PULTE INSTITUTE Pulse • Issue 11 • August 2023

The Pulte Institute for Global Development works in over 70 countries with hundreds of partners worldwide to turn research into effective policies to address poverty-related issues.

Tracy Kijewski-Correa, engineering and global affairs professor, became the Pulte Institute's William J. Pulte Director, effective July 1. She replaces Ray Offenheiser, who became senior advisor to Scott Appleby, the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough School, and serves as the director of the McKenna Center for Human Development. Read more about the new Pulte leadership »

Rooted in the recognition that Africa has become a key player in social science research, Notre Dame’s Pamoja ND Africa initiative invited academics from across the continent to gather in Nairobi, Kenya, for a Partnership Summit earlier this summer. See photos and read more about the summit »

Pulte’s Central America Research Alliance is made up of Central American university partners, think tanks, and NGOs whose collective work is grounded in lived experiences to better understand why people migrate. CARA Co-Directors Tom Hare and Estela Rivero recently joined Keough School colleagues and experts from the Organization of American States Department of Social Inclusion and Club de Madrid to provide human rights defenders with expert training. Learn more about the Keough School’s and CARA’s efforts to build solidarity to advance human rights »

Notre Dame's President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., welcomed 23 of Africa’s brightest emerging leaders to campus on June 26 for a six-week Leadership Institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The cohort is part of the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

“As we look to the future, there is no more important place than the continent of Africa,” Fr. Jenkins said. “Our interaction with you and your membership in the Notre Dame family makes us a more international, global university.” Watch a recap of the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders program »

Congratulations to Melissa Paulsen, the Pulte Institute’s director of Entrepreneurship and Education Programs, for her well-deserved University of Notre Dame Presidential Achievement Award. Learn more about Melissa, “a role model who embodies all of the University's core values” »

Pulte Institute Professor of the Practice Michael Morris and his Urban Poverty and Business Initiative received the 2023 Entrepreneurship Practice Award from the Academy of Management at its annual meeting on August 4-8 in Boston. The award recognizes contributions to scholarship, field experience, and the community relevant to the practice of entrepreneurship. Over the past four years, UPBI has supported low-income and disadvantaged entrepreneurs in launching and building sustainable businesses. Find out more about the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative »

Evidence and Learning Coordinator Jaclyn Biedronski recently received a 2022-2023 Keough School Recognition Award for “significant achievement” beyond her regular job responsibilities. Biedronski served as the project manager and oversaw a team of undergraduate and graduate students who worked on updating the Pulte Institute’s “Private Sector Engagement Evidence Gap Map,” a visual representation highlighting existing gaps in research. Check out the interactive tool used to support evidence-based decision making »

Following the rise of the Islamic State and other sectarian tensions that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis and displaced millions between 2014 and 2017, efforts have focused on stabilizing the country and promoting reconciliation. The Pulte Institute, in collaboration with the University of Duhok in the Kurdistan region and other partners, hosted a symposium and panel discussion at the Keough School’s Washington Office in June to discuss art and culture as a healing force. See how the Pulte Institute is helping to restore agroecological practices and culinary traditions in Northern Iraq »

The Pulte Institute, in collaboration with the Eck Institute for Global Health, announces the appointment of Mushtaque R. Chowdhury as a visiting fellow for the fall 2023 semester.

Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi development worker, researcher, academic, and micro-philanthropist, will produce a policy paper, deliver lectures, and foster discussions around the Keough School on poverty and sustainability topics. He spent four decades with BRAC, the world's largest NGO, serving as its Executive Director and as the founding dean of the BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health. Chowdhury is also a Population and Family Health professor at Columbia University and worked as acting managing director at the Rockefeller Foundation. Read more about Mushtaque and his impressive career »

The Pulte Institute, collaborating with international experts and partners at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, established the Reimagining Business Excellence Program at the University of Notre Dame at Tantur in Jerusalem. The initiative drew on cutting-edge research and real-world problem-solving and served entrepreneurs and community leaders across the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Read more about this program to bolster global entrepreneurship »

The Pulte Institute seeks a Sustainability Program Manager to play a crucial role in helping grow our environmental justice research projects portfolio. This role will collaborate with corporations, foundations, and federal agencies by providing budget management and logistics support—and will be instrumental in advancing the Institute’s work to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Learn more and apply »