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One hundred sixty-nine University of Notre Dame graduating seniors embarking on a year or more of service in this country and abroad were honored during the University’s annual Service Send-Off ceremony on May 18 (Saturday) in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center’s Leighton Concert Hall.

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame, commended the seniors for their commitment to service. Nearly a quarter of the graduates will join the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) or programs that share its model to serve as educators in the nation’s Catholic schools. Others will serve in the Peace Corps and Teach for America. Still others will mentor AIDS orphans in South Africa, cultivate sustainable agriculture in the South Pacific islands, foster spiritual formation in the nation’s parishes, or provide a host of other services that match the mission of Notre Dame.

Roger Huang

Roger Huang, interim dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, has had the interim label removed from his title and is now the Martin J. Gillen Dean of the college, according to Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University.

The Kenneth R. Meyer Professor of Global Investment Management at Notre Dame, Huang was appointed interim dean last year when Carolyn Woo became president and chief executive officer of Catholic Relief Services.

“Roger is an internationally respected scholar who during his time at Notre Dame has proved to be an equally accomplished leader,” Father Jenkins said. “His reputation in his field, administrative experience, strategic perspective and commitment to Notre Dame’s mission as a Catholic research university are extraordinary. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to build a superb business school that serves the greater good.”

Beginning this fall, University of Notre Dame undergraduate students interested in pursuing international economics as a major can choose from among five new language options: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, German and Russian. These are in addition to the three Romance languages — French, Italian and Spanish — already available.

International economics, the newest major within the College of Arts and Letters, combines substantial coursework in the Department of Economics with advanced training in language and culture. It also provides students with the potential for overseas internships and specialized research projects.

“With the addition of these languages, the international economics major is an even more attractive option for undergraduates who want to prepare for international careers,” said Richard Jensen, Gilbert F. Schaefer Professor and Chair of Economics.

The Career Center hosted the 2012 Winter Career and Internship Fair and Diversity Reception on Wednesday, February 1. A total of 128 corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations attended this year's fair, along with more than 1500 students from all colleges and class years.

Hilary Flanagan, formerly director of career services at John Carroll University, has been appointed director of career services at the University of Notre Dame, according to Erin Hoffmann Harding, vice president for student affairs.

Flanagan, whose appointment became effective Jan. 15, replaces Lee Svete, who left the post to become Notre Dame’s associate vice president of career and professional development last July.

The University of Notre Dame’s Eck Institute for Global Health and the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) have announced a new opportunity for IUSM medical students to receive global health training through a joint Medical Doctor/Master of Science in Global Health (M.D./M.S.) integrated dual degree program that will begin in August.

“We are excited about this joint effort that will prepare students to make a big impact on the health of some of the world’s most underserved populations,” says Gregory Crawford, dean of the College of Science at Notre Dame.

The University of Notre Dame ranks ninth in percentage of students participating in study abroad programs among American doctoral/research institutions, according to a report released by the Institute for International Education (IIE).

During fall 2010, spring 2011 and summer 2011, the focus of this year’s study, 59.7 percent of Notre Dame students had participated in study programs in other countries, a 2.8 percent increase over the previous year. The University of San Diego ranked first in the IIE report with an 86.8 percent participation rate, followed by Georgetown University at 75.9 percent. Notre Dame ranked ninth last year as well.

University of Notre Dame graduates Grace Johnson and Kelsie Kiley’s documentary, “Project Hopeful,” completed for Documentary Video Production in the Department of Film, Television and Theatre (FTT), is about a new kind of modern family: one where an Illinois couple with seven biological children doubles the size of its family by adopting orphans with HIV/AIDS and special needs.

Johnson and Kiley’s film follows Carolyn and Kiel Twietmeyer, the couple who started the nonprofit organization Project Hopeful, and other families who have adopted children through the organization.

Pioneering journalist Ted Koppel will visit the University of Notre Dame on Oct. 12 (Friday) for a public discussion of contemporary journalism, politics and world affairs. Sponsored by Notre Dame’s John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy, the talk will begin at 1 p.m. in the Hesburgh Library auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Koppel’s career spans more than half a century. He started as a broadcaster at WMCA Radio in New York, then in 1963 became a correspondent for ABC News Radio, where one of his first assignments was covering President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

The University of Notre Dame will host its sixth annual Notre Dame Energy Week Sept. 23-27 (Sunday-Saturday) at various campus locations.

Co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame Student Advisory Board (cSEND SAB) and GreeND, Energy Week aims to educate the Notre Dame community about energy research and issues in a fun and interactive way, and will include energy awareness events both on and off campus, including academic talks, networking events and tours.