Episodios

  • What happened to the American family?

    What happened to the American family?
    Apr 7 2026
    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 these trends to economic inequality, child well-being, and public policy—making the case that strengthening families is essential to improving outcomes across society. Watch on YouTube Episode page Listen and subscribe
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    14 m
  • How do you measure success?

    How do you measure success?
    Mar 11 2026
    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 show for your work. In this podcast episode, Holt joins host Jenna Liberto, and together they explore why so many people feel disengaged at work, how to set goals that stretch you without burning you out, and why dreaming about the life you want should come before planning it. Holt shares the simple tactics he uses to stay accountable, the difference between a “good” job and a “prestigious” one, and why wisdom—more than achievement—may be the measure that matters most. Along the way, he reflects on faith, stillness, and leaving room for a God of surprises. Listen and subscribe Notre Dame Stories is the official podcast of the University of Notre Dame, wherever you get your podcasts.
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    13 m
  • Cold Plunges and Unicorns

    Cold Plunges and Unicorns
    Feb 6 2026
    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 metabolism, cold exposure, and hunting unicorns. She also unpacks popular cold-plunge trends, what science actually says about them, and how lessons from our ancestors can help us understand resilience, wellness, and the remarkable ways humans have survived across time. Show links: Episode page The Winter Olympics, equality in sports, and exercising in the cold ‘Woman the hunter’: Studies aim to correct history Women’s higher resting metabolic rates in cold environments could be thyroid requirements for pregnancy, researcher says
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    18 m
  • A human-centered framework for AI Ethics

    A human-centered framework for AI Ethics
    Dec 4 2025
    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 human-centered approach to AI ethics—and why the choices we make today will define how this powerful technology shapes our future. --- Show links: Episode page (https://fightingfor.nd.edu/podcast/a-human-centered-framework-for-ai-ethics/) DELTA framework (https://ethics.nd.edu/programs/faith-based-frameworks-for-ai-ethics/delta/) Listen and Subscribe (https://link.chtbl.com/notre-dame-stories?sid=megaphone)
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    13 m
  • New tech to help stop the spread of bird flu

    New tech to help stop the spread of bird flu
    Nov 5 2025
    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 that—developing an “electronic nose” that can detect disease before it spreads, turning science into a lifeline for farms, food systems, and families. --- Show links: Episode Page (https://go.nd.edu/04040c) Fighting for faster virus detection (https://fightingfor.nd.edu/stories/fighting-for-faster-virus-detection/) Listen and subscribe⁠ (https://go.nd.edu/nd-stories-podcast) --- Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:19 A brief history of the Hertzfeld Family Farm 02:02 How bird flu affects poultry farms 02:56 Biosecurity measures used to reduce the risk of avian flu outbreak 03:42 Why early detection of bird flu is so important 04:44 A new device from Notre Dame researchers can sniff out bird flu 05:55 How new technology helps farmers detect bird flu 07:37 How farms test for bird flu 08:57 The future of disease detection 11:24 Leveraging technology to solve big, meaningful problems 12:16 Potential uses for sensing technology
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    15 m
  • Improving Hurricane Forecasts

    Improving Hurricane Forecasts
    Oct 1 2025
    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 happens inside a hurricane close to the ocean’s surface—and why this research is vital for improving forecasts. Richter also reflects on how his work connects to a deeper calling, and how he challenges students to see engineering as both a technical pursuit and a human vocation. --- Show links: • ⁠Episode Page⁠ • ⁠Fighting to improve hurricane forecasts⁠ • ⁠Subscribe⁠ --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:32 Why hurricanes are difficult to forecast 03:13 How drones are advancing hurricane research 04:57 How aerial drones are deployed over hurricanes 07:00 How aerial drones capture hurricane data 09:04 Fluid Dynamics Professor David Richter shares how his faith guides his research 10:38 Engineering and the Human Vocation
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    14 m
  • A better start for NICU families: Notre Dame leads the way in neonatal intensive care research

    A better start for NICU families: Notre Dame leads the way in neonatal intensive care research
    May 29 2025
    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 chemical engineering and pre-med student whose passion for helping others was born of her past experience with medical professionals following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Their stories reflect the University of Notre Dame’s interdisciplinary approach to healthcare—one that’s preparing the next generation of doctors to be a force for good in the world. ------ Show links: Watch on YouTube Episode page Fighting For website⁠ Fighting for NICU babies and their families
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    33 m
  • Faith and freedom: Dean Marcus Cole on religious liberty

    Faith and freedom: Dean Marcus Cole on religious liberty
    Apr 22 2025
    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. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School, shares why protecting religious freedom—especially for minority and land-based faiths—is essential to safeguarding all human rights. He reflects on the broader impact of the Law School’s work with the Apache people and other global efforts. Learn how Notre Dame is fighting for religious freedom in all its forms—and how future lawyers are learning to do the same. ------ Show links: Episode page Fighting For website Fighting for Religious Liberty
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    21 m