In memoriam: Michael Montalbano, adjunct assistant teaching professor
Michael Montalbano, adjunct assistant teaching professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday (Nov. 7) at his home in South Bend, Indiana. He was 66.
The South Bend native taught undergraduate and graduate management courses at Notre Dame since 2015. He was a business executive with more than 40 years of experience in marketing, strategy and executive development, holding leadership positions from vice president of marketing to president and CEO. He served on numerous boards and as the managing director of Verso Ministries, a Catholic pilgrimage company that organizes travel to sacred sites worldwide. In 2018, he founded Imprenditori, a company that supports entrepreneurs in growing their ventures.
Montalbano was a graduate of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He later earned a Master of Business Administration from Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Mendoza College of Business hosted a walk to the Grotto and a prayer service for students, faculty and staff in Montalbano’s honor on Wednesday (Nov. 8) with faculty chaplain Rev. Frank Murphy, C.S.C., presiding. Students recalled Montalbano’s deep authenticity, his gift for mentorship and his genuine care for them as individuals.
“Mr. Montalbano was a great mentor and friend,” said Matthew Potter, a senior accountancy student at Mendoza. “I will really miss the dinners he hosted for some of us in the Marine Corps ROTC host family program and all the amazing advice and stories he had to offer.”
“Mike went out of his way to host student gatherings at his house,” said Craig Crossland, senior associate dean for programs at Mendoza College of Business. “He would often invite more than a dozen students at a time from his undergraduate and graduate classes to join himself and his wife for dinner and community building. He truly loved Notre Dame and our students.”
Montalbano was well-known and respected for his contributions to the local community, including organizing literary events, participating in local literary organizations and supporting literacy programs for underprivileged youth.
Montalbano is survived by his wife, Susan; three sons, Vincent (Millicent) Montalbano of Austin, Texas, Thomas (Emily) Montalbano of Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Dominic (Angela) Montalbano of Holliston, Massachusetts; and seven grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:30 p.m. Monday (Nov. 13) in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Inurnment will follow in Cedar Grove Cemetery. His obituary is available here.
Latest Colleges & Schools
- Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing: Censoring hate speechIn an era of intense polarization, Democrats and Republicans have historically, and mistakenly, believed that members of the other party prioritize protecting certain types or victims of hate speech over others based on stereotypes or their affiliation with those potentially vulnerable groups. New research from the University of Notre Dame, however, revealed that partisans generally agree on what to censor when it comes to the target, source and severity of hate speech.
- Economist Kirk Doran wins UK’s Panmure House Prize honoring interdisciplinary researchKirk Doran, an associate professor in the Department of Economics at Notre Dame, has won the 2024 Adam Smith Panmure House Prize. The prize, named after the forefather of economics, celebrates those who embody Smith’s empiricism and long-term interdisciplinary thinking in their research.
- Political scientist explores extending constitutional duties to private actorsNew research from Christina Bambrick, the Filip Family Assistant Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame, explores the nonconventional idea that each of us, as private citizens, may be responsible for upholding the constitutional rights of our fellow citizens. She examines constitutional politics across the globe to explore these different approaches to balancing rights and responsibilities in a democratic society.
- Six new faculty join psychology department to advance research on mental health, other disordersThe Department of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame has hired six new faculty members this year, a significant expansion of a field that is core to the University’s commitment to fighting the U.S. mental health crisis.
- Keough School invites members of the community to join in International Day of Peace eventsThe Keough School of Global Affairs will observe the International Day of Peace with two campus events: a prayer service featuring University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., on Friday (Sept. 20) and a talk by a Notre Dame graduate who serves in the Sierra Leone government on Tuesday (Sept. 24). Both events are free and open to the public.
- Former Irish prime minister to speak at Notre DameLeo Varadkar, former prime minister of Ireland and current member of parliament in Dáil Eireann, will join the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, part of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs, for a public discussion of Irish current affairs including public health initiatives, civic life and the political future of the island of Ireland. “A Conversation with Deputy Leo Varadkar” will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 (Friday) in the Hesburgh Center Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.