The roots of modern Ukraine are the rhythms and rhymes of Taras Shevchenko (1814-61). His innovative poetry has long been Ukraine’s source code, a cultural algorithm in pursuit of personal, national, and universal human freedom. Today it helps fuel widespread grassroots resistance against a Russian war of aggression and conquest that threatens all of Europe. In this lecture, Rory Finnin, professor of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge, places Shevchenko’s work in the context of a long Ukrainian anticolonial struggle against Russian imperialism. Through close readings, he examines Shevchenko’s fierce “solidarity with the subaltern” and explores coded mysteries in his painting and poetry, where freedom is depicted as buried and entombed, awaiting rescue. All are welcome to this public lecture. Lunch will be available beginning at 12:00 p.m., while supplies last. About the speakerRory Finnin (Photo by Peter Ringenberg/University of Notre Dame).Rory Finnin is professor of Ukrainian studies at the University of Cambridge. He launched the Cambridge Ukrainian Studies program in 2008. Finnin’s primary research interest is the interplay of culture and identity in Ukraine. His broader research interests include nationalism studies, solidarity studies, and cultural memory in the region of the Black Sea. Finnin is a graduate of St Ignatius High School (Cleveland), Georgetown University (B.A.), and Columbia University (Ph.D.). From 1995-97 he served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine. In 2024, he received the Laura Shannon Prize in Contemporary European Studies for his book Blood of Others: Stalin's Crimean Atrocity and the Poetics of Solidarity (University of Toronto Press, 2022).   Finnin will also be featured in the Ukrainian Studies Hub conference "Revolutions of Hope: Resilience and Recovery in Ukraine," March 6-8, 2025. He will join Archbishop Borys Gudziak during the opening keynote session.   Originally published at nanovic.nd.edu.

The Office of Institutional Transformation, in partnership with the Initiative on Race and Resilience, invites students, faculty, and staff to gather weekly for support and fellowship. Wellsprings: A Time for Connection and Care provides a safe space for members of the campus community to discuss fears and concerns related to social divisiveness. Some sessions may feature presentations or information from campus resources. To suggest a topic, please contact Eve Kelly at ekelly11@nd.edu. Originally published at diversity.nd.edu.

Attilio Petruccioli, professor emeritus at the University of Rome, La Sapienza, will explore the profound connections between architecture, nature, and landscape in the context of the Islamic garden. Drawing from his extensive research in Islamic architecture and landscape design, he will examine the symbolic and structural elements that define these gardens, from their origins in historical sites like Samarra and Granada to their influence on European design. This lecture will highlight the Islamic garden’s role not only as an aesthetic expression but as a reflection of environmental philosophy, urban development, and cultural identity across time and geography. AIA CE credit may be available. Register here Originally published at architecture.nd.edu.

Reception with light refreshments to follow Free and open to the public Part of the Centenary Lecture Series celebrating 100 years of Biology at Notre Dame Stephen R. Carpenter, Ph.D. Stephen R. Carpenter is an American ecologist, best known for his research on lake ecosystems and the effects of pollution and climate change on freshwater systems. He is the former director of the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is a professor emeritus. Carpenter is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Stockholm Water Prize and the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Carpenter has published five books and more than 450 scientific papers, book chapters, reviewed reports and commentaries. He received a bachelor's degree from Amherst College, a master's degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a doctorate from U.W. Madison. From 1979-1989 he served as assistant and then associate professor at the University of Notre Dame. He joined the U.W.-Madison faculty in 1989. Originally published at science.nd.edu.