Notre Dame College of Arts & Letters

10/19/2026

Anthony Petro has received two prizes and an honorable mention for what the American Academy of Religion called “a master class in close readings of style, history, and an imaginative use of religion as an analytic category.”

It’s the American studies professor's second monograph, “Provoking Religion: S*x, Art, and the Culture Wars,” which reframes the culture wars of the late 20th century through artists’ stories.

“No one writes a book just to get an award, but getting such recognition from peers in your field definitely makes the many years of researching and writing feel all the more meaningful,” Petro said.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4hTuqCn

Anthony Petro, an associate professor in the Department of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame, has received two prizes and an honorable me...

10/19/2026

Meghan Sullivan, Founding Director of the Notre Dame Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, has been appointed as a consultant to the newly formed United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

Sullivan is one of only three lay consultants providing support to the task force.

Read the full story: https://go.nd.edu/39693a

10/05/2026

As a political scientist, Luis Schiumerini has made it his job to find what makes democracy tick — what forces influence electoral outcomes, what incentivizes politicians, and how citizens make their government work. And it goes beyond a strong scholarly curiosity — he wants to learn how to make democracy better.

It’s the goal the associate political science professor had in mind when he wrote “Incumbency Bias: Why Political Office is a Blessing and a Curse in Latin America,” which recently won the 2026 Robert A. Dahl Award from the American Political Science Association.

“The award is named for one of my heroes, so I’m very honored,” Schiumerini said.

Read more:

Luis Schiumerini lectures to students in the class…

10/02/2026

Sweater weather us upon us, and there's nothing quite like fall at Notre Dame. Welcoming October with some of our favorite views around Arts & Letters. 🍂☘️

09/30/2026

Most people have a certain set of standards about what they believe and how to live their lives. But most people don’t bother to write out each one — with citations — on the internet.

Douglas W. Portmore isn’t most people.

On his personal website, the philosophy professor details his 100-plus philosophical views that he has published in books or journal articles, covering topics from deontology (No. 17) to supererogation noninheritance (No. 72).

“In philosophy, you take your views — about how you ought to live, what to believe, what does and doesn’t exist, whether you have free will, the place of science — and try to make that all coherent,” Portmore said.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4iOTYRU

Douglas Portmore lectures to his Introduction to Philosophy students.…

09/28/2026

Congratulations to Arts & Letters junior Ella Bussell for winning an Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service!

Created by Barack and Michelle Obama and Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, the Voyager Scholarship gives young leaders two years of financial aid and leadership development to help them launch careers in public service.

From a small town in Kentucky, Bussell will use her scholarship to improve life in small towns worldwide by researching structural isolation and, hopefully, uncover strategies for managing resources and overcoming regional challenges.

“Since I've been at Notre Dame, very fitting opportunities have become available to me,” she said. “I get to meet a really diverse network of people and just really enjoy the work I'm doing.”

Brodhead, Kentucky, is a town with a population of just over a thousand. It’s more than an hour from the nearest Target, the nearest private schoo...

09/24/2026

University of Notre Dame theology professor John Cavadini will receive the 2026 Ratzinger Prize in Theology. Pope Leo XIV will present him with the prize on December 19.

Cavadini is the third theologian from Notre Dame to win the Ratzinger Prize, following professors emeriti Cyril O’Regan (who received the award from Pope Francis in 2024) and Rev. Brian E. Daley, S.J. (honored by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012).

John Cavadini, professor of theology (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

09/21/2026

So many opportunities, we had to keep it organized 📸 ☘️

09/08/2026

Operation Midway Blitz was getting underway.

Hundreds of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were being deployed in the Chicago region, apprehending thousands of people. In response, protests were planned, lawsuits filed, and journalists sent to downtown streets, family apartments, and courthouses to ensure nothing happened in the dark.

Two of those reporters were Notre Dame’s Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy (Notre Dame Journalism) alumnae Adriana Pérez ’22 and Madeline Buckley ’11. As part of the Chicago Tribune’s staff of over 70 reporters, they were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their work — the highest award in journalism.

“I’m sure it’s pretty cool to get a Pulitzer by yourself,” Pérez said. “But it’s so beautiful to share something so big with others.”

Read more: https://bit.ly/46c8hZg

Adriana Pérez (right) interviews over video call an immigrant whose…

07/04/2026

Happy 250 years, USA!