50 YEARS OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS AT NOTRE DAME

When Father Ted Hesburgh advocated for coeducation at Notre Dame in 1972, he envisioned a half-and-half split:

“When God made the human race, he didn’t
just make men; he made men and women.
Since this is considered the best Catholic
university in the world ever, well, why
shouldn’t half the people here be women
as well as men, since women ... are just
as important in the scheme of things?”

Yet gender equality has a ways to go in the major spheres of life, including business, society, home life, politics, education and faith. At this mid-century mark of the first female students enrolled at Notre Dame, we invited women associated with Mendoza — alumna, students, faculty and staff — to look ahead and reflect on the challenges, changes or hurdles they have or continue to face on the path to gender equality.

“Much of the discourse around women at work in the U.S. is of the “lean in” variety — if women would simply negotiate harder, self-advocate better, speak louder, they would flourish. The data around experiences of women and men at work tell us the story is much more complex.”

JESSICA MCMANUS WARNELL
Associate Teaching Professor of Management & Organization

“The challenge lies with shifting views of assertive women, especially those who exhibit the exact same qualities as male counterparts, and to start valuing other traits stereotypically associated with being a woman.”

JOCELYN ORLANDO (BBA ’24)

“Good intentions are wonderful, but they are not enough. The immediate and urgent challenge is for organizations to recognize their biases and take the necessary steps to prevent them. Once they do so, the positive benefits can be realized.”

ANN TENBRUNSEL
David E. Gallo Professor of Business Ethics
Chair of the Department of Management & Organization

“As a female researcher and teacher in the IT, Analytics, and Operations Department, I would like to encourage more female students and faculty to join this area of business research and practice. We hope to encourage and help more women in these professions.”

XUYING ZHAO
Associate Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations

“When students don’t see someone like them in a role they aspire to have, it can be discouraging. It’s important to have women represented among the faculty and to highlight the accomplishments of alumnae and connect undergraduate women with alumnae in their prospective fields.”

KRISTA FOSTER
Assistant Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations

“Universities must commit to hiring female and minority faculty in male-dominated disciplines. This will show female students that they can have a successful future and encourage enrollment in that discipline.”

KRISTEN COLLETT-SCHMITT
Associate Dean for Specialized Master’s Programs
Associate Teaching Professor of Finance

“I think women are more often asked to prove they are competent, and therefore have to work harder to show their worth. I do think society has come a long way, and now women are being recognized for our worth.”

NANETTE EASH (PICKERING) (BBA ’89)

“Companies have few women in senior roles. It is not a matter of talent or competency; no one person is capable of working 70-hour weeks while raising a family, maintaining a stable home and being a good family member, colleague and friend. Until we have men willing to make changes to foster a more equal environment, it won’t change.”

AMY BROWN (BBA ’97)

“More broadly, a greater societal understanding and recognition of the need to help working mothers succeed both at work and at home will help ensure that progress on this front continues.”

KAITLIN WOWAK
Associate Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations