The Bulletin - January 24, 2024

Notre Dame Alumna Earns Judicial Appointment to Maryland’s District Court

Jennifer Alexander ’98 was a junior at Notre Dame when she first realized that she wanted to attend law school. That initial interest led to an accomplished 20+ years working as an attorney for the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office and multiple private practices.

Alexander’s hard work was rewarded in November, when Governor Wes Moore appointed her to the District Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County. She was officially sworn in as a judge during a December ceremony in Annapolis.

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Art Therapy Master’s Program Partners with SSNDs at Villa Assumpta

A new partnership with Villa Assumpta, a retirement home for the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSNDs), provided art therapy master’s students at NDMU with a new opportunity to develop their skills as group leaders this fall. The SSNDs are the foundresses of Notre Dame.

Ten students enrolled in the department's Group Process course led weekly 90-minute group art therapy sessions at the residence to complete one of the course’s three leadership requirements. Students would create their own themes for the week, with examples throughout the semester including the making of yarn dolls, a group scribble session, and the creation of a zine booklet.

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Office of Accessibility Launches New Accessibility Testing Center

The Office of Accessibility has established a new Accessibility Testing Center! Located in the basement of Theresa Hall, the ATC opened on Monday, January 22. It offers a variety of tools and techniques to assist NDMU students in becoming successful. Services Include screen readers, braille machines, and other assistive technologies.

The ATC is open only to undergraduate and graduate students who have previously registered to receive services from the Office of Accessibility. To schedule a test in the ATC during the Spring 2024 semester, or to learn more about the room, students can email atc@ndm.edu.

State Grant Helps Former EMT, Current Paraeducator Complete Lifelong Goal of Earning College Degree

Derek Johnson is one of many students benefiting from grant money provided to NDMU’s School of Education by the Maryland Leads Initiative – money which offers free tuition and additional funding to prospective teachers from three county school systems.

Johnson has worked as a paraeducator for Prince George’s County Public Schools since 2018, but given an ongoing educator shortage across the nation, he has been placed as a fifth grade reading and social studies teacher for the past two years. The Maryland Leads Initiative aims to allow paraeducators and other support staff the opportunity to earn the required degrees and certification needed to transition into permanent teaching roles. Johnson currently holds a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while working towards his bachelor’s degree and certification in special education.

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Renaissance Institute Announces Spring 2024 Course Schedule

Are you or a family member or friend over 50 and looking for some fun and enrichment? Do you enjoy learning new things in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere? The Renaissance Institute at NDMU offers a unique approach to lifelong learning by providing both an educational program and a social community built around you, and for you, by our members. RI offers 6 and 12-week week courses both on campus and via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning February 6 and 8. 

Registration for the spring semester is now open! Spring semester members also can participate in the popular Summer in the City program, with many activities to choose from. Gift certificates for a parent, grandparent or friends are available.

 A "Welcome Day" is scheduled for Thursday, February 1 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Feeley International Center (ground floor of Meletia Hall). This will be an opportunity to tour classrooms, obtain your membership badge, parking permits, and student ID's, sign up for clubs or committees, and meet other members.

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Student/Faculty/Staff Updates

School of Arts, Sciences, & Business

Yasmine Awais, PhD, Art Therapy Graduate Program’s Research Coordinator and Associate Professor, recently co-presented with Britton Williams, PhD, at the Society of Social Work and Research (SSWR) conference, which took place from January 10-14 in Washington, DC. Their workshop, Utilizing Arts-Based Methodology to Center Marginalized Voices through an Intersectional Lens, was part of the overall conference theme “Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science.”

SSWR is the premiere social work research conference, with approximately 2,100 registrants and over 500 symposia, workshop, roundtable, paper and poster presentations.

School of Education

Dr. Angelo Letizia, assistant professor in the School of Education, has released a new book titled, "Poetic Inquiry and Arts-Based Research for the Maintenance of the Republic and What Comes After A Vision for Metamodernity," Published by Routledge Press, it is available for purchase online.

School of Nursing

Congratulations to the December 2023 graduates of the School of Nursing's 15-month Accelerated 2nd Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program! Cohort members were recognized during a pinning ceremony in LeClerc Theatre on Friday, December 15.

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Conference and Auxiliary Services

Updated Dining Information