By supporting a University that educates students in mind, body, and spirit, Sorin Society members and donors to the Notre Dame Fund instill a value of service that continues long after students’ time at Notre Dame.
Claire Conley ’12 is just one example of how, with the help of the donors, Notre Dame graduates continue to be forces for good.
“The culture of my undergraduate education at Notre Dame inspired a desire to give back to the people who have helped me, and to help foster the people who are coming behind me.”
As anyone impacted by the hardships of the disease can attest, cancer is not solely a physical illness; a cancer diagnosis can also negatively impact emotional health and well-being.
Notre Dame graduate Claire Conley ’12, a clinical psychologist working in oncology, has focused her work and research on psychosocial issues across the cancer continuum, from early detection to end-of-life.
“A lot of people I work with will never recover from cancer. Cancer is something they're going to live with for the rest of their lives until, ultimately, it kills them. Helping them live well with cancer is a big part of what I do.”
Her accomplishments in the field have been nationally recognized by organizations such as the American Psychosomatic Society, the American Psychological Association, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Claire earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Notre Dame, which led her to her graduate school and Ph.D. program. Now, Claire works as an assistant professor of oncology at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington DC, where she teaches about and researches cancer.
Outside of work, she continues to make an impact in her community.
Claire bikes to raise awareness and funding for cancer research, is a pen pal for children interested in STEM fields in under-resourced schools, and works to translate scientific texts and research into digestible pieces for laypeople.
She’s won a multitude of service awards from the Moffitt Cancer Center and The Ohio State University, and Notre Dame’s “Domer Dozen” award, which honors select young alumni and their incredible achievements.
“Community and service orientation is very much something that I appreciated about my time at Notre Dame. The culture of my undergraduate education at Notre Dame inspired a desire to give back to the people who have helped me and to help foster the people who are coming behind me. I'm working really hard to give back.”