Elizabeth Shewark

Elizabeth Shewark joined Notre Dame in 2022 as an assistant professor of psychology after completing her Ph.D. at Penn State and a postdoctoral fellowship at Michigan State University. She specializes in developmental psychology and studies youth resilience, focusing on how children and families navigate chronic stressors such as poverty, violence, and environmental risks. Shewark was drawn to Notre Dame not only for its reputation as a leading research university but also for its strong commitment to community engagement. “There is an energy here not only to do amazing science but also to ensure that research benefits people directly,” she shares. As a core faculty member at the Shaw Center, her current projects explore how parenting resilience can buffer children from adversity, with the goal of identifying strategies that communities can implement broadly. To support her transition into faculty life, Shewark participated in the Faculty Success Program, which she describes as “a game-changer.” The program gave her tools for planning her semesters in advance, setting internal deadlines, and protecting time for research by treating it like any other important meeting. Just as valuable, weekly group coaching sessions created a supportive space to share challenges and gain perspective from peers across disciplines. “The strategies I learned continue to help me focus on my long-term goals,” she says. “They have been essential in helping me thrive at Notre Dame.”