Category: News

ReSearching for the Common Good: Joachim Ozonze
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.

The world as curriculum—Samantha Deane brings educational expertise to the Institute for Social Concerns
Deane is carrying on her family’s legacy by bringing her expertise in education and curriculum development to the Institute for Social Concerns. “I’m the pedagogy person,” Deane says with a smile. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about teaching and learning in K-12 spaces, in out-of-school-time spaces, and in higher education. I’m getting tapped to think about pedagogy everywhere I go in the institute, which is fun and challenging.”

Interpreting the signs of the times—International Catholic Social Tradition Conference offers interdisciplinary responses to religious nationalism
The conference responded to this call by gathering over 250 scholars of theology, sociology, political science, ethics, and more from across the United States and around the globe on March 20–22. Collectively, they offered historical, constructive, and comparative approaches to examine religious nationalism as a significant sign of the time in contemporary national and international contexts.

Biennial Catholic Social Tradition Conference to take up Vatican II’s invitation to discern the signs of the times
Each spring semester over the long weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the first-year McNeill Fellows retreat to a US city to engage a particular question of justice.

McNeills in Montgomery—Fellows have transformative experience at Equal Justice Initiative
Each spring semester over the long weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the first-year McNeill Fellows retreat to a US city to engage a particular question of justice.

From Ukraine with love—Father Yuriy Shchurko joins the institute as visiting professor of the practice
Father Shchurko joins the institute for the spring 2025 semester by a selective invitation to aligned visiting scholars to provide opportunities for scholarly conversations and target unique chances to enrich the institute’s course offerings.

ReSearching for the Common Good: Charlie Desnoyers
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.

Collaborating for the Common Good—Institute for Social Concerns hosts interdisciplinary Crime & Justice Working Group
“This working group is amazing,” said Haskins. “I have been so pleased by the consistent community of the group. It reinforces the need for creating this space—a space to regularly engage around these issues and topics and to be in community together.”

A peek behind the stories—recent appointments reimagine communications at the Institute for Social Concerns
The new year brings a refresh to the communications staff at the Institute for Social Concerns (SOCO) at the University of Notre Dame. In January, Todd Boruff advanced from communications program director to assistant director, communications. Joining him is David Cramer as communications assistant program director and Javi Zubizarreta as communications program director.

“How do you prove you saved a life?”—Institute for Social Concerns takes on questions of gun violence
The South Bend: Questions of Justice series is a set of critical conversations hosted by the institute and organized by Regina Williams-Preston, community partnerships program director, and this semester, the first critical conversation focused on gun violence.