Michael Griffin, Ph.D., is the Provost of Holy Cross College and has been with Holy Cross College for over eighteen years. He began as the Director of Service Learning and leader of global immersion experiences. After earning his doctorate, he became an Assistant Professor of Theology. In 2015, he became Chair of the Holy Cross Theology Department and founding Director of the College’s Saints & Scholars Institute. After earning tenure in 2017, Griffin transitioned into the role of Senior Vice President, leading efforts across the College, in particular in the areas of mission, enrollment and tri-campus collaborations with Saint Mary’s College and the University of Notre Dame. In Fall 2021, Griffin also took on the role of Interim Provost and has served as the Chief Academic Officer of the College. He is the author of the 2014 book, “The Politics of Penance: Proposing an Ethic of Social Repair.” He also co-edited a book on health care, medicine, and social justice, entitled “In the Company of the Poor.”
He began his career working for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and then teaching at a Holy Cross Brothers high school in Washington, DC., returning to Notre Dame to enter formation at Moreau Seminary. Though he discerned this was not his path, he completed his Divinity degree and began working at Holy Cross College in 2004. While teaching, he earned his doctorate in Moral Theology.
Michael Larkin is the Senior Vice President of Holy Cross College. In this role Michael’s responsibilities include oversight of Enrollment strategy and personnel, collaborating on fundraising strategy, and overseeing the implementation of the College’s Strategic Plan. Most recently, Michael was Founder and President of ML Nonprofit Advisors, serving educational communities as well as hospitals that employ “grateful patient” initiatives in their philanthropy programs. Michael’s roots working in philanthropy began at his alma mater, Loyola School in New York City. At Loyola, Larkin’s “one-year” term in Development in 1986-87 at Loyola turned into a career. His first stop in higher education began in 1992 at Fordham University during the University’s $150 million comprehensive campaign. The following year, he was appointed Director of Major and Planned Gifts. In 1996, he assumed his first Vice Presidency at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, New York. A year later Michael returned to Catholic education as Vice President for Advancement at Saint Peter’s University (New Jersey) where he led a $40 million comprehensive campaign. Michael then joined the leadership of his Saint Peter’s University colleague, George Martin, when became vice president for University Advancement at St. Edward’s University (Texas). Michael served there under Dr. Martin from 2003-15 successfully completing two comprehensive campaigns that raised in excess of $170 million. Additionally, Michael has also served as Vice president for Advancement at Carroll College (Montana) where he helped bring a $45 million Campaign to conclusion, and as Chief Development Officer and Vice President for External Affairs at the University of the Incarnate Word (Texas), where he launched a successful $100 million campaign. During his career, Larkin has overseen Campus Master Planning and Strategic Planning as Chief of Staff at UIW, while his team earned recognition for Fundraising Improvement and was awarded a Bronze Medal for Stewardship Initiatives during his tenure at St. Edward’s University. Michael has dedicated over 35 years of his career working in Catholic education as a teacher, coach, fundraiser, administrator, consultant, and trustee.
Monica Markovich is the Executive Vice President and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and earned her Master of Public Affairs with a concentration in financial management from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
In her role, she is the chief financial officer of the College.
Following graduation, she worked for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, advancing from program manager to director of policy and programs for Adult, Career and Technical Education during her five years there. In that position, she managed a $25 million budget, a significant portion of which involved federal and state grants.
Before coming to Holy Cross College, she worked at the University of Notre Dame as an analyst for the Office of the Executive Vice President. She oversaw a variety of special projects, as well as conducted extensive analysis and drafted reports on strategic university issues.
Dianne Barlas, D.Min., has been part of the Holy Cross College Theology department for nineteen years, holding positions of Associate Professor, Assistant Director of the Saints and Scholars Summer Institute, Director for the Office of Global Studies, Director of First Year Studies and College Seminar, Division Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Director of Academic Assessment. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing/Nurse Practitioner’s Certificate from Purdue University, a Master of Divinity from the University of Notre Dame, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Practical Theology (Concentration in Spirituality) from the Catholic Theological Union.
Her primary goal is providing leadership across the College by creating a community of formation involved in the intellectual, social, and spiritual traditions of the universal Catholic Church. Capturing the zeal for the education of our founders on our campus and in our local community is a priority. As President Clark has declared, ‘once a community college, Holy Cross is now a college for this community,’ is the focus of her work. She hopes to bring a sense of call and vocation to our dedicated community of educators and staff, as well as, our students. This involves an openness to identifying and encouraging leadership in all areas of the College to accomplish the shared work of bringing healing and hope to our community and the world. Introducing the Holy Cross’ principles of Catholic Education where information, formation, and transformation are central to all aspects of the College’s operations.
JudeAnne Wilson Hastings is the Vice President for Advancement with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies from Saint Mary’s college and an MPA in Not for Profit Management from Indiana University South Bend.
In her role, she oversees marketing and communication, development, the annual fund and planned giving. Part of her responsibilities also include building alumni relations and overseeing advancement events.
She began her career as the Director of Marketing for Signal Travel & Tours, Inc. handling all aspects of marketing. In 2000 she moved to Saint Mary’s College first as the Assistant Director of the Annual Fund then moving into the role of Director of Annual Fund in 2005. During 2010, she became the Director of Development with the Lafayette Catholic School System coordinating all development, enrollment, and marketing efforts for four schools within the Catholic school system. In 2014, she took the role of Director of Mission Advancement for St. Thomas Aquinas, the Catholic Center at Purdue, planning and directing all development activities including the Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Planned Giving and Stewardship. She returned to the Notre Dame, Indiana area in 2016 joining the Holy Cross College family as the Director of Alumni and Parent Programs responsible for all alumni and parent relations for the College. She moved into the role of Director of Development in 2017 providing leadership responsibilities for all aspects of all fundraising and was promoted to her current role in August of 2019.
Andrew J. Polaniecki is the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at Holy Cross College. Before this role, Dean Polaniecki served as the Director of Campus Ministry at Holy Cross for ten years.
He first encountered the religious of the Congregation of Holy Cross as a Chicago youth while attending Notre Dame High School (NDHS) in Niles, IL. After graduating from NDHS, he attended the University of Notre Dame and studied philosophy, environmental science, and theology. During his time there, he spent three years as a member of the Old College Program, the undergraduate seminary for the Congregation of Holy Cross. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2003, he completed a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Loyola University—New Orleans. While living in New Orleans, he taught theology and coached soccer and track and field at Ursuline Academy for two years and then at Jesuit High School for four years. Since returning to South Bend to work at Holy Cross College, he has helped plan and lead several pilgrimages to the St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal. He also led an immersion experience with college students to Ghana, West Africa, where they lived and worked with Holy Cross religious. He also had the privilege of attending the canonization of Br. André Bessette in Rome in October 2010, and participated in the Father Moreau Heritage Immersion experience in Le Mans, France, in 2016. He earned his Master in Business Administration from the University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL) in 2017.
He and his wife André, an adjunct professor at Holy Cross, and their five children—Gabriel, David, Leo, Agnes, and Matthew—live in South Bend, where they are parishioners of St. Joseph Parish.
