About Jay

Family

Jay is a resident of South Bend where he lives with his wife Lyn and their four children Matthew, Maria, Mitchell and Monica. Jay and his family are members of St. Joseph’s Parish in South Bend where Mitch & Monica attend school. Matthew graduated John Adams High School in 2011, followed by Maria as Salutatorian in 2013. Both now attend the University of Notre Dame.

Educational Experience

Jay is a 1991 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Government and International Studies. In 2004 he was awarded a Masters degree from the University of Chicago, Divinity School. Jay holds a Certificate of Executive Management from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame and a Certificate from the Community Engagement Academy at Virginia Tech.

In March, 2010, Jay was named director of Community Engagement for Notre Dame, where he will continue to oversee the RCLC, but also support the university’s partnerships with area schools (read more). For the previous 9 years, Jay served as the director of Notre Dame’s Robinson Community Learning Center, a crucial part of the University’s on-going outreach to the Michiana Community. Jay supervised a diverse team at the RCLC, with a demonstrated commitment to providing educational programs and access to performing arts, business training, and other enrichment programs.

Before taking the reins at the Robinson Center, Jay served as a community organizer in Chicago’s Southwest Organizing Project, a broad-based non-profit of 25 churches and schools working to reduce youth violence, improve parent involvement in schools, increase jobs, and improve job training

Leadership in the Community

Jay was elected to the South Bend Community School Corporation in 2010, and his term started in January, 2011.

Previously, Jay served on Public Law 221 Committees for many local schools:

• Darden Primary,
• Perley Fine Arts Academy,
• Jefferson Traditional Intermediate, and
• Clay High School
• He also served on the SBCSC Adult Education Advisory Committee.

Additionally, Jay serves on the Board of Directors of:

• The Center for the Homeless, 
• Family and Children’s Services
• The South Bend Public Education Foundation
• The Advisory Board of the ND TRiO program (Upward Bound, Talent Search)
• and the Finca del Nino Orphanage in Honduras.

Honors & Publications

• 2004, “Man of the Year” award from Urban Youth Services of the YMCA.

• 2012 Team Irish Award, Robinson Community Learning Center

• 2013 Champion for Education Award, University of Notre Dame

• Miller, P. M., Caponigro, J. & Tyson, L. (2008).  Centering Faith-Based Identities in Collaborative Contexts: Critically Prophetic Action at the Robinson Community Learning Center. Christian Higher Education, 7:3, 185-199.
• Overdyck, K. & Caponigro, J. (2008).  Talk it Out! Walk it Out! Wait it Out! Take Ten: An Intercultural Approach to Creating Safer Schools.  In R. G. Stevenson & G. R. Cox (Eds).  Perspectives on Violence and Violent Death,265-290.
• Beckman, M. & Caponigro, J. (2005).  The Creation of a University-Community Alliance to Address Lead Hazards: Three Keys to Success.  Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 10:3, 95-108.
• Meyers, K., Goodrich, V., Brockman J. & Caponigro, J., (2012) I2D2: Imagination, Innovation, Discovery, and Design [view paper], American Society for Engineering Education, Annual Conference program.