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Two smiling men in blue shirts stand on a path before Notre Dame's Main Building with the Golden Dome.

SROP experience helps Devin Ugbaja envision a future in research

Author: Traci DuVal

Devin Ugbaja, a junior sociology student at Henderson State University, crossed the room at the McNair Scholars conference in Florida, hoping to pick up a pen, or perhaps a T-shirt for his father. A devoted Fighting Irish football fan, his father had made sure Ugbaja grew up watching Rudy. Instead, Ugbaja walked away from the University of Notre Dame recruiting table with an opportunity that would eventually bring him to campus as a researcher.

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Visitors view "Drawing the RNA World" scientific comic posters displayed on easels by large windows and an arched doorway.

Notre Dame graduate students explore the beauty of research through the Beauty of Understanding Showcase

Author: Traci DuVal

What do a conductor, a chemist, and a neurobiologist have in common? At first glance, not much. Yet that wasn't the impression visitors got when they walked into Jordan Hall of Science during the second annual Beauty of Understanding Showcase. Easel after easel lined the hall, displaying research through watercolor paintings, elegant data, acrylics, comic-style illustrations, photography, musical performances, and three-dimensional exhibits as graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and teaching scholars shared creative interpretations of their research.

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A hand holds a black graduation cap and beige tassel high, with Notre Dame's Golden Dome and blue sky in the background.

Graduate School Commencement 2026 photo gallery | May 16, 2026

Author: Traci DuVal

From proud smiles and inspirational speeches to the conferral of degrees and joyful embraces, here's a gallery of images that capture memorable moments from our Graduate School Commencement Ceremony and celebration of the Class of 2026.  [gallery:'the-graduate-school-commencement-2026']

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Four smiling Notre Dame graduates in blue academic robes. One woman sits holding her cap; two men and a woman stand wearing theirs.

After commencement: four Notre Dame graduate students share a look back and a look ahead

Author: Traci DuVal

For many, college graduation is a reflective and emotional milestone. It's the close of a chapter shaped by hard work, new life experiences, and lasting friendships. For graduate students, the feeling often runs even deeper. Many describe it as finally setting down a weight they have carried for years. As the Graduate School celebrates the Class of 2026, we asked four graduates to reflect on the end of this chapter and the excitement of what lies ahead.

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A Black woman in a peach sweater gestures with a raised finger at a University of Notre Dame podium.

Big recognition for one of our own

Author: Traci DuVal

One of the Graduate School’s own, Jamila Lee Johnson, Ph.D., will be inducted into the 2026 Michiana Forty Under 40 class. Lee-Johnson, the Graduate School’s inaugural assistant dean for inclusive excellence, is being recognized for her leadership in advancing equity, inclusion, and leadership practices in higher education and the local community. 

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Vaulted church interior with an ornate altar, large painting, and columns. People sit in wooden pews.

A Notre Dame Fulbright fellow reflects on a transformative year in Lithuania

Author: Traci DuVal

On any given morning in Vilnius, Lithuania, Notre Dame Ph.D. student Nicholas Herrud moves between the places where his research comes to life—walking to the Institute of Lithuanian History or Vilnius University, catching a bus to the National Library, or settling into a quiet café to read and write. His days are shaped by archives, language classes, and the steady work of piecing together the past. It’s a rhythm that defines his time abroad as a Fulbright student.

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Smiling woman in leopard print sweater, child with hand to face, and bearded man in cap with beaded necklace look at papers.

Celebrating art and creativity at Solarium26

Author: Traci DuVal

The stately gallery in Bond Hall was alive with activity during Solarium26, an annual fine arts show and signature event hosted each year by the Graduate School. Visitors moved slowly from piece to piece—studying the artwork, reflecting on it, and reading the ekphrastic reflections displayed beside the works. Some paused to speak with the artists about their process and the stories behind their work, while others gathered in small groups—talking about the art, enjoying the food, and celebrating the creativity and community that filled the room.

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Four smiling people stand by a blue Shaheen 3MT banner from the Notre Dame Graduate School.

Three Minutes. One Slide. Ten Years of Impact.

Author: Traci DuVal

The lights dimmed inside Decio Theatre at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. The crowd quieted. The stage was sparse—a single screen, a countdown clock, and a banner. Attendees filled the main floor and spilled into the balcony, forming the largest audience in the history of the Shaheen Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) Finals at Notre Dame.

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Smiling students, some in Notre Dame scarves, pose for a group photo indoors with blue and green balloon arch.

Our Futures Weekend: Discovering your path to graduate study at Notre Dame

Author: Traci DuVal

One of the snowiest Januaries on record had left its mark on South Bend—38.6 inches of snowfall blanketing campus in white. Against that backdrop, 55 aspiring graduate students from 45 colleges and universities across the country gathered at Notre Dame for Our Futures Weekend.

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On a dark blue background appear a gold stop watch overlaid with the words "Shaheen 3MT" on the left of the image and the word "Finals" in heavy white font on the right.

Three minutes. Big ideas. Real-world impact.

Author: Traci DuVal

In just three minutes, competitors in the Shaheen Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) Finals will bring years of groundbreaking research to life through compelling presentations designed for a broad audience. Competitors can use only one static slide, and a visible countdown clock keeps each presentation to three minutes—exceeding the time limit results in automatic disqualification. The competition is open to the public, offering a front-row seat to the innovative research Notre Dame graduate students are conducting and the ideas shaping our future.

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A speaker in a grey suit presents research in a lecture hall. Screens display scientific diagrams titled "Spiky molecular 'hats' for Alzheimer's Disease." A blue and yellow "Shaheen 3MT" banner stands nearby, and a digital timer reads 02:34.

3MT preliminary rounds begin next week

Author: Traci DuVal

Graduate students from the Colleges of Arts & Letters, Engineering, and Science; the Keough School of Global Affairs; and the Mendoza College of Business will take the stage February 9–12 for the preliminary rounds of the Shaheen Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. In this fast-paced, lightning-talk…

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Ten smiling individuals, including one in clerical attire, stand in a Notre Dame lecture hall. Three screens behind them display 'LASER 2021 Outstanding Program of the Year'.

Preparing Ph.D. students to lead with purpose: inside LASER

Author: Traci DuVal

Ask a LASER participant about the program, and you’ll often hear the exact phrase: life-changing. LASER—Leadership Advancing Socially Engaged Research—is frequently described by program alums as a transformative experience that can shape your future in meaningful ways.

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A speaker in a grey suit presents research in a lecture hall. Screens display scientific diagrams titled "Spiky molecular 'hats' for Alzheimer's Disease." A blue and yellow "Shaheen 3MT" banner stands nearby, and a digital timer reads 02:34.

From practice to podium, it’s almost Shaheen 3MT® season

Author: Traci DuVal

The Graduate School is excited to announce the launch of information sessions for the 2026 Shaheen Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. The event offers graduate students an incredible opportunity to enhance their research communication skills. In the competition, graduate students are challenged…

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Four smiling finalists for the Notre Dame Postdoc Spotlight stand in a university lecture hall. They pose in front of screens displaying the event title and university logos. Empty classroom desks are visible.

Breakthrough Research. Talented Scholars. Inaugural Notre Dame’s Postdoc Spotlight Delivers.

Author: Traci DuVal

The concept wasn’t new—the competition challenged scholars to present their complex research in just three minutes, equipped with a single slide, in a way that anyone could understand. While the Graduate School has hosted the Shaheen Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition for graduate students for a decade, it’s the first time postdoctoral scholars have been challenged to present and compete in a similar format.

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White text on a dark blue background reads, 'Notre Dame Postdoc Spotlight.' The 'o' in 'Spotlight' is replaced with an orange and yellow circular logo with a small, darker orange circle beneath it, giving the effect of a spotlight shining from the upper right of the logo.

Postdoc Spotlight set for November 6 event

Author: Traci DuVal

Finalists in the Graduate School's inaugural Notre Dame Postdoc Spotlight are getting ready to compete in a dynamic, fast-paced competition that celebrates their groundbreaking research on November 6 in Jordan Hall on Notre Dame’s campus.

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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

The NSF GRFP could change your life—here’s why

Author: Traci DuVal

Applications are now open through November for National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) grants. Meet two recent NSF Fellows, Connor Schmidt and Emma Thrift-Cahall, who worked with the Graduate School's Office of Grants and Fellowships team to submit their winning proposals.

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White text on a dark blue background reads, 'Notre Dame Postdoc Spotlight.' The 'o' in 'Spotlight' is replaced with an orange and yellow circular logo with a small, darker orange circle beneath it, giving the effect of a spotlight shining from the upper right of the logo.

Notre Dame postdoctoral scholars take center stage with cutting-edge research

Author: Traci DuVal

The Graduate School at the University of Notre Dame is proud to present the inaugural Notre Dame Postdoc Spotlight—a dynamic, fast-paced competition that celebrates the groundbreaking research of our postdoctoral scholars. The Notre Dame community and the public are encouraged to attend.

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Four men sit in Adirondack chairs around a table on a sunny day on the University of Notre Dame campus, enjoying food and conversation during a Postdoc Appreciation Week event.

Postdoc Appreciation Week: Meet three postdoctoral scholars driving research and innovation at Notre Dame

Author: Traci DuVal

During Postdoc Appreciation Week, the Graduate School and Office of Postdoctoral Affairs celebrate our Notre Dame postdocs, their invaluable contributions, and the lasting impact they have on our drive to be a force for good in the world. To understand the full scope of the talented postdocs that Notre Dame has attracted and the research they are conducting, meet three of them.

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A female presenting person in a blue business suit gestures while addressing a classroom. She stands in front of a wooden podium with two computer monitors. The audience is slightly out of focus in the foreground.

Howard University student shines during Notre Dame's Summer Research Opportunity Program

Author: Traci DuVal

Jaydyn Callender, a rising senior at Howard University in Washington, D.C., spent 10 weeks this summer at the University of Notre Dame as part of the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)—a hands-on initiative designed to inspire students to pursue graduate school and provide them with a clear roadmap to get there.

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