All are welcome to join us for the fourth annual Christmas Lecture with special guest Dr. Michelle Thaller, retired assistant director for Science Communication at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Thaller invites you to explore the invisible universe with the James Webb Space Telescope and to learn about infrared light—and what it's revealed about the lives of stars and our connection to a larger reality.  Following Thaller's presentation, there will be a Q&A with Thaller moderated by Dr. Kate Biberdorf, popularly known as Kate the Chemist.  After the lecture, free cookies from local bakers and a hot chocolate bar will be available for all to enjoy!  This year's Christmas Lecture will be held at the Century Center in downtown South Bend. The lecture is conveniently scheduled to begin following South Bend's Christmas Tree Lighting. Get to know Dr. Thaller in these short NOVA videos from PBS. Read more about Dr. Thaller's career and interests from NASA.  Originally published at science.nd.edu.

Bringing together scholars, activists, and faith leaders with expertise in religion, radicalism, democracy, and depolarization, the 2024 Election Postmortem offers space for interdisciplinary analysis and collaboration at this critical historical moment. All sessions are free and open to the public. Drop-ins are welcome, but advanced registration is appreciated for planning purposes. REGISTER HERE.8:45AM - 9:00AM Opening RemarksLaura Frances Callahan, Asssistant Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Center for Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre DameMichael Rea, Rev. John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Center for Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre Dame9:00AM - 10:45AM What Happened: Reflecting on the 2024 Election and How We Got HerePanelists:David Campbell, Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy and the Director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, University of Notre DameRobert P. Jones, President and Founder of the Public Religion Research InstituteKarrie Koesel, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Notre DameChristopher Sebastian Parker, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Santa BarbaraKatherine Stewart, Journalist, Author of The Power Worshippers and Money, Lies, and GodModerator: Michael Rea11:00AM - 12:45PM Remaining Vigilant: What to Watch for in the Days AheadPanelists:Rachel Brown, Founder and Executive Director of Over ZeroKristin Kobes Du Mez, Professor of History and Gender Studies, Calvin UniversityLilliana Mason, SNF Agora Institute Associate Professor of Political Science, Johns Hopkins UniversityElizabeth Neumann, Department of Homeland Security (former)Matthew D. Taylor, Protestant Scholar, Institute for Islamic • Christian • Jewish StudiesModerator: Laura Frances Callahan3:30PM - 5:30PM Strategy Session: Planning, Partnerships, and Practical Steps for the Next Four YearsPanelists:Chris Crawford, Policy Strategist, Free & Fair Elections, at Protect DemocracyAnne Nelson, Research Scholar, Columbia University, and Author of Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical RightAmanda Tyler, Executive Director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious LibertyJim Wallis, Director of the Center on Faith +Justice, Georgetown UniversityTim Whitaker, Creator + Facilitator, The New EvangelicalsModerator: Joel Day, Managing Director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, University of Notre DameFree visitor parking is available in the Stadium, Joyce, Walsh, and Compton lots on campus, located just south of the football stadium. Campus Map Lodging within walking distance of the conference center include The Morris Inn on campus, and the Embassy Suites by Hilton South Bend at Notre Dame and the Fairfield Inn & Suites South Bend at Notre Dame at Eddy Street Commons. The 2024 Election Postmortem event is hosted by the Center for Philosophy of Religion at the Unversity of Notre Dame. Please contact the Center for Philosophy of Religion with questions.

In this second teaching conference of the Organs and Origins series co-sponsored by the College of Science and the McGrath Institute for Church Life, scientists, philosophers and theologians will come together to consider initial causes in an interdisciplinary approach to “life, the universe and everything.” For more information, click here. Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

Anne M. Hyland is senior lecturer in music analysis at the University of Manchester. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, focusing on the function of repetition in Schubert’s chamber music. Her 2023 book, Schubert’s String Quartets: The Teleology of Lyric Form (CUP), explores innovative ways that Schubert’s music integrates lyricism with sonata form. Her research also engages the music of Hummel, Onslow, and Chopin as part of a British Academy/Leverhulme-supported project and a Collaborative Strategic Partnership with the University of Toronto. Prof. Hyland was awarded the Anthony Pople Mid-Career Research Award of the Society for Music Analysis in September 2024 and a Teaching Excellence Award at the University of Manchester (2024) for her efforts to make music analysis more accessible to a diverse student body. For the complete abstract, download Hyland abstract [PDF, 90k]. This lecture is free and open to the public. Originally published at music.nd.edu.

Nusrat ChowdhuryAssociate Professor of Anthropology, Amherst CollegeKellogg Visiting Fellow How does development infrastructure help us understand the way populism functions in the global south? This lecture, drawing from Nustrat Chowdhury's ethnographic project around the longest river bridge in Bangladesh , addresses this question by exploring how mega-infrastructure has become a strategy through which increasingly authoritarian regimes seek populist legitimacy. Focusing on the concept of “infrastructural populism,” it asks: How does spectacular development aimed at mass political appeal help us grasp the ways in which new versions of democratic authoritarianisms are thriving in the global south? How and why is the democratic ideal compromised in the obsessive investment in megaprojects? And, despite its impressive visual appeal, how does language offer insights into the ways in which infrastructure is accommodated in everyday life? Once completed, the book will contribute to distinct areas of scholarship, namely, the political life of infrastructure; populism in the global south; and, rumor and hearsay as form of political communication. click here for more information

How can we stand in solidarity with Palestinians seeking justice, while also avoiding antisemitism—and resist those who seek to conflate the two? Authors Shane Burley and Ben Lorber will share personal stories, historical reflections, and interview data from their recent book to discuss how to combat antisemitism and build true safety for Jews and all people. The conversation will be moderated by Atalia Omer, professor of religion, conflict and peace studies. Lunch will be provided. Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.