UR Family,

The University of Notre Dame is no stranger to innovative, groundbreaking research. Synthetic rubber, wind tunnels, and wireless transmissions—each of these novel inventions, alongside many others, were developed within the University’s walls. Now, Notre Dame is taking its research enterprise to the next level.

In the 13th episode of For Good, Jeffrey Rhoads, Vice President for Research, discusses how research is an essential component of the Notre Dame experience and how Notre Dame can become a global leader in generation-defining research.

Watch on YouTube →

Listen on Spotify →

– Brandon Tabor

UR Family,

Leading communications for a congresswoman, the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and the association that oversees the nation’s top research universities is no easy feat. It takes an expert to navigate the complexities of these high-stakes roles, and that expert just found his way to Notre Dame.

In the 12th episode of For Good, Pedro Ribeiro, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications, discusses the significance of Notre Dame joining the Association of American Universities, the unique role Notre Dame plays in bringing together leaders from opposite sides of the aisle in D.C., and the importance of maintaining the student experience for student-athletes as the landscape of college athletics evolves.

Watch on YouTube →

Listen on Spotify →

– Brandon Tabor

Friends and Colleagues,

I write to share the bittersweet news that Lin Wang will be leaving Notre Dame on June 30, 2024 to relocate her family to Texas. Lin’s husband, John, was recently appointed dean of libraries at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Fortunately, we expect to see Lin around campus often when she visits her son, Jayden, who will start his first year at Notre Dame in the fall.

Since joining the Storytelling team in 2013, Lin has been the backbone of our operation. She is a masterful executor, a great source of joy, and an irreplaceable friend to all who have worked with her.

During her 11 years with the Department, Lin has brought to life some of our biggest initiatives, including the Sorin: A Notre Dame Day Story play, every occurrence of Notre Dame Day, and all the fundraising collateral we’ve generated for Boldly Notre Dame and For Good.

Please join me in celebrating Lin Wang and thanking her for the lives she has touched through her work at Notre Dame.

Sincerely,
Brandon Tabor

P.S. Our newest teammate, Carol de Lucca, has worked alongside Lin since March 1 and will be the department’s creative project manager moving forward.

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

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

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

UR Family,

In our latest episode of For Good: Stories from Notre Dame, Meghan Sullivan, the Wilsey Family Collegiate Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study and the Notre Dame Ethics Initiative, talks from Fr. Hesburgh’s historic office about how the University has a responsibility to become a global leader in philosophical and ethical studies, how Fr. Hesburgh’s legacy resonates both on campus and beyond, and how Notre Dame teaches students to apply philosophical lessons in their own lives to create a more ethical and just future for all.

Watch on YouTube →

Listen on Spotify →

– Brandon Tabor

UR Family,

Two weeks ago, I shared with you a new YouTube and podcast series called For Good: Stories from Notre Dame that the Storytelling team is producing.

In our latest episode, Ted Barron, the Executive Director of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) and Judd and Mary Lou Leighton Director of the Performing Arts, discusses how DPAC develops students, empowers local artists, and showcases world-class performers and programs to put the arts center stage in the Notre Dame experience.

Watch on YouTube →

Listen on Spotify →

– Brandon Tabor

Please join me in congratulating Zach and Emma Thurston on the birth of their first child, Eleanor Maeve Thurston. Eleanor came into the world on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 3:05am, weighing 6lbs 8oz. Both mom and baby (and dad) are well. She is a beautiful addition to the Notre Dame family!

Brandon Tabor