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Vision

The Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI) is for accomplished individuals who wish to discover, discern, and then launch the next phase of their lives as a renewed and richly prepared force for good in their communities and beyond.

It is important to emphasize that we define "accomplished" broadly to incorporate those who have excelled in business, non-profit organizations, and throughout life as whole.

ILI fellows are mentored and supported by Notre Dame faculty and staff as they tap into the enriching academic environment of the University. They have a wealth of resources available to them, with a core and tailored curriculum at its center, complemented by access to Notre Dame's Domestic and Global Gateways, community engagement, and an invitation to spiritual exploration.

ILI represents Notre Dame’s first venture into "encore education"—a growing form of higher education—and is inspired by the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University and the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University. Just as these pioneering programs reflect the culture of their host universities, so too is ILI infused by Notre Dame's rich traditions.

With the committed support of the University's administration, ILI fellows learn by:

  • Auditing classes, attending lectures, and engaging in student projects on campus
  • Enjoying open access to campus resources and activities
  • Learning from the other fellows as they form a powerful and lasting community
  • Receiving many opportunities to make a lasting impact—both on themselves and in the lives of others—through community engagement and service projects

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.

“Many highly accomplished leaders reach a stage in their lives when they wish to find new ways to be forces for good in their communities and in the wider world. This program will serve as a catalyst for intellectual challenge, spiritual growth, and discernment about sharing their gifts in the next chapter of their lives.”

—Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame President

Thomas G. Burish

“The Inspired Leadership Initiative provides enormous benefits to the University of Notre Dame and to the fellows who participate. Fellows add a rich dimension to our learning environment, sharing their knowledge with students and faculty members alike while actively discerning new ways to apply and expand their talents and effectiveness in being a force for good in the world.”

—Marie Lynn Miranda, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost

What Would You Fight For?

Sample some of Notre Dame's unique and inspiring stories that help to illustrate the ethos and reach of the University:

Endorsed and Supported by the Deans' Council

Program and Faculty Advisors

  • Wendy Angst

    Associate Teaching Professor and Assistant Department Chair, Management and Organization Department, Mendoza College of Business

  • Ted Cachey

    Professor of Italian Ravarino Family Director of Italian and Dante Studies; Co-Director, Center for Italian Studies

  • Ann-Marie Conrado

    Associate Professor, Industrial Design

  • Kathleen Cummings

    Director, Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism and Professor, Department of American Studies and Department of History

  • Darren Davis

    Lilly Presidential Fellow, Department of Political Science

  • Michael Desch

    Brian and Jeannelle Brady Family Director of the Notre Dame International Security Center (NDISC)

  • Marie Donahue

    Global Health Practice, Department of Biological Sciences

  • William Donahue

    Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., Professor of the Humanities and Director, Initiative for Global Europe, Keough School of Global Affairs

  • Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C.

    Director, Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity

  • John Duffy

    Professor of English

  • Margot Fassler

    Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Music History and Liturgy, Director, Program of Sacred Music, and Professor of Musicology and Ethnomusicology

  • John Groden

    Assistant Director, Heart's Desire Social Change

  • Rev. Dan Groody, C.S.C.

    Vice President and Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs

  • Peter Holland

    Associate Dean for the Arts and McMeel Professor of Shakespeare Studies

  • Angela Logan

    St. Andre Bessette Director of Nonprofit Professional Development and Associate Teaching Professor, Management and Organization

  • George Lopez

    Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Professor Emeritus of Peace Studies

  • Rev. Edward (Monk) Malloy, C.S.C.

    President Emeritus and Professor of Theology

  • Timothy Matovina

    Professor and Department Chair, Theology

  • John McGreevy

    Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History

  • Maria McKenna

    Senior Associate Director, Education, Schooling, and Society, Associate Professor of the Practice, Department of Africana Studies, and Faculty Co-Director, AnBryce Scholars Program

  • Connie Mick

    Director, Academic Affairs, and Co-Director, Poverty Studies Interdisciplinary Minor

  • Jim Morrison

    Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives

  • Raymond Offenheiser

    William J. Pulte Director, Pulte Institute for Global Development, Interim Director, McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business, and Professor of the Practice, Keough School of Global Affairs

  • Susan Ohmer

    Associate Professor, Film, Television The William T. Carey and Helen Kuhn Carey Chair in Modern Communication

  • Steve Reifenberg

    Associate Professor of the Practice of International Development and Co-Director, Integration Lab

  • Rev. Kevin Sandberg, C.S.C.

    Assistant teaching professor in the Center for University Advising

  • Jeff Speaks

    Professor and Department Chair, Philosophy

  • Thomas Stapleford

    Associate Professor and Department Chair, Program of Liberal Studies, Concurrent Associate Professor, History, and Faculty Member, Program in History and Philosophy of Science

  • Dominic Vachon

    John G. Sheedy, M.D., Director of the Ruth M. Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine