requests – Saturday, May 18 immediately following Mass

• University Commencement Ceremony Preferred Seating – Sunday, May 19

To help you manage the important deadlines and instructions for each event, please refer to the 2024 Commencement Request Guide.

CRITERIA AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMENCEMENT REQUESTS

All requests must be submitted via the Google Form no later than Friday, May 3, 2024.

COMMENCEMENT MASS

Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center

Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 5:00  – 6:30 pm

• Mass Preferred Seats:

  • We will coordinate a limited number of Mass reserved seats in Section 11 at Purcell Pavilion.

  • Google form requests may be entered for donors with $1M+ household extended giving.

  • Maximum number of seats per request is limited to four.

  • Note that Trustees and PLC/Deans will receive a registration form from the President’s Office to request reserved Mass seating; all other requests must be entered with the Google form.

  • Fundraisers should not request seating for themselves.

  • Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Please encourage early arrival for donors without preferred seats. If necessary, overflow seating will be provided in Heritage Hall and the Monogram Room.

PRESIDENT’S COCKTAIL RECEPTION

Club Naimoli at Purcell Pavilion

Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 6:30  – 7:30 am (immediately following Mass)

• President’s Cocktail Reception Invitations:

  • The following donor groups (with a 2024 undergraduate) will automatically be invited to the President’s Cocktail Reception:

    • Trustees (both parents and grandparents, if the Trustee is the grandparent)

    • For Good Cabinet (both parents and grandparents, if the Cabinet member is the grandparent)

    • Principal Donors (both parents and grandparents, if the Principal donor is the grandparent)

    • Advisory Council parents

    • President’s Circle & Cavanaugh Council parents

    • Jesse Harper Council parents

    • Cardinal O’Hara Dean’s Circle parents

    • St. Thomas More Leadership Circle parents

    • RHF – Athletics Director’s Circle parents

    • $250K+ parents, based on household extended giving

    • Faculty/Staff Parents

  • Special requests may be made via the Google Form for donors outside the automatic invite criteria outlined above. Priority will be given to donors $100K+ household extended giving – limited to undergraduates and their parents.

  • Those who meet the automatic invitation criteria will be invited via a formal invitation from Fr. Jenkins. These invitations will be emailed by Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

  • Any additional approved donors requested via the Google form, will be invited via a formal invitation from Fr. Jenkins. These invitations will be emailed by Friday, April 26, 2024.

  • Please note that this reception is intended for undergraduates and their parents; invitations will not be extended to graduate students/families.

  • Fundraisers should not request an invitation to the President’s Cocktail Reception for themselves; invitations are limited as indicated above.

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

Notre Dame Stadium (Severe Weather Location: Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center)

Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 9:30 am (doors open at 8:00 am; processional begins at 9:00 am)

• Commencement Ceremony Preferred Seats:

  • We will coordinate seating for the Commencement Ceremony within the preferred (blue) seats on the east side of the stadium.

  • Google form requests may be entered for donors:

    • $350K+ household extended giving

    • For Good parents

    • Advisory Council parents

  • Please note you must enter a request for tickets even if the donor meets the criteria.

  • Google form requests may be entered for donors who do not meet the criteria. These requests will be reviewed and approved if seating is available.

  • Maximum number of seats per request is limited to six. If your donor meets the above criteria please confirm the number of seats needed up to a maximum of six. If they do not need six tickets please only request the amount needed.

  • Note that Trustees and PLC/Deans will receive a registration form from the President’s Office to request preferred Commencement seating; all other requests must be requested on the Google form.

  • Fundraisers may request preferred seats for themselves on the Google form, to sit with key benefactors. Please note as #sitwith in the comments section. Preferred seating requests for fundraisers will not be honored if the Commencement Ceremony moves indoors to Purcell Pavilion.

  • All other Commencement Ceremony seating will be open seating and tickets are required (please read below for detailed information on general admission and severe weather tickets).

IMPORTANT NOTE

• In all cases, please do not communicate a possible invitation or preferred seating until you are notified via a confirmation email. Until all requests are received, it is unknown exactly how the invitations and tickets will be apportioned.

• You will find the report of donors with a prospective 2024 graduate in the Dev. Resources Google Drive HERE. Please note, this is an extensive workbook containing four tabs, including both parents and grandparents of 2024 graduates. Please carefully review the list to determine donor eligibility for consideration and if any of your donors are not reflected on the reports.

APPROVALS

• All requests will be updated and approved in the Development Resources Google Drive HERE by Friday, May 3, 2024.

GENERAL ADMISSION AND SEVERE WEATHER TICKET INFORMATION 

General Admission Tickets

If the Commencement Ceremony is in the stadium, tickets for general admission (GA) are required. The number of GA tickets per graduate is not limited but graduates must request GA tickets as instructed by the Registrar’s Office. Please reference the Registrar’s guidance on the Commencement website. Please note GA tickets are all mobile this year and will be sent to all graduates the week of May 13, 2024.

Severe Weather Tickets

The Office of Leadership Events does not handle severe weather tickets.

• All students, regardless of whether they have GA tickets or preferred seats from Development, will receive severe weather guest tickets as instructed by the Registrar’s Office.

  • Undergraduates are allotted up to three (3) severe weather guest tickets from the Registrar; graduate students are allotted up to two (2) severe weather guest tickets. These tickets will be emailed a few days before Commencement if there is a chance we move to the Joyce.

• If the Severe Weather Plan is activated:

  • The Commencement Ceremony will move from Notre Dame Stadium to the Purcell Pavilion; graduates will be notified via the ND Emergency Alert system.

  • Graduates and faculty in academic attire will be admitted to the Purcell Pavilion without a ticket. However, only guests with a severe weather ticket will be seated in Purcell Pavilion.

  • The Commencement Ceremony will be broadcast live in the Joyce Center North Dome, auditoriums in the DeBartolo Hall classroom building, and other large auditoriums in nearby buildings as announced. This will allow guests without a severe weather guest ticket to view the event live.

  • It is very important to note that donors approved for stadium preferred seats will not have preferred seats should the Commencement Ceremony move to Purcell Pavilion. Please communicate to your donors that should the Severe Weather Plan be implemented, they will need to find general seating in Purcell Pavilion utilizing their graduates three allotted severe weather tickets.

TICKET DISTRIBUTION

Commencement tickets are scheduled to be distributed as follows. All tickets will be sent via email (general admission and preferred seating)

• Monday, May 13: Every student will receive an email with their general admission ticket. This ticket can be shared via email with all of their guests.

• Wednesday, May 15: Development Preferred seating will be delivered to the Development Fundraiser. Please make arrangements with your approved donors to pick up credentials to gain access to Mass or Commencement preferred seating.

ACCOMMODATIONS

A limited inventory of rooms at the Morris Inn is managed by the Office of Leadership Events, and is available for the honorary degree recipients and Trustees. All donor requests have been approved HERE. Please review and email Stephanie Mead if you have questions or additional requests by Friday, April 19. Guest confirmations have been sent, please communicate with your benefactors if they have been approved.

QUESTIONS/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Please contact the Office of Leadership Events with questions at sep@nd.edu

Hello, Change Makers!

As we journey through Notre Dame Day, set to conclude at midnight on Wednesday, April 24th, we are grateful for everyone who participated in yesterday morning’s Notre Dame Day Best Practices Meeting. Currently, we’re making great progress with 208 gifts on the board, led by Shaheen Goldrick and Courtney Mattison’s team, “We Got the Beat,” securing 40 gifts. We’re collectively shooting to get to 5000 gifts!

Here’s what you need to know:

The Goal: Achieve 385 points per team.

• 1 point: Each donor through your unique link.
• 2 points: Every new fiscal year donor (hasn’t donated since before July 1, 2023).

Resources

• Get templates for various channels, fundraising tips, social media graphics, and access the missing gift tracker from this Google Doc
• View Student Impact Stories and the ND Day Hype video on the ND Day YouTube playlist

Prizes

Winner

• Notre Dame Day Champions branded water bottle
• Happy Hour in 1842 with signature cocktails (and mocktails) inspired by your team name served by Mr. Lou Nanni

“Lou-ser”

• Early morning breakfast with Lou (we’re not kidding about this)

Coming Soon

• Personalized Tableau Dashboard of Contacts: This dashboard will assist you in identifying potential contacts based on your Notre Dame connections.
• Expect to receive regular emails from our team with team rankings.

While this is a friendly competition, let’s never lose sight of your lasting impact on these students’ lives as they strive to build their own legacies at Our Lady. Notre Dame and Her students rely on your support, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have individuals like you who know how to have fun while getting it done.

Let’s make history together,
Katie and Indi

Friends and Colleagues,

I am very pleased to introduce you to our newest Gift Planning Officers, Monique Frazier and Patrick Lindenmeyer.

Monique earned her Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society from Purdue University in 2005, after which she obtained her J.D. from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Through her work in the Notre Dame Office of Institutional Equity over the past ten years, Monique has developed strong relationships across campus and has worked at a high level to advance equal opportunities and access for faculty, staff, and visitors to campus. She is passionate about continuing to serve the mission of Notre Dame, and we are thrilled to have her on the team.

FUN FACT: Monique loves antique and classic cars. One of her favorite hobbies is attending car museums and car shows!

Patrick earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Holy Cross College in 2005. He comes to our team from Saint Joseph High School, where he served as the Director of Annual Giving. Prior to that, he worked in the financial services industry for many years. Patrick brings a wealth of experience in everything from charitable giving strategies to investment management and more. We are excited to have him on board.

FUN FACT: Patrick is an avid golfer, and he was also a part of the inaugural class to receive a Bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross College!

Monique and Patrick will both start on Monday, April 15th. Their regional assignments will be determined over the coming weeks.

Please join me in welcoming Monique and Patrick!

Jessica Brice

Please join the AAD team in congratulating Ellen and Connor on the arrival of baby Elaine “Lainey” Frances Kirol born 4/2/24 at 7lbs 14 oz, and coming in at 20 inches. Everyone is doing great!

-Katy

UR Family,

In the tenth episode of For Good, Joe Becherer, the Director and Curator of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, explains why he commissioned well-known artists to create works specifically for the new museum, how art plays a role in various disciplines, and what impact the new museum will have on communities near and far.

Watch on YouTube →

Listen on Spotify →

– Brandon Tabor