M. Victoria MurilloProfessor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs andDirector of the Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS)Columbia University Vicky Murillo presents a forthcoming volume co-edited with Gabriel Kessler that addresses the following question: Why are Latin Americans increasingly disillusioned with democracy, even as the region has made social progress? This book project examines the paradox of widespread political discontent amid improvements in poverty reduction, education, and expanded rights. It illustrates how rising expectations and broken promises have generated social frustration and political reactions, which manifest in two distinct forms: they can target all political elites (vertical discontent) or focus on opposing political coalitions (horizontal discontent). Each form poses unique challenges for democracy.M. Victoria Murillo is a professor of political science and international and public affairs at Columbia University, where she is is currently the Director of the Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS). She specializes in Latin American politics, distributive politics, and institutional weakness, with numerous influential books and articles on these topics. She holds a PhD from Harvard University and previously taught at Yale University. For more information, visit the event page. Sponsored by the Kellogg Institute at the Keough School of Global Affairs.  

Laura Gamboa, assistant professor of democracy and global affairs in the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, will talk about “Democratic Backsliding” at the first Pizza, Pop and Politics event of the fall 2025 semester. Pizza, Pop and Politics is hosted by the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights and ND Votes, a nonpartisan initiative that aims to foster conscientious engagement in political and civic life among students. The student-led initiative’s activities include promoting voter education, registration, and mobilization. Originally published at klau.nd.edu.

19th-Century Women’s Culture Through the Life and Work of Esmeralda Cervantes Discussion and Panel Join Rare Books & Special Collections from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for a panel and discussion on the fascinating life of Catalan harpist Esmeralda Cervantes (born Clotilde Cerdá, 1861–1926), moderated by Latin American and Iberian Studies Librarian and Curator Payton Phillips Quintanilla. A child prodigy who toured the Americas in the 1870s, Cervantes meticulously documented her vast network of friends and acquaintances across Europe and the Americas in two personal friendship albums: scrapbooks filled with photographs, autographs, drawings, letters, poetry, and other keepsakes. One album resides at the Biblioteca de Catalunya, and the other is held by the University of Notre Dame. Our guest speakers, Lorena Fuster, University of Barcelona, Philosophy; Merli Marlowe, Barcelona-based film director; Vanesa Miseres, University of Notre Dame, Romance Languages & Literatures; and Erika Hosselkus, University of Notre Dame, Hesburgh Libraries, will use Cervantes’ unique case to explore broader themes of library archives, 19th-century women's sociability, the public and private conversations shaping women's lives, and the nascent stages of transnational feminisms. The panelists will also share how these remarkable albums brought them together for their ongoing academic and creative projects centered on Cervantes. Hands-On Workshop and Reception After the panel, attendees are invited to attend a reception from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Hesburgh Library Scholars Lounge to continue the conversation over light refreshments and engage in a hands-on activity to create their own album pages. Presenters:Lorena Fuster, University of Barcelona, Philosophy — Lorena Fuster is a professor of Philosophy and Feminist Theory at the University of Barcelona. Her research and publications focus on topics that link contemporary philosophy with cultural history. She currently directs the project "The Forgotten Legacy of Clotilde Cerdà/Esmeralda Cervantes: An International Avant-Garde Presence."Merli Marlowe, film director, Barcelona — Merli Marlowe is a singer and filmmaker, and has also written and directed television series and podcasts. She is currently working on a documentary about the harpist Esmeralda Cervantes in collaboration with Lorena Fuster. As a musician, she is the lead singer of the band Les Rencards, with whom she recently released the album Angles morts.Vanesa Miseres, University of Notre Dame, Romance Languages & Literatures — Vanesa Miseres specializes in the cultural and literary landscapes of 19th- and early 20th-century Latin America, with her research and teaching exploring diverse topics such as travel writing, war literature, women writers, and gender, cultural, and food studies. She is the author of Mujeres en tránsito: viaje, identidad y escritura en Sudamérica (1830–1910) (2017) and Gender Battles. Latin American Women, War, and Feminism (2025). She is also the co-editor of Food Studies in Latin American Literature. Perspectives on the Gastronarrative (2021).Erika Hosselkus, University of Notre Dame, Hesburgh Libraries — Erika Hosselkus is Associate University Librarian for the Distinctive and Academic Collections at Hesburgh Libraries. Her portfolio includes research collections, special collections and archives, metadata, and preservation. Prior to this appointment, Hosselkus served as the curator in Rare Books & Special Collections for Latin American and Iberian Studies, and developed a significant collection for this fast-growing area of study.Open to undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, postdocs, alumni, friends, and the public.  Sponsored byHesburgh LibrariesFranco Family Institute for Liberal Arts and the Public GoodKellogg Institute for International StudiesOffice of Undergraduate Studies (Teaching Beyond the Classroom Grant)

“What is the city but the people,” wrote Shakespeare. In this spirit, Christian Sottile, founding principal of Sottile & Sottile, will share his visions about why the city is human and buildings are faces of humanity. Register to attend online The Robert A.M. Stern Architects Lecture (in the Walsh Family Hall (Architecture)).  Originally published at architecture.nd.edu.

You are invited to the first conference of the Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab, focused on addressing structural barriers to equitable economic growth in low- and middle-income countries. Thursday, September 25 4:30 p.m. Welcome 4:45 Fireside Chat Introduction by Mary Gallagher, Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs Dean Karlan, Northwestern University, former chief economist, USAID in conversation with Lakshmi Iyer, BIG Lab Director and Professor of Economics and Global Affairs 6:00 Opening Reception Friday, September 26 8:30 a.m.  Gender, Norms and Work Alejandro Estefan, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Outsourcing Policy and Worker Outcomes: Causal Evidence from a Mexican Ban” Paul Novosad, Dartmouth College “Cultural Capital and Economic Opportunity in Rural India” Danila Serra, Texas A&M University “From Jobs to Careers: Understanding Aspirations, Opportunities, and Barriers Among Working Women in South Asia” Moderated by Brenda Samaniego de la Parra, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 10:00 Coffee 10:30 Keynote Address Introduction by James Sullivan, Professor of Economics & Director of the Notre Dame Poverty Initiative Ted Miguel, University of California, Berkeley 11:30 Human Capital Jere Behrman, University of Pennsylvania “Starting Strong: Medium- and Longer-run Benefits of Mexico's Universal Preschool Mandate” Taryn Dinkelman, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Economic and Political Effects of Free Primary Education in Africa” Manisha Shah, University of California, Berkeley “Reducing bias among health care providers: Experimental evidence from Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan” Moderated by Rebecca Thornton, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 1:00 Keynote Address & Lunch Introduction by Eric Sims, Notre Dame Economics Department Chair Pete Klenow, Stanford University 2:30 Trade & Structural Transformation Rodrigo Adao, University of Chicago Booth School "From Heterogeneous Firms to Heterogeneous Trade Elasticities: The Aggregate Implications of Firm Export Decisions" Heitor Pellegrina, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab "Directed Innovation meets Economic Development: Embrapa and Brazil's Agricultural Revolution" Jing Zhang, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago “Deindustrialization and Industry Polarization” Moderated by Jeremy Majerovitz, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 4:00 Coffee 4:30 Political Economy Lakshmi Iyer, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Electoral Redistricting in the World’s Largest Democracy” Nancy Qian, Northwestern University “Chinese growth and support for reunification in Taiwan” Enrico Spolaore, Tufts University “Cultural Remittances and Modern Fertility” Moderated by Enrique Seira Bejarano, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab For more information, visit the event page. Sponsored by the Kellogg Institute at the Keough School of Global Affairs and the Franco Family Institute

The Center for Italian Studies is pleased to host a two day symposium in celebration of 30 years of the Devers Program in Dante Studies and the Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian Literature at Notre Dame:Global Dante: Translation and ReceptionA Dante Symposium Celebrating 30 Years of the Devers Program in Dante Studies and the Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian LiteratureDepartment of Special Collections, Hesburgh Library, University of Notre DameFeaturing the exhibition of worldwide translations of Dante's Commedia: “‘What through the universe in leaves is scattered’ (Par. 33.87): Mapping Global Dante in Translation” Selections from the John A. Zahm, C.S.C., Dante CollectionThe symposium explores the global translation and reception of Dante’s works, highlighting cross-cultural interpretations, regional adaptations, and evolving scholarly approaches. Through lectures and panels spanning Africa, East Asia, the Americas, and Europe, it examines how Dante’s Divine Comedy continues to inspire diverse literary, academic, and artistic traditions worldwide.Particpants: Marco Sonzogni (Victoria University of Wellington); Ted Cachey (UND); Clíona Ní Ríordáin (UND); Kathleen Boyle (UND), Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, Modern Language Association [retired]); Joseph Rosenberg (UND); Henry Weinfield (UND, emeritus); Kristina Olson (George Mason University); Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University); Jacob Blakesley (University of Rome, Sapienza); Vittorio Montemaggi (UND, London / Von Hügel Institute, Cambridge); Rebecca Bowen (UND), Valentina Mele (Marie Curie Fellow, UND/ University of Pavia); Aistė Kiltinavičiūtė (University of Manchester); Jonathan Noble (Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, UND); Silvano Mo Cheng (Peking University); Michel Hockx (UND); Chiara Sbordoni (UND Rome); Jieon Kim (UND), Inha Park (UND); Salvatore Riolo (UND); Daragh O’Connell (University College Cork). Download the program schedule here.Symposium Program Thursday, September 25 9:00–9:30 AM — Welcome 9:30–11:00 AM — Lecture“Whose Dante? Time and Place for Timelessness and Placelessness: A Transoceanic Testimony”Marco Sonzogni (Victoria University of Wellington) Chair: Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (Director, Devers Program in Dante Studies, University of Notre Dame)Respondent: Clíona Ní Ríordáin (Chair, Irish Studies, University of Notre Dame) 11:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 11:30 AM–1:00 PM — Roundtable Discussion ofAmerican Dantes. Traditions, Translations, Transformations (Eds. Z. G. Barański & T. J. Cachey, University of Notre Dame Press, 2025) Panel:Kathleen Boyle (University of Notre Dame) Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, emeritus) Joseph Rosenberg (University of Notre Dame) Henry Weinfield (University of Notre Dame, emeritus) Kristina Olson (George Mason University)Chair: Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University) 1:00–2:20 PM — Lunch (B02 McKenna Hall) 2:30–4:00 PM — Lecture“Dante in Africa”Jacob Blakesley (University of Rome, Sapienza) Chair: Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, MLA, retired)Respondent: Kristina Olson (George Mason University) 4:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 4:30–6:00 PM — "New Directions” Panel IRebecca Bowen (University of Notre Dame)“Dantean Other Worlds: Crafting the Commedia for a Renaissance Readership”Valentina Mele (Marie Curie Fellow, University of Notre Dame / University of Pavia)“‘No, Kid, Don’t Enter Here’: The Berkeley Renaissance’s Californian Dante”Aistė Kiltinavičiūtė (University of Manchester)“Dante’s Translations and Reception in 20th- and 21st-Century Lithuania”Chair: Vittorio Montemaggi (University of Notre Dame, London / Von Hügel Institute, Cambridge) 6:30 PM — Reception and Celebration Dinner (Mahaffey Family Presidential Suite, 14th Floor, Hesburgh Library)Friday, September 26 9:30–11:00 AM — Lecture(Co-sponsored by the Dante in East Asia Working Group) “Becoming Dante: More on Dante Translation and Reception in China” Silvano Mo Cheng (Peking University) Chair: Jonathan Noble (Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, University of Notre Dame) Respondent: Michel Hockx (Director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, University of Notre Dame) 11:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 11:30 AM–1:00 PM — Session on Dante in East Asia (Presentation and discussion of forthcoming volume, Dante in East Asia, eds. J. Blakesley, A. Brezzi, R. Pepin, C. Sbordoni)Jieon Kim (University of Notre Dame)“‘La 'Lingua Mentale Comune' a Dante e al Coreano: 단테의 시적 표현과 우리말의 관용적 표현”Inha Park (University of Notre Dame)“Teaching Dante in Korea: Translation, Reception, and Localization of Dante in Post-Korean War South Korea”Salvatore Riolo (University of Notre Dame)“‘Trasumanar Significar per Verba’: The Global Translations of The Divine Comedy in the Zahm Dante Collection”Chair: Chiara Sbordoni (University of Notre Dame Rome) 1:00–2:20 PM — Lunch (B02 McKenna Hall) 2:30–4:00 PM — “New Directions” Panel IIDaragh O’Connell (University College Cork)“‘Duppy Conqueror’: Lorna Goodison’s Jamaican Dante’s Inferno”Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University)“The Commedia as Transmedia Franchise? Dante in Convergence Culture”Chair: Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (Director, Devers Program in Dante Studies, University of Notre Dame) 4:00 PM — Exhibition Tour with Curators “‘What through the universe in leaves is scattered’ (Par. 33, 87): Mapping Global Dante in Translation” 7:00PM — Reception & Dinner at Rohr’s Bistro, Morris InnSaturday, September 27 9:00AM - 5:00PM — Dante Society of America Graduate Student Conference (136 De Bartolo Hall)Conference Organizer: Beatrice Rosso, Graduate Student Coordinator, University of Notre Dame Originally published at italianstudies.nd.edu.