Notre Dame Stories

For seven hours, Notre Dame alumna Kelsey Young ’09 sat in NASA mission control, listening as astronauts described the moon in real time from a vantage point no human had ever experienced before. Young is NASA’s first science officer and the lunar science lead for the Artemis II mission. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, she explains how her role is shaping the future of human space explorati...

In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, Melissa Kearney, economist and director of the Strengthening Families Research Initiative, explores the decline in marriage, the rise of single-parent households, and falling fertility rates in the United States. Drawing on decades of research, she connects these trends to economic inequality, child well-being, and public policy—making the case that strengthe...

What does it really mean to be successful?  Joe Holt has lived enough lives to make most résumés look boring—including time as a Jesuit priest, a stockbroker, a corporate attorney, and even an Ironman triathlete—and he’s convinced that success can’t be measured by titles, prestige, or what you can show for your work.  In this podcast episode, Holt joins host Jenna Liberto, and together they explor...

What can extreme cold teach us about the human body—and ourselves? In this episode, Director of the Human Energetics Laboratory and anthropologist Cara Ocobock takes listeners inside her research on human adaptation, from subzero fieldwork in Finland with reindeer herders to lab studies on metabolism, cold exposure, and hunting unicorns. She also unpacks popular cold-plunge trends, what science ac...

Questions about artificial intelligence are everywhere—shaping public debate, influencing industry, and surfacing deep uncertainties about what it means to be human. At Notre Dame, philosopher Meghan Sullivan is helping lead that conversation. In this episode, she explains the DELTA framework, a human-centered approach to AI ethics—and why the choices we make today will define how this powerful te...

On a family farm in Ohio, more than a million hens produce eggs that fill grocery shelves across the Midwest. Behind the scenes, farmers like Jordan and Thomas Hertzfeld are working tirelessly to keep their flocks healthy and thriving. Now, researchers at Notre Dame are helping them do just that—developing an “electronic nose” that can detect disease before it spreads, turning science into a lifel...

How do you improve hurricane forecasts? By studying one of the most powerful and destructive forces on Earth up close—where the ocean meets the atmosphere. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, Professor David Richter explains how new drone technology is helping scientists better understand what happens inside a hurricane close to the ocean’s surface—and why this research is vital for improving f...

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 wit...

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 prote...

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...

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 les...

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...

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 hi...

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...

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 p...

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 inf...

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 Jen...

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 U...

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 Storie...

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 Stor...

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.

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.

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....

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 s...

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...