About
Michael Hildreth, dean of the Graduate School, associate provost and vice president for graduate studies, and professor of physics and astronomy.
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
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
Consult the Org Chart for the Graduate School.
Bond Hall
Bond Hall Emergency Action Plan
(PDF; last update: November 2023)
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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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
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Jamila Lee-Johnson, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence
- Diversity and inclusion framework
- Strategic diversity initiatives
- Inclusive culture
- Post-baccalaureate programs
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.
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
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Kelly Donndelinger
Director of Finance
- Student funding administration
- External fellowship administration
- Fellowship stewardship
- Professional development
- Recruiting funds to programs
- Strategic planning and projects
- 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
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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
Graduate Enrollment Management
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Nyrée McDonald, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Graduate Enrollment Management
Duties
- 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
Specialties
- Application system — queries, forms, datasets, incoming student data, postdoc data
- Select fellowships awards
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Jenipher Akuku Huisman
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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Geoffrey Carter
Recruitment Coordinator
- Manage Graduate School recruitment initiatives and schedule
- Assist the associate dean for graduate enrollment management with coordination of meetings, travel, scheduling, and expense reports
- Coordinate the Summer Research Opportunities Program
- Assist in application data maintenance
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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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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
Operations and Communications
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Belinda Thompson
Director of Operations and Communications
- 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
- 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
- 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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Aaron Bell
Graphic Designer, Communications Specialist
- Social media
- Graphic design
- Premium content development
- Design work for graduate programs
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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
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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Kayla Hurd, Ph.D.
Assistant Program Director, Office of Grants and Fellowships
Kayla Hurd, Ph.D.
Assistant Program Director, Office of Grants and Fellowships
(574) 631-2443
khurd@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
Kayla Hurd, Ph.D. is an assistant director at the Graduate School's Office of Grants and Fellowships at the University of Notre Dame. Kayla earned her doctorate from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame in 2023. As a biocultural anthropologist, her research focused on the embodiment of people's meaning making and dietary practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more broadly, she studied concepts of edibility through mixed method approaches of food and nutrition in Mexico. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Explorer's Club, the Eck Institute for Global Health, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, and the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts. She has been with the team since 2018 as the sole social scientist and has been the Fulbright Program Advisor since 2021. Kayla is available to review all internal and external grants and fellowships, including those in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM.
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Michael Skalski, Ph.D.
Assistant Program Director, Office of Grants and Fellowships
Michael Skalski, Ph.D.
Assistant 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 assistant 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.
Valued Partner: Graduate Student Life
Graduate Student Life is 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
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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Julaine Zenkelberger, Ph.D.
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
Valued Partner: 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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Ryan Kristofek
Graduate Career Consultant, College of Science
- 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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Thomas Meyers
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 Thomas:
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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
Connect with Erik:
