As the largest minor in the College of Science at Notre Dame, the Hillebrand Center has decided to launch a Spotlight Series, where we'll share the experiences and reflections of past and present students. From service fellowships to incredible research opportunities, our students go far and wide to integrate their knowledge of the science of compassion into every field they enter.
To kick off, we would like to highlight one of our recent graduates, @Leah Brucal '25. Throughout her time at Notre Dame, she was part of the Hillebrand research team, an intern, and a teaching assistant for many Compassionate Care courses. Leah also played a vital role in bringing the study abroad course to UND Kylemore, Ireland, this past summer.
As one of the CCIM Capstone Research Project Award winners, she completed innovative research surrounding compassion science and accompaniment for her capstone, "Seeing Clearly: A Discussion on Clinical Practices of Compassion Science and Accompaniment in Medicine." Now she is an incoming MPhil student at the University of Cambridge and recipient of the Notre Dame Global - St. Edmund's College, Cambridge Graduate Fellowship, studying Health, Medicine, and Society with an emphasis on the Philosophy of Science to look at the role of partnerships in cultivating experiences rooted in compassion science and accompaniment.
"My experience at Notre Dame would not have been the same without the Hillebrand Center, including everything from the professors, mentors, and students to the experiences both in and out of the classroom. I feel ready to go out into the world, equipped with caring and competence, to achieve clinical excellence in a medical career while also maintaining humanism in medicine."
Leah shares that her time with the Hillebrand Center was one of the most rewarding and formative experiences she had at Notre Dame. - "If it weren't for the opportunities to research the integration of the compassion science paradigm through the Hillebrand Center, I wouldn't be where I am today. While my capstone is a stepping stone for my academic career, it's also the foundation for how I approach every interpersonal encounter, both clinical and nonclinical. It's formed my fundamental understanding of what it means to take care of each other and what we owe to each other."
Dr. Dominic Vachon, The John G. Sheedy M.D. Director of the Ruth M. Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine, shares this glowing endorsement of Leah, “In preparation for a career as a scholar-practitioner in medicine, Leah totally immersed herself in our cutting-edge science of compassion in healthcare program and combined with it a very strong interdisciplinary background that now enables her to extend this work at Cambridge and then integrate this into her future career as a physician.”
Many students routinely recognized Leah's deep and active involvement with running around campus in her support roles as an intern and teaching assistant, beyond just being a student. Whether it's leading group discussions on comparative studies on national and international healthcare systems in a classroom on the main campus and at Notre Dame Kylemore, scheduling students for final exams, contributing to brainstorming sessions as an intern or TA, or welcoming prospective students and established medical professionals, Leah shares that the Hillebrand Center and its mission of advancing the compassion science paradigm is at the heart of her Notre Dame experience.
Many thanks to Leah for her dedication to the science of compassion here at Notre Dame and beyond, and best of luck on future endeavors!
