Notre Dame Stories: In Studio

What was the Christmas Star?

The Gospel account of St. Matthew includes a peculiar episode: Magi or wise men who followed a star to the place of Jesus’ birth. Grant Mathews, a Notre Dame astrophysicist, details the astronomical phenomenon he believes led them to Bethlehem. To learn more, read the story here.

(Re-edited version of the episode that aired Nov. 30, 2018.)

Of Analytics and Art

In this episode, we meet a business students who is helping the NBA understand a new rule change. And, one of the most iconic landmarks on campus gets an upgrade. (Editor's note: The original Grotto fountain was crafted in 1943 by William Schickel, as part of his thesis project.)

The Energy of Innovation

Three years after the University announced the creation of the IDEA Center, we discuss how Notre Dame faculty and students are bridging the gap from innovation to impact. Also, how the University ceased coal use at its power plant, a year ahead of schedule.

Food and Thought

A look at ideas that are addressing major food-related problems: A potential breakthrough on peanut allergies. Learn more about how Basar Bilgicer, associate professor of engineering, is fighting to cure food allergies here.

And, what Notre Dame is doing to help kids get the nutrition they need, so they can focus in school. Read more about the program here.

Unexpected Guides

What your social circle can tell you about your health, and what centuries-old travel guides can tell us about a city.

Preparing for the Future

In this episode, a look at preparing for the future in two very different economic circumstances: In the US, how AI and advanced technology could disrupt the workforce; in the Amazon basin, how indigenous people are bolstering production of a common food staple.

Faculty guest: Ray Offenheiser, distinguished professor of the practice and director, Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development. Learn more about the Future of Work Conference.

Breastfeeding & IPV, Rome Global Gateway

A Notre Dame psychologist explains how breastfeeding can mitigate the impacts of intimate partner violence, or IPV.

And, we return to the Eternal City, for a look at the layered experiences that make Notre Dame, in Rome.

Faculty guest: Laura Miller-Graff, the William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families Assistant Professor of Psychology and Peace Studies. Read more about her work.

Lunar Samples, Rome Studies 50th Anniversary

We chat with Notre Dame geologist and moon expert Clive Neal, who is part of a team that will examine previously sealed lunar samples obtained during the Apollo missions. Note: Clive refers several times to "regolith," which is the powdery, dusty material on the lunar surface.

In addition, we look at the School of Architecture's Rome Studies Program, as it marks its 50th Anniversary in the Eternal City.

Venezuela, Irish Dance

As the situation deteriorates in Venezuela, we chat with Latin American expert Michael Coppedge of the Keough School of Global Affairs, who explains how we got here, and what to expect next.

And, as millions of people celebrate their Irish heritage this month, we look back at a student club’s championship foray into Irish Dance.

Trend Spotting

In this episode, we chat with Kasey Buckles, a Notre Dame economist who studies the family. Her research follows trends in the fertility rate, and yields clues about what that may mean for the US economy. Read more about Buckles' work.

And, we bring you the story of Notre Dame students getting real-world experience as police officers through the county's cyber crimes unit.

On Preservation

In this episode we chat with Pinar Zorlutuna, a professor in aerospace and mechanical engineering, who is using tissue engineering to extend the viability of hearts in a transplant scenario. Read more about her work.

In addition, we catch up with Sophia Bevacqua, an alumna who is working in art restoration at the Vatican Museums. Her story was featured in the piece, "Cultural maintenance".

Pathways

A Notre Dame researcher discusses the relationship between the built environment and our habits, especially our eating habits. And, as hundreds seek a path to asylum in Italy through a unique private-public partnership, the University is tracking how this method of resettlement is working, and can it be replicated elsewhere.

Star of Wonder

The Gospel account of St. Matthew includes a peculiar episode: Magi or wise men who followed a star to the place of Jesus’ birth. A Notre Dame astrophysicist details the astronomical phenomenon he believes led them to Bethlehem.

The role of Latinos in American politics

As the dust settles on the 2018 midterm elections, how the Latino community is shaping the American political landscape. Our guest is Luis Fraga, director of Notre Dame's Institute for Latino Studies.

Confidence, building

New research on confidence says nonverbal cues can help people avoid the social penalties of overconfidence. And, a collaboration between Notre Dame’s School of Architecture and the City of South Bend shows how buildings from the past can help plan for the future.

Heavenly Realms

We're closer than ever to knowing whether life exists on other planets. A Notre Dame researcher talks about what he and other experts are recommending to find the answer in the next 20 years.

And, what can be done at the moment a life passes from this world to the next? A scholar of Medieval chants finds surprising insight into how modern Americans respond to the end of life.

Helping the Most Vulnerable

A report from the White House Council of Economic Advisors declared the war on poverty largely over. A Notre Dame researcher, who helped produce much of the data behind the report, explains that statement, and talks about what can be done to continue to help those in need in the US.

And, two Notre Dame students signed up to spend their summer at a shelter near the US-Mexico border, helping migrant families who are seeking asylum. But they didn’t know the role that shelter – called Casa Vides – would play when the immigration issue exploded.