Updates from Notre Dame's Washington Office
June 2026
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FEATURED | DC BRIDGE BUILDERS
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| Inspired by University President Father Bob Dowd's call to be bridge-builders, our office highlights Notre Dame community members making a difference in public service, policy, and beyond.
Meet this edition's DC Bridge Builders, Eve Granatosky, Ph.D. '18 and Austin Matheny-Kawesch '18.
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Fr. Bob shares message of hope and action at Capitol Hill Mass |
Earlier this spring, University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. gathered the Notre Dame community in DC for the second annual Capitol Hill Mass celebrating faith and service. Reflecting on this year’s Notre Dame Forum theme, “Cultivating Hope,” Fr. Bob encouraged attendees to reject cynicism and let God transform their hearts, concluding his homily:
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“Let us open our hearts and let God change us in the ways we need to change, and let us continue to do our best to work with others to bring about changes that make our country and our world more humane, just, and peaceful.” |
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More than 100 members of the Notre Dame family gathered for Mass on February 25.
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Students bring Notre Dame to DC through spring policy visits |
More than 50 Notre Dame students from across campus visited Washington this spring for experiential learning visits focused on policy, advocacy, and public service. Students met with policymakers, federal agencies, think tanks, and alumni working across Washington.
Learn more about the students' spring semester visits >
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The Keough School of Global Affairs’ MGA students spent spring break in DC exploring international development and diplomacy careers.
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Notre Dame Law School student and Air Force veteran Tyler Beamish advocated for student veterans during Student Veterans of America’s Washington Week, meeting with Rep. Rudy Yakym (IN-02) and others.
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Economics students in the Evidence-Based Poverty Alleviation concentration met with policymakers as part of their visit, including Sen. Todd Young (IN).
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| Notre Dame College Democrats participated in a policy and advocacy immersion that included a bipartisan Hill staff panel with Notre Dame alumni.
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Student Policy Network students presented research at an Irish Coffee alumni networking social featuring Rep. Tim Kennedy (NY-26).
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Keough School of Global Affairs and Kroc Institute host conference on American peacebuilding |
The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies convened peacebuilding scholars and leaders in Washington this spring to examine how American peacebuilding efforts can adapt to emerging global and national challenges. Speakers emphasized the importance of coalition-building and framing peacebuilding as a crucial national security investment.
Read more about the conference and Notre Dame's commitment to peace research >
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The Keough School Washington Office hosted a full-day convening on the future of American peacebuilding.
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Notre Dame convenes forum on Ukraine resilience and recovery |
In April, the Washington Office hosted the Ukraine Impact Forum: Faith & Resilience alongside campus partners, bringing together government officials, religious and academic leaders, and scholars from the U.S. and Ukraine for an event highlighting Notre Dame’s longstanding partnership with Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) and the role of faith-driven research partnerships in supporting Ukrainian resilience and recovery.
The forum was followed by Capitol Hill engagements, including a bipartisan Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff briefing and a Member Prayer Breakfast featuring Ukrainian Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak, President of UCU.
Learn more about the forum and the University’s enduring solidarity with Ukraine >
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Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna delivered remarks during the Ukraine Impact Forum.
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Archbishop Borys Gudziak joined Keough School Dean Mary Gallagher for a conversation on the enduring partnership between Notre Dame and Ukrainian Catholic University.
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Notre Dame Club of Washington, DC wins Outstanding Club of the Year |
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Congratulations to the Notre Dame Club of Washington DC, which was recognized as one of Notre Dame’s best alumni clubs in the country, winning the 2025 Outstanding Club of the Year award for its club size.
Join the ND DC alumni club >
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| Notre Dame Club of Washington, DC leaders attended the Alumni Association Leadership Conference on campus in April.
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U.S. Congressman and former Cabinet Secretary visit campus to celebrate faculty mentor who shaped their public service |
In a reflection of the vital role Notre Dame faculty play in developing public servants, Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and his brother Julián Castro, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, visited campus to participate in an event honoring their former professor and personal mentor, Dr. Luis Fraga, Director of the Institute for Latino Studies. Both highlighted the profound influence Dr. Fraga had on their education and careers in public service.
Learn more about their visit >
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Rep. Castro met with undergraduate Merit Scholars while on campus.
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| Rep. Castro was introduced by three students who previously interned in his congressional office before he delivered keynote remarks at Dr. Luis Fraga’s retirement symposium.
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Pete Buttigieg visits campus for Keough School Dean's Forum |
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of South Bend Pete Buttigieg joined Keough School Dean Mary Gallagher this spring for a Dean's Forum on Global Affairs conversation on leadership, innovation, and public service. Addressing a range of global issues, Buttigieg encouraged Notre Dame students to pursue civic engagement and work for the common good.
Read more and watch the fireside chat >
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Pete Buttigieg joined Dean Mary Gallagher for a conversation on “Leadership, Innovation, and the Next Generation” during the Keough School’s Dean’s Forum on Global Affairs.
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UPCOMING WASHINGTON OFFICE EVENTS
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Summer Interns Welcome Dinner – June 15 |
Notre Dame undergraduate students interning or living in DC this summer are invited to join the Washington Office, Keough School, and Club of Washington, DC for a student welcome dinner.
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Date: Monday, June 15
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Location: Notre Dame Washington Office | 1201 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 200
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Know a Notre Dame student spending the summer in DC? Have them join our Summer 2026 student listserv to stay updated on our student summer programming!
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Save the Date: Notre Dame in DC Summer Social – July 15 |
ADDITIONAL EVENTS FOR YOUR RADAR
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Check out upcoming events hosted by our partners in DC!
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- Keough School Washington Office: AI & History Symposium — June 10
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The Keough School Washington Office will host an AI & History Symposium at its office on Wednesday, June 10, from 2:00-5:00PM. The event will convene historians and AI experts to explore how modern AI tools can impact the learning, research, and practice of history. Learn more and register here >
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- 2026 Universal Notre Dame Celebration — June 13
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The Notre Dame Club of Washington, DC will host its annual UND Celebration on Saturday, June 13, from 5:30-8:00PM at the ND Washington Office. What began in 1924 as an annual radio broadcast has since evolved into the flagship event of the Notre Dame Alumni Association. This year’s event, themed “Cultivators of Hope,” features keynote speaker Mike Hildreth, Dean of the Graduate School. Learn more and register here >
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- Keough School Washington Office: ‘Making Public Money Work for All’ — June 23
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The Keough School Washington Office and the International Budget Partnership will convene development practitioners, civil society leaders and policymakers from 10:00-11:30AM on June 23 at the Keough Washington Office to discuss lessons learned from two decades of the Open Budget Survey and the gap between fiscal policy on paper and outcomes in practice. Learn more and register here >
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1201 Pennsylvania Ave Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20004 US
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