Author: David Cramer
Perspectives: Jenifer Solano Becerra
PERSPECTIVES Jenifer Solano Becerra JUNIOR NEUROSCOENCE AND BEHAVIOR MAJOR The Institute for Social Concerns is a home for justice research and education for scholars at any stage of their academic career, from undergraduate students to seasoned professors. Jenifer Solano Becerra is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in neuroscience and behavior with a minor in […]
Graduate Justice Fellows
GRADUATE JUSTICE FELLOWS Finding Scholarly Purpose in Justice Graduate and professional students come to Notre Dame because of its commitments to both academic excellence and the pursuit of the common good. Through the Institute’s graduate programs, these students develop a strong sense of purpose in whatever discipline they pursue, thereby creating an interdisciplinary community around […]
SPIRE: Scholarship in CST
SPIRE: SCHOLARSHIP IN CATHOLIC SOCIAL TRADITION Addressing the Signs of the Times Through SPIRE: Scholarship in Catholic Social Tradition, the Institute is addressing the most urgent signs of the times—from growing religious nationalism and the national housing crisis to global migration, rising authoritarianism, and threats to democracy—by drawing from the deep resources of Catholic social […]
Notre Dame Justice Labs
NOTRE DAME JUSTICE LABS Collaborating on Research, Discovering Community Solutions Social concerns—from child hunger, to human trafficking, to housing shortages, to climate change—foil and frustrate well-meaning interventions, leaving our thorniest problems to fester. Now, through Notre Dame Justice Labs, the Institute offers a new model of engaged research and problem-based education, rooted in the principles […]
Virtues & Vocations
VIRTUES & VOCATIONS Cultivating Character Virtues & Vocations is a grassroots character movement committed to our shared flourishing through the cultivation of virtue in professions. This aspirational, cross-professional learning community understands thriving professions are the backbone of thriving societies and knows professional excellence requires both competence and character. Virtues & Vocations is rooted in the […]
Suzanne Mulligan on ‘Dilexi Te’—a spotlight on increasing inequality
In the summer of 2024, Ty Harrington ’26—a program of liberal studies (PLS), philosophy, and theology major from Carmel, Indiana—spent eight weeks studying the intersection of Indian philosophy, spirituality, and care for the earth in Mumbai, India, through a Social Concerns Summer Fellowship at Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV).
ReSearching for the Common Good: Jenifer Guadalupe Solano Becerra
The Institute 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.
Engaging South Bend—University faculty explore research collaborations with regional organizations through institute’s Engage South Bend tour
On September 26, a new group of nearly 20 faculty from across the University participated in the 2025 Engage South Bend tour, visiting locations in the Kennedy Park, Near West, Near Northwest, Northeast, and Southeast neighborhoods, as well as downtown South Bend. At each stop, they spoke with Notre Dame faculty or community members about ways the institute is engaging with neighborhoods.
Two paths, one destination—Postbaccalaureate research fellows join the institute to research mass incarceration
The Postbaccalaureate Fellowship is organized around three major components. First, each fellow is developing a substantive research project related to their work. Second, they engage with institute staff in discernment work on next steps as they pursue a life committed to justice. And, finally, they work in collaboration with community members and organizations focused on returning citizens.
Extraordinary good for this world—Researching for the Common Good Symposium celebrates undergraduate summer research
Maya Tello was one of six research award recipients, joined by fellow NDBridge participants and Social Concerns Summer Fellows who were among the 283 students who participated in the institute’s programs across 149 partner organizations in 36 countries last summer.