Tom Catena is an American physician who has been practising in Gidel in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan since 2008. The region has been an area of active conflict since the mid-1980s, and Catena is the only surgeon for the surrounding population of 750,000 people. Catena credits his Catholic faith for his work, and says he is inspired by St. Francis of Assisi. He is known by locals as “Dr. Tom” and is widely respected by the population. In 2017, he was awarded the second annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. He is chair of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. The annual Rev. Bernie Clark, C.S.C., Lecture was created by the Institute for Social Concerns in 2009 in order to highlight justice issues and themes related to the common good. The fall event honors Fr. Bernie who died young but influenced students with the life lesson of a “Theory of Enough.” Past speakers have included scholars and practitioners working to create a more just future for all.

Tom Catena is an American physician who has been practising in Gidel in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan since 2008. The region has been an area of active conflict since the mid-1980s, and Catena is the only surgeon for the surrounding population of 750,000 people. Catena credits his Catholic faith for his work, and says he is inspired by St. Francis of Assisi. He is known by locals as “Dr. Tom” and is widely respected by the population. In 2017, he was awarded the second annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. He is chair of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. The annual Rev. Bernie Clark, C.S.C., Lecture was created by the Institute for Social Concerns in 2009 in order to highlight justice issues and themes related to the common good. The fall event honors Fr. Bernie who died young but influenced students with the life lesson of a “Theory of Enough.” Past speakers have included scholars and practitioners working to create a more just future for all.

The course will be instructed by Father Dan Groody & Arun Agrawal During this one-credit, one-week course at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, students will experience embodied learning that challenges them to understand and live according to Pope Francis’s vision of an integral ecology. Accompanied throughout this journey by the life and writings of St. Francis, Pope Francis’ Laudato si’, and the wonders of creation found in Mother Earth, students will be able to: examine current sustainability challenges using a lens of integral ecology that critically evaluates the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic factors; connect their sense of ecological agency (via dialogue and action) to an authentic conversion of mind and heart, informed by spiritual experience; and deepen their awareness of the goodness/gift of the created world, the human complicity in the degradation of our environment, and the call to participate, in hope, in the restoration of Creation. Students will participate in both classroom and hands-on learning at the Borgo Laudato si’, an educational center established by Pope Francis that demonstrates how the principles of Laudato si’ can become a reality. The Borgo is on the extraordinarily beautiful grounds of the Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father’s summer residence and a UNESCO World Heritage site located within vast acres of gardens, vineyards, groves of olive trees, and ancient archaeological ruins. Applications due November 15 - Learn more and apply today

Ming Hu is an architect and environmental engineer at Notre Dame who studies how to decarbonize the built environment through net-zero impact and healthy building design, particularly focusing on life cycle impact and human health-centered decarbonization of the built environment.Specifically, she investigates the life cycle environmental impacts associated with building technologies and policies, as well as how community and societal priorities can be better incorporated into decision-making processes.Her research methods encompass life cycle assessment, energy modeling, computer vision, and complex relationship modeling, building information modeling, and risk assessment. Three specific research areas are:Life cycle environmental impacts associated with buildings and construction Embodied carbon associated with building materials and construction Health risks associated with housing condition, urban infrastructure and overall built environment qualityOriginally published at reilly.nd.edu.

Ming Hu is an architect and environmental engineer at Notre Dame who studies how to decarbonize the built environment through net-zero impact and healthy building design, particularly focusing on life cycle impact and human health-centered decarbonization of the built environment. Specifically, she investigates the life cycle environmental impacts associated with building technologies and policies, as well as how community and societal priorities can be better incorporated into decision-making processes. Her research methods encompass life cycle assessment, energy modeling, computer vision, and complex relationship modeling, building information modeling, and risk assessment. Three specific research areas are: Life cycle environmental impacts associated with buildings and construction Embodied carbon associated with building materials and construction Health risks associated with housing condition, urban infrastructure and overall built environment quality Originally published at reilly.nd.edu.