Fourteen Notre Dame sophomores are joining the Kellogg International Scholars Program this fall, beginning a three-year experience that combines faculty mentorship, hands-on research, and a close intellectual community focused on global issues.
Established in 2003, the International Scholars Program is the Kellogg Institute’s flagship undergraduate research program and a top program at the University of Notre Dame. Through a highly selective process, the program identifies talented and intellectually curious students and brings them into the life of the institute early in their undergraduate careers.
The 2026 cohort of Kellogg International Scholars includes
- Ada Duru Ak – Global Affairs
- Margaret (Daisy) Bidwell – Political Science; Physics
- Maêva de Faria – Global Affairs
- Rory Gannon – Global Affairs
- Raphael Guimaraes – Economics; Political Science
- Elizabeth Hiller – Program of Liberal Studies; Pre-Health Studies
- Cailey Huang – Architecture
- Lucy Loes – Global Affairs; Environmental Sciences
- Alexa Luna – Political Science; Latino Studies
- Aidan Martinez – Global Affairs; Political Science
- Mariana Medeiros de Sousa – Neuroscience and Behavior
- Elizabeth Panfile – Political Science; Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics
- Jiya Patel – Psychology; Political Science
- Gabriel Velasquez Gotopo – Global Affairs; Economics
Beginning in their sophomore year, International Scholars work as paid research assistants with Kellogg faculty fellows, gaining firsthand experience with the process of academic research while developing their own interests and skills. As they progress through the program, students may apply for summer funding to conduct research or pursue international experiences, and by senior year, many complete a thesis or capstone project on an international issue under the direction of a Notre Dame faculty member.
International Scholars also become part of a community that extends well beyond their individual research projects. They have access to Kellogg lectures and conferences, opportunities to meet visiting scholars and practitioners, connections with students at different stages of the program, and an established alumni network that offers advice on fellowships, internships, graduate study, and careers.
That combination of research training, mentorship, funding, and community has helped International Scholars build an exceptional record of achievement. Since the program’s founding, participants have earned Fulbright, Boren, Gilman, Truman, and Rhodes scholarships, been named Notre Dame valedictorians, and gone on to leading graduate programs and careers in academia, public service, law, policy, business, and other fields.
The 14 new scholars join 23 upperclassmen in a program with more than two decades of history at Notre Dame, becoming part of a community of students and alumni who have carried their Kellogg experiences into a wide range of academic and professional pursuits.
The Kellogg Institute, part of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, is a leading center for interdisciplinary research dedicated to understanding, strengthening, and renewing democracy worldwide.