News

The Golden Dome of the Notre Dame Main Building, topped with the statue of Mary, framed by white dogwood blossoms.

New Class of Graduate Fellows Joins Institute for Ethics and the Common Good

Author: Michael Infantine

The Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ECG) is proud to announce its new class of Graduate Fellows for the 2026–27 academic year. This group of emerging scholars will spend the year with the institute, dedicated to addressing critical ethical issues in their…

Read More about New Class of Graduate Fellows Joins Institute for Ethics and the Common Good

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']

Read More about Graduate School Commencement 2026 photo gallery | May 16, 2026

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.

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

Smiling man in blue Notre Dame academic regalia with a crest shakes hands with a graduate in matching gown and blue tam.

The Commencement of the Graduate School class of 2026

Author: Erin Blasko

Mary Cunningham Boyce delivered the keynote address Saturday during the Graduate School’s annual Commencement Ceremony, encouraging students in this moment of profound change, from rapid advances in science and technology to the increasing threat of global climate disaster, to “set aside any sense of a well-worn path to ‘success.’

Read More about The Commencement of the Graduate School class of 2026

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. 

Read More about Big recognition for one of our own

The Golden Dome and statue of Mary with a flowering tree in the foreground.

Mary Cunningham Boyce, renowned engineer and scholar, to deliver Graduate School Commencement address

Author: Erin Blasko

Mary Cunningham Boyce, a distinguished expert in mechanical engineering, will deliver the keynote address during the Graduate School’s annual Commencement Ceremony on May 16 at the University of Notre Dame.

Read More about Mary Cunningham Boyce, renowned engineer and scholar, to deliver Graduate School Commencement address

Blue shield logo with Fulbright, a red banner proclaiming Top Producer, U.S. Student Program, globe icon, and red band with 2025 • 2026.

Notre Dame a top producer of Fulbright students for 12th straight year

Author: Erin Blasko

The University of Notre Dame is a top producer of Fulbright students for the 12th consecutive year, according to an announcement from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which administers the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.

Read More about Notre Dame a top producer of Fulbright students for 12th straight year

Fall 2026 SAI Graduate Fellowship Program: applications are now open

Author: Laura Kresnak

Notre Dame Scientific Artificial Intelligence (SAI) Graduate Fellowship The Notre Dame Scientific Artificial Intelligence (SAI) Initiative offers a semester-long fall fellowship program for 8-10 Ph.D. students seeking to newly integrate or deepen the connection between AI and…

Read More about Fall 2026 SAI Graduate Fellowship Program: applications are now open

Emily Wedel, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences

Society of Science Fellow in biology awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the NSF

Author: Deanna Csomo Ferrell

Emily Wedel, a plant biologist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Notre Dame, was awarded the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology from the National Science Foundation (NSF). One of Notre Dame’s Society of Science Fellows, Wedel was awarded the fellowship under the “Understanding…

Read More about Society of Science Fellow in biology awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the NSF

Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Fourteen current or former Notre Dame students awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Author: Erin Blasko

Fourteen current or former University of Notre Dame students have been awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships, with an additional 12 selected as alternates for the award.

Read More about Fourteen current or former Notre Dame students awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Notre Dame faculty member Mitchell Olsen delivers remarks from a podium to a large audience seated at round tables in a bright ballroom with chandeliers.

‘You Belong Here’: 2026 Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Awards

Author: ND Learning

Sponsored by Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence and The Graduate School at Notre Dame, the annual Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Awards celebrate Notre Dame graduate student instructors and TAs who demonstrate excellence in the classroom or teaching laboratory. This year’s winners were recognized April 2 at a dinner in the Morris Inn’s Smith Ballroom.

Read More about ‘You Belong Here’: 2026 Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Awards

The Golden Dome of Notre Dame's Main Building, with the statue of Mary on top, shines under a pink and blue twilight sky, its dark green roofs and stone facade visible through trees.

The Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Author: The Graduate School

As a cornerstone of Notre Dame’s vision to become a preeminent global Catholic research university, the 2033 Strategic Framework identifies "investing in people" as central to the University's mission. A vital component of this investment is the expansion of our postdoctoral community—the "research engine" responsible for driving innovation and mentoring future scholars. To accelerate this growth, the University launched the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in the 2025/26 academic year. This prestigious, University-wide initiative supports exceptional early-career researchers who share Notre Dame’s commitment to being a "force for good."

Read More about The Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

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.

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

A gilded statue of the Virgin Mary atop a gold dome against a blue sky with thin white clouds.

Lunch & Learn: Taxes for International Postdoctoral Scholars and Graduate Students

Author: The Graduate School

A presentation by Tax Analyst Concha Prado Grimmer from the University of Notre Dame Office of the Controller on U.S. taxes for international trainees. Learn what is required of international students for filing U.S. taxes and where to find help and available resources.

Read More about Lunch & Learn: Taxes for International Postdoctoral Scholars and Graduate Students