In this episode, Kathleen Kolberg, Ph.D., Associate Dean, College of Science, Office of the Dean, Assistant Director of the Center for Health Sciences Advising, shares how Notre Dame helped set the standard for NICU design and care. We also hear from Ainee Martin '25, a recently graduated chemical engineering and pre-med student whose passion for helping others was born of her past experience with medical professionals following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Their stories reflect the...
May 29, 2025•33 min
Notre Dame is committed to educating a different kind of lawyer—one rooted in Catholic social teaching. From real-world clinics to high-stakes cases like protecting the sacred Apache Oak Flat, students are prepared to serve with both skill and conscience. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories , G. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School, shares why protecting religious freedom—especially for minority and land-based faiths—is essential to safeguarding ...
Apr 22, 2025•21 min
This podcast episode features Heather Reynolds , Managing Director of the Notre Dame Poverty Initiative and the Michael L. Smith Managing Director, Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) , who shares how Notre Dame’s research has shaped policy changes—such as expanding access to high school diplomas for adults—and helped nonprofits implement programs that truly work. With more than 100 projects in 30 states, LEO’s evidence-based approach is cutting through political divides to creat...
Mar 24, 2025•41 min
In the United States, a disease must affect fewer than 200,000 people to be considered rare, but there are over 8,000 known rare diseases. That leaves the chances of being diagnosed with a rare disease in the U.S. at around 1 in 10, yet research and funding remain scarce. Rare diseases, commonly referred to as "orphan diseases," are often overlooked. As a result, effective treatments exist for less than 5% of all rare diseases, leaving millions of people without viable options. Notre Dame is com...
Feb 17, 2025•39 min
In this episode of Notre Dame Stories , University President Reverend Fr. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. and Reverend Dr. Hugh R. Page, Jr., vice president of institutional transformation and advisor to the president, join host Jenna Liberto to discuss their shared commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all. Together, they explore the University's mission, the importance of bridging differences, and how faith informs their work in fostering a beloved community on campus and in the world. Sho...
Jan 23, 2025•23 min
It’s a story so familiar to many that you may not even realize there’s more to be discovered. The Bible describes an event that led so-called wise men to Jesus. Scripture calls it a star, but what was it really? That’s the question Grant Mathews, director of the Center for Astrophysics at Notre Dame, set out to answer. He believes the Christmas star was actually a planetary alignment. He shares his research with us for this episode of Notre Dame Stories. ----- Show links: Watch on YouTube Episod...
Dec 16, 2024•11 min
In this episode of Notre Dame Stories , Nitesh Chawla, Founding Director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society , discusses the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. Amid growing concerns about AI’s societal impacts, Chawla emphasizes a proactive and inclusive approach to leveraging this technology for good. From addressing biases in AI systems to creating global solutions for healthcare and poverty, his work exemplifies Notre Dame’s mission to advance the human conditi...
Nov 25, 2024•36 min
In this episode, Micki Kidder, vice president of undergraduate enrollment , highlights Notre Dame's new no-loan financial aid packaging and expanded need-blind admissions as part of the new Pathways to Notre Dame initiative, ensuring that students from all financial backgrounds can access a Notre Dame education without the burden of debt. As a Notre Dame alumna, staff member, and now a Notre Dame parent, Kidder shares her personal insight into the University’s mission to provide an unparalleled ...
Oct 23, 2024•27 min
In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, we go deep on a topic featured in the University’s award-winning series, “What Would You Fight For?” In an in-depth conversation, Sarah Mustillo, the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters, discusses the bold University initiative around mental health. She talks about her own research into childhood trauma, and how it helps to inform her approach. In this episode, we also meet Austin Wyman, a Notre Dame doctoral student. Austin ...
Sep 23, 2024•58 min
In October, it was announced that Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., would step down from his role as the 17th president of the University of Notre Dame. He has shaped and grown the University and its impact over the past 19 years in research, global engagement and by attracting super faculty and the highest caliber students, just to name a few. In this special episode of Notre Dame Stories , Father Jenkins reflects on his tenure with host Jenna Liberto. Watch the interview ------ Notre Dame Stories ...
May 08, 2024•20 min
The University of Notre Dame has experienced transformational growth in research over the past decade. The evidence is everywhere on campus, both in the talent of the faculty and the resources devoted to making Notre Dame a leading research institution. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories , host Jenna Liberto talks to Vice President of Research Jeff Rhoads who shares his plans for expanding the University's impact globally. Watch the interview --- Notre Dame Stories is the official podcast of ...
Mar 22, 2024•17 min
What comes to mind when you think about the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame? Likely, an image of traditional Roman Catholicism. But the Church is a global body with diverse traditions and people who lead them. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the life story of the chair of Notre Dame’s Department of Theology, Father Khaled Anatolios . In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, we explore one way the University embraces and advances its Catholic character in the global con...
Feb 23, 2024•21 min
Kate the Chemist's explosive and entertaining experiments have taken her from the college campus to network television. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories , host Jenna Liberto talks with Kate about her passion for teaching audiences of all ages to fall in love with scientific discovery. Show Links Watch the interview Episode Page College of Science presents "Kate the Chemist" --- Notre Dame Stories is the official podcast of the University of Notre Dame. It was created by the Office of Public...
Jan 26, 2024•11 min
In this episode, we look at the relationship between the great Catholic intellectual, G.K. Chesterton , and the University of Notre Dame. Chesterton spent a semester on campus in 1930, lending his intellectual prowess and good humor to the Notre Dame community. Today, a collection of his personal belongings is adding a new dimension to the University's presence in London....
Oct 20, 2023•16 min
We know that a good night’s sleep can help you at work…but what role do dreams play in your 9-to-5? We sat down with Casher Belinda, assistant professor for management at the Mendoza College of Business, to discuss a new study that shows how the emotions we experience at night can help us during the day.
Sep 22, 2023•19 min
One of the more popular stories we've produced is on the origin of the University's athletics nickname, the "Fighting Irish." As the football team prepares to open its season in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, we revisit that history to open the new season of Notre Dame Stories. Guest narration by Brian Ó Conchubhair of the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies. Explore the University's relationship with the Emerald Isle with the limited podcast series East an...
Aug 23, 2023•10 min
The academic year culminates in one of the most distinctive events at the University of Notre Dame — Commencement in Notre Dame Stadium. Before the conferring of thousands of degrees, the inspired and meticulous work of thousands of University employees orchestrates an unmatched experience for the graduates and their families. In this special episode, we take you behind the scenes to explore the sounds of the 178th Commencement Exercises: from the preparations to the ceremony to the celebration ...
May 26, 2023•17 min
This special episode takes a look at the University's presence in London . We spent some time with a few of Notre Dame's students there, following them to different locations on that most iconic mode of transport, the Underground. Along the way, we explored the home of a major Premier League football club, the Houses of Parliament, and the thriving London art scene. We found that the Tube makes the best kind of journey possible: the one that takes you somewhere new....
May 12, 2023•20 min
In this episode, we chat with Dean Shepherd, the Ray and Milann Siegfried Professor of Entrepreneurship in Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Professor Shepherd recently published research into the organization of sex work and human trafficking in India. The study draws from interviews with girls and women forced into the sex industry, human traffickers, brothel managers, doctors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and police officers, in an effort to better understand the cycle and ult...
Apr 21, 2023•15 min
We round out our time in Ireland by exploring Dublin , from its familiar sounds to its famous Georgian homes. One such home is the first stop for Notre Dame students studying here: O'Connell House, the former residence of Daniel O'Connell, known as "The Liberator." As we found out, students are using the structure much in the same way O'Connell did: as a place where knowledge is made to serve the common good. To learn more about Notre Dame's presence in Dublin, head to dublin.nd.edu....
Mar 31, 2023•22 min
In episode two, we explore Notre Dame students' work on environmental issues in Ireland. None is more pressing than the role of bogs, a quintessential feature of the Irish landscape. They've been plowed over for generations to harvest the underlying peat for fuel. As the practice is phased out, one Notre Dame graduate student is studying how to restore these crucial pieces of carbon-storing habitat. But her work is only part of the University's effort to care for our common home.
Mar 17, 2023•22 min
There’s a traditional Irish blessing that begins, “May the road rise up to meet you.” It’s meant to convey well-wishes for a smooth journey…both literally and figuratively. But yet, there’s something to be said for choosing to go off the beaten path. For intentionally taking the road less traveled. In the first part of our look at Notre Dame's relationship with Ireland, we focus on Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the Connemara region. Students and scholars from every academic discipli...
Mar 03, 2023•24 min
For a University with Ireland in its DNA, a presence on the Emerald Isle is only natural. But Notre Dame doesn't just have a presence in Ireland; it has a relationship with it. In East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland , we take a look at how the University is making an impact in Dublin and in the western part of the country.
Feb 17, 2023•3 min
Today we feature the story of Temitayo (Tayo) Ade-Oshifogun, president of the Black Graduates in Management Club at the Mendoza College of Business. Tayo shares how he came to ND and offers some perspective on the Black experience on campus. Later in the episode, we present a trailer for the series East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland .
Feb 13, 2023•26 min
The Notre Dame Law School seeks to "educate a different kind of lawyer." Part of that process is training in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Max Gaston joins us to talk about his role as the Law School's director of DEI, and how his podcast gives a window into his work. Find The DEI Podcast with Max Gaston wherever you get your podcasts. For more about the exoneration work referenced in this episode, read Wrongful Convictions ....
Jan 23, 2023•1 hr 8 min
The new year is a time for resolutions and renewal. We spoke to a certified wellness coach from the McDonald Center for Student Wellbeing for advice on seeking a fresh start in the new year. Known on campus as "McWell," the McDonald Center provides a variety of services for students aimed at promoting adaptability, wellbeing and the education of the whole person.
Dec 30, 2022•17 min
The Gospel of St. Matthew records a strange astronomical phenomenon: Magi from the East who were drawn to the site of Christ's birth by a star. In this replay episode, we chat with Notre Dame astrophysicist Grant Mathews, who explains what the Christmas star may have been .
Dec 09, 2022•17 min
Michael Pippenger was pleasantly surprised by the opportunity in September to represent the United States as a citizen diplomat building ties to universities in Uganda, where Notre Dame has a long history. The State Department's U.S. Speaker Program recruited Pippenger, Notre Dame's vice president and associate provost for internationalization, to speak about a topic close to his heart: the importance of global partnerships in higher education.
Nov 18, 2022•17 min
In this episode, we highlight another Notre Dame podcast called TEC Talks hosted by Kirsten Martin, the William P. and Hazel B. White director of the Technology Ethics Center at Notre Dame. We sat down with Professor Martin to hear a bit about the center and how it’s helping to shape the future of our relationship with tech. At the end of our brief conversation, we’ll play an episode from TEC Talks about dealing with social media addiction....
Oct 28, 2022•31 min
The arrest this summer of Mexican drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero caught the attention of Notre Dame Law School professor Jimmy Gurulé. Caro Quintero was wanted for the 1985 torture and murder of a DEA agent, a story so infamous it was recently featured in the Netflix show Narcos: Mexico . Gurulé was the prosecutor in Los Angeles who first indicted Caro Quintero, and he tells the story from an insider's perspective.
Oct 14, 2022•18 min
