Dominic Sanfilippo

Originally hailing from the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Dominic is excited to return a bit closer to the shores of Lake Michigan and dive into the larger Notre Dame & South Bend communities. After receiving his BA in Philosophy and Human Rights Studies from the University of Dayton (go Flyers!), he lived in an intentional community with five other postgraduate volunteers through the Marianist PULSE program, working with students and local partners throughout the Dayton area. He has worked as an educator, a mentor, a storyteller, and as a policy staffer in both civic and faith-based institutional contexts, with chapters in San Diego, Washington, D.C., and the mayor’s office in his Chicagoland hometown. Above all, he is passionate about building community by helping find bridges to reconciliation and understanding amid precarity. In 2021, he returned to the University of Dayton as a full-time graduate assistant to pursue a master’s in theological studies, with a specific research focus on how the Internet and social media can polarize, fragment, and (potentially) help heal our interconnected, fast-paced world. 

Outside of work, you’ll likely find Dom sneaking in nine holes of golf at Burke Golf Course early in the morning; sampling a new salsa or hot sauce at a farmer’s market; sitting around playing cards or going on day hikes with old and new friends alike; and trying to answer obscure questions about history, space, and the Dave Matthews Band at a local trivia night.