Stories

‘Hacking’ Catholic social tradition for a better internet

“Virtue in Virtual Spaces: Catholic Social Teaching and Technology” is the newest book in the Center for Social Concerns’ Enacting Catholic Social Tradition series.

The book draws on virtue ethics and the Church’s teaching as a guide for designing, developing, and using digital technologies in ways that promote human flourishing.

Events

Fall 2024 Community Engagement Fair

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to explore opportunities with campus and community groups — internships, research, postgrad service, and more.

Friday, Oct. 4, 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Geddes Hall, first floor and outside

American workers and the 2024 election

Hayden Kirwan, a senior majoring in history and minoring in poverty studies, will facilitate a discussion about jobs, immigration, unions, taxes, tariffs, and more.

Friday, Oct. 4, 5:00–6:00 p.m.

Geddes Hall, Room 233

Higher education and democracy

Spelman College President Helene Gayle, a pediatrician and public health physician, will speak about how higher education can promote democracy and the common good.

Monday, Oct. 7, noon–1:00 p.m.

online via Zoom

‘Just Mercy’ and

‘The Sun Does Shine’

Bryan Stevenson’s “Just Mercy” and Anthony Ray Hinton’s “The Sun Does Shine” will be discussed at the center book club’s next meeting. You can read both or either to participate.

Tuesday, Oct. 8, 7:00–8:15 p.m.

online via Zoom

Lecture: ‘Just Wages in Health Care’ 

The Center for Social Concerns’ Just Wage Research Lab is co-hosting a public lecture by Jackie Christianson, assistant professor in the Marquette University College of Nursing.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 3:30 p.m.

Geddes Hall, Andrews Auditorium

Closing reception for Re-(Pair) art exhibit

The multimedia exhibit by Nooshin Hakim Javadi and Pedram Baldari explores the possibilities of repair in the face of various forms of historical violence and injustice.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7:00 p.m.

Geddes Hall, McNeill Gallery

Lauren Groff: What makes a story true?

The three-time National Book Award finalist and bestselling author will speak the day before the Notre Dame-Stanford game. Reception with food and drinks to follow.

Friday, Oct. 11, 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Geddes Hall, Andrews Auditorium

Bryan Stevenson to speak in South Bend

Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of “Just Mercy,” will deliver the 2024 Rev. Bernie Clark, C.S.C., Lecture.

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Morris Performing Arts Center, downtown South Bend

Opportunities

First-year students: NDBridge is for you!

All first-year students can apply for this immersive summer research experience, which includes living alongside marginalized communities in the U.S. and abroad. Info session is at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18.

Scenes from the Center

Above: Hundreds of students celebrated the start of a new academic year and learned about Center for Social Concerns courses, programs, and research opportunities on August 26 at our annual Welcome Back Bash. The students enjoyed free hot dogs and elephant ears, and tested their rodeo skills on a mechanical bull!

Below: Our MVP Fridays kicked off for the 2024 football season on September 6 when New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, top left, talked about where we can find hope for America’s future. On September 20, poet and activist Javier Zamora, bottom left, discussed what we can learn from immigrant stories. Zamora’s bestselling memoir, “Solito,” recounted his nine-week solo journey from El Salvador to the United States when he was boy. On September 27, Ilyon Woo spoke about the research and writing process for her Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Master Slave Husband Wife.” The book tells the true story of William and Ellen Craft, a Black couple who escaped slavery in the 1840s with Ellen disguised as a wealthy, disabled White man and William posing as “his” slave.

Community of scholars

As an interdisciplinary academic institute, the Center for Social Concerns leverages research to respond to the complex demands of justice and to serve the common good. This series, ReSEARCHING for the Common Good, highlights some of the scholars in our community.

Nate Kroeze accomplished a rare feat for a biology grad student recently when he co-authored an article for a law journal.

“Adapting Conservation Governance Under Climate Change: Lessons from Indian Country” is forthcoming in the Virginia Law Review. He co-authored the paper with Jason McLachlan, associate professor of biology at Notre Dame, and two law professors from other universities.

Kroeze, an M.S. candidate, previously worked in McLachlan’s lab studying the dynamics of salt marsh ecosystems with a focus on the effects of climate change. He was a Graduate Justice Fellow at the Center for Social Concerns during the 2023-24 academic year.

How did you get interested in the ways indigenous communities are preparing for climate change?

One of the things I wanted out of grad school was to do science in a way that affects policy and the lives of people. From that came this tribal climate adaptation planning project. I analyzed 70 or so climate-adaptation plans from tribal communities, looking at how they’re thinking about climate change and how they’re dealing with the impacts they’re feeling.

Who has inspired you along the way?

Robin Wall Kimmerer, an author, scientist, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi, is one person who inspires me. She integrates traditional, indigenous ecological knowledge with Western scientific thought, and I think that’s a really cool perspective to bring to the table.

How do you see this work advancing the common good?

More than anything, I feel like my contribution was in elevating marginalized voices. A lot of the people most affected by climate change don’t have a seat at the table, and securing that seat ensures their voices shape the decisions that affect them, moving beyond business as usual. I was really taken and impressed with how far tribal communities have come in adaptation planning. What our law review paper helps with is grounding that in an academic sense, elevating tribal members’ lived experiences and how they’re thinking about this.

What brings you joy in your work?

From the tribal work that I’ve done, I love that it’s people-oriented, that we can address really interesting ecological questions while helping people.

From the marsh research that I do, I think it’s sort of that same thing — it’s people-oriented. But also, salt marshes are these super-unique ecosystems that we’re losing extremely quickly. They protect shorelines, protect coastal communities, and they have really interesting ecological questions. Doing that work brings me joy.

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