Paloma Garcia-Lopez, the associate director for the ILS, has been awarded a Presidential Achievement Award for her contributions in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at Notre Dame.
In her role at ILS, Paloma oversees the Institute's many programs, as well as a team of staff members and student workers. Such programs include the Latino Studies Scholars Program, a merit-based leadership initiative that began in 2017; the eight-week Cross-Cultural Leadership Program (CCLP), which places Latino Studies majors and minors at internships across the country; and our annual Hispanic Heritage Month festivities, bringing Latino culture to campus in the months of September and October.
Since arriving at ND five years ago, Paloma has also focused on enhancing special events, communications operations, fundraising, and budgeting. Making Latino Studies a key component of Notre Dame's academic curriculum has been another priority. Additionally, she leads Adelante ND, an employee resource group for Latinx staff and faculty. For the College of Arts and Letters, she serves as diversity catalyst.
This year there were twelve recipients for the award. These staff members exemplify Notre Dame’s core values: accountability, teamwork, integrity, leadership in excellence and leadership in mission.