Leading with Love: Embracing Brilliance in Women's Leadership

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Thrive inviteed members and members of the Notre Dame community to explore the powerful and transformative qualities that women leaders bring to the forefront. Our distinguished panelists, accomplished women from diverse backgrounds, shared their experiences and insights on how embracing the inherent strengths of being a female leader can be a form of leadership fueled by love. 

Recording available: Watch Here
See the original event description: Here

This event's speakers:

Moderator:

• Ramzi Bualuan, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Teaching Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Ramzi Bualuan is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. He has been on the ND faculty for 34 years. Ramzi’s research emphasizes databases. He teaches courses in Databases, Advanced Database Projects, and Visual FX. He was named the recipient of the 2022 Catherine F. Pieronek Women in Engineering Impact Award.

Panelists:

• Eve Kelly, Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Advisor to the Vice President, Office of Institutional Transformation

  • Eve Kelly currently serves as the associate director of strategic initiatives and senior advisor to the vice president in the Office of Institutional Transformation. Her professional work has been devoted to issues of educational access and equity. Most recently she served as the diversity and inclusion program manager in the Office of Human Resources. Previously, Kelly was part of the College of Science at Notre Dame where she served as an assistant advising professor. An alumna of the University of Michigan with both a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies and a master’s degree in social work, Kelly is pursuing a doctorate in higher education from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

• Prof. Kathleen Kolberg, Associate Dean for Advising and Academic Affairs, Assistant Director for Health Services Advising, College of Science
  • Dr. Kolberg teaches courses in Embryology, Psychology and Medicine, and Preparing for the Health Professions. Her research and advocacy interests are in neonatal environments and care standards. She has been a dean and pre-health advisor for 20 years and is dedicated to helping students achieve their goals.
• Jennifer McAward, Associate Professor of Law, Director, Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights

  • Mason McAward is an associate professor of law at Notre Dame. Her teaching and research interests focus on civil rights, constitutional law, and habeas corpus. Her current research focuses on how judicial and executive actors can incentivize police and prosecutors to respect the pre-trial due process rights of criminal defendants. McAward joined the law school faculty in 2005 and was named Distinguished Professor of the Year in 2007. She earned her JD summa cum laude in 1998 from New York University School of Law, where she was managing editor of the law review. She graduated summa cum laude from Notre Dame in 1994, majoring in government and earning a minor in theology.

• Mary Kruk, Service Manager, Campus Dining
  • Mary Kruk is a Manager in the North Dining Hall. She started at Notre Dame in November 2021. A quintessential people person, Mary makes friends wherever she goes. Mary is known for her genuine warmth, making her a natural fit for the hospitality industry. Mary has lived in Michiana all her life and held several managerial roles in a variety of restaurants and bars. Ensuring each person she meets knows that she cares for them is one of Mary's strongest values that she brings to the workplace. Her favorite parts of working at NDH are creating an environment to make the studnets feel like they are at home and working alongside amazing people everyday. She lives in South Bend with her husband of 15 years, their teenage daughter, and their "other child:" a rescue dog named Laurel.