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Notre Dame Stories

by Notre Dame Stories

Notre Dame Stories highlights the work and knowledge of the University's faculty and students. This podcast features interviews with Notre Dame faculty members who can lend insight into some of the major national and international stories of the day, as well as pieces that show the breadth of the life and research at the University. Notre Dame Stories is the official podcast of the University of Notre Dame.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Sep 24, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Bookstore Basketball: Faith, community, and the court

    At Notre Dame, Bookstore Basketball isn't just an intramural tournament—it's tradition. For more than 50 years, generations of the Notre Dame family—students, alumni, priests, seminarians, and campus ministers—have found community and connection, one game at a time. In this episode of Notre Dame...

  2. Inside Artemis II mission control

    For seven hours, Notre Dame alumna Kelsey Young ’09 sat in NASA mission control, listening as astronauts described the moon in real time from a vantage point no human had ever experienced before. Young is NASA’s first science officer and the lunar science lead for the Artemis II mission. In this...

  3. What happened to the American family?

    In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, Melissa Kearney, economist and director of the Strengthening Families Research Initiative, explores the decline in marriage, the rise of single-parent households, and falling fertility rates in the United States. Drawing on decades of research, she connects...

  4. How do you measure success?

    What does it really mean to be successful? Joe Holt has lived enough lives to make most résumés look boring—including time as a Jesuit priest, a stockbroker, a corporate attorney, and even an Ironman triathlete—and he’s convinced that success can’t be measured by titles, prestige, or what you can...

  5. Cold Plunges and Unicorns

    What can extreme cold teach us about the human body—and ourselves? In this episode, Director of the Human Energetics Laboratory and anthropologist Cara Ocobock takes listeners inside her research on human adaptation, from subzero fieldwork in Finland with reindeer herders to lab studies on...

  6. A human-centered framework for AI Ethics

    Questions about artificial intelligence are everywhere—shaping public debate, influencing industry, and surfacing deep uncertainties about what it means to be human. At Notre Dame, philosopher Meghan Sullivan is helping lead that conversation. In this episode, she explains the DELTA framework, a...

  7. New tech to help stop the spread of bird flu

    On a family farm in Ohio, more than a million hens produce eggs that fill grocery shelves across the Midwest. Behind the scenes, farmers like Jordan and Thomas Hertzfeld are working tirelessly to keep their flocks healthy and thriving. Now, researchers at Notre Dame are helping them do just...

  8. Improving Hurricane Forecasts

    How do you improve hurricane forecasts? By studying one of the most powerful and destructive forces on Earth up close—where the ocean meets the atmosphere. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, Professor David Richter explains how new drone technology is helping scientists better understand what...

  9. A better start for NICU families: Notre Dame leads the way in neonatal intensive care research

    In this episode, Kathleen Kolberg, Ph.D., Associate Dean, College of Science, Office of the Dean, Assistant Director of the Center for Health Sciences Advising, shares how Notre Dame helped set the standard for NICU design and care. We also hear from Ainee Martin '25, a recently graduated…

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  10. Faith and freedom: Dean Marcus Cole on religious liberty

    Notre Dame is committed to educating a different kind of lawyer—one rooted in Catholic social teaching. From real-world clinics to high-stakes cases like protecting the sacred Apache Oak Flat, students are prepared to serve with both skill and conscience. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, G....

  11. Fighting poverty: research helping our communities

    This podcast episode features Heather Reynolds, Managing Director of the Notre Dame Poverty Initiative and the Michael L. Smith Managing Director, Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), who shares how Notre Dame’s research has shaped policy changes—such as expanding access to high...

  12. Advancing Rare Disease Research and Patient Advocacy

    In the United States, a disease must affect fewer than 200,000 people to be considered rare, but there are over 8,000 known rare diseases. That leaves the chances of being diagnosed with a rare disease in the U.S. at around 1 in 10, yet research and funding remain scarce. Rare diseases, commonly...

  13. Building bridges to a Beloved Community at Notre Dame

    In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, University President Reverend Fr. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. and Reverend Dr. Hugh R. Page, Jr., vice president of institutional transformation and advisor to the president, join host Jenna Liberto to discuss their shared commitment to creating a welcoming...

  14. What was the Christmas Star?

    It’s a story so familiar to many that you may not even realize there’s more to be discovered. The Bible describes an event that led so-called wise men to Jesus. Scripture calls it a star, but what was it really? That’s the question Grant Mathews, director of the Center for Astrophysics at Notre...

  15. Artificial Intelligence for the common good

    In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, Nitesh Chawla, Founding Director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, discusses the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. Amid growing concerns about AI’s societal impacts, Chawla emphasizes a proactive and inclusive approach to...

  16. Pathways to Notre Dame: Affordability and access with Micki Kidder

    In this episode, Micki Kidder, vice president of undergraduate enrollment, highlights Notre Dame's new no-loan financial aid packaging and expanded need-blind admissions as part of the new Pathways to Notre Dame initiative, ensuring that students from all financial backgrounds can access a Notre...

  17. The future of mental health care with Notre Dame's Sarah Mustillo

    In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, we go deep on a topic featured in the University’s award-winning series, “What Would You Fight For?” In an in-depth conversation, Sarah Mustillo, the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters, discusses the bold University…

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  18. Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., reflects on 19 years as President of the University of Notre Dame

    In October, it was announced that Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., would step down from his role as the 17th president of the University of Notre Dame. He has shaped and grown the University and its impact over the past 19 years in research, global engagement and by attracting super faculty and the...

  19. Notre Dame as a leading research university

    The University of Notre Dame has experienced transformational growth in research over the past decade. The evidence is everywhere on campus, both in the talent of the faculty and the resources devoted to making Notre Dame a leading research institution. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, host...

  20. Breathe with both lungs

    What comes to mind when you think about the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame? Likely, an image of traditional Roman Catholicism. But the Church is a global body with diverse traditions and people who lead them. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the life story of the…

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  21. Kate the Chemist: A passion for science education

    Kate the Chemist's explosive and entertaining experiments have taken her from the college campus to network television. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, host Jenna Liberto talks with Kate about her passion for teaching audiences of all ages to fall in love with scientific discovery. Show...

  22. G.K. Chesterton and Notre Dame

    In this episode, we look at the relationship between the great Catholic intellectual, G.K. Chesterton, and the University of Notre Dame. Chesterton spent a semester on campus in 1930, lending his intellectual prowess and good humor to the Notre Dame community. Today, a collection of his personal...

  23. The connection between dreams and work productivity

    We know that a good night’s sleep can help you at work…but what role do dreams play in your 9-to-5? We sat down with Casher Belinda, assistant professor for management at the Mendoza College of Business, to discuss a new study that shows how the emotions we experience at night can help us during...

  24. How Notre Dame became the "Fighting Irish"

    One of the more popular stories we've produced is on the origin of the University's athletics nickname, the "Fighting Irish." As the football team prepares to open its season in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, we revisit that history to open the new season of Notre...

  25. Sounds of Commencement 2023

    The academic year culminates in one of the most distinctive events at the University of Notre Dame — Commencement in Notre Dame Stadium. Before the conferring of thousands of degrees, the inspired and meticulous work of thousands of University employees orchestrates an unmatched experience for…

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  26. Countless Journeys: Notre Dame in London

    This special episode takes a look at the University's presence in London. We spent some time with a few of Notre Dame's students there, following them to different locations on that most iconic mode of transport, the Underground. Along the way, we explored the home of a major Premier League...

  27. Insight into Human Trafficking

    In this episode, we chat with Dean Shepherd, the Ray and Milann Siegfried Professor of Entrepreneurship in Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Professor Shepherd recently published research into the organization of sex work and human trafficking in India. The study draws from interviews…

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  28. The Legacy of "The Liberator" (East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland, Ep. 3)

    We round out our time in Ireland by exploring Dublin, from its familiar sounds to its famous Georgian homes. One such home is the first stop for Notre Dame students studying here: O'Connell House, the former residence of Daniel O'Connell, known as "The Liberator." As we found out, students are...

  29. Common Home (East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland, Ep. 2)

    In episode two, we explore Notre Dame students' work on environmental issues in Ireland. None is more pressing than the role of bogs, a quintessential feature of the Irish landscape. They've been plowed over for generations to harvest the underlying peat for fuel. As the practice is phased out…

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  30. May the road rise up to meet you (East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland, Ep. 1)

    There’s a traditional Irish blessing that begins, “May the road rise up to meet you.” It’s meant to convey well-wishes for a smooth journey…both literally and figuratively. But yet, there’s something to be said for choosing to go off the beaten path. For intentionally taking the road less…

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  31. East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland | Trailer

    For a University with Ireland in its DNA, a presence on the Emerald Isle is only natural. But Notre Dame doesn't just have a presence in Ireland; it has a relationship with it. In East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland, we take a look at how the University is making an impact in Dublin and in the...

  32. One student's Notre Dame journey and a preview of Notre Dame in Ireland

    Today we feature the story of Temitayo (Tayo) Ade-Oshifogun, president of the Black Graduates in Management Club at the Mendoza College of Business. Tayo shares how he came to ND and offers some perspective on the Black experience on campus. Later in the episode, we present a trailer for the…

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  33. The Law School's DEI Podcast

    The Notre Dame Law School seeks to "educate a different kind of lawyer." Part of that process is training in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Max Gaston joins us to talk about his role as the Law School's director of DEI, and how his podcast gives a window into his work. Find The…

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  34. Seeking Renewal in the New Year

    The new year is a time for resolutions and renewal. We spoke to a certified wellness coach from the McDonald Center for Student Wellbeing for advice on seeking a fresh start in the new year. Known on campus as "McWell," the McDonald Center provides a variety of services for students aimed at...

  35. Throwback: What was the Christmas Star?

    The Gospel of St. Matthew records a strange astronomical phenomenon: Magi from the East who were drawn to the site of Christ's birth by a star. In this replay episode, we chat with Notre Dame astrophysicist Grant Mathews, who explains what the Christmas star may have been.

  36. Why a Notre Dame VP was tapped by the State Department to travel to Africa

    Michael Pippenger was pleasantly surprised by the opportunity in September to represent the United States as a citizen diplomat building ties to universities in Uganda, where Notre Dame has a long history. The State Department's U.S. Speaker Program recruited Pippenger, Notre Dame's vice…

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  37. The Future of Tech Ethics and Notre Dame's Technology Ethics Center

    In this episode, we highlight another Notre Dame podcast called TEC Talks hosted by Kirsten Martin, the William P. and Hazel B. White director of the Technology Ethics Center at Notre Dame. We sat down with Professor Martin to hear a bit about the center and how it’s helping to shape the future…

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  38. Inside the takedown of a drug kingpin

    The arrest this summer of Mexican drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero caught the attention of Notre Dame Law School professor Jimmy Gurulé. Caro Quintero was wanted for the 1985 torture and murder of a DEA agent, a story so infamous it was recently featured in the Netflix show Narcos: Mexico.…

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  39. Helping the Last of the Instrument Makers

    ConnSelmer is the last major manufacturer of band instruments in the United States. They were looking for ways to innovate to keep their operations in-country. That's when they received a boost from iNDustry Labs, Notre Dame's platform for collaboration between the University and local...

  40. The 2022 Valedictorian: Devin Diggs

    The Class of 2022 valedictorian Devin Diggs joins us to talk about his Notre Dame story, and what's in store after commencement. Among other activities, Diggs worked in Dr. Jessica Payne's Sleep, Stress and Memory Lab.

  41. A Conversation with Commencement Speaker Archbishop Borys Gudziak

    On March 23rd, Ukrainian Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak was announced as the keynote speaker at Notre Dame’s 177th commencement ceremony. Ten days earlier, Archbishop Gudziak sat down for an interview for the Henri Nouwen Now and Then podcast, produced by the Henri Nouwen Society. Henri...

  42. Ukraine: Sanctions, War Crimes, and International Law

    After three weeks, the war in Ukraine is only becoming costlier—and deadlier—for both the militaries fighting, and the civilians caught in the middle. We spoke with Mary Ellen O’Connell, the Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law, about the international legal framework that could help bring…

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  43. Understanding the 5G rollout

    The rollout of 5G seemed to be going along smoothly until it wasn’t. So why did the airline industry ask for a pause in some areas? And, should we expect other disruptions in the future? For answers, we turned to Nick Laneman, co-director of the Notre Dame Wireless Institute.

  44. The Winter Olympics, Equality in Sports, and Exercising in the Cold

    The Winter Olympics are here, and while they provide hours of incredible viewing for sports fans, they also offer insights into life and society. To explore the Olympics in this light, we turn to Cara Ocobock, assistant professor of anthropology. In a wide-ranging discussion, Prof. Ocobock…

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  45. What's going on with the supply chain?

    One of the biggest stories in the last half of 2021 was the supply chain. It seems everyone was impacted by shortages or delays in getting a product from a manufacturer to a consumer. Now that we’ve turned the page into 2022, where do we stand? To find out, we spoke with Kaitlin Wowak, associate...

  46. Explaining the Christmas Star

    The Gospel of St. Matthew records a peculiar event: a star marking the place of Jesus' birth. As the story goes, this phenomenon inspired "magi" from the East to journey to find the Christ child. But is there a way to know what the Christmas Star really was? Using various multi-disciplinary…

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  47. Tortured by the police (Proving Innocence, Ep. 6)

    What do you do when the officers who are supposed to protect and serve the public are the ones torturing their suspects? Not in a third-world country, but in the city of Chicago. If you're a civil rights attorney, you stand up and defend the rights of those being abused — regardless of whether…

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  48. The Great Crown Caper

    Tour guides have been answering questions about it for years. There's a large gold crown in a case, situated by the elevators in Notre Dame's Main Building (aka, the "Golden Dome"). A plaque inside the case offers some explanation, but there's much more to know. Turns out, this crown may not be…

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  49. Social Media, Misinformation, and You

    It's one of the biggest news stories of the month: social media and the spread of misinformation. While Facebook garnered much attention over the past several weeks, the problem of misinformation goes back far longer and is far broader than many people realize. In this episode, we chat with Tim...

  50. Making A Musical

    Ronnie and Alex Mansour chose Notre Dame over a traditional music conservatory because the University’s music program allowed them the flexibility to do it, as Sinatra would say, their way. In this episode, Brendan O'Shaughnessy tells the story of the siblings who charted their own creative path…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Notre Dame Stories highlights the work and knowledge of the University's faculty and students. This podcast features interviews with Notre Dame faculty members who can lend insight into some of the major national and international stories of the day, as well as pieces that show the breadth of the life and research at the University.

Notre Dame Stories is the official podcast of the University of Notre Dame.

HOSTED BY

Notre Dame Stories

Produced by University of Notre Dame

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How many episodes does Notre Dame Stories have?

Notre Dame Stories currently has 94 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Notre Dame Stories about?

Notre Dame Stories highlights the work and knowledge of the University's faculty and students. This podcast features interviews with Notre Dame faculty members who can lend insight into some of the major national and international stories of the day, as well as pieces that show the breadth of the...

How often does Notre Dame Stories release new episodes?

Notre Dame Stories has 94 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

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You can listen to Notre Dame Stories on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

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Notre Dame Stories is created and hosted by Notre Dame Stories.
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