Hesburgh Libraries faculty member Julie Vecchio, interim co-department head of Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship, and staff members Michael Runyon, sr. systems engineer, and Stephen Mattison, enterprise systems department head, alongside other members of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Enablement team, won a 2025 Presidential Team Irish award for their profound impact on Notre Dame’s academic and operational landscapes.

“We are extremely proud of the contributions that Julie Vecchio, Michael Runyon and Steve Mattison have made to the AI Enablement Team,” Mark Dehmlow, associate dean for digital strategies and technology, and Cheri Smith, interim associate dean for research, teaching, and user services, wrote in a statement. “Their work on this team demonstrates the value that librarians and library employees can bring to the table when new technologies emerge in the academic environment. Their collaborative spirit perfectly aligns with the Libraries’ mission to cultivate curiosity and discovery as a hub for intellectual life, and the University’s commitment to social and moral integrity and organizational-wide collaboration.” 

The Presidential Team Irish Award publicly recognizes teams of employees who achieve significant accomplishments, collaborations or initiatives, while demonstrating and advancing the University’s mission and core values of integrity, accountability, teamwork, and leadership. 

Responding to the rapidly evolving AI landscape, the AI Enablement team formed as a collaboration between the Office of Information Technology and the Hesburgh Libraries. The team worked to establish governance and framework across the Notre Dame community. 

As mentioned in the award citation, “The team was tasked with a critical and emerging need: empowering our community to responsibly use artificial intelligence. Rising to the challenge, the team members have delivered key AI tools while serving as trusted advisers and educators. Through their efforts, the Notre Dame community has secured access to generative AI capabilities, as well as clear best practices for ethical use and data protection. Their work has built a foundational campus AI platform and established an AI Innovation Council, initiatives that will support responsible AI adoption for years to come. These efforts solidify Notre Dame’s position as a leader in both research and ethical technology use.”

Congratulations to all of the members of the AI Enablement team.