Helen Zia by Bob Siang, BHP San Francisco. Photo provided.The Asian American Distinguished Speaker Series honors innovative, creative, and effective Asian American leaders and celebrates their contributions, especially as the visibility of Asian American leadership and success is often overlooked. This year, the Liu Institute will present "Helen Zia: A Life at the Intersection of Activism, Writing, and History" on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 5 p.m. in the Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn. Jennifer Huynh, assistant professor of American Studies, will moderate the event, which is free and open to the public. Helen Zia is a writer, journalist and Fulbright Scholar who has been a trailblazing activist on issues ranging from human rights to countering gender and hate violence and homophobia. Her role in the national Asian American civil rights movement against anti-Asian violence and racism began after the racially motivated killing of 27-year-old Vincent Chin in Detroit in 1982. After a judge sentenced Chin's attackers to probation, Zia helped organize and lead a coalition of Asian Americans to stand up for justice and equality in the case. Her efforts are documented in the Academy-award-nominated PBS film “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” Zia is the founder of the Vincent Chin Institute, which works to build multiracial solidarity against hate. Zia is also an advocate for marriage equality and LGBTQ+ rights. In 2010, she testified as a witness in the federal case on marriage equality decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Her 2008 marriage to Lia Shigemura was featured in The New York Times. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Zia grew up in New Jersey. After graduating in Princeton’s first coeducational class, she quit medical school to work as a construction laborer, autoworker, and community organizer until she discovered her life’s work as a journalist and writer. Her 2019 book, "Last Boat out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese who Fled Mao's Revolution," was an NPR best book and shortlisted for a national PEN America award, while her first book, "Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People," published in 2000, is a foundational textbook in schools across the country. Zia served as executive editor of the iconic Ms. magazine, a feminist publication for which, among other stories, Zia went undercover in a New York garment factory to expose sweatshop conditions. Zia received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of San Francisco and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the City University of New York Law School for bringing important matters of law and civil rights into public view. In 2023, Hunter College in New York City named its first Helen Zia Distinguished Lecturer in Asian American Studies.Jennifer Huynh, assistant professor of American Studies and Liu Institute faculty fellow, will moderate the event.Zia was one of 79 people in North America who carried the 2008 Olympic torch in San Francisco, the only site in North America passed on the way to Beijing, China. She stated in an op-ed:"There is another vision: that a peaceful and better world is possible through friendly engagement and mutual understanding, not violent confrontation and polarization. It's an Olympic message, a possible dream that our global civilization and everyone who is a part of it can aspire to - and for which I am proud to carry a torch."The lecture is sponsored by the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies with the Department of American Studies, the Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy, and the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights at the University of Notre Dame. Originally published at asia.nd.edu.

Doug Marsh, vice president for facilities design and operations and University architect at Notre Dame, has shaped the campus during his 30 years of leadership. With projects like Campus Crossroads, the Arts Gateway, and global academic centers, he has overseen a 55% campus expansion while advancing sustainability and safety initiatives. This lecture highlights his career, from guiding Notre Dame’s Campus Plan to leaving a lasting legacy of beauty, functionality, and innovation. Register Here. Originally published at architecture.nd.edu.

Twenty-six royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey are about to leave Paris to return to their country of origin, the present-day Republic of Benin. Along with thousands of others, these artifacts were plundered by French colonial troops in 1892. But what attitude to adopt to these ancestors’ homecoming in a country that had to forge ahead in their absence? While the soul of the artifacts is freed, debate rages among students of the University of Abomey-Calavi.   Get TicketsThis is a free but ticketed event. Tickets will be available for pick-up at the ticket office one hour prior to the performance. To guarantee your seat, please pick up your tickets at least 15 minutes prior to the show. In the event of a sell-out, unclaimed tickets will be used to seat patrons waiting on standby. Originally published at nanovic.nd.edu.

Learn more and register here Signs of the Times: Interdisciplinary Responses to Religious Nationalism March 20-22, 2025   This 2025 CST conference will remember the 60th anniversary of two significant Vatican II texts, Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) and Dignitatis humanae (Declaration on Religious Freedom). Released on the final day of Vatican II, these texts together invited serious consideration of the role of the church and other religious communities in relation to the state. This year’s CST conference takes up Vatican II’s invitation to discern “the signs of the times” and to attend to the roles of church and state within civil society with a view toward the common good. These central CST themes warrant further exploration as Christian and other forms of religious nationalism represent a significant sign of the current time in particular national and international contexts. This interdisciplinary conference invites historical, constructive, and comparative approaches as we consider the ecumenical, interfaith, and transdisciplinary challenges of religious nationalism. For example, what is the history of Christian nationalism in the United States and how is it related to similar movements in other parts of the world? What are the scriptural and theological resources available to analyze these expressions of Christian and national identity? To what degree and under what forms are the academy and the Christian churches complicit with the history and recent expressions of white Christian nationalism? What are the possible connections between the reemergence of various forms of religious nationalism with economic changes, poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation? How has the rise of these political ideologies been facilitated by changes in laws and institutional structures? What are the implications of Christian and other forms of religious nationalism for the relationship of religious bodies and the state in civil society? What are the pedagogical challenges across the disciplines in addressing the significance of Christian and religious nationalism? Normatively, what options for constructive engagement and responses emerge from our shared consideration of these questions?

The University of Notre Dame’s Department of Art, Art History & Design is proud to present its annual MFA thesis exhibition, highlighting the culminating work of four graduate students set to earn their Master of Fine Arts degrees in May 2025. This highly anticipated exhibition will be displayed in two groups, each offering a distinct and engaging artistic experience. The first exhibition will run from February 28 to March 20 at the AAHD Galleries (214/216 Riley Hall), featuring the thought-provoking works of Thomas Callahan and Emma Ryan. An opening reception will be held on Friday, February 28, from 5 to 7 pm, providing an opportunity to meet the artists and experience their work firsthand. The second exhibition will showcase the exceptional pieces of Norah Amstutz and Griffin Liu, on display from April 3 to April 16 at the AAHD Galleries. The opening reception for this group will take place on Friday, April 4, from 5 to 7 pm. This annual exhibition is a celebration of creativity, dedication, and artistic vision, offering visitors a glimpse into the future of contemporary art. We invite you to join us in supporting these talented emerging artists and experiencing their extraordinary work. Originally published at artdept.nd.edu.

Please join the Department of Art, Art History, and Design for a highly anticipated open studio event hosted by the  MFA graduate students. Attendees can view and engage with the students' works, which represent the culmination of their artistic journeys. We look forward to welcoming you and showcasing the incredible talent of our MFA graduate students. The walkthrough critic is Rudy Shepherd, professor of art, Wake Forest University. Schedule of events: 9:00 am–10:00 am Lecture by Rudy Shepherd - 200 Riley Hall 10:30 am–12:30 pm - Second Year MFAsFranceska Alvarado, Painting – 315 RileyOlivia Koziel, Photo – 210 RileyHeidi Dargle, VCD – 1st Floor Installation RoomLucy Schultz, ID – 201 RileyLily Dorian, Sculpture– 110 Riley 2:00 pm–4:00 pm - First Year MFAsClaire Murphy, Painting – 315 RileySara Abdolmotallebi, VCD - 1st Floor Installation RoomEmma Brooks, VCD – 201 RileyGrace Gao, Photo – 210 RileyAlejandro Mejia Andrade, Ceramics – 1st Floor Hallway Gallery All studio and design classes are canceled in celebration of Department Day/MFA Walkthroughs. Free and open to the public. --- *Passport to the Arts Event Originally published at artdept.nd.edu.