Hesburgh Film and Panel Discussion

Sponsored by the Mendoza Staff Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council

Wednesday, January 18 in Jordan Auditorium

5-5:30 p.m. - Pizza served in the Mendoza Atrium

5:30-7:15 p.m. - Hesburgh Film Screening in Jordan Auditorium

7:15-7:45 p.m. - Panel Discussion in Jordan Auditorium

In coordination with Walk the Walk Week, the Mendoza Staff Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council is pleased to host a film screening and panel discussion focused on the lasting impact Fr. Theodore Hesburgh has had on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues at Notre Dame, the country, and the world. Please join us for pizza, watching the Hesburgh and hearing some reflections. Following the film, we’ll hear from Fr. Monk Malloy, president emeritus of Notre Dame who succeeded Fr. Hesburgh; Fr. Hugh Page, the inaugural vice president for institutional transformation; and Dr. Joan Mileski, a visiting teaching professor in Mendoza and one of the first undergraduate women to attend Notre Dame.

Please click here to RSVP for pizza and to submit questions for our panelists.

5-5:30 p.m. - Pizza served in the Mendoza Atrium

5:30-7:15 p.m. - Hesburgh Film Screening in Jordan Auditorium

7:15-7:45 p.m. - Panel Discussion/Reflections in Jordan Auditorium

About the film: Amidst some of the most tumultuous times in our nation’s history, one unlikely figure finds himself in the eye of the storm as he works to advance the causes of peace and equal rights for all people. He is Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C, long-time president of the University of Notre Dame.

Hesburgh offers a unique glimpse at more than fifty years of American history. Educator, civil rights champion, advisor to presidents, envoy to popes, theologian and activist, Hesburgh was called on by countless world leaders to tackle the most challenging issues of the day. He built a reputation as a savvy political operator with a penchant for bridging the divide between bitter enemies. Through it all, he remained a man armed with a fierce intelligence, a quick wit and an unyielding moral compass -- a timeless example of bipartisan leadership that would serve us in today’s increasingly polarized times. Watch the trailer.

About the panelists:

The Rev. Edward “Monk” Malloy, CSC, Ph.D., ‘63, ‘67, ‘69
President Emeritus
Professor of Theology

Rev. Edward "Monk" Malloy, C.S.C., completed his 18th and final year as president of the University of Notre Dame on July 1, 2005.  He now serves as President Emeritus.  As the University’s 16th president, Father Malloy was elected by the Board of Trustees in 1986, having served five years as vice president and associate provost.  Father Malloy is a full professor in the Department of Theology and has been a member of the faculty since 1974.  As President Emeritus, he continues to teach, conducting a seminar for first-year undergraduates each semester, and he makes his home in Sorin Hall, a student residence on campus.

The Rev. Canon Hugh Page, Jr., D.Min.
Vice President for Institutional Transformation and Advisor to the President
Professor of Theology and Africana Studies

Hugh R. Page, Jr. is the University’s inaugural vice president for institutional transformation and advisor to the President. In this role, he serves as a strategic leader working closely with Father Jenkins and University leadership to create and coordinate an integrated diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy centrally and across various divisions, colleges and schools. He facilitates the formulation and implementation of various DEI initiatives, monitors progress, and works with units to catalyze structural and cultural change consistent with the University’s values.

Page served as vice president and associate provost for undergraduate affairs from 2013-2022, dean of the First Year of Studies from 2005-2019. He has been a faculty member at the University since 1992 and holds appointments in theology and Africana studies. He has also served as associate dean for undergraduate studies in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters and director of the African and African American Studies Program. He was instrumental in the development of the latter into the Department of Africana Studies, which he then chaired.

An Episcopal priest, Page holds a bachelor’s in history from Hampton University, two master’s degrees from The General Theological Seminary in New York, a doctorate in ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation, and a master’s and doctorate in Near Eastern languages and civilizations from Harvard University. He joined the Notre Dame faculty in 1992 and, in 2001, received a Presidential Award for distinguished service to the University.

Page’s scholarly interests include early Hebrew poetry, Africana biblical interpretation, esoterism in Africa and the African Diaspora, poetry as a medium for theological expression, and the use of religious traditions and sacred texts in the construction of individual and corporate identity in the Africana world.

He is the author or editor of Exploring New Paradigms in Biblical and Cognate Studies, The Myth of Cosmic Rebellion: A Study of its Reflexes in Ugaritic & Biblical Literature, Exodus: A Bible Commentary for Every Day, The Africana Bible: Reading Israel’s Scriptures from Africa and the African Diaspora, and Israel’s Poetry of Resistance: Africana Perspectives on Early Hebrew Verse.

Joan Mileski, PhD. ‘79
Visiting Teaching Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations (ITAO)
Hesburgh Women of Impact

I am a tenured professor at Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG).  When I was at Notre Dame it was not the Mendoza College of Business just the College of Business.  I was one of the first women at ND (Class of 1979) and we had only one or two women in each class.  But we were a strong group despite our small numbers and now many of us are members of the Hesburgh Women of Impact.

I was the first in my family to graduate from college.  So I chose to be a faculty member at TAMUG because many (30%) of my students are first-time college graduates in their families as well. I help my students and can relate to them. The value system I lived at Notre Dame has given me the desire and know-how to be effective with my students.

The accounting faculty trained me well (who can forget Adam Adamoski?).  I still have my Beta Alpha Psi certificate on the wall.  I was the treasurer of Beta Alpha Psi in my senior year and Professor Don Wittgen led us to be one of the best chapters in the country.

I also placed well out of college with Deloitte. The partner in charge of the Chicago office that I joined graduated from the College of Business at Notre Dame. I learned a little about mentoring from him. Deloitte sent me to graduate school to make me more effective at taxation compliance for our clients. This allowed me to eventually become the Director of Taxation for Westin Hotels.

After about 15 years in the corporate workplace, I decided that I enjoyed graduate school and academic research. I then entered a PhD program at the University of Texas at Dallas. I used my knowledge of accounting and taxation to do research on the impact of taxes and other factors on the location of investment.

I married my Notre Dame sweetheart and I now have been married for over 40 years. So, as I was finishing my PhD my husband was recruited to the University of Texas Medical Branch to head the trauma unit and the emergency department. I then found myself in Galveston. I took a faculty job at Houston Baptist University and 4 years after I earned my PhD I was promoted to associate professor. This speed of promotion was again due to emphasis on hard work and excellence that the College of Business taught us in every class. I was then recruited to Texas A&M University at Galveston where I received tenure on arrival as an associate professor in the Department of Maritime Business Administration.

Entering research on the maritime industry was a new adventure. ND and The College of Business taught me to be fearless in always stretching your knowledge and yourself.  Also, the maritime industry tends to be male dominated. My experience as one of the first women in the College and at ND helps me to encourage women to enter the industry and be fearless.

As I have progressed in my career here at TAMUG, I have built on the solid foundation of training from Notre Dame’s Business College. I am now the Department Head. As Department Head, I lead my faculty colleagues. The most important thing I learned at Notre Dame is that to lead people effectively you must respect them and value what they do whether the person is a staff or faculty. This respect results in the person exceeding any expectations you had for her/him but most importantly s/he exceeds the expectations s/he had for themselves.

I am always proud of what I studied and the faculty who taught me. Thank you for a great career!