President Mary McAleese will give the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame in the spring.
Mrs McAleese, a former law professor and vice-chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree during the ceremony on May 21st in South Bend, Indiana.
"As an attorney, journalist, scholar and now president, Mary McAleese is an inspiring role model for women, a fierce champion for peace, and a passionate voice within the Catholic Church," said the Rev John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president.
President McAleese, a Belfast-raised Catholic elected in 1997, has made building relations with the Protestant community a top priority.
