The Pulte Institute recently announced a senior leadership change that will continue to build on its strengths and underscore its commitment to overcoming poverty and helping all people live with dignity.
“This transition helps to broaden our focus on bringing multidisciplinary faculty from across campus and international partners together to conduct and analyze research to assist decision-makers in creating effective policies,” said Pulte Institute Executive Director Michael Sweikar. “Our momentum is strong, our innovation pipeline is unmatched, and our strategy is working. What continues to be clear is that there’s so much more potential ahead of us to produce information that helps legislators and officials make choices today to determine the quality of life for generations to come.”
Tracy Kijewski-Correa, engineering and global affairs professor, became the Pulte Institute's William J. Pulte Director, effective July 1. She replaces Ray Offenheiser, who became senior advisor to Scott Appleby, the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough School, and serves as the director of the McKenna Center for Human Development.
Aligning against its next chapter of growth, Kijewski-Correa will oversee the Pulte Institute’s Innovation and Practice, Entrepreneurship and Education, and Evidence and Learning Divisions and its strategic plan for Fiscal Years 2025–2029. She will also continue to serve as academic director of the Keough School’s Integration Lab (i-Lab), which provides Master of Global Affairs students with hands-on experience in actual work environments to design and execute projects directly related to careers in global affairs. Read more about Kijewski-Correa on the Keough School’s website.
Offenheiser joined the Pulte Institute in 2017 after serving 20 years as CEO and president of Oxfam America. In his new role, Offenheiser will work closely with Keough School Dean Scott Appleby to identify and pursue new opportunities to drive growth. Read more about Offenheiser.
Kijewski-Correa is supported by a deep bench, including Sweikar, who established the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development—now the Pulte Institute for Global Development—in 2012. Today, the Pulte Institute works in over 70 countries and has implemented more than 100 research projects worldwide. Over the past decade, the Pulte Institute has proven to be a leader in research among the University’s internationally focused entities, having secured over $20 million in total rewards during fiscal year 2021-2022.