If you’ve visited Notre Dame’s campus in recent years, chances are you’ve encountered the telltale signs of progress and growth—stunning new buildings and landmarks, freshly renovated spaces, and several more construction projects underway. These efforts showcase the strategic vision behind the Notre Dame Campus Plan, a blueprint guiding the sustainable development of the University in the years to come.

In this episode of For Good, Doug Marsh, Vice President for Facilities Design and Operations and University Architect, reflects on his decades of experience overseeing the growth of Notre Dame’s campus and affirms his commitment to honoring and preserving the historic and sacred character that distinguishes Our Lady’s University.

Don your hard hats and join us for this sneak peek into an active construction site on campus—and catch a glimpse of Notre Dame’s future.

00:00 - Meet Doug Marsh
03:46 - McCourtney Hall Building II, a Top-Level Research Space
05:26 - Intentional Campus Planning
08:17 - Notre Dame Residence Halls
11:30 - Restoration and Maintenance
13:12 - Building Accessibility
14:47 - Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and the Notre Dame Arts Gateway
18:27 - Neighborhood Development: Collaborating Beyond Campus
22:15 - Notre Dame’s International Facilities

The sport of women’s college volleyball has seen a meteoric rise in popularity, underscored by record-setting attendance at matches—including one event last season that saw a world-record crowd of more than 90,000 fans. At Notre Dame, excitement is building around the Fighting Irish women’s volleyball program and for good reason: Notre Dame Volleyball is poised to ascend to new heights through the leadership and vision of venerated head coach Salima Rockwell. 

In this episode of For Good, Salima Rockwell shares why she left broadcasting to coach at Notre Dame, what excites her about the culture and identity of her team, and how she is laying the foundation for Notre Dame Volleyball to excel—both now and well into the future.
With free admission available for all Notre Dame Volleyball matches, Salima Rockwell’s talented team will soon be filling the seats in Purcell Pavilion, and before long, maybe even the bleachers of Notre Dame Stadium.

00:00 - Meet Salima Rockwell

1:31 - Broadcasting the 2024 Paris Olympics

5:30 - Becoming Head Volleyball Coach at Notre Dame

10:28 - Building the Team's Foundation

15:14 - Volleyball, Community, and Team Culture

17:58 - 2024 Fall Season

22:27 - Recruiting for the 4 For Forever Notre Dame Experience

25:12 - Setting Purposeful Goals

30:18 - Support and Resources

32:32 - A Vision that Prepares Student-Athletes for Life

Notre Dame has long been known for its support of students from diverse backgrounds, from immigrant communities in the early 20th century to veterans on the G.I. Bill. Now, the University is continuing to expand the ways that it ensures the success and flourishing of all Notre Dame students, including first-generation, low socioeconomic status, or differently prepared learners.

In this episode of For Good, Maria McKenna, Director of the Transformational Leaders Program (TLP) and the AnBryce Scholars Initiative, discusses how Notre Dame helps students reach their full potential by meeting each student where they are, accompanying them throughout their formative journey, and educating the whole person—in mind, body, and spirit.

Give the gift of Notre Dame: https://giveto.nd.edu/for-good-stories?fund_id=489&promotion_code=10013

00:00 - Meet Maria McKenna and the Transformational Leaders Program (TLP)

06:59 - Meeting Students Where They Are

11:32 - TLP Lounge Area, A Thoughtfully Prepared Environment

14:48 - Providing a Sense of Belonging

18:23 - Peer Mentoring and Support Systems

19:36 - A Full Commitment to Students

28:53 - Nurturing Relationships and Community

35:44 - Vision for the Future

The topic of democracy is front of mind these days, especially now as we enter the summer of a presidential election year in the U.S. The University of Notre Dame occupies a privileged position as a leading non-partisan voice in discussions about democracy, and the new Notre Dame Democracy Initiative signals the University’s intention to build on this unique legacy.

In this episode of For Good, David Campbell, the Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy and inaugural Director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, discusses why people become disengaged from civic life, what gives him hope about the future of American democracy, and how Notre Dame can become a leader in establishing informed, civil discourse on democracy worldwide.

00:00 Meet David Campbell

2:38 The Importance of Democracy

3:34 David’s background, research, and books

6:55 Trends of civic disengagement 

11:08 An All-inclusive democracy initiative at Notre Dame

14:58 The Role of education in developing civic responsibility

20:45 The three unique pillars of Notre Dame’s Democracy Initiative

23:51 A hopeful future beyond polarization

27:27 The upcoming election season and global movements

30:28 The importance of providing resources to the Democracy Initiative

For only the third time in 72 years, the University of Notre Dame has a new president, Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. This transition in leadership heralds the beginning of a new era for Notre Dame, one marked by tremendous optimism and opportunity.

In this episode of For Good, Father Dowd explains what makes Notre Dame distinctive in all of higher education and discusses how his personal and spiritual journey has given him wisdom, humility, courage, and faith—the hallmarks of a leader capable of guiding Notre Dame into a promising future.

00:00 - Meet Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

06:57 - Serving a Mission: Priesthood and the Holy Cross

08:25 - Academic Journey and Time in East Africa

12:10 - Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity

14:39 - Leadership Experiences and Overarching Perspective

16:38 - Building on Strengths: The Strategic Framework

19:33 - Working with Fr. John Jenkins

23:26 - Notre Dame's Unique Role in Higher Education

26:37 - Building Bridges and Addressing Challenges

29:38 - The Notre Dame Way in Intercollegiate Athletics

37:10 - Inauguration Celebration

College sports are in turmoil. For athletics departments across the country, the stakes are high, and the challenges are unprecedented. While many universities are scrambling to respond, the University of Notre Dame is staying true to its mission, providing an unmatched student-athlete experience that offers the best of both worlds: a world-class education paired with a championship culture.

In this episode of For Good, Pete Bevacqua, Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics, discusses how coming back to lead Notre Dame Athletics was the fulfillment of a dream he didn’t know he had and how Notre Dame’s fierce independence will help the University successfully weather the chaos engulfing college sports.

00:00 - Meet Pete Bevacqua

12:37 - Transition from NBC Sports to Notre Dame

19:23 - Notre Dame Football

22:18 - The 4 For Forever Notre Dame Student-Athlete Experience

29:52 - Football Program Scheduling

32:53 - Outstanding Coach-Educators and Staff

36:32 - Why The Student-Athlete Journey Matters

38:46 - The Importance of Financial Resources

42:36 - A Hopeful Vision for the Future of College Athletics

The University of Notre Dame is no stranger to innovative, groundbreaking research. Synthetic rubber, wind tunnels, and wireless transmissions—each of these novel inventions, alongside many others, were developed within the University’s walls. Now, Notre Dame is taking its research enterprise to the next level.

In the 13th episode of For Good, Jeffrey Rhoads, Vice President for Research, discusses how research is an essential component of the Notre Dame experience and how Notre Dame can become a global leader in generation-defining research.

00:00 - Meet Jeff Rhoads

05:49 - The Significance of Notre Dame at the AAU

08:01 - Research as a Force for Good

12:33 - Importance of Clean Room and Research Facilities

14:01 - Research Drive and Multidisciplinary Approach

20:51 - Undergraduates Involvement in Research

22:16 - Notre Dame's Role in Regional Economic Development

25:34 - The IDEA Center and the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

27:34 - 10-Year Research Vision

Leading communications for a congresswoman, the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and the association that oversees the nation's top research universities is no easy feat. It takes a special expertise to navigate the complexities of these high-stakes roles, and that special expertise just found his way to Notre Dame.

In the 12th episode of For Good, Pedro Ribeiro, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications, discusses the significance of Notre Dame joining the Association of American Universities, the unique role Notre Dame plays in bringing together leaders from opposite sides of the aisle in D.C., and the importance of maintaining the student experience for student-athletes as the landscape of college athletics evolves.

(00:00) Meet Pedro Ribeiro

(04:15) From Public Service to the AAU

(08:20) Notre Dame joining the AAU

(10:15) The Leading Catholic Research University in the World

(12:05) Pedro’s Call to the Notre Dame Mission

(20:24) Notre Dame’s Special Role in D.C.

(25:34) Notre Dame and the South Bend Community

(28:47) Honoring Fr. John and Welcoming Fr. Bob

(30:57) Shaping Communications with Data

(34:36) Protecting the Freedom of Speech in a Constructive Way

(37:18) Exciting Next Steps

For 52 long years, Colombia was in turmoil due to a protracted civil war between the Colombian government and the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). When the warring sides signed the historic Colombian peace accord in 2016, Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies became responsible for verifying and monitoring its implementation—making Notre Dame the first and only university in the world to play such a direct role in maintaining peace.

In the 11th episode of For Good, Josefina Echavarría Alvarez, Professor of the Practice and  Director of the Kroc Institute’s Peace Accords Matrix, explains how Notre Dame has become an internationally recognized leader in peacebuilding around the world, how she addressed the U.N. Security Council on resolving disputes peacefully, and how her team is preparing a peace accord to end armed conflict in the Philippines.

0:00 Meet Josefina Echavarría Alvarez

8:45 The Peace Accords Matrix

14:24 Looking Beyond Stopping Violence

18:26 The Barometer Initiative in Colombia

21:08 Engaging Continuous Change

25:05 U.N. Security Council Address

29:29 Peacebuilding in the Philippines

32:51 Notre Dame’s Mission For Peace

34:52 Team Effort Towards Healing

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it’s easy to become distracted and lose track of our contemplative nature. The arts help us recenter and focus on the things that matter most—the things that make us human. In the tenth episode of For Good, Joe Becherer, the Director and Curator of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, explains why he commissioned well-known artists to create works specifically for the new museum, how art plays a role in various disciplines, and what impact the new museum will have on communities near and far.0:00 Meet Joe Becherer4:04 The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art 11:25 Spiritual Enlightenment Through Art14:10 A Vision for Growth15:11 The Chapel, Manifestation of a Dream27:22 Department Partnerships35:07 Arts Gateway and Community Integration37:51 Dreams for the Museum