[LOCATION MOVED TO Leighton Concert Hall, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center]As part of its Democracy Talks series, the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative will host a fireside chat with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D- NM) and Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT), moderated by University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.  The governors will discuss their experiences as Western state governors working together on policy issues like water, housing, and energy, focusing on how Western state pragmatism can serve as a model for the country to overcome toxic polarization. Introductory remarks will be provided by John McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost.  The event is free and open to the public on a first-come basis.Bags and backpacks will not be permitted. About the speakersGovernor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D- NM) is the 32nd governor of the state of New Mexico, and the first Democratic Latina elected governor in U.S. history. She has also served as a county commissioner, state cabinet secretary, and member of Congress. A 12th-generation New Mexican, she is a former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Western Governors Association.  Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT) is the 18th governor of Utah, a fourth-generation Utahn who has served as a mayor, county commissioner, state legislator, and lieutenant governor. He is the current chair of the Western Governors’ Association and served as chair of the National Governors Association from 2023 to 2024. Originally published at strategicframework.nd.edu.

Get a one-hour sampling of the power of a Notre Dame liberal arts education with the College of Arts & Letters' Crash Course series on home football Fridays! Each event features an A&L professor leading a class session pulled directly from some of the most popular and riveting courses on campus."Writing in the Age of AI" with Nathaniel MyersUniverity Writing Program  Would you use ChatGPT to complete a report for work? Would you use it to write an apology letter to a loved one? What about drafting a toast for a wedding reception? Generative artificial intelligence technologies can produce text that sounds convincingly human, and they hold the promise to make us more efficient and effective writers. But they're also prone to fabricating information — and besides, what do we owe our (human) readers? In this session, attendees will get a glimpse into how this course examines what it means to write with AI across many different situations, provides strategies for incorporating it into the writing process, and encourages us to reflect on why we might choose to use AI (or not) in the first place.  Alumni, friends, prospective students and their parents, and anyone else on campus are welcome.   Visit Crash Course for a complete listing of courses this season.Originally published at al.nd.edu.

Join the Institute for Social Concerns on Friday afternoons on select home football weekends for MVP Fridays: lectures by national leaders, journalists, and writers on questions of meaning, values, and purpose. Each lecture will take place at 4:00 p.m. in the Geddes Hall Andrews Auditorium. For the weekend of the Purdue game, join us for "POV: Writing as Other" with Viet Thanh Nguyen. Introduction by Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi, the Dorothy G. Griffin College Professor of English. Co-sponsored by the Creative Writing Program, the Department of American Studies, the Initiative on Race and Resilience, and the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer is a New York Times bestseller and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Other honors include the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction from the American Library Association, the First Novel Prize from the Center for Fiction, a Gold Medal in First Fiction from the California Book Awards, and the Asian/Pacific American Literature Award from the Asian/Pacific American Librarian Association. His other books are Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War (a finalist for the National Book Award in nonfiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award in General Nonfiction) and Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian America. He is the Aerol Arnold Chair of English, and a professor of English, American studies and ethnicity, and comparative literature at the University of Southern California. Most recently he has been the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim and MacArthur Foundations, and le Prix du meilleur livre étranger (Best Foreign Book in France), for The Sympathizer. 

Please join the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and its Clingen Center for the Study of Modern Ireland for a public conversation with Siobhan Keegan, Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. This conversation is part of the Women in Leadership series, which brings to the University of Notre Dame women from across the island of Ireland who are leaders in the fields of politics, civic society, business, and beyond. On Friday, September 19, Dame Siobhan Keegan will join G. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School, in conversation at the University's McKenna Auditorium. The Lady Chief Justice will discuss her study and career path leading up to her current appointment, her experience and views as a woman in leadership, the Rule of Law, and AI in the justice system. A reception will follow the conversation in the McKenna Auditorium gallery. This event is co-sponsored by Notre Dame Law School. About Siobhan Keegan Dame Siobhan Keegan graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 1993. She has been a High Court Judge, served as Vice Chair of the Bar of Northern Ireland, Chair of the Young Bar, Chair of the Family Bar Association, Chair of the Bar Charity Committee and a member of the Bar Professional Conduct Committee. Dame Siobhan was the Judge in Residence at the Queen’s University Belfast and became a Bencher of the Northern Ireland Inn of Court, an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn and an Honorary Bencher of King’s Inns in 2022. She was a member of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) and was also the Northern Ireland representative on the FrancoBritish-Irish Judicial Cooperation Committee. Dame Siobhan has been the Presiding Coroner, the Senior Family Judge in the High Court of Northern Ireland, the designated Northern Ireland judicial member of the International Hague Network of Judges, was a Commissioner in the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission (NIJAC) and is now Chair of NIJAC. Dame Siobhan was made an honorary member of the Society of Legal Scholars. She was sworn in as Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland on 2 September 2021. In 2023, Queen’s University Belfast conferred upon her an honorary degree in ‘Doctor of Laws for Distinction in Public Service’. Originally published at irishstudies.nd.edu.

Saturdays with the Saints has established itself as a popular Notre Dame football pregame ritual that combines the University’s rich traditions of Catholic faith and spirited game days. In this lecture, Timothy P. O’Malley, Professor of the Practice, ND Center for Liturgy, and academic director, Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, will present on "Providence and Obedience: Claude La Colombière, SJ, the Jesuits, and the Sacred Heart." The lectures take place in the Andrews Auditorium, located on the lower level of Geddes Hall, adjacent to the Hesburgh Library. The talks are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the events tend to fill to capacity.Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

Register here  Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star general and the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). We will have a conversation with him about his recently released book, On Character: Choices that Define a Life, which draws on his lifetime of experiences to explore living with purpose and integrity. There will be time for audience questions.Virtues & Vocations is a social movement committed to individual and communal flourishing through the cultivation of character across the professions. This aspirational, cross-professional learning community understands thriving professions are the backbone of thriving societies and knows professional excellence requires both competence and character.Institute for Social Concerns

Slava Vakarchuk is Ukraine's biggest rock star and one of Europe's most fascinating artists and activists. As frontman of the legendary band Okean Elzy, he has brought the sounds of Ukrainian language and culture to stadiums and concert halls around the world. As a civic activist, he has fought for democracy, transparency, and the rule of law in Ukraine during times of struggle and revolution. And as a soldier in Ukraine's Armed Forces, he has worked tirelessly to defend and inspire his people since the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Join us at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 22, in 1050 Jenkins Nanovic Halls for an intimate discussion about the role of art and music in the fight against aggression and about the promise of hope in an increasingly perilous world. All Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, and visiting scholars are invited to this special event coordinated by the Ukrainian Studies Hub. Originally published at nanovic.nd.edu.

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.

Engage with the 2025 International Day of Peace by making time for a discussion about the meaning of strategic peacebuilding in a period of rising authoritarianism. The conversation will be moderated by Norbert Koppensteiner and will feature the following panelists:Abby CórdovaErnesto VerdejaCaroline HughesPeter Quaranto (B.A. '06), Visiting Professor of the Practice with the Keough School of Global AffairsOriginally published at kroc.nd.edu.

In 2002, the Medieval Institute inaugurated a lecture series in honor of Robert M. and Ricki Conway. Robert Conway was a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame and trustee of the University, He was (and his wife Ricki continues to be) a long-time friend and supporter of the Medieval Institute. The annual Conway Lectures bring senior scholars of international distinction to Notre Dame each fall to speak on topics across a variety of disciplines.   The first talk in the 2025 series will be given by Petra Sijpesteijn, professor of Arabic at Leiden University, on "Running the early Islamic Empire: the papyrological evidence."About the Talk In the dry Egyptian desert sands, tens of thousands of Arabic, Coptic and Greek papyri from the first three centuries of Muslim rule in the province (7th-9th century CE) were preserved. Containing tax demand notes, fiscal receipts, lists of agricultural properties, tax payers, converts, alms payments, prisoners with the crimes they committed, the fines assigned to them or the petitions they wrote requesting to be released, decrees issued by the authorities or petitions directed to them, the papyri form the written residue of the daily running of the early Islamic Empire. They show that Arab rule was characterized by a marked continuity of daily administrative routines but also by the introduction of striking new practices. In this presentation I will discuss what the papyri tell us about the Arab administrative practices in early Islamic Egypt, what changed and what remained the same after the Arab conquest and why this was. About the Speaker Petra Sijpesteijn holds the chair of Arabic at Leiden University. She uses documentary sources such as papyri, seals, coins, inscriptions and manuscripts to reconstruct the daily life of Muslims and non-Muslims living under Muslim rule. Currently she runs a five-year research project entitled 'Land, space, power: Landscapes of the early caliphate' financed by the Netherlands National Science Foundation.Originally published at medieval.nd.edu.

In 2002, the Medieval Institute inaugurated a lecture series in honor of Robert M. and Ricki Conway. Robert Conway was a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame and trustee of the University, He was (and his wife Ricki continues to be) a long-time friend and supporter of the Medieval Institute. The annual Conway Lectures bring senior scholars of international distinction to Notre Dame each fall to speak on topics across a variety of disciplines.   The second talk in the 2025 series will be given by Graham Loud, Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at the University of Leeds, on "The Sicilian Chancery, from the Normans to Frederick II." About the Talk The paper traces the evolution of the chancery of the Norman rulers of Sicily, from the writing office of Count Roger I (d. 1101), which operated primarily in Greek, through to the trilingual documentation of the Sicilian monarchy after 1130. It looks at the emergence of a Latin chancery, at first as a subordinate section, but then as the increasingly dominant element within the royal administration. This led to the eventual abandonment of writing documents in Greek and Arabic. The paper concludes with an analysis of the greatly enhanced scale of the operations of the (by now monolingual) chancery of Emperor Frederick II as ruler of Sicily in the first half of the thirteenth century. About the Speaker Graham Loud is professor emeritus of medieval history at the University of Leeds, where he taught from 1978 to 2019. He is a leading authority on the history of southern Italy from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries, and has also written about Staufen Germany and the Crusades. His most recent books are The Social World of the Abbey of Cava, c. 1020-1300 (2021) and Frederick Barbarossa (2025). His translation of the Montecassino Chronicle of Leo Marsicanus, c. 529-1075, will be published in February 2026, and his chapter on 'Frederick II and the Crusades' will appear in The Cambridge History of the Crusades during the summer of 2026. Originally published at medieval.nd.edu.

Carl Zimmer is an award-winning New York Times columnist and author of 15 books about science. His talk, "Science, science communications and science journalism today: Where do they fit in this age of mistrust and misinformation?" will be followed by a book signing in Jordan Hall Galleria. Zimmer writes the "Origins" column for The New York Times and has frequently contributed to The Atlantic, National Geographic, Time, and Scientific American. He has won the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Science Journalism Award three times, among other awards. He teaches science writing at Yale and has been a guest on NPR's RadioLab, Science Friday, and Fresh Air. His latest book is Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe. Sponsors: Glynn Family Honors Program; College of Science; Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy, and the Graduate School   Originally published at science.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

We are excited to announce Dr. Han Xia as the keynote speaker for the 11th Annual Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Graduate Research Symposium. Han Xia earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2017. Following graduation, he joined the Chemical Hazard Laboratory at Eli Lilly and Company, where he became the technical lead in 2020. Under his leadership, the lab advances process safety by thoroughly characterizing and modeling the kinetic and thermodynamic behavior of chemical reactions, unit operations, and materials involved in the development of Lilly medicines. Han collaborates across R&D, internal and external manufacturing, global compliance, and HSE teams to ensure robust process safety assessments for Lilly’s laboratories, production facilities, and global supply chain assets. The Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering looks forward to seeing you at this year's symposium, featuring exciting events such as panel discussion, career fair, poster session, and student presentations.

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.