Hesburgh Libraries

Tireless advocate. Compassionate facilitator. Devoted servant leader. Energetic problemsolver. These are but a few of the ways this year’s Rev. Paul J. Foik, C.S.C., Award winner was thought of by the numerous collaborators, both within and outside the Notre Dame community, whom she interacted with during the course of her 24-year career at the Hesburgh Libraries. In her role as Graduate Outreach Services Librarian, she transformed the Dissertation & Thesis Camp programs that connect students with scholarly resources, best practices, and care for the whole person. “She was unsurpassed in her devotion to providing a voice and necessary support programs for Notre Dame’s graduate and professional students,” remarked one of the Camp attendees. “She was an expert in her field and disseminated techniques and strategies on how to conduct research in the most effective way, without detriment to the researcher’s mental health,” wrote another. Additionally, she shared her expertise and sense of humor with the Moreau College Initiative, teaching research skills to college students incarcerated at Westville Correctional Facility, always meeting them where they were and discovering the value in each individual’s research ideas. Describing the impact of her work, one nominator commented, “In her own way, she changed for the better the lives of these members of our society that we often overlook.”