NDMU's 14th President

Marylou Yam, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Saint Peter's University in New Jersey, has been named President of our University, effective July 1, 2014!

Dr. Yam joins the Notre Dame community from Saint Peter’s University, a Catholic Jesuit liberal arts institution in Jersey City, N.J., where she most recently served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

As the first woman in the history of Saint Peter’s to serve as Dean of its College of Arts and Sciences and School of Business Administration, and as a nationally recognized researcher on victims of domestic abuse, Dr. Yam exemplifies Notre Dame’s mission of preparing leaders to transform the world and its active and longstanding commitment to social responsibility.

To read more about our new president, click here
To view a short video about Dr. Yam, click here

Welcome Gabby Gator!

Today the Athletics Department unveiled our brand new Gator Mascot, Gabby and the Baltimore Oriole was here to help welcome her to campus! She cheers at all of our athletic events and sometimes makes appearances at other events as well.

The gator was chosen as our mascot in 1983 (pictured left). It is said that in the 1900s, a rather eccentric student kept one as a pet in her bathtub in Meletia. For the record, alligators are no longer on the approved list of acceptable pets for obvious safety concerns. The campus voted on both her look and name last Spring. She now wears a white NDMU Athletic T-shirt and blue basketball shorts.

Education Beyond the Classroom

One of the best things about college is that education is not limited to the classes that you take. At Liberal Arts institutions, like Notre Dame, there is an emphasis on interdisciplinary education, or education that goes beyond your specific major. Our school recognizes that to really be an educated person, you must knowledgeable about topics outside your focus. This is why a Biology major is required to take an art course and a philosophy student has to take a history course.

This full and rich education is what makes a person dynamic! A person who is educated through the liberal arts is the person who can talk knowledgeably about current events, how it relates to history, the impact it might have on the economy and how popular culture is an expression of the human experience during this time. This is the person who is able to adjust to an ever shifting job landscape because they see how the world is connected and can make use of those connections to stay flexible.

Besides requiring students to take classes in all the fields of discipline, Notre Dame also hosts various lectures that are open to the whole campus and public. It centers around a theme and is presented by a knowledgeable speaker. This is a chance to explore a topic that does not (on the surface) seem related to person's major or career but is in fact, a topic that is of importance to us all.

Next Tuesday the 18th at 7 pm, Richard Louv will be coming to campus to speak on the "Nature Movement", which is response to our our highly technology enriched lives. The lecture is sponsered by the Education department but is open to the entire campus and public.

 If you are interested in attending, contact your admissions counselor or register here. It is a free event.

Sheri Booker (NDMU Alumna) Wins NAACP Image Award

Sheri Booker, a 2004 Notre Dame graduate has been awarded an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work from a Debut Author for her memoir, Nine Years Under: Coming of Age in an Inner City Funeral Home.

Sheri teaches at the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. She accepted the award during a ceremony on Feb. 21 prior to the Feb.22 NAACP Image Awards national telecast.

“It means the world that I can bring this award back home to Baltimore, the national headquarters of the historic NAACP,” Booker said. “I share this honor with my beloved mother who passed just weeks ago. I'm also thrilled that my wonderful students at the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women have the 

opportunity to witness the limitless opportunities
that come with hard work, discipline and perseverance.”

If you think her face looks familiar, check out page 28 of our view book; she is one of the alums we are featuring this year! If you don't have a view book, check out the page below!

FAFSA Deadline: February 15th

You have less than two weeks to file your FAFSA! The 15^th is Notre Dame’s priority deadline which means that you will be in the first wave of students to be considered for financial aid. To receive any aid form the state of Maryland your FAFSA must be received by the Maryland Higher Education Commission by March 1, 2014. Click here for more information: http://www.ndm.edu/admissions/financial-aid/how-to-apply/

While file early? Well, why wait? The earlier you file, the earlier you will receive your complete financial aid letter Once you have your complete financial aid letter, you will be able to see what each college you have applied to is going to cost. Until you know, it’s hard to make an informed decision of where to attend. You also want to file early so you don’t miss out on any money. There are a lot of students who seek financial aid from the government and once it’s gone, it’s gone. You want to be first in line! Thirdly, you want to file early for the sake of convenience. No one needs the stress of running around trying to find all the necessary documents and fill out all the forms two days before it’s due.

So take some time this weekend, sit down with your parents or guardians and fill out your FAFSA. Then you can spend some time researching the perfect bedding set for your future dorm room!

If you have any questions, contact your admissions counselor or the Office of Financial Aid at 410-532-5369 or finaid@ndm.edu There is still time to set up a personal appointment and work one-on-one with a financial aid staff member.

Awesome Alums (A shamless brag story)

Of course we love to showcase what our current students are up to (and you can even read for yourself by viewing their personalblogs), but we also can’t help sharing the exciting news of our fearless alums!

Nicole Buckingham Kern ‘03 has some art work on display at the Howard County Arts Council that was described as "the most striking artwork in this show". Multiple artists designed and created dresses made from various materials at the Ordinary Woman Gallery.. Nicole's dress is created from plaster and folded to give it the appearance of movement and life.

To read the full article click here: http://www.baltimoresun.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (to visit college campuses!)

This is a wonderful time to visit college campuses. Although many of the current students are off campus (our students are on break from December 16^th until January 27^th) the admissions office is still open. It is always suggested that once you know what schools have accepted you to visit or spend the night at your favorites before making your decision. However, it can be difficult to schedule those visits in the final months leading up to graduation. Why not visit now while you have no school to worry about? 

What are some benefits to visiting during winter break and early January?

• ·         There are more appointment times available because you’re visiting during a relatively quiet time of the year. 

• ·         After New Years is over, many faculty and staff return to campus to plan for the coming semester which means your admissions counselor can arrange for you to meet with a professor in your major, or a coach.

• ·         Almost all current students are on break so it is easier to schedule an appointment with the Financial Aid office.

• ·         It is a less stressful time for you to visit. You are either on break or just started the new school year so you don’t have any major assignments due yet. Take advantage of this brief calm!

If you are interested in visiting Notre Dame, give us a call (410-532-5330) or go to http://www.ndm.edu/admissions/womens-college/visit/admissions-events/ to register for one of our Winter Open House events, the next one is this Saturday, January 18th!