Sign up to take a guided tour of "green" spaces on campus and learn about the sustainability initiatives happening at Notre Dame. Only 20 spots are available, so don't wait to register! Registrations over 20 participants will be waitlisted and contacted if a spot becomes available. Register today with this link. This event is open to the public and weather-permitting.

🏆 A Sustainability Cup Dorm Competition Event as part of the 18th annual Notre Dame Energy Week 🏆 Registration is required for the Zoom link. Part of the 18th annual Notre Dame Energy Week: As the urgency of the climate crisis continues to grow, it will take more than science and engineering to implement the adaptations and mitigations necessary to guide us to a sustainable future. Join us for a panel discussion featuring recent Notre Dame graduates working across climate policy and nonprofit spheres. These alumni will share the experiences and insights they’ve gained, along with the challenges they’ve faced as they navigate a career advocating for the protection and stewardship of the world around us. Whether working on grassroots initiatives, crafting policy, or leading nonprofit organizations, panelists will share the passion and action that led them to where they are, as well as discuss how a career in this space not only takes into consideration the responsibility people have to care for the planet but also the duty we have to each other in working toward an equitable and sustainable future. This event is sponsored by the Sustainability Department of Notre Dame Student Government. Panelists Elsa Barron graduated in 2021 with majors in biological sciences and peace studies and has returned to Notre Dame this fall to begin a Ph.D. Her professional experience reaches across the fields of climate policy research, environmental journalism, and community organization. Most recently, she has worked as a research fellow at the Center for Climate and Security and as a program associate at the Institute for Climate and Peace, dedicating her early career to advancing the synergy between climate action and peace-building. Austin Matheny-Kawesch graduated in 2018 with a major in economics and minors in energy studies and public service. He leads communications for the Environmental Defense Fund’s Washington, DC, advocacy work and serves on the board of directors for Our Climate. He previously led communications for Oceana’s campaign to end offshore drilling, was a press secretary for Indiana’s Senate Democrats, and ran media operations for numerous Democratic campaigns. He also volunteered as communications director for Indiana Young Democrats and served as chair of the Young Democrats of America Environmental Caucus. Lucas Barreto graduated in 2024 with a degree in mechanical engineering. A Puerto Rico native, he now works as a project manager at Let’s Share the Sun–a nonprofit working to facilitate solar development and advance energy resiliency and availability in Puerto Rico. Vintage ND Energy shirts will be given out at this event while they last. Registration is required for the Zoom link.   Originally published at energy.nd.edu.

🏆 A Sustainability Cup Dorm Competition Event as part of the 18th annual Notre Dame Energy Week 🏆As part of the 18th annual Notre Dame Energy Week, Notre Dame’s chapter of the American Nuclear Society invites the public to join a discussion about nuclear energy presented by Peter C. Burns, the Massman Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. Professor Burns will give an overview of the current energy landscape and advocate for nuclear energy as being the safest, quickest way for society to combat climate change. Biography Peter C. Burns has focused most of his research over the past decade on the solid state and environmental chemistry of heavy metals, especially actinides including uranium, neptunium and plutonium. Much of this research is applied to nuclear waste disposal and understanding the mobility of actinides and heavy metals in the environment. The structures, compositions, stabilities, and thermochemistry of uranium compounds are studied in relation to the evolution of a geological repository for nuclear waste, as well as natural uranium deposits. Burns was formerly the Director of NDE. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba in 1994, his M.S. in Geology from the University of Western Ontario in 1990, and his B.S., the University of New Brunswick in 1988. Vintage ND Energy shirts will be given out at this event while they last. Originally published at energy.nd.edu.

🏆 A Sustainability Cup Dorm Competition Event as part of the 18th annual Notre Dame Energy Week 🏆 The global energy crisis affects us in many ways, from energy shortages and pollution to climate change. Fossil fuel-based energy production and traditional air conditioning systems are two of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Since most energy production still relies heavily on fossil fuels, finding ways to produce energy more efficiently, reduce energy consumption, and recover waste heat is crucial. Join Notre Dame’s solar club, SunRise ND, as the Dorini Family Professor for Energy Studies, Tengfeir Luo, presents three examples of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to design and optimize materials that address these energy challenges. These include AI-driven improvements in thermoelectric materials for recovering waste heat, the discovery of gas separation membranes for more efficient energy production, and the use of quantum computing to design energy-efficient windows. These examples highlight AI's promising role in tackling global energy challenges. Biography Tengfei Luo is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. Leading the MÖNSTER Lab (MOlecular/Nano-Scale Transport & Energy Research Laboratory) at Notre Dame, Luo’s research interests include engineering materials with tailored thermal properties, thermal management of electronics, improving efficiency of energy devices, designing molecules and systems for water desalination, high-sensitivity bio-sensing, and additive manufacturing. Vintage ND Energy shirts will be given out at this event while they last.   Originally published at energy.nd.edu.

Sign up to take a guided tour of "green" spaces on campus and learn about the sustainability initiatives happening at Notre Dame. Only 20 spots are available, so don't wait to register! Registrations over 20 participants will be waitlisted and contacted if a spot becomes available. Register today with this link. This event is open to the public and weather-permitting.

As part of the annual St. Francis Week celebration, Global Day of Action, an initiative of Notre Dame Global, will take place on Wednesday, October 2. To celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, members and friends of the Notre Dame community around the world will be responding to Laudato Si's call to care for our common home with local action. The theme for this year’s Global Day of Action focuses on conscious consumption. We are encouraging everyone to consider how we can reduce waste in our everyday lives and be more thoughtful about how we consume, whether that means reducing energy consumption, reusing and repurposing materials and relying less on single-use items, consuming less resource-intensive foods, purchasing and consuming fewer materials, or donating unwanted goods and food. Staff and students at our global locations are invited to host an event such as an environmental service project, hosting a plant-forward feast, a litter clean-up, a seminar, a group reflection, or a prayer service to gather people in our local community together to act on and reflect on our role in caring for our common home. Even if you can't participate on Wednesday, October 2, we encourage the Notre Dame family to participate any day during St. Francis Week 2024 (September 30 - October 4.) Are you hosting a Global Day of Action event and want us to share it? Submit your event here!