About
Welcome!
My name is Dr. Laura Carlson, and I serve as dean of the Graduate School, as well as vice president and associate provost, and professor of psychology.
At the Notre Dame Graduate School, we are the home of academic excellence driven by the conviction that your research matters.
We are here because of the discoveries you will make. We are here because of the innovations you will create. We are here because you will illuminate truth and beauty. We are here because you will advance human understanding in service of the common good.
We are here because of you.
We are deeply invested in your success. We know that our voice is best heard through the impact your research will have. To that end we work in concert with world-class faculty across a variety of disciplines to develop your expertise. We offer individualized attention in nurturing departments, all within the context of a broad, robustly-resourced research university. We are renowned worldwide for our academic excellence and we welcome you to the conversations taking place in our vibrant intellectual community.
At the heart of our conviction that your research matters is our belief that providing you with a nourishing environment will best enable your scholastic contributions to shine. Thus our holistic approach to Graduate Training emphasizes professional development and well-being, understanding that students who have had these needs met have greater likelihood of academic impact.
Through our outstanding Graduate Training model, we empower you to follow in the university’s Catholic mission to extend learning towards universal enrichment, furnishing you with resources and guidance as you hone your plan for contributing in the public sphere beyond Notre Dame. At the same time, we understand that your life experience is not purely intellectual and occupational, put physical, emotional, spiritual, and social. We dedicate ourselves to fostering you in each of these areas.
We recognize that you are a student of your discipline today, but a steward of the discipline tomorrow. We are honored to prepare you as a future academic or professional leader to enter the arena of public discourse on pressing contemporary issues, to contribute to a life-affirming understanding of our world, and to embody the call of our founder Father Sorin to be a force for good.
110 Bond Hall
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
Graduate Communications & Web Team
Submit a request
Grad School Organizational Chart (updates in progress)
Bond Hall Emergency Action Plan (PDF; last update: January 2022)
Dean Carlson's Letters to the Graduate Student and Postdoc Community:
Spring 2021:
Winter Session:
Fall 2020:
Dean's Office
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Laura Carlson, Ph.D.
Vice President and Associate Provost, Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Psychology
Laura Carlson, Ph.D.
Vice President and Associate Provost, Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Psychology
(574) 631-8052
lcarlson@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 Dean
- Calendaring Advisory Council (Fall and Spring Meetings)
- Coordinate Provost Committee Meetings (Academic Council, ND Lead, PAC, UCWFS)
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Eric Heath
Program Manager for Assessment, Data Analytics and Strategic Initiatives
Eric Heath
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
- Partner with academic communicators across the University
Academic Affairs for Graduate Students and Postdocs; 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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Diana Dickson
Program Coordinator, Office for Postdoctoral Affairs
- Postdoctoral Scholars
- Research Associates
- Visiting Scholars
- Research Visitors
- Senior Research Associates
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Allan Loup, J.D.
Assistant Program Director, Ethics
- Ethics Program
- Responsible Conduct of Research
- Professional Development
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Jordan Rodgers, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Office for Postdoctoral Affairs
- Postdoctoral Scholars
- Research Associates
- Visiting Scholars
- Research Visitors
- Senior Research Associates
Finance & Operations
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Matthew Anderson
Director of Finance, Operations and Planning
- Strategic Planning and Projects
- Student Funding Administration
- External Fellowship Administration
- Fellowship Stewardship
- Professional Development
- Recruiting Funds to Programs
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Aaron Bell
Graphic Designer, Communications Specialist
- Social Media
- Graphic Design
- Premium Content Development
- Design Work for Graduate Programs
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Kelly Donndelinger
Assistant Director for Finance
- Steward financial awards: health insurance subsidies, tuition scholarships, NSF GRFPs
- Review/approve graduate stipends and hourly jobs; student employment policy compliance
- Monitor graduate program stipend budgets; provide ad hoc reporting
- Administer Graduate School professional development awards cycle and budget
- Administer tenure and tenure-track reappointment and promotion cycle (Provost Office)
Graduate Career Services
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Dawn Rizek
Associate Director of Grad Career Services
- Graduate Career Services Strategic Leadership
- Campus Stakeholder Interface
- Career and Professional Development
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Elizabeth Agadi, Ph.D.
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Science
Elizabeth Agadi, Ph.D.
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Science
(574) 631-2080
loughran.11@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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Erik Oswald
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
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Christian Lehman
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
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Kathryn Sawyer Vidrine, Ph.D.
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Arts and Letters (Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts)
Kathryn Sawyer Vidrine, Ph.D.
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Arts and Letters (Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts)
(574) 631-1892
ksawyer2@nd.edu- Career Exploration and Planning
- Developing Career Skills and Capabilities
- Career Programming and Professional Development
- Networking with Alumni and Employers
Kathryn Sawyer Vidrine joins Graduate Career Services from The Graduate School, where she served as Assistant Program Director and Fulbright Program Advisor for the Office of Grants and Fellowships for the last three years. In that position she honed her skills in departmental outreach, one-on-one consultations with graduate students and postdocs in all disciplines, and targeted workshops and presentations about the value of competitive awards. She is excited to expand on these skills as she turns her focus to the College of Arts and Letters, from which she received her PhD in History in 2018. Both faculty and graduate students are encouraged to contact her at ksawyer2@nd.edu as she transitions to her new role.
Graduate Enrollment Management
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Nyrée McDonald, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Graduate Enrollment Management
Nyrée McDonald, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Graduate Enrollment Management
(574)-631-8421
Nyree.V.McDonald.67@nd.edu- Support Programs with Individual Recruitment Efforts and Admissions
- Manage Online Application and Recruitment System
- Dual Degree and Exchange Programs
- Oversee Student Progress from Matriculation to Graduation
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John Lowery, Ph.D.
Recruitment Strategies Program Director
- Recruiting for Engineering and Science programs (Ph.D. & Master's), and Professional Master's programs
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Julaine Zenk, Ph.D.
Recruitment Strategies Program Director
- Recruiting for Arts & Letters and Keough School programs (Ph.D. & Master's)
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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
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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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Shari Hill Sweet
Editor, Webmaster and Publications Manager
- Editor, Annual Policy Updates
- Access to OnBase, GS Program Resources, Slate (back-up)
- Graduate School Email Groups
- Website Maintenance
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Laura Patzschke
Administrative and Dissertation Support Assistant
- Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
- ProQuest/UMI Liaison
- Dissertation and Thesis Access Requests
- Dissertation and Thesis Submission Materials Processing
- CurateND Metadata Maintenance
- Front Desk Receptionist for the Graduate School
Graduate Student Life
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Mimi Beck
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
Professional Development
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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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Michael Skalski, Ph.D.
Analyst and Consultant, Office of Grants and Fellowships
Michael Skalski, Ph.D.
Analyst and Consultant, Office of Grants and Fellowships
(574) 631-1713
mskalski@nd.edu- Manage External Grant and Fellowship Selection Processes
- Guide Students in Identifying and Obtaining Successful Extramural Funding
- Proposal Writing and Development
- Data Collection and Management
Michael Skalski, Ph.D. is a Consultant and Analyst 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.
