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.

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 U.S. 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.

In this episode, we chat with Pinar Zorlutuna, a professor in aerospace and mechanical engineering, who uses tissue engineering to extend the viability of hearts in a transplant scenario. Read more about her work. In addition, we caught up with Sophia Bevacqua, an alumna working to restore art at the Vatican Museums. Her story was featured in the story Cultural Maintenance.

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 if it can be replicated elsewhere.

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.

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.

In this episode: 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.

In this episode: 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.

In this episode: 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 U.S. And, two Notre Dame students signed up to spend their summer at a shelter near the U.S.-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.

(Producer's note: The audio for the Casa Vides story was captured on-site and is extremely raw. It is best to listen through headphones or earbuds for clarity.)

Through expert interviews and feature spotlights, Notre Dame Stories showcases the work our faculty and students are doing to be a force for good in the world.

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Notre Dame Stories is produced by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications.