Hesburgh Women of Impact Program
"For Notre Dame to flourish in the next decade, significant investments must be made in its most important resource: its people. Ensuring that an even more accomplished, even more diverse community of students, staff, and faculty thrives at Notre Dame is the bedrock upon which everything else rests."
— Notre Dame 2033: A Strategic Framework
Mission
The Hesburgh Women of Impact Program supports the advancement and empowerment of women at Notre Dame and around the world through innovative research, leadership development, and outreach.
Vision
Inspired by the hard-fought gains of generations of Notre Dame women, the Hesburgh Women of Impact Program supports a comprehensive and intentional approach to engaging and developing all members of the Notre Dame community at every level of the institution to advance understanding of and find solutions for the particular challenges women face throughout the world.
About
Hesburgh Women of Impact is an initiative of the Provost's Office, inspired by the University's strategic framework and designed to benefit every member of the Notre Dame community (faculty, students, and staff). By supporting new and existing programs across campus, it works to:
- Advance innovative research and find solutions for the challenges that women face around the world,
- Promote professional development to empower, nurture, and develop future leaders, and
- Sponsor cultural and outreach events that celebrate the unique contributions women make to scholarship, the arts, and culture.
Steering committee
- Chair: Margaret Meserve, Office of the Provost and Hesburgh Libraries
- Tricia Bellia, Law School
- Patricia Champion, College of Science
- Heather Christopherson, Human Resources
- Kristen Collett-Schmitt, Mendoza College of Business
- Maria Di Pasquale, Office of the Provost
- Ann Firth, Office of the President
- Eve Kelly, Office of Institutional Transformation
- Erin Klawitter, Office of Undergraduate Education
- Kate Marshall, College of Arts and Letters
- Mary Ann McDowell, College of Science and the Graduate School
- Maura Ryan, Office of the Provost
- Christine Trinter, University Committee on Women Faculty and Students
History
The Hesburgh Women of Impact Program was established as a forward-looking initiative rooted in the University's strategic vision for inclusive excellence, innovation, and institutional transformation. Emerging from a legacy of trailblazing leadership and hard-earned progress, the program operates out of the Office of the Provost and takes a comprehensive approach to promoting academic excellence and fostering professional growth across the Notre Dame community. By supporting interdisciplinary research, career development, and culturally enriching outreach, the program strengthens the University’s commitment to addressing complex global challenges and elevating the contributions of all its members—students, faculty, and staff.