The ThinkND Podcast

Episode Topic: "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" In the final week of London in Song, we focus on one of the most successful London songs of the twentieth century. Written in 1939, with words by Eric Maschwitz and music by Manning Sherwin, this romantic ballad was quickly established as a standard of the lounge repertoire and has been recorded by Vera Lynn, Nat King Cole, Bobby Dar...

Episode Topic:   The Body and Creative Expression In this final week, we return to the dance form as we consider the body in free expression. We will look at W.B. Yeats’ obsession with dancers before discussing the groundbreaking contemporary dance performances by Teaċ Daṁsa. Declan will be joined in the live session by director and choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan. Featured Speakers:  Declan Ki...

Episode Topic:   The Body in Irish History This week, we consider how the body has been represented in Irish culture and society throughout history. From the Great Famine, through the revolutionary period, and into the censored society of the independent state, the body has been starved, threatened, weaponized, and repressed. We look at how W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, and Eavan Boland reassess the bo...

Episode Topic:   Blindness and Insight In week 2 of Understanding the Body with W.B. Yeats & James Joyce , Professor Declan Kiberd explores the theme of Blindness & Insight. Participants are encouraged to bring their questions and listen to the live discussion. In preparation, participants are encouraged (but not required) to read and watch the week 2 excerpts and videos. Featured Speakers...

Episode Topic:   The Body & Mind In this segment, Professor Declan Kiberd will situate the series within our current collective experience of the coronavirus pandemic as daily attention is drawn to the vulnerability of our bodies. Introducing readers to two major Irish authors, James Joyce and W.B. Yeats, Kiberd will explain how their work invites readers to interrogate the body and its relati...

Episode Topic: Week 1: Exploring New Choral Music for the Christmas Season This week, we explore the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin’s new Christmas holiday album, directed by Dr. Desmond Earley in collaboration with composers from all over the world, including the expansive setting of the Advent plainsong hymn Christe redemptor omnium by Ivo Antognini, crafted for the Choral Scholars...

Episode Topic: Week 2: Spinning Yarns: Fairy Tales, Textile Art, and Story Structure Join New York Times bestselling author Betsy Cornwell '12 M.F.A. in a discussion about how to reimagine and reassess traditional fairy tale narratives and the ways in which we all weave our own destinies. At the time of the Christmas story, one of the world's most profoundly influential stories of renewa...

Episode Topic: Week 3: Sacred Music for Advent and Christmas: From Gregorian Chant to Jazz Improvisation Join Professor Mark Doerries, Director of the Notre Dame Children's Choir and Director of Graduate Studies for Sacred Music at Notre Dame, a graduate degree program that trains tomorrow's vocalists, organists, and conductors to reinvigorate music in the church, concert hall, and stage...

Episode Topic: In a Pandemic, Science Matters This session will include a brief introduction to SARS-CoV-2 biology, a presentation of the current data in our community, and a conversation around recent headlines and rumors. Speaker Marie Lynn Miranda, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost of the University of Notre Dame, will discuss Indiana’s COVID-19 Registry and a new University of Notre Dame initia...

Episode Topic: Vaccines and the Immunology of COVID-19 The world is basically at a stand-still awaiting a COVID-19 vaccine to allow life to go back to normal and restart global economies. The unprecedented accelerated vaccine development timeline, conflicting headlines about when a vaccine will be available, and political interference in the process certainly makes many wary of receiving a new vac...

Episode Topic: Masks, Distancing, and Public Health This session will cover public health mitigation measures, what they are, and how they work. A special discussion will highlight the research behind the Notre Dame masks and the science behind how masks work and which masks work best. Also, the COVID-19 situation in St. Joseph County and the relationship between the St. Joseph County Department o...

Episode Topic: Pandemic and Athletics This session will cover how the pandemic is affecting college athletics. Topics will include the decision for Notre Dame to continue fall sports, the roles of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Athletic Coast Conference, and how the pandemic is affecting college athletics nationally. Featured Speakers:  Heidi Beidinger-Burnett, Director, Eck...

Episode Topic: Epidemiology of COVID-19 The topic of this session will be epidemiology in general and the epidemiology of COVID-19. General concepts like R0 and Rt will be explained and how models work, the assumptions behind them, and what they tell us will also be a topic of discussion. Featured Speakers:  Heidi Beidinger-Burnett, Director, Eck Institute for Global Health Masters Program; Associ...

Episode Topic: Wastewater Testing Some are purporting that sewage surveillance is the secret weapon to keeping college campuses open. This session will unpack what wastewater water testing is, what it detects, how it works, and what it can tell us. Plus, what is happening regarding sewage surveillance on the Notre Dame campus will be highlighted. Featured Speakers:  Heidi Beidinger-Burnett, Direct...

Episode Topic: Special Populations Not all communities have been impacted by COVID-19 in the same way. Different experiences have emerged based on factors such as race, socioeconomic class, family structure, age, gender, and the intersection of many different identities. The COVID-19 pandemic is a threat to the general population of the United States and other countries. However, it has become inc...

Episode Topic: COVID-19 Testing This session will cover the different types of tests for SARS-CoV-2, what they measure, how they work, and what they tell us. The saliva-based surveillance testing at Notre Dame and the University of Illinois will be highlighted, as well as what the Universities learned this semester, and what institutions can do for a safer spring semester. Featured Speakers:  Heid...

Episode Topic: Cultivate Food Rescue and Food Security Jim Conklin, President and Co-Founder of Cultivate Food Rescue and Marijo Martinec, CEO of Food Bank of Northern Indiana, will be the guests to discuss how the pandemic is affecting the food pantry system in St. Joseph County. Featured Speakers:  Heidi Beidinger-Burnett, Director, Eck Institute for Global Health Masters Program; Associate Prof...

Episode Topic: Public Health in the Face of the Pandemic How the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting public health in St. Joseph County and how the St. Joseph County Health Department operates in conjunction with the State of Indiana will be discussed. Further information will include the St. Joseph County Health Department’s strategic plan, the current public health landscape, and future funding of th...

Episode Topic: A Reflection of COVID-19 and the Fall Semester The University of Notre Dame was one of the first college campuses to announce it would open during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, we will reflect on the fall semester, what was implemented, what worked and what didn’t and take a look at what to expect in the spring semester. Featured Speakers:  Heidi Beidinger-Burnett, Director, Eck...

Episode Topic: Embracing the Mind, Body and Spirit through Health Care - Navigating a Mission-Driven System Through Dual Pandemics This session of the Inspiring Conversations Series featured a discussion about effective leadership amidst duel pandemics with guest speaker Dr. Penny Wheeler, MD, the president and chief executive officer of Allina Health. This virtual event was led by Tom Schreier (‘...

Episode Topic: Sustainably Nourishing a Challenged, Changing and Hungry World This session of the Inspiring Conversations Series featured a discussion about global leadership with guest speaker Dave MacLennan, the chairman and chief executive officer of Cargill. This virtual event was led by Tom Schreier (‘84), the founding director of the Inspired Leadership Initiative. Through this discussion, M...

Episode Topic: Building a Winning Team During the third session of “Inspiring Conversations,” we will focus on the topic “Building a Winning Team” through a conversation with Muffet McGraw, former Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach. Over 33 seasons in South Bend, she hoisted the NCAA national championship trophy twice in 2001 and 2018 - becoming the sixth diffe...

Episode Topic: How Our Shared Faith Has Guided Our Life, Our Professions, Our Family and Our Path Forward, Even in the Face of Personal Obstacles Like Blindness During the fourth session of “Inspiring Conversations,” we will focus on the topic "How our shared faith has guided our life, our professions, our family and our path forward, even in the face of personal obstacles like blindness&quot...

Episode Topic: Leading with Purpose and Humanity by Aligning Head and Heart During the fifth session of "Inspiring Conversations," we will focus on the topic "Leading with Purpose and Humanity by Aligning Head and Heart" through a conversation with Hubert Joly and Hortense le Gentil. Both have shown profound leadership throughout their careers, have written about it in their bo...

Episode Topic: The Day After Tomorrow During the sixth session of Inspiring Conversations, we will focus on the topic "The Day After Tomorrow" through a conversation with Louis King II, President & Chief Executive Officer, Summit Academy OIC. The conversation will explore topics such as the importance of a strong middle class, how to lead in troubled times, and the "tech migrati...