News

Smiling woman in leopard print sweater, child with hand to face, and bearded man in cap with beaded necklace look at papers.

Celebrating art and creativity at Solarium26

Author: Traci DuVal

The stately gallery in Bond Hall was alive with activity during Solarium26, an annual fine arts show and signature event hosted each year by the Graduate School. Visitors moved slowly from piece to piece—studying the artwork, reflecting on it, and reading the ekphrastic reflections displayed beside the works. Some paused to speak with the artists about their process and the stories behind their work, while others gathered in small groups—talking about the art, enjoying the food, and celebrating the creativity and community that filled the room.

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Four smiling people stand by a blue Shaheen 3MT banner from the Notre Dame Graduate School.

Three Minutes. One Slide. Ten Years of Impact.

Author: Traci DuVal

The lights dimmed inside Decio Theatre at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. The crowd quieted. The stage was sparse—a single screen, a countdown clock, and a banner. Attendees filled the main floor and spilled into the balcony, forming the largest audience in the history of the Shaheen Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) Finals at Notre Dame.

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Smiling students, some in Notre Dame scarves, pose for a group photo indoors with blue and green balloon arch.

Our Futures Weekend: Discovering your path to graduate study at Notre Dame

Author: Traci DuVal

One of the snowiest Januaries on record had left its mark on South Bend—38.6 inches of snowfall blanketing campus in white. Against that backdrop, 55 aspiring graduate students from 45 colleges and universities across the country gathered at Notre Dame for Our Futures Weekend.

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The spire of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Golden Dome of the Main Building at the University of Notre Dame are silhouetted against a vibrant orange and yellow sunset.

New research from Notre Dame theologian and Vatican working group explores how to ‘reclaim human agency’ in age of AI

Author: Carrie Gates

Former Graduate School student Paul Scherz is advancing Notre Dame’s mission to be a force for good through his co-edited book on reclaiming human agency in the age of AI. Paul Scherz, the Our Lady of Guadalupe College Professor of Theology and the ND–IBM Tech Ethics Lab Program Chair, recently co-edited a book exploring how AI affects human agency. The book, “Reclaiming Human Agency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” is the second in a series created by the Vatican’s AI Research Group for the Centre for Digital Culture. 

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On a dark blue background appear a gold stop watch overlaid with the words "Shaheen 3MT" on the left of the image and the word "Finals" in heavy white font on the right.

Three minutes. Big ideas. Real-world impact.

Author: Traci DuVal

In just three minutes, competitors in the Shaheen Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) Finals will bring years of groundbreaking research to life through compelling presentations designed for a broad audience. Competitors can use only one static slide, and a visible countdown clock keeps each presentation to three minutes—exceeding the time limit results in automatic disqualification. The competition is open to the public, offering a front-row seat to the innovative research Notre Dame graduate students are conducting and the ideas shaping our future.

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Three people talk in a yellow room with art. The center woman in a white knitted sweater and glasses holds a brochure, looking intently at the woman on the right.

Solarium 25 showcases the art and creative writing of Notre Dame’s MFA students

Author: The Graduate School

The beauty of fine art, the story the artist tells, and the emotions it stirs in the viewer are on full display at the Graduate School in Bond Hall. These works, selected for the Graduate School's annual fine arts show, Solarium 25, feature a juried sampling of artistic explorations created by eight talented University of Notre Dame master of fine arts students.

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A male presenter in a green shirt gestures at a scientific poster with a Notre Dame logo to four students. Visible from behind, they include two women in hoodies (pink, gray), a woman in a vest, and a man in a polo, attentively observing in a building with museum exhibits.

Emerging scientists take center stage at Notre Dame’s COSE Research Horizons Symposium

Author: Subash Gamage

What does storm-driven coastal erosion in Ireland have in common with protein quantification, social behavior in prairie voles, and next-generation membrane technologies? On December 11, 2025, the answer was on full display at the annual Colleges of Science and Engineering (COSE) Research Horizons Symposium at the University of Notre Dame.

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The Golden Dome of Notre Dame's Main Building, with the statue of Mary on top, shines under a pink and blue twilight sky, its dark green roofs and stone facade visible through trees.

Notre Dame a top producer of Fulbright students for 12th straight year

Author: Erin Blasko

The University of Notre Dame is a top producer of Fulbright students for the 12th consecutive year, according to an announcement from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which administers the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.

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A speaker in a grey suit presents research in a lecture hall. Screens display scientific diagrams titled "Spiky molecular 'hats' for Alzheimer's Disease." A blue and yellow "Shaheen 3MT" banner stands nearby, and a digital timer reads 02:34.

3MT preliminary rounds begin next week

Author: Traci DuVal

Graduate students from the Colleges of Arts & Letters, Engineering, and Science; the Keough School of Global Affairs; and the Mendoza College of Business will take the stage February 9–12 for the preliminary rounds of the Shaheen Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. In this fast-paced, lightning-talk…

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Ten smiling individuals, including one in clerical attire, stand in a Notre Dame lecture hall. Three screens behind them display 'LASER 2021 Outstanding Program of the Year'.

Preparing Ph.D. students to lead with purpose: inside LASER

Author: Traci DuVal

Ask a LASER participant about the program, and you’ll often hear the exact phrase: life-changing. LASER—Leadership Advancing Socially Engaged Research—is frequently described by program alums as a transformative experience that can shape your future in meaningful ways.

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A forest inventory coordinator for USAID describes forest inventory methodology to visitors in Barconnie Community Forest in Grand Bassa County, Liberia, as the two stand amidst a green forested area.

Using forest resources strengthens food security, study finds

Author: Renée LaReau

A new study by Notre Dame researchers—and a former Notre Dame postdoctoral scholar—reveals how forest resources can dramatically reduce food insecurity in rural households. Forests can reduce hunger in rural households while also capturing carbon and advancing sustainability goals for low- and middle-income countries, according to new research by University of Notre Dame experts.  

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Jennifer Burke Lefever, a smiling woman in a navy blazer and tan pants stands with crossed arms before a construction site. The multi-story building features blue sheathing, light brick, scaffolding, and an orange excavator behind a fence.

Mental Health Initiative leader driven by personal experience to serve others

Author: Jenna Liberto

Once a graduate student at Notre Dame, Jennifer Burke Lefever has gone on to become a leader in child psychology—now helping guide one of the University’s most ambitious responses to the mental health crisis and turning research into real-world support for children and families. Jennifer Burke Lefever has worked her entire career in the field of child psychology. Yet, nothing compares to being a parent who needs resources for their own child. That personal experience is what drives her passion as she transitions from managing director of the Shaw Family Center for Children and Families to her current role at the University, helping lead the Mental Health Initiative as managing director of the Wilma and Peter Veldman Family Psychology Clinic.

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Graduate student Fabio Rivero and five local high school students stand in front of a projector that says  Physicists Inspiring the Next Generation.

Graduate student leads first PING summer physics program at Notre Dame

Author: Janet Weikel

NSL graduate student Fabio Rivero served as director for the inaugural run of the University of Notre Dame chapter of PING (Physicists Inspiring the Next Generation) in summer 2025. Five high school students from the greater South Bend area participated in a two-week summer program designed to introduce them to what physics research is and how it is carried out in practice.

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Qing Cao Postdoc Profile

Bio-nano interface design for multiplexed wearable biosensors

Author: Lorenzo Rose

The venous blood test is the gold standard for biomarker detection in blood but it's painful, invasive, and does not enable continuous monitoring of blood contents. Blood is taken out for analysis, and the results leave patients with mere snapshots of their health condition instead of the ability…

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Bridging the gap: Brighton Miller’ fight to unite cancer research and community care

Author: Kile, Gabrielle

“My passion is to establish community education and cancer prevention based on the current research that is being done, especially bringing that education to underrepresented communities. I want to fight a bigger battle–the disconnect between research and clinical care.” Brighton Miller, doctoral…

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A speaker in a grey suit presents research in a lecture hall. Screens display scientific diagrams titled "Spiky molecular 'hats' for Alzheimer's Disease." A blue and yellow "Shaheen 3MT" banner stands nearby, and a digital timer reads 02:34.

From practice to podium, it’s almost Shaheen 3MT® season

Author: Traci DuVal

The Graduate School is excited to announce the launch of information sessions for the 2026 Shaheen Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. The event offers graduate students an incredible opportunity to enhance their research communication skills. In the competition, graduate students are challenged…

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