Episode Topic: Why Does the Nobel Prize in Science Matter?

Ever wonder how Nobel-winning science research affects your everyday life? Join faculty from the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University South Bend as they unpack the discoveries behind one of science’s most prestigious award—and why it matters to all of us.

Featured Speakers:

• Masaru (Ken) Kuno, University of Notre Dame
• Kirk Mecklenburg, Indiana University South Bend
• Petr Stepanov, University of Notre Dame 

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/f090f6.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Our Universe Revealed.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: Civic Virtue

Rajiv Vinnakota is the President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, where the mission is to strengthen civic life in America by empowering young people to tackle civic challenges with bold, fresh ideas. Listen in for a conversation about his background, the institute, and civic virtue.

Featured Speakers:

• Rajiv Vinnakota, Institute for Citizens & Scholars

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/7c2f97.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Virtues & Vocations.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: Tongues of Men and Angels

Discover "Tongues of Men and Angels," where Grammy-winning composer J.J. Wright ‘14 MSM, ‘17 DMA and poet Dana Gioia bridge high art and jazz. Witness a performance that had audiences swinging in their seats, redefining the sacred tradition through a daring fusion of Bach, Monk, and pop. Explore the future of the Catholic musical imagination.

Featured Speakers:

• Dana Gioia, Poet
• J.J. Wright ‘14 MSM, ‘17 DMA, Composer

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/750d6c.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled On Catholic Imagination.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: Law & Morality

Does law reflect mere convention or objective reality? Marking 800 years of Thomas Aquinas, explore how his synthesis of law and morality provides a radical framework for justice. Challenge modern positivism and discover how the architecture of virtue informs the common good, moving society from legal compliance to true spiritual freedom.

Featured Speakers:

• Fr. Petar Popovic, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
• Monica Marcelli-Chu, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University
• Cait Lemos '20 MTS, '25 Ph.D., University of Notre Dame

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/461aa5.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Aquinas at 800.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: Place Based Community Regeneration

Join us as panelists discuss strategies for allocating limited funds (to be catalytic), attracting (the right kinds of) investment, and addressing housing shortages (by addressing failed urbanism) in the process of reactivating downtown development in Midwestern cities. Watch regional leaders discard obsolete models to champion fiscal solvency and civic pride, proving that when we prioritize community over projects, we rebuild the American fabric.

Featured Speakers:

• Marianne Cusato '97, '17 MBA, University of Notre Dame
• Stefanos Polyzoides, University of Notre Dame
• Jim Brainard, Board of Governors of the Suzanne C. and Henry L. Lennard Institute for Livable Cities
• Dave Weaver, We Impact Group, LLC
• Rebekah Kik, University of Notre Dame

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/1bcd20.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Restoring Reason, Beauty, and Trust in Architecture.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: Being the Change

Join Dr. Milo Dodson ’08 and a panel of intergenerational alumni, Dr. Dom (Dominic) Acri ’18, Savanna Morgan ’20, and Dominique DeMoe ’19, as they explore the legacy of the Balfour-Hesburgh Scholars Program. Discover how “Being the Change” transcends individual success, fostering a communal ecosystem of advocacy that spans decades. Learn why betting on yourself is the first step toward institutional transformation.

Featured Speakers:

• Dr. Milo Dodson '08, Belkin International, Inc.
• Dr. Dom Acri '18
• Savanna Morgan '20, Archive Ensemble
• Dominique DeMoe ’19, ESPN

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/014175.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Dialogues Across the Decades: Conversations with Balfour-Hesburgh Scholars Program Alumni.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: Religious Pluralism (https://go.nd.edu/1c89af)

Under the conditions of globalization, more religious people than ever find themselves in close contact with members of other religious traditions. Our hosts convene in this episode for a scriptural conversation on religious pluralism. How is the religious “other” discussed in the scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? How do each of these traditions interpret the fact of multiple religions? Is the multiplicity of religions positively willed by God—or just permitted by God as a result of human failings? They explore the question at the heart of our podcast: Can we disagree religiously and still be friends?

Featured Speakers:

•  Mun’im Sirry, University of Notre Dame
• Tzvi Novick, University of Notre Dame
• Gabriel Said Reynolds, University of Notre Dame
• Francesca Murphy, University of Notre Dame

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/349e0f.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Minding Scripture. (https://go.nd.edu/dee1b4)

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: Crafting Music & Synthesizing Sounds with Geometry

Have you ever wanted to create your own unique sounds but didn’t know how to start? Using basic geometry, it’s easy to synthesize new and exciting sounds through software you can run on a laptop! In this talk, Indiana University South Bend professor Ryan Olivier will demonstrate a few synthesis techniques and explain how thinking in geometries has informed his compositional process.

Featured Speakers:

•  Ryan Oliver, Indiana University South Bend

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/b6876b.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Our Universe Revealed.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: Business on the Frontlines

Explore “Active Hope” as a catalyst for order in Ukraine. Beyond profit, business has become a strategic mandate for survival and a testament to our global solidarity. Join us as we examine how the University of Notre Dame and its partners forge resilience amidst ruin, serving as a powerful “Force for Good.”

Featured Speakers:

• Magdalena Charzyńska-Wójcik, Ph.D., John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
• Yaryna Boychuk, Ukrainian Catholic University
• Alejandro Danylyszyn, Deloitte Digital
• Georges Enderle, University of Notre Dame
• Sophia Opatska, Ukrainian Catholic University

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/8136cb.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Revolutions of Hope.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.

Episode Topic: The Role of Joy

Cameron Kim is assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University and Laura Dunham is dean of the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas. Listen in for a conversation about the nature of joy with these authors that contributed to the spring 2026 edition of the Virtues & Vocations: Higher Education for Human Flourishing magazine.

Featured Speakers:

• Cameron Kim, Duke University
• Laura Dunham, University of St. Thomas

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/d0d413.

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Virtues & Vocations.

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.