Faculty Stories
Faculty at Notre Dame come from communities and cultures all over the world. They conduct research and scholarship on topics and issues that span numerous academic disciplines. They share with students not just their areas of expertise but also their questions and concerns about the enduring issues and latest developments that shape our times.
But their role in broadening and sharpening the lenses through which we understand ourselves and the world around us extend well beyond individual research projects, classroom lectures, course syllabi, or a list of academic programs.
The selection of stories below helps illustrate the many other ways Notre Dame faculty foster diversity, support inclusion, and enliven the entire Notre Dame community.
From South Bend to Seoul, Associate Professor of Architecture John Odhiambo Onyango, leads his students by example as he encourages their academic exploration. Onyango's deep passion for community sparked his research that focuses on fostering sustainability through architectural building technology. This includes the study of how the built environment affects and influences the environmental health, the mental health, and the...
Notre Dame International’s Global Citizenship Series: March 2024
In this third installment of the 2024 Notre Dame International series on how all of us in the Notre Dame community can cultivate our global citizenship skills, we feature several performances, lectures, and activities that, during the month of March, open up the world to us right here on the Notre Dame campus.
‘We survived’: David Martin, IRR artist-in-residence, celebrates Potawatomi resilience through dancing, painting
David Martin has a studio in Riley Hall in which to work on his passion project. Photo by Jon Hendricks
In 1837, when artist George Winter sketched a live Potawatomi dance social in northern Indiana, there was a consensus that Indigenous people would soon be extinct, said David Martin…
Keynoter for the 2024 Student Peace Conference Announced
Sa’ed Atshan, an associate professor of peace and conflict studies and anthropology at Swarthmore College, will present “Sexualities and Queer Imaginaries Across the Middle East and North Africa” on the afternoon of Friday, April 12—the first day of the two-day conference.
From prison to employment: Solar partnership advances Notre Dame’s mission, values
When the University of Notre Dame breaks ground on a new solar project later this year, it will be a full-circle moment for Patrick Regan, whose company, Crossroads Solar, is supplying the panels for the project — and helping formerly incarcerated men and women transition from prison to employment in the process.
Notre Dame Beijing and Hong Kong colleagues reflect on the Lunar New Year
This year, the Lunar New Year starts on Saturday, February 10, and marks the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of good luck, strength, and health. Of all the animals that comprise the Chinese Zodiac, only dragons are mythical. As a result, they are often the subject of traditional Chinese folklore.
Ninth Annual Walk the Walk Week events to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The University of Notre Dame’s ninth annual Walk the Walk Week will take place Jan. 15 (Monday) through Jan. 22 (Monday).
The Troublemaker
As a biopic introduces Bayard Rustin to a new generation, take a look back at the civil rights activist’s stint as a Notre Dame trustee.
Assistant professor Tarryn Chun chosen for public intellectuals program focused on US-China relations
“I think there's a lot of concern in the general public right now about China, especially over issues like military buildup and cyber security,” said Chun. “And that means that those of us who have expertise in China, and Chinese culture, have all the more responsibility to contribute to knowledge and understanding on both sides.”
Ansari Institute hosts roundtable on global Islamism
in late October, the Ansari Institute hosted over 20 scholars and practitioners from the United States and abroad to discuss the future of Islamism globally. The convening was the culmination of a multi-year project of the Hollings Center for International Dialogue funded by the Henry Luce Foundation whereby conversations were held to discuss the future of Islamism in a changing...
Campus events highlight the voices, experiences, and contributions of women
A number of events for students, staff, faculty, and the community will take place on campus throughout the month of March.
Dionne Irving-Bremyer: Immigration as a liminal space
A member of the University of Notre Dame faculty since 2021, Dionne Irving-Bremyer followed up her first novel, Quint with a collection of short stories published in 2022. The collection, titled The Islands, won well-deserved accolades across the board, including a shortlist nomination for the Giller-Prize, Canada’s most prestigious literary award.…
Notre Dame celebrates Black History Month
The University of Notre Dame is celebrating Black History Month throughout February with a number of events.
When Jackie Robinson came to campus
It was 70 years ago — on February 10, 1954 — that baseball great Jackie Robinson came to Notre Dame and South Bend to speak about brotherhood, cooperation and eliminating prejudices. He declared that slow but steady progress was being made in race relations.
In the presence of Giants
Decades before Jackie Robinson became the first Black man to play in the major leagues, the Foundry Giants—a team of Black players working in the Studebaker factory’s foundry—were making a name for themselves as one of the strongest independent baseball teams in the Midwest. The South Bend team played in Studebaker’s otherwise all-white industrial league in the 1920s and 1930s...
Black Alumni of Notre Dame kick off Black History Month with Black Domers 2 webcast
Month-long series will explore the experiences of Black alumni and students, imagine the future of social justice, convene Black entrepreneurial and business trailblazers, nurture Black well-being, and enhance Black spirituality.
Inspirational leaders encourage justice, perseverance, compassion and courage during Walk the Walk Week events
As part of Walk the Walk Week, a diverse group of leaders in science, engineering and technology offered words of encouragement to over 250 students, faculty and staff on Wednesday (Jan. 17).
Character studies
In his latest book, Narcomedia: Latinidad, Popular Culture, and America’s War on Drugs, Jason Ruiz focuses a scholarly lens on one-dimensional depictions of Latinos as the bad guys, kingpins and users in works such as Scarface and Miami Vice, up through more recent series like Narcos and Breaking Bad.
Nitesh Chawla elected 2024 AAAI Fellow in recognition of outstanding contributions to artificial intelligence
The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) has elected Nitesh Chawla, Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, as one of its 2024 fellows.
Long-run decline in US poverty continued in recent years despite pandemic, new report shows
Using consumption poverty instead of income poverty as their measurement tool, researchers from the University of Notre Dame, the University of Chicago and Baylor University found that poverty rates declined steadily between 2020 and 2022, a period when income-based poverty fluctuated noticeably. These findings were recently released in the Annual Report on U.S. Consumption Poverty: 2022, co-authored by James Sullivan, professor...
Women Lead 2024
As the University of Notre Dame celebrates International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, meet eight individuals who are accelerating progress in their respective fields and advancing the University’s mission as a leading research institution that is a means for good in the world.
Read their stories
…
Notre Dame makes $68 million commitment to fighting mental health crisis; scalable solutions could become national model
The University of Notre Dame is making a historic commitment to fighting the national mental health crisis by bringing together a coalition of benefactors, foundations and other funders who have committed more than $68 million over the past year to develop innovative solutions and expand access to care.…
Resources and organizations to explore this Black History Month
Each February, the United States celebrates Black History Month, a time to reflect on the legacy and accomplishments of Black Americans. There are many ways to expand your knowledge of Black history in the U.S. and join in commemorating this month.
Putting 'the South' in South Bend
In honor of Black History Month, the IDEA Center is highlighting four black entrepreneurs from the South Bend-Elkhart community who have worked with and helped the IDEA Center and are paving the way for future underrepresented entrepreneurs. LaQuisha Jackson embodies the essence of 'the South' in South Bend. Having roots in South Bend, her grandmother passed down the knowledge...
Faculty, staff, students, and alumni welcome the Year of the Dragon
Expand your understanding of Lunar New Year with a fun toolkit as well as events on campus and in the community.
Yichun Wang receives NSF CAREER award to engineer nanomaterials for drug delivery
Yichun Wang, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award, one of the highest honors awarded to young faculty.
Father Jenkins given keys to South Bend, Mishawaka at MLK Day event
University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., was presented with keys to the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Recognition Breakfast on Monday in South Bend.
Notre Dame earns 2024 NCAA diversity and inclusion award
Big change starts small. That, in part, is the hope behind Notre Dame’s Together Irish program, which has served as a redefinition of the athletics department’s commitment to social change via education, engagement and enrichment. The Irish hope that what occurs through the initiative on their campus and the community of South Bend, Indiana, can create ripples of positive change...
Balancing act: Mechanical engineer aims to make electrically powered prostheses both smart and lightweight
Powered prostheses hold promise for improving the lives of people with limb loss. Yet despite recent, rapid development of new designs and materials, current devices are often heavy and uncomfortable. Edgar Bolívar-Nieto, assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, is designing an electrically powered lower-limb prosthesis (wearable robot) with enough computational capability to make...
Notre Dame Law School event highlights the need to protect the Jewish community amid the rise of antisemitism on U.S. college campuses
On November 30, Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Initiative hosted the event, "The Rising Tide of Antisemitism on American Campuses and Beyond" at the McCartan Courtroom. The event, co-organized by Notre Dame Law School Professors Avishalom Tor…