I am honored to be able to pen my first note to you as the Vice President for Research at the University of Notre Dame. You may be wondering why this note comes more than two months after my start date. The motivation is simple: I believe strongly in listening before acting.
Over the past 60+ days, I have had the opportunity to visit virtually every Center, Institute, and Core Facility under the Notre Dame Research (NDR) umbrella and meet with faculty, staff, and students alike to hear about their dynamic research efforts as well as their associated successes and challenges. I have visited with core NDR staff to absorb our policies and practices, learning of not only their amazing dedication to the University's success but where we may have opportunities for growth. I have engaged with other University stakeholders—including faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and friends, as well as industry partners and federal, state, and local government collaborators—to learn not only of their passion for and belief in the University of Notre Dame but also their properly lofty expectations for the University as we move forward.
Regardless of whether the discussion took place here on campus, on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., or in the heart of Dublin's city center, I heard three key messages:
- The mission of Notre Dame to be a "powerful means for doing good" remains in focus,
- Our research foundations are strong, and
- Research at Notre Dame can reach new heights.
This is a testament not only to my predecessor and colleague, Bob Bernhard, and the team he has assembled over the previous 16 years but also to the solid institutional culture that has been developed, instilled, and shared at the University.
Today, as I look out on the quad in front of the Main Building, I see a future that is as bright as our recently regilded Dome. Our recent admission into the Association of American Universities (AAU) speaks to what has been accomplished and what we will accomplish. Our new Strategic Framework provides a veritable North Star: not just the desire but the clear goal to become "the leading global Catholic research university, on par with, but distinct from, the world’s best private universities."
Achieving this goal will not be easy. It will require us to grow our foundations, our expectations, and our aspirations. It will require us to think creatively and strategically, utilizing our scale to enable agility and our strengths to beget more opportunity. And it will require us to embrace new opportunities in our local and global community to have a translational impact. To this end, I am confident we will attain our goal if we strive to do so together, particularly if we focus on what has carried us this far to date: a strong mission, grounded in faith, that is supported by an exceptional group of dedicated faculty, students, staff, and alumni who help foster a culture of excellence and have a distinct plan for action.
In my next note, which I will send later this autumn after our Notre Dame Research Town Hall, I will share more details on that action plan. Until then, please know that we are laser-focused on ensuring that Notre Dame Research remains a force for good in our world.
