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.
Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning novelist, essayist, literary critic and advocate and activist for inclusion in the arts, will deliver the 2022 Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy. The event will take place virtually at 4 p.m. EST Feb. 7 (Monday).
Supreme Court must determine religious voices deserve a place in the public square, experts say
Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Initiative filed an amicus brief in the case to ensure that government actors — like the city of Boston — may not create benefits, opportunities or platforms that exclude religious believers.
University librarian named Association of Research Libraries president
K. Matthew Dames, the Edward H. Arnold University Librarian at the University of Notre Dame, launched his term as the 61st president of the Association of Research Libraries on Thursday (Oct. 7).
A Message from Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. regarding Notre Dame Board of Trustees’ Task Force Report on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Nearly a year ago I wrote a letter to the Notre Dame community announcing the creation of a Trustee Task Force on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Task Force was appointed by the Chair of our Board, Jack Brennan, with my encouragement and full support. It was chaired by Byron Spruell, a member of the Board, and it included accomplished leaders from...
June is Pride Month
Pride Month is observed each June…
Way Maker: 2021 Laetare Medalist Carla Harris
When Carla Harris — finance powerhouse, gospel singer, author and winner of the University of Notre Dame’s 2021 Laetare Medal — started working at Morgan Stanley in 1987, she earned a reputation not just as an ace deal-closer on the capital markets desk.
Prayer service for the Atlanta shootings
A prayer service for all those impacted will be held in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart tonight (March 18) at 8:30 p.m. A live stream will be available on the Campus Ministry website.
Sullivan testifies to effectiveness of wrap-around social service programs that truly fight poverty
At the invitation of U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, ranking member of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee at the Ways and Means Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, Jim Sullivan, co-founder of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at the University of Notre Dame, testified at a March 10 hearing, “Health Profession Opportunity Grants: Past Successes and Future Uses.”
Garg appointed an editor of Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics
Professor Umesh Garg has been appointed an editor of Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (PTEP), an international, fully open access, online-only journal published by the Physical Society of Japan.
Women Who Empower: Jingyu Wang
Jingyu Wang is hoping to redefine the meaning of a leader. As the executive director of the Beijing Global Gateway, Wang is working to change the focus from “leading” to “serving.” “The best leaders aren’t just motivating people to do the work; they’re helping and supporting them in a compassionate way,” says Wang.
Supportive early childhood environments can help decrease effects of trauma, study finds
In a first-of-its-kind study conducted by Darcia Narvaez and doctoral student Mary Tarsha and published in the journal Anxiety, Stress and Coping, results show that positive childhood experiences can help buffer the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on physiological health in adult women.
Ruby Bridges urges Notre Dame Community to ‘pick up the torch’
The Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights hosted Ruby Bridges via Zoom on Friday (Nov. 5) for a conversation titled “The First Big Step” at the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.
Cool Courses: Three Classes Explore Gender through Lenses of English, History, and Gender Studies
Throughout different departments at the University of Notre Dame, faculty and students are engaging in conversations about utilizing feminist methods of study, analyzing how gender affects their discipline, and recognizing female scholars and historical figures who are sometimes overlooked. Check…
An American, Catholic university: Thomas Blantz's history of Notre Dame
University archivist Rev. Thomas Blantz, C.S.C., looking through a card catalog in the reading room of the Notre Dame Archives…
Statement from Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on first anniversary of murder of George Floyd
“The brutal death of George Floyd a year ago today caused soul-searching not only among municipalities and how they police their citizens, but among us all, including Notre Dame. We continue to work to better achieve diversity, equity and inclusion across the University and foster an environment in which each person’s dignity is respected, community is cultivated and the evil...
Statement: Father Jenkins on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
“As we mark the beginning of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, we have an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the extraordinary contributions of the peoples and cultures of Asia and the Pacific Islands to our world, and particularly to the United States."
Carla Harris, business leader and gospel singer, to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal
Carla Harris, vice chairman of wealth management and senior client adviser at Morgan Stanley — as well as a celebrated gospel singer, speaker and author — will be awarded the University of Notre Dame’s 2021 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics, at the 176th University Commencement Ceremony on May 23 (Sunday).
Jim Sullivan to testify on successful anti-poverty programs at US House committee meeting
During his testimony, Sullivan will draw on the Lab For Economic Opportunities’ experience evaluating interventions with service-provider partners across the country to illustrate different evaluation approaches that can best identify effective models at the community level.
South Bend Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program kicks off second year of helping local entrepreneurs
SBEAP is a 12-month course that leverages University and city resources to help participants establish sustainable ventures as a pathway out of poverty.
Women Who Empower: Thaïs Burmeister Pires
A clinical psychologist by trade, Thaïs Burmeister Pires is on a mission to enrich the lives of people around her. It started with her three daughters. “Ever since they were little, I always empowered them to be whatever they wanted to be,” says Pires. “That empowerment started with a strong education and an experience outside of their comfort zone.”
NEH awards four fellowships, digital scholarship grant to Arts and Letters, Keough School faculty
Three faculty members in the University of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters and one in the Keough School of Global Affairs have won National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships, extending the University’s record success with the federal agency committed to supporting original research and scholarship.
Desierto named chair-rapporteur of UN expert group finalizing first human rights treaty in nearly a decade
Diane Desierto, professor of law and global affairs in the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, was named chair-rapporteur of the United Nations’ Expert Group on the Right to Development, with her official mandate starting in January.
New ThinkND series to explore the realities of migration from Central America
“Beyond the Border: The Realities of Migration from Central America” is a three-part series hosted on the ThinkND platform; sessions will be held on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. EDT beginning Sept. 29 and ending Oct. 13.
Screening Muslims: Working for Peace Through the Media
Film and television can help combat Islamophobia through rich storytelling, members of the Unity Productions Foundation (UPF) team shared during a recent conversation with Mahan Mirza, executive director of the Ansari Institute.
May celebrates diversity of AAPI, Jewish American and older American communities
Access resources to learn more about the groups being recognized and the history of these national observances.
VIDEO: Asian American Distinguished Speaker Series with Ai-jen Poo
Labor activist Ai-jen Poo, co-founder and CEO of the National Domestic Workers Union, was the inaugural guest for the Asian American Distinguished Lecture Series on March 11, 2021.
Young Scholars Symposium in Latino Studies to convene emergent scholars from across country and distinguished Professor Charlene Villaseñor Black
Seven up-and-coming scholars from across the country, along with distinguished professor Charlene Villaseñor Black of UCLA, will headline the Young Scholars Symposium at the Institute for Latino Studies next week. The virtual gathering on March 18 and 19 is part of an annual ILS initiative to bring together advanced graduate students and junior faculty working to complete a dissertation, book, or other form...
Jennifer Schaefer honored with 2021 Catherine F. Pieronek Women in Engineering Impact Award
Jennifer Schaefer, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, is the recipient of the 2021 Catherine F. Pieronek Women in Engineering Impact…
Women Lead 2021
In celebration of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, meet eight women leaders who are challenging the status quo in their fields.