Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., will be inaugurated as 18th President of the University of Notre Dame in a convocation and inauguration ceremony on September 13, 2024.

Mass is celebrated at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame for the Presidential Inauguration of Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

Notre Dame Forum 2024: "What do we owe each other?" Description: As part of the celebration of the Inauguration of Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., as the University of Notre Dame’s 18th President, the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum kicks off with a series of "fireside chats" focusing on the theme "What do we owe each other?"This year’s theme, chosen by Father Dowd, invites reflection on our responsibilities to one another. In a world where ideological and cultural divisions seem to have deepened, the Forum aims to bring people together across differences to face the most pressing challenges of our time.Schedule:11:00 a.m. | Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM on The Future of Responsible Tech, interviewed by John Veihmeyer, former Global Chairman of KPMG and Chair of the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees1:00 p.m. | Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General, CEO, and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact on Business as a Global Force for Good, interviewed by Anne Thompson, Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent for NBC News2:00 p.m. | David Rockefeller Jr., Philanthropist and Environmentalist on A Legacy of Giving Back, in conversation with Jack Brennan, former CEO and Chair of Vanguard3:15 p.m. | Admiral Christopher W. Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Ambassador Joe Donnelly, Former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican and Former U.S. Senator on Advancing Peace in a Fractured World, in conversation with Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., University President

There are 18 million adults in the United States who do not possess a high school diploma. In many states, after age 21 they are no longer eligible to receive one, and must get a GED, which typically offer less promising outcomes.Goodwill saw this gap and launched the Excel Center, an adult, tuition-free adult charter school that also offers services like childcare and life coaching, to ensure the success of their students.They saw what they believed was great success at their flagship, Indianapolis location, but they lacked data to help it grow, so they invited Notre Dame’s Wilson-Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) to assess their program.Its study showed graduates from the Excel Center saw a 40 percent increase in earnings in five years. Graduates were also more likely to move into jobs that became careers, and to support their families long-term.Based on this data, states like Arizona have changed their legislation and pledged money to build Excel Centers.Learn more: https://go.nd.edu/ImproveEducationPolicies

The Notre Dame student body gifted Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., with a new set of vestments for his inauguration as President of the University.Each time Fr. Dowd celebrates Mass, the vestments will be a reminder of the support and prayers of the Notre Dame student body.

An introduction to Notre Dame's 18th president from the people who know him best.