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Meet the Team

Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations
University of Notre Dame

1251 N. Eddy Street, Suite 300
South Bend, IN 46617

Administration

  1. Ernestine Gardner

    Regional Associate, Corporate and Foundation Relations

    egardne1@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-7874

    Full bio

    Ernestine Gardner

    Regional Associate, Corporate and Foundation Relations

    Ernestine Gardner joined the Foundation Relations team in 2008 as an administrative assistant. In her current role as FR Regional Associate, she serves the administrative needs of the Corporate and Foundation Relations team, with a primary focus on data entry and analysis. Prior to coming to Notre Dame, she worked in Admissions and Financial Aid at both Drew University and Boston University. She holds B.A. in English from BU, and still enjoys taking the occasional English or history course on campus whenever she can.

  2. Kevin J. Vaughn, DMA

    Corporate and Foundation Relations Research Analyst

    kvaughn1@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-0232

    Full bio

    Kevin J. Vaughn, DMA

    Corporate and Foundation Relations Research Analyst

    Kevin Vaughn joined the Corporate and Foundation Relations team as a research analyst in April 2022 after several years as a graduate programs administrator. Prior roles include Graduate Studies Coordinator in the Department of History and Assistant Director for Doctoral Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Kevin holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in piano, organ, and sacred music, including the Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in organ performance from the University of Notre Dame.

  3. Cathy Windeatt

    Administrative Assistant, Corporate and Foundation Relations

    cwindeat@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-6053

    Full bio

    Cathy Windeatt

    Administrative Assistant, Corporate and Foundation Relations

    Administrative professional with over 30 years of progressive experience in corporate environment and 10 years experience in academic Corporate Relations environment.

Corporate Relations

  1. Sarah Forner, M.A.

    Director of Corporate Relations

    College of Science, Environmental Change Initiative, Eck Institute for Global Health, Precision Health, Lab for Economic Opportunity, Pulte Institute for Global Development, Department of Psychology

    sforner@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-5315

    Full bio

    Sarah Forner, M.A.

    Director of Corporate Relations

    Sarah Forner joined the Corporate Relations team in March 2022. She previously served CHN Housing Partners, an affordable housing nonprofit in Ohio, and its affiliates as the CFR Manager. Sarah holds an M.A. in English from Case Western Reserve University and B.A. in English from John Carroll University.

     

  2. Steve Nekic, MBA

    Director of Corporate Relations

    Mendoza College of Business, the Law School, the IDEA Center

    snekic1@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-2698

    Full bio

    Steve Nekic, MBA

    Director of Corporate Relations

    Steve has over 14 years of sales and account management experience. He holds a BBA and MBA from Notre Dame.

Foundation Relations

  1. Amanda Retartha, Ph.D.

    Senior Director of Foundation Relations

    College of Arts and Letters, the Alliance for Catholic Education, the Hesburgh Libraries, the Snite Museum of Art, the Institute for Church Life, and the School of Architecture

    amichael@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-0311

    Full bio

    Amanda Retartha, Ph.D.

    Senior Director of Foundation Relations

    Amanda Retartha joined the Foundation Relations team in November 2016. She previously served Notre Dame’s Office of Special Events & Stewardship as the lead for the endowed professorship and library collection stewardship programs. Amanda holds a Ph.D. in English from New York University and an M.A. and B.A. in English from Notre Dame.

  2. Colleen Cross Quinn, Ph.D.

    Assistant Director of Foundation Relations

    Center for Civic Innovation, Center for Social Concerns, Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative, Robinson Community Learning Center, William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, Philosophy, and Theology

    ccross@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-8143

    Full bio

    Colleen Cross Quinn, Ph.D.

    Assistant Director of Foundation Relations

    Colleen Cross joined the Foundations Relations Team in December 2018.. She recently received her PhD in Peace Studies and Theology from Notre Dame and previously worked for Notre Dame's Institute for Latino Studies, coordinating its immigration initiative. Colleen holds an M.T.S. in Systematic Theology from Notre Dame and a B.A. in Religious Studies and Classics from the University of Arizona.

  3. Suzanne DeGuilio, J.D.

    Director of Foundation Relations

    Keough School of Global Affairs, the Law School, Mendoza College of Business, the IDEA Center, Economics, Political science, Office of Military and Veterans

    sdeguili@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-8613

    Full bio

    Suzanne DeGuilio, J.D.

    Director of Foundation Relations

    Suzanne DeGuilio joined the Foundation Relations team in August 2018.. She previously served Notre Dame’s Office of Development as the Associate Director for the Cavanaugh Council and President’s Circle. Suzanne holds a J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law and a B.A. in Journalism from Loyola University Chicago.

  4. Kara Primmer, Ph.D.

    Director of Foundation Relations

    Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Eck Institute for Global Health, Environmental Change Initiative, and the Harper Cancer Research Institute

    khuegel1@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-2178

    Full bio

    Kara Primmer, Ph.D.

    Director of Foundation Relations

    Kara Primmer joined the Foundation Relations Team in October of 2021. She previously served as the Program Director for the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative managing all aspects of the center. Kara holds a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Notre Dame and a B.S. in Biology from Indiana University.

  5. Thomas Scrace, Ph.D.

    Director of Foundation Relations

    College of Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, and Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics

    tscrace@nd.edu
    P: 574-631-1050

    Full bio

    Thomas Scrace, Ph.D.

    Director of Foundation Relations

    Tom Scrace joined the Foundation Relations team in August 2018.. Prior to coming to Notre Dame, he worked as an Associate Editor in the books department at an academic publishing company. Tom holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the State University of New York at Buffalo, specializing in experimental condensed matter physics, and a B.S. in Physics from Notre Dame.