Graduate & Professional Studies News

Three-time Olympian and Hall of Fame gymnast Dominique Dawes headlined the WOW – Women of the World Festival Baltimore held April 5 at the Rita Rossi Colwell Center in downtown Baltimore. Hosted for a third year by Notre Dame of Maryland University, the event highlighted the achievements of women and girls while examining the challenges confronting them. Dawes was presented with NDMU’s Go Beyond Award for her achievements that transcend sports.

Dominique Dawes, the Silver Spring native who became the first Black American gymnast to win an individual medal in the Olympics, is headed to Baltimore for a women’s festival next weekend. Dawes, known in the gymnastics community as “Awesome Dawesome,” is a spotlight speaker for the daylong Women of the World (WOW) Festival in Baltimore on April 5. Featuring topics such as child care, women in the arts and building a better Baltimore, the festival will be presented by Notre Dame of Maryland University at the Rita Rossi Colwell Center in the Inner Harbor area.

Maryland native and Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Dominique Dawes will headline the Women of the World Festival Baltimore on April 5. Presented by Notre Dame University of Maryland, the event will celebrate the achievements of women and girls, address the challenges they face, and provide networking opportunities. The WOW Festival Baltimore is part of a global movement to celebrate the achievements of women and girls while addressing the challenges they face.

Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Fame gymnast Dominique Dawes was announced as the featured speaker at the Women of the World Festival Baltimore. The WOW Festival Baltimore is part of a global movement celebrating achievements of women and girls while addressing the challenges they face. The WOW Festival was founded by Jude Kelly in the United Kingdom in 2010 and has brought together more than 5 million people through more than 100 festivals and events.

Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Board of Trustees was honored with a 2025 John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership recognizing higher education governing boards that demonstrate exceptional leadership and initiative. The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges named five Nason Award winners from a national pool of nominations representing four-year public and private colleges and universities, two-year institutions, and institutionally related foundations.