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When Himanshu Sharma sought a university to pursue his doctoral studies, he wanted a school that would both welcome him and promise a challenge. After all, deciding whether to uproot his life in India and fly across the Pacific to pursue his dreams was not easy.
The University of Notre Dame College of Engineering was an obvious choice. It offered him exactly what he was looking for: the possibility of working with an advisor with an inclusive lab and ongoing research projects that aligned with his own interests. In addition to an exceptional learning environment, a generous 12-month stipend of $40,000 ensured his financial stability throughout his doctoral studies.
The decision to come to Notre Dame was just the beginning of his journey—one that would enable him to pursue his dream of “engineering a better world for all” at an engineering college ranked 21st among private institutions in the U.S.
“Having my own research project, guided by my advisor, has been instrumental in my development as an independent researcher,” says Sharma, a third-year Ph.D. student in electrical engineering. “The collaborative culture within and beyond the department fosters interdisciplinary synergy, enhancing the scope and impact of our research.”
The Ph.D. program in Electrical Engineering is just one of 13 graduate programs at the College. There’s Ph.D. in Bioengineering, where students search for novel solutions to biomedical problems, such as cancer. In the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Ph.D. program, students address broader, global issues in health, energy and sustainability.
The Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. program is one of the biggest graduate programs at Notre Dame, with over 150 graduate students. Computer Science and Engineering Ph.D. and professional master’s programs focus on the world of data science, artificial intelligence, and software engineering. The Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. program offers students an array of opportunities to conduct interdisciplinary research.
Grace Arntz-Johnson, a PhD student in civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences, analyses a sample. Source: University of Notre Dame
Francisca Schiaffino Pereira, a first-year Ph.D. student from Chile, is pursuing research in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences.
“The University of Notre Dame is a university that embraces diversity,” said Schiaffino Pereira, a first-generation college student. “Everybody is truly welcome here, which I appreciate because it has allowed me to expand my vision of the world.”
Schiaffino Pereira added that her doctoral work has enabled her to work with people beyond her department and discipline in a vibrant ecosystem of scholars—a feature of Notre Dame’s approach to research that has enabled it to outpace its peers in research expenditures by 160% since 1990.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences also offers a professional Master’s Degree in four concentrations.
In 2020, two Ph.D. students were awarded the Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics’ Berry Family Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program. This program allows students to advance their research, in this case, to combat cancer and COVID-19 inflammatory reaction.
With impactful discoveries being made throughout the College, it’s easy to understand why in 2023, the University of Notre Dame was selected to join the Association of American Universities (AAU), a prestigious organization composed of the US’s top-tier research universities.
Bioengineering graduate student talks with Director of the Bioengineering Graduate Program Pinar Zorlutuna in her lab. Source: University of Notre Dame
The College of Engineering has a care and wellness consultant available to students on and off-campus, in addition to University Health Services. These resources help students maintain physical and mental health, as well as work-life balance. Community-building events are also hosted in the fall and spring to forge a tight-knit cohort of students.
“Notre Dame places significant emphasis on the well-being of its graduate students,” Sharma says. “This holistic approach to student growth underscores the University’s commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals.”
To advance his research goals, Sharma values the Center for Research Computing (CRC) for its high-performing computing capabilities and state-of-the-art work stations that support his workflow with utmost efficiency.
But perhaps the best and biggest resource is the Notre Dame campus itself.
“I fell in love with the university, the surroundings, the lifestyle of South Bend, and the unique ecosystem…I love walking around the campus and seeing how it changes through the different seasons,” Schiaffino Pereira said. “The library, Duncan Student Center, and LaFortune Student Center are my favorite places to study and work — the facilities are very comfortable and allow me to focus.”
