The University of Notre Dame Alumni Association recently launched a new initiative called ND Women Connect, which provides opportunities for women graduates to enhance their personal and professional relationships and make valuable contributions to Notre Dame, their local communities and causes that inspire them.
ND Women Connect, which is facilitated through local Notre Dame clubs, currently has chapters located in Washington, D.C., Denver, Chicago and Detroit.
“Our women graduates have told us they face challenges integrating their work life with the rest of their life,” said Dolly Duffy, associate executive director of the Alumni Association. “We created ND Women Connect to provide a channel for our alumnae to help one another. One of its unique features is that each chapter has the flexibility to decide what type of programming will best serve its members. Whether it is professional networking, book clubs, moms and babies playgroups, happy hours or retreats, ND Women Connect recognizes that our alumnae have a common bond based on shared values and backgrounds that is worth cultivating to help ND women reach their full potential.”
Each chapter hosted events in May to celebrate the initiative, and the national steering committee also will do so by hosting a “Work-life Balance” seminar in conjunction with Notre Dame’s Alumni Reunion on campus. The seminar will take place Friday (June 5) at 2:30 p.m. in the Browning Cinema of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Presenters will be Duffy and Brenda Torres, a 1994 graduate and partner at Crowe-Horwath.
In addition, ND Women Connect, together with the University’s Gender Relations Center, will host a special reception in honor of Sister Jean Lenz, O.S.F., former special assistant to the vice president of Student Affairs at Notre Dame, who recently retired after 35 years of service to the University. A reception will be held after the seminar at 3:45 p.m. on the Irish Green terrace at the DeBartolo Center.
Additional information on ND Women Connect is available by visiting womenconnect.undgroup.org.
Contact: Karen Conway, director of academic programs, Notre Dame Alumni Association, 574-631-5940, Conway.57@nd.edu