Notre Dame elects two new Trustees
Two new Trustees — John F. Crowley and Danielle Walker Merfeld — have been elected to serve on the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees effective July 1.
Crowley is president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the world’s largest biotechnology advocacy and policy organization. Prior to joining BIO in 2024, Crowley served as founder, executive chairman and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics. Crowley began his career practicing law and working in management consulting until 1998, when he and his wife, Aileen, learned that their then-15-month-old daughter, Megan, had a rare and fatal neuromuscular genetic disorder called Pompe disease. Desperate to find a cure, Crowley took a position in the pharmaceutical industry and eventually founded Novazyme Pharmaceuticals. Within 18 months, the startup was acquired by biotech firm Genzyme, eventually producing a life-saving medicine for Pompe disease.
Crowley attended the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University, a J.D. from Notre Dame Law School and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. He served as a commissioned intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and is a combat veteran of the Global War on Terrorism. A member of the College of Science Advisory Council and For Good Cabinet, Crowley offered the principal address and received an honorary degree from Notre Dame at the special commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020, which took place in May 2022, having been delayed by the COVID pandemic. The Crowleys have three children, one of whom—Megan—graduated from Notre Dame in 2019.
Merfeld is the executive vice president and global chief technology officer for Qcells, a global provider of clean energy solutions. Previously, Merfeld served as vice president and chief technology officer for GE Renewable Energy and as vice president and general manager for GE Global Research. In 2021, Merfeld was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and serves on the boards of the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech and Advanced Energy Economy.
Merfeld holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Notre Dame, as well as a doctorate in electrical engineering from Northwestern University. Merfeld has served Notre Dame as a member of the Graduate Students and Research Advisory Council, and served previously as a Trustee. Merfeld and her husband, Glen, have three children, two of whom are current students at Notre Dame.
In addition, Trustees Shayla Keough Rumely and Sara Martinez Tucker were re-elected to the Board of Fellows for six-year terms.
Composed of six lay women and men and six priests of Notre Dame’s founding religious community, the Congregation of Holy Cross, the Board of Fellows is the University’s ultimate governing body. The Fellows elect the Trustees, adopt and amend the bylaws and are specifically charged with maintaining Notre Dame’s Catholic character.
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Contact: Erin Blasko, associate director of media relations, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu
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