Gina Shropshire first arrived at the University of Notre Dame as an undergraduate in 1978, entering the program of liberal studies and graduating with degrees in American studies and French. Forty-eight years later, Shropshire is retiring from the position she has held for more than two decades in the Mendoza College of Business advising department.
“For nearly three decades, Gina Shropshire has devoted her career to accompanying our business undergraduate students along their journey at Notre Dame,” Martijn Cremers, dean of the Mendoza College of Business, wrote in a statement to The Observer. “She has been more than an academic advisor — she has been a trusted guide for students seeking advice, a calm presence for those in distress and very committed to supporting every one of our students. Additionally, her years of institutional knowledge will be difficult to replace. She has been such an important part of our undergraduate advising team and will be greatly missed by everyone at the business school. We are very grateful to her!”
Shropshire, a Gary, Indiana, native, said her upbringing shaped her expectation of higher education.
“For me, it was growing up with when you go to college, not if,” she said.
She said her parents encouraged her to believe no path was off-limits if she was willing to work for it. When applying to college, she chose to stay close to home and ultimately decided on Notre Dame. She was also drawn to the first year of studies program in the College of Arts and Letters, which allowed her time to discern a major.
As a student, Shropshire studied abroad for a year in Angers, France, continuing her French studies. Though she did not initially have a clear career path in the language, she continued until she became fluent, a decision that later shaped her career opportunities. She noted her class was about 25% female, with only 35 African American students.
After graduation, Shropshire worked in corporate sales for three years before returning to Gary to teach high school French at the school her siblings attended. Though she initially did not plan to become a teacher, she taught for five years before deciding to “go back (to school) and learn more” to improve her teaching.
Shropshire then pursued a master’s degree in French at Purdue University. She later shifted away from French literature and completed a doctorate in education, defending her dissertation in April 1999. During that time, she also served as a student member of Purdue’s board of trustees for two years, an experience she said provided valuable administrative insight.
While still completing her doctorate, Shropshire returned to Notre Dame seeking a faculty or administrative role. She instead found her career in academic advising, joining Mendoza as one of three advisors — a role she has held for 27 years.
“I hadn’t studied business, so that was a big learning curve, but the administrative side and working with students, I really enjoyed,” Shropshire said.
In addition to advising, Shropshire served on multiple diversity committees within the University and Mendoza.
“When I first started here, part of my job was diversity for the College,” she said.
That role was later restructured, allowing her to focus on advising full time.
Taylor Thomas, assistant director of advising and administration in Mendoza, emphasized Shropshire’s impact on students in a written statement to The Observer.
“Beyond just working together, she is, hands down, one of the most popular advisors on our team. Students LOVE to work with her — especially students of color,” Thomas wrote. “The formal announcement to Mendoza students hasn’t gone out yet (only faculty & staff currently have been informed), but the few students who know are understandably upset (but also happy for her). We obviously have an amazing team, but Gina has been here for over 20 years — she’s the OG and the best — why wouldn’t our students want the best?”
In the South Bend community, Shropshire served on the South Bend Education Foundation board and currently serves on the commission for ministry for the Northern Indiana Diocese of the Episcopal Church.
“I’m very passionate about education, very passionate about public education,” Shropshire said. “I’ve been lucky that I’ve had this variety of boards and activities that I can do.”
She also served as a Moreau First Year Seminar instructor for three years.
Shropshire said her career has been driven by a desire to give back, adding her greatest joy has been watching students succeed. She also emphasized the importance of representation.
“There’s someone who looks like me in this position,” she said. “I’m glad to be here if a student needs to see kind of a familiar face or maybe if it’s a little comforting for them.”
Thomas also reflected on Shropshire’s mentorship.
“As a young Black professional, there aren’t many Black faces in Mendoza — that’s just the reality here,” Thomas said. “And when I was offered the job, I was a little nervous. But having a mentor and coworker like Dr. Gina Shropshire has been absolutely amazing.”
Shropshire’s retirement becomes official June 30. She said she plans to spend more time traveling and with her 91-year-old mother and siblings. Later this summer, she will travel to Hilton Head, SC, with her Notre Dame roommate and hopes to return to France to visit the restored Notre Dame Cathedral.
An open house will be held April 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the first-floor Morris Commons of the Stayer Center to celebrate her retirement.
“The number of Mendoza alumni who continue to stop by 101 Mendoza year after year to visit Gina when they are on campus is impressive,” Andrew Wendelborn, senior assistant dean for advising and academic operations, wrote in a statement to The Observer. “It is clear that she has been more than just an academic advisor.”
