Karen Kennedy appointed associate vice president for residential life
Karen Kennedy, senior advisor in the Office of the Executive Vice President at the University of Notre Dame, has been appointed associate vice president for residential life in the Division of Student Affairs, effective spring 2024.
In this role, Kennedy will oversee all established and emerging areas of the Office of Residential Life, including residential communities, facilities, programs and services available to the more than 6,600 undergraduate students who reside on campus. As associate vice president, Kennedy will also provide strategic leadership of the University’s residential model, one of the most established and distinctive components of the Notre Dame undergraduate experience. Additionally, Kennedy will steward the unit’s core mission of providing holistic student development and formation in the context of community rooted in the University’s Catholic, Holy Cross tradition.
“Karen brings to this role a deep knowledge of and appreciation for residential life at Notre Dame, a sincere devotion to our students and a strong commitment to her faith and our Catholic mission,” said Rev. Gerard Olinger, C.S.C., vice president for student affairs. “I am thrilled that she will return to the Division of Student Affairs to strategically and thoughtfully lead a team that supports student belonging, helps students to integrate their academic and social lives, and encourages students to cultivate their gifts, talents and interests at Notre Dame and beyond.”
Kennedy earned her master’s degree in higher education administration from Boston College, and her bachelor’s degree in science-business from the University of Notre Dame. She began her career at Notre Dame in 2012.
Before she started in her role as senior advisor to the executive vice president, Kennedy served as program director for ND Innovates in Institutional Research, Innovation, & Strategy. Within the Division of Student Affairs, Kennedy previously held leadership roles as director of student centers, activities and events; director of housing; and senior advisor to the vice president for student affairs. Kennedy also received both the Rev. John Francis “Pop” Farley, C.S.C., Award from the division for her distinguished role in student life, and the Nancy J. Walsh Irish Clover Award from Notre Dame Student Government for her exemplary service to the student body.
Prior to Notre Dame, Kennedy worked at Boston College for six years, during which time she served as director of the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps and helped launch the Lynch Leadership Academy.
Kennedy lives in South Bend with her husband, Sean, and three children.
Latest ND NewsWire
- Researchers deconstruct chikungunya outbreaks to improve prediction and vaccine developmentThe symptoms come on quickly — acute fever, followed by debilitating joint pain that can last for months. Though rarely fatal, the chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne illness, can be particularly severe for high-risk individuals, including newborns and older adults. While the virus is common…
- Eck Institute investigator to strengthen postpartum care for Indiana mothersYenupini Joyce Adams, associate professor of the practice and maternal health lead for the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame, is partnering with Beacon Health System to pilot a new, first-of-its-kind postpartum care model in the South Bend-Elkhart community.
- Gen. Martin Dempsey to speak at Notre Dame Forum event on ‘Hope, Global Stability and the Role of the United States’Gen. Martin Dempsey, the retired 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will join University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., for a fireside chat at 4 p.m. Friday (Oct. 10), as part of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum. The discussion, titled “Hope, Global Stability and the Role of the United States,” is part of the exploration of this year’s Notre Dame Forum theme, “Cultivating Hope.” It will take place in Rooms 215/216 of McKenna Hall and will also be livestreamed. The event is free and open to the public.
- University of Notre Dame joins the Global Coalition of Ukrainian StudiesThe University of Notre Dame has joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies after signing a memorandum of cooperation, formalized Sept. 24, at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City. Notre Dame joined four other American institutions that were also publicly welcomed to the coalition at this event: Arizona State University, Columbia University, Manor College and the Shevchenko Scientific Society.
- One year later, Inauguration Build a ‘dream come true’ for Habitat familiesOne year later, work on Inauguration Build 2024 is complete, offering shelter and so much more to five local families.
- Alumni Association and YoungND honor 2025 Domer DozenThe Notre Dame Alumni Association announced its 2025 Domer Dozen cohort, honoring 12 graduates ages 32 and younger for excellence in their contributions in learning, service, faith and work — the core pillars of the association’s mission.
