Members of the Notre Dame family continue to devote their talents, time, and resources to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic and support the ill, at-risk, and vulnerable in numerous ways.
Below is the latest in a series of Be The Light stories about alumni doing good during the ongoing fight against this global outbreak. Read Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, and Volume 4 for more stories of the ND family around the world.
Jennifer Groth ’19 is a medical assistant in the COVID-19 testing center at a hospital in Boston.
What is your connection to Notre Dame?
I graduated in 2019 from the College of Science with a major in neuroscience and behavior, and a minor in poverty studies. I was a three-time Monogram winner on the women’s rowing team. I also completed a Summer Service Learning Program (SSLP) volunteering at a shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
How is your work impacting the fight against COVID-19?
I work as a medical assistant at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston. Until the pandemic, I was working in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. When the orthopaedic clinic closed, I volunteered to be redeployed to the COVID-19 Testing Center. I work at the drive-through test site where I check in patients for their appointments and perform nasal swabs to test for coronavirus.
How did Notre Dame influence your career path?
Along with my degree (and many blisters/calluses on my hands), I left Notre Dame with a strong desire to serve others. I aspire to be a pediatric orthopedic surgeon treating underserved youths. One opportunity I have to make a difference is through my training to run the Boston Marathon for Team BIDMC. I am raising money to support the Healthy Champions program at the Bowdoin Street Health Center in Boston. If you would like to learn more about the mission of the Healthy Champions Program, in addition to my marathon journey, please reach out to me at jgroth@alumni.nd.edu.
What message would you like to share with your Notre Dame family?
Take care of yourself and one another. Be smart and stay healthy. Don’t forget to keep smiling.
Melissa Guinan ’12 works at the New York City Economic Development Corporation to support the city’s coronavirus response.
What is your connection to Notre Dame?
I'm Class of 2012, Badin Hall, a political science major, with a minor in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service.
How is your work impacting the fight against COVID-19?
I am an assistant vice president for partnerships and the director of international affairs for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), a quasi-governmental organization that works to create opportunity and shared prosperity for all New Yorkers. During this crisis, the amazing team at NYCEDC has been working in close coordination with City Hall, the Department of Health, and the Office of Emergency Management to support the citywide COVID-19 emergency response. As just one example, to prepare for the arrival of the USNS Comfort in Manhattan, my colleagues undertook a massive effort to dredge 92,000 cubic yards of material from the Hudson River, working around the clock to complete what would normally take 14 days of work in just eight.
NYCEDC is also coordinating with local manufacturers that have the ability to make needed medical supplies at scale. We are working with fashion and garment manufacturers to produce hundreds of thousands of reusable and disposable gowns for health care providers, and nine local manufacturers are producing 300,000 face shields per week. Currently, I am working on a new effort to build a local supply chain that will produce testing kit supplies in New York City to support up to 50,000 tests per week. We are bringing together academic and commercial labs with local manufacturers to produce the viral transport media and testing swabs used in specimen collection for COVID-19 testing.
How did Notre Dame influence your career path?
I was able to explore my interests in policy through my coursework in the political science department, working as a research assistant, and undertaking an internship at the U.S. Department of State with funding support from the Nanovic Institute.
What message would you like to share with your Notre Dame family?
This crisis has made us all acutely aware of the importance of community, and how our individual actions can help keep each other safe and healthy. It has also put a spotlight on the inequality within communities, as some neighbors can stock up on weeks of food and safely work from their homes while other neighbors suffer from homelessness, food insecurity, and job loss. Even after we move beyond the current health crisis, I hope we can each think about how addressing other systemic issues will make us all safer in the long run.
Theresa Lawton Hawley ’88 is an early childhood systems and policy expert in the Illinois Governor's Office.
What is your connection to Notre Dame?
I graduated from Notre Dame in 1988, as did my husband Mike. I was a psychology major, Farley girl, and member of Chorale all four years. Our son, Patrick, and his fiancée, Jillian Finkelstein, graduated in 2017.
How is your work impacting the fight against COVID-19?
As part of the Governor's Office team in Illinois, I have been leading our efforts to ensure that essential workers have access to safe and affordable child care during our state's stay-at-home order, and that our child care system financially survives this pandemic. Child care in normal times is a precarious business, with razor-thin margins and very limited public funding, and there is tremendous concern that we will lose a large part of our early childhood education and care infrastructure over the next several months. We've been implementing many creative strategies to support these small businesses and are inspired by the way thousands of providers have stepped up to serve families. I also help support our K-12 and higher education systems navigate this unprecedented time of "remote learning," working with colleagues to manage the many regulatory changes that have been needed at warp speed.
How did Notre Dame influence your career path?
Notre Dame helped me deepen and sharpen my commitment to social justice and to faith lived in action. In my classes and work with professors, I discovered my passion for understanding how young children develop, and how good social policy rooted in science can help ensure that all children have what they need to develop to their potential.
What message would you like to share with your Notre Dame family?
Please know that there are thousands and thousands of dedicated people at all levels of government who have been working nonstop during this crisis to ensure our health and safety, doing everything they can to minimize the harm that this pandemic is causing. The work is incredibly challenging because so much about this virus is still unknown. Please pray for us to have the wisdom to make good decisions for the people we serve.
Joe Lohmuller, M.D. ’81 is a surgeon in the Quad Cities.
What is your connection to Notre Dame?
I am a member of the Class of 1981, having majored in biology. While there I lived in Grace Hall on the floor that later became my sister’s (Beth Grisoli ’87, ’90 M.A.) office. I am currently honored to be the vice president of the Notre Dame Club of Quad Cities.
How is your work impacting the fight against COVID-19?
I am the president of a stellar group of general surgeons who provide acute care surgery and trauma surgery to our Quad Cities community. Our team has been deeply involved in the care of acutely ill COVID patients, providing surgical care in a highly infectious environment, triaging patients who need urgent operations in the face of a pandemic, and helping develop contingencies for the onslaught of critically ill patients (our 20-bed ICU had to expand and at one point we had 24 patients we needed to accommodate). Only this week have we been able to expand our surgical schedules to perform operations on patients with problems that are not immediately life-threatening. Some of my cancer patients have waited 4-6 weeks for surgery.
How did Notre Dame influence your career path?
As is common among ND alumni, I treasure the time I spent on campus in a stimulating environment, among a group of motivated, caring, and spiritual friends, faculty, and staff. My close ND friends and I still convene regularly and they remain a significant positive influence on my life. I count their counsel as some of the finest I have ever received ... along with some Emil T. [Hofman] once gave me. "In these uncertain times," I have been able to lean on these treasured lessons in life, the faith that matured in me at Notre Dame, and the friendships from ND that are everlasting.
What message would you like to share with your Notre Dame family?
Stay home, wear a mask, wash your hands, be careful, contribute any way you can to those around you who never had the advantages that ND alumni have been given. And ... stay tuned for the next pandemic. It will likely come.
Dan Renaldo ’83 is the CEO of Eva’s Village, a nonprofit organization in New Jersey.
What is your connection to Notre Dame?
I am a 1983 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a B.B.A in accountancy. Although I was a business major, I loved art, music, writing, and photography as well and focused many of my electives in these areas. I worked in the South Dining Hall to help pay my tuition and was very grateful for the financial aid I received from Notre Dame. My sister Michelle Ferguson '80, her two sons Michael Ferguson '05 and Brian Ferguson '06, and my sister Donna Dwyer '89 all are Notre Dame graduates.
How is your work impacting the fight against COVID-19?
After a long career in the media at NBC Universal and Disney/ABC News, I now serve as the CEO of a nonprofit in Paterson, New Jersey, called Eva’s Village that cares for thousands of people each year, through an interconnected model of behavioral healthcare and social service programs that strive to break the cycles of poverty, homelessness, and addiction.
Because most of our clients suffer from multiple health issues and compromised immune systems and live with us in tight communal living (in halfway houses and shelters), we knew they would be at high risk for contracting COVID-19 if the pandemic reached our area. In January we convened an “Emergency Preparedness” team that began meeting daily, to develop plans to protect and serve our clients, staff, and community while keeping vital services up and running. On any given day we usually have 200-300 men, women, and children living in our halfway house treatment programs and emergency shelters; hundreds more who come daily for meals, outpatient services, recovery support workshops and meetings, and classes in our culinary school. We also have over 200 staff, most of whom provide direct care and services to our residents and the others who rely on us. So, our planning had to take all of this into account. This team coordinated the development, communication, and execution of a response plan that outlined emergency operations for each program; got masks and other PPE and cleaning supplies stocked; and prepared and trained staff members to work from home or be temporarily reassigned to other roles.
Guided by this plan and our leadership team, our dedicated staff has worked hard at keeping our vital services running 24/7. We have adjusted many of their programs, providing “to go” meals for the community and implementing telehealth to stay in touch with treatment clients and others struggling with addiction and mental health. We also set up an “infirmary” to safely care for residents who became sick — knowing that when these individuals were discharged from the hospital and sent “home” to recover, the home they would be returning to was Eva’s Village. The organization only has one doctor, so most of the 24-hour infirmary shifts have been covered by staff who do not have medical training. I have worked many weekends in the infirmary doing my best to care for COVID-19 positive clients. It is a difficult and humbling assignment that many of our staff members have volunteered for despite the obvious risks. But it is made easier by seeing the strength and resilience of both the clients and the staff. Some of these clients have been through hardships greater than I could ever imagine. They are fighters. It is incredibly inspiring. To date, 12 of Eva’s residents have contracted COVID-19, and thankfully, as of right now, they have all recovered and been cleared to return to their houses. Nine of our employees have also tested positive, and some are still home recovering. Every day brings new challenges, but with the support of our staff, donors, and private and public partners, we will endure and continue to serve those in need in our community.
How did Notre Dame influence your career path?
Along with receiving a strong, comprehensive education in the fundamentals of business and financial management, I also took advantage of many courses in the College of Arts and Letters that helped develop and strengthen my writing and storytelling skills. I spent many long nights working on papers, photo essays, and slideshows that were a great complement to my business courses. This background created a strong foundation for a career in media which requires using both sides of your brain — understanding and embracing both art and science as well as both storytelling and technology. In addition, as any Notre Dame graduate knows, there is something special about our alma mater. Like most students, I had my share of setbacks while attending Notre Dame and always appreciate the support and encouragement I received from my professors, classmates, and school administrators as they helped me work through adversity. It taught me the importance of the Notre Dame family, of community, and of our shared responsibility to help others — to give back.
What message would you like to share with your Notre Dame family?
Eva’s Village and Paterson, New Jersey, are truly on the front lines of the pandemic. The work here is always difficult and stressful, but the last few months have been extraordinarily challenging under intense, relentless pressure. But the commitment, compassion, and courage I have seen firsthand from our staff and the clients we serve gives me great hope for brighter days ahead. We’ve got a lot of the stories on our website, www.evasvillage.org. But we — and other organizations like Eva’s Village — cannot do it alone. We need help and I believe now is the time for the Notre Dame community to step up. Everyone has been impacted in some way by this crisis, I know. But places like Eva’s Village are here for people who literally have nowhere else to go. We are their safety net and their lifeline. Eva’s Village founder, Msgr. Vincent Puma, once said, "When you take someone’s hand, you cannot drop it until they can stand on their own two feet." That quote has informed everything we’ve done over the past 38 years.
Notre Dame fosters leadership with a servant's heart. We need both to help Eva’s Village survive and sustain. We need support, and we also need passionate, brilliant minds. Last year I was able to recruit a graduate of the Notre Dame MBA class of 2019, Shannon Russo, to join our staff as our Quality Assurance and Operational Excellence Manager. She has been with us for eight months and has made an immeasurable impact on the quality of our care. We’ve also been tremendously helped this year by my ND Class of ’83 classmate, Mike Hanifin, who is a trustee of the Margaret A. Darrin Charitable Trust and made a significant gift to help us through this crisis. My sisters, Michelle and Donna, have also helped us. We need more Shannons and Mikes, more Michelles and Donnas. Let’s all Wake up the Echoes and help Eva’s Village and America through these difficult times.
Andrea Shioleno, M.D. ’08 is a pulmonary critical care physician in Boston.
What is your connection to Notre Dame?
I graduated from Notre Dame in 2008 with a major in biological sciences and a minor in peace studies. I am a third-generation Notre Dame graduate, but I am most proud to be the first woman in my family to attend the University. As a student, I lived in Walsh Hall for three years and served as the service commissioner for the dorm. I always had an interest in global health and its impact on communities, so during undergrad, I dedicated over two years to malaria research with a focus on vaccine development.
How is your work impacting the fight against COVID-19?
I am currently a pulmonary critical care physician who has pursued additional training in the subspecialty of pulmonary hypertension at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. My background in pulmonology and critical care has placed me at the front lines of Boston’s COVID pandemic managing our sickest patients who are on mechanical ventilation and ECMO. I have the privilege of working with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other support staff from a diversity of backgrounds who have all responded to this crisis enabling us to rapidly expand our critical care capacity to meet the rising needs of COVID. We have worked together as a team pulling from everyone’s strength to care for these patients. As a physician, I participate in weekly conferences to discuss our experiences, review the evolving literature, and propose new policies and protocols to improve our approach to these patients. I have also been reaching out to my colleagues from all over the country to enhance our understanding of this virus’s impact on patients and compare ICU protocols. Most importantly, I serve to communicate with families who are unable to visit the hospital due to visitor restrictions and provide them with support in these uncertain times and updates regarding their loved ones.
How did Notre Dame influence your career path?
During my time at Notre Dame, I was inspired by Father Hesburgh’s work in social justice. The photo of him walking hand in hand with Dr. Martin Luther King to advocate for human rights and equality has always resonated with me. This powerful moment captured in history reminds me of the importance of not backing down from a noble cause. I ultimately pursued a career with high acuity and complex patients as I wanted the skills to handle even the most challenging cases we encounter in the medical field. It has also inspired me to advocate for gender equality both before and during this pandemic. Most importantly, his legacy has always reminded me of the importance of solidarity and the power of fighting for a universal cause to end human suffering.
What message would you like to share with your Notre Dame family?
We are all impacted by this pandemic in a variety of ways. Our country faces turbulent times with people disagreeing about how to move forward. No matter the differences that may exist, I feel the most important thing that has gotten me through long night shifts, the fear of exposing myself and loved ones, and the frustrations surrounding the dissemination of misinformation, is to remain focused on the sense of community instead of our personal inconvenience and suffering. When we focus on a common goal of helping each other through this uncertain time we are much stronger than the individual.
