About
A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 2000, Michael Hildreth is widely recognized for his contributions to particle physics, its software infrastructure and the technology and policies of open data. He and other physicists at Notre Dame played a significant role in the Higgs boson discovery in 2012 by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva. Hildreth is the co-coordinator of the software and computing research and development effort for the U.S. operations program of the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) experiment.
A fellow of the American Physical Society, Hildreth has served on the national High Energy Physics Advisory Panel and the National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee on Cyberinfrastructure. He is the co-author of more than 1,700 publications and also is a highly regarded teacher, receiving the College of Science’s Rev. James L. Shilts, C.S.C./Doris and Eugene Leonard Teaching Award in 2014, the Thomas P. Madden Award for first-year teaching in 2010, and a Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2008.
As senior associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Science, Hildreth directed the research and strategic planning efforts for the college and served as its primary liaison to Notre Dame Research and the Graduate School. He has supervised more than $2 billion in grant submissions from science faculty, the creation of two new graduate programs, the establishment of interdisciplinary and inter-college partnerships, and numerous other strategic initiatives. He played a significant role in the conception and planning of the new east campus research building, and in 2021 he served as interim dean of the college.
Hildreth earned his doctorate in physics from Stanford University after receiving a bachelor’s degree in the field from Princeton University. Before coming to Notre Dame, he was a scientific associate and staff physicist at CERN. He began his tenure as dean of the Graduate School and associate provost and vice president for graduate studies on July 1, 2023.
Contact Us
115 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
Fax: 574-631-4183
Graduate Admissions
Phone: 574-631-7706
Email: GradApp@nd.edu
Graduate Enrollment and Training
Phone: 574-631-7544
Email: GradSch@nd.edu
Consult the Org Chart for the Graduate School.
Dean's Office
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Michael Hildreth, Ph.D.
Dean of the Graduate School, Associate Provost and Vice President for Graduate Studies, and Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Michael Hildreth, Ph.D.
Dean of the Graduate School, Associate Provost and Vice President for Graduate Studies, and Professor of Physics and Astronomy
574-631-8052
mhildret@nd.edu- Voice of the Graduate School
- Innovation in graduate training
- Strategic planning and development
- Graduate program assessment
- Policy and program design
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Christal Colbert
Officer Assistant
- Officer assistant to the vice president and associate provost and dean of the Graduate School
- Provides executive administrative assistance and operational support
- Advisory Council (fall and spring meetings)
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Jamila Lee-Johnson, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence
- Inclusion framework
- Strategic inclusivity initiatives
- Inclusive culture
- Post-baccalaureate programs
Academic Affairs for Graduate Students; Ethics & Leadership Training
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John Lubker, Ed.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
- Graduate School ombudsperson
- Administration of Graduate School policies, procedures, and appeals
- Oversight of graduate student progress
- Graduate student leadership development and training
- Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
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Maureen Collins
Program Director, Academic Services
- Add/drops, course audits, and grade changes
- Application to degree candidacy
- E-forms
- Graduation and degree audits
- Leave of absence
- Reports (Graduate School)
- Transfer of credits
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Allan Loup, J.D.
Program Director, Ethics
- Ethics program
- Responsible conduct of research
- Professional development
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Laura Patzschke
Senior Academic Services Coordinator
- Doctoral dissertations and master's theses
- ProQuest/UMI liaison
- Dissertation and thesis access requests
- Dissertation and thesis submission materials processing
- CurateND metadata maintenance
- Spousal ID/Wellness Center requests
Data and Strategy
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Eric Heath, MBA
Program Manager for Assessment, Data Analytics and Strategic Initiatives
Eric Heath, MBA
Program Manager for Assessment, Data Analytics and Strategic Initiatives
574-631-0160
eheath2@nd.edu- Data collection and interpretation
- Data visualization and analysis
- Strategic planning
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Jenny Shi
Data and Systems Analyst
- Data pipelines and reporting tools
- Data integrity and audits
- Solution integrations, development, and enhancements
Graduate Enrollment Management
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Rachel Williams, Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Enrollment Management
Duties
- Support programs with individual recruitment efforts and admissions
- Manage online application and recruitment system
- Select fellowships awards
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Jenipher Akuku Huisman, MNA
Enrollment Program Director
- Recruiting for Graduate School doctoral and master's programs
- Summer Research Opportunities Program
- Retention strategies
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Mellisa Crisan
Admissions Coordinator
- A-L: Application processing and admission decisions
- A-L: Immigration documentation
- A-L: Creation of live student records
- Verification of all applicant data
- Application system updates
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Shalon McClatchey
Admissions Coordinator
- M-Z: Application processing and admission decisions
- M-Z: Immigration documentation
- M-Z: Creation of live student records
- Verification of all applicant data
- Slate specialist
- Slate: Manage user accounts
- Slate: One-on-one training for program assistants/coordinators
Operations and Administration
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Belinda Thompson, MBA
Director of Operations and Administration
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Operations:
- Primary liaison to Human Resources on tasks related to hiring, ND Voice, and personnel
- Partner to Development and Stewardship on funding proposals and recognition of donor impact
- Connection to Facilities in providing oversight for Graduate School space in Bond Hall
- Supports and oversees Graduate School event planning for large scale "signature" events, as well as smaller, internal events
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Communications:
- Coordinates the development and implementation of the Graduate School communications strategy
- Leads oversight of Graduate School communications team in support of website, social media, and graphic design functions
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Finance:
- Develops and executes the financial strategy for the Graduate School
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Strategic Planning:
- Leads the ongoing assessment of the Graduate School Strategic Plan in partnership with the Institutional Research, Innovation, & Strategy (IRIS) team
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Operations:
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Monica Cundiff
Events Specialist
- Planning and executing large-scale/signature graduate school events (e.g., Commencement, 3MT, etc.)
- Support for internal events (e.g., conferences, gallery exhibitions, and outside speakers).
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Shari Hill Sweet
Systems Specialist
- Editor, annual policy updates
- Access to OnBase, GS program resources, Slate (back-up)
- Graduate School email groups
- Website maintenance
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Denise McAllister
Financial Analyst
- Stewarding financial awards—health insurance subsidies, tuition scholarships, NSF GRFPs
- Reviewing/approving graduate stipends and hourly jobs; student employment policy compliance
- Monitoring graduate program stipend budgets; providing ad hoc reporting
- Administering Graduate School professional development awards cycle and budget
- Emergency Fund management
- External fellowship administration
- Financial Toolkit payments/transactions
Professional Development & Postdoctoral Scholars
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Mary Ann McDowell, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Professional Development
- Oversight of graduate student grants and fellowships
- Strategic leadership for graduate student professional development
- Support initiatives for graduate student quality of life and well-being
- Policy guidance for mentorship training
In her role as a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Dr. Mary Ann McDowell specializes in research related to immunoparasitology and vector biology. Visit her faculty profile for more information.
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Diana Dickson
Program Coordinator, Office for Postdoctoral Affairs
- Postdoctoral scholars
- Research associates
- Visiting scholars
- Research visitors
- Senior research associates
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Thomas Meyers, Ph.D.
Program Director of Professional Development
Developing, managing, and facilitating professional development programming for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars including:- Lunch & Learn series
- Three-Minute Thesis competition
- ND Postdoc Spotlight competition
- Schmitt leadershp programming
- Student mentoring up programming
Develop additional leadership and ethics training opportunities
Fostering professional development partnerships across the University
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Michael Skalski, Ph.D.
Associate Program Director, Office of Grants and Fellowships
Michael Skalski, Ph.D.
Associate Program Director, Office of Grants and Fellowships
574-631-1713
mskalski@nd.edu- Manages the Office of Grants and Fellowships
- Guide students in identifying and obtaining successful extramural funding
- Proposal writing and development
- Data collection and management
Michael Skalski, Ph.D. is an associate program director at the Graduate School’s Office of Grants and Fellowships at the University of Notre Dame. Michael offers help in grantsmanship, manages several prestigious fellowship competitions such as the Fulbright-Hays DDRA, and ensures that services provided by the office reflect the priorities of Notre Dame graduate students. Michael has experience with generating successful merit-based grant and fellowship applications. With background in history, international affairs, and foreign languages, he has worked as a researcher, instructor, and freelancer in academic publishing.
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Veronica Vos, M.A.
Advisor, Office of Grants and Fellowships
- Manages the Office of Grants and Fellowships
- Guide students in identifying and obtaining successful extramural funding
- Proposal writing and development
- Data collection and management
Veronica Vos graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2012 and earned her Masters in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. After graduate school she spent five years working in local politics in Los Angeles, her hometown. During this time she worked quite extensively on homelessness policy. She relocated to the South Bend area three years ago and has worked on grants both while working at Notre Dame and in the nonprofit sector. She enjoys gardening, singing and living like a tourist in her new town!
Valued Partners: Graduate Career Services
Graduate Career Services is part of the Division of Student Affairs. They partner with the Graduate School on professional development programming and career opportunities for Notre Dame's graduate students.
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Rana Ismail, Ed.S., M.S.
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Science
Rana Ismail, Ed.S., M.S.
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Science
574-631-8109
ranaismail@nd.edu- Career exploration and planning
- Developing career skills and capabilities
- Career programming and professional development
- Networking with alumni and employers
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Ryan Kristofek, M.A.
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Engineering
- Career exploration and planning
- Developing career skills and capabilities
- Career programming and professional development
- Networking with alumni and employers
Connect with Ryan:
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Ben Pykare, M.Div.
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Arts and Letters
- Career exploration and planning
- Developing career skills and capabilities
- Career programming and professional development
- Networking with alumni and employers
Connect with Ben:
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Currently Vacant
Graduate Career Consultant, Professional Master's Programs
- Career exploration and planning
- Developing career skills and capabilities
- Career programming and professional development
- Networking with alumni and employers
Connect with Graduate Career Services
Valued Partners: Graduate Student Government & Graduate Student Life
Graduate Student Government and Graduate Student Life are part of the Division of Student Affairs. They partner with the Graduate School as advocates for Notre Dame's graduate students.
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Mimi Beck, MTS
Program Director, Graduate Student Life
- Liaison between Student Affairs and the Graduate School
- Quality of life programming and advocacy
- Resource and service referrals
- Assessment and strategic planning for Graduate Student Life
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Laurie Hesch
Administrative Assistant, Graduate Student Government
- Graduate Student Government (GSG) point of contact: gsu@nd.edu
- Coordinates GSG communications and finances
- Provides bookkeeping advice and assistance to all recognized graduate student clubs
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Angela Lake, M.A.
Program Coordinator, Graduate Student Life
- Activities liaison for all graduate clubs
- Managing Grad Life communications
- Managing writing accountability groups
- Leading grad life programming efforts
- Coordinating programming for the Family Resource Center
