As we look to the new year, we reflect and celebrate the top five most-read stories from the College of Arts & Letters in 2024.
#5: How the College of Arts and Letters’ Beyond the Dome Program helped shaped my career discernment path
These days, when people ask me what I plan to do with my major in English after graduation, I usually grin and say, “Whatever I want.” But it wasn’t always that way.
The truth is, when I chose English, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. All I knew is that for the next four years I wanted to do something I liked.
English always made sense to me — fitting words together, crafting cool sentences, cooking quirky poems, reading a sentence in a book, and it feels like sheer gravy.
But at the start of my sophomore year, this thing that always made sense to me — English — stopped making so much sense to me. I found myself answering to people at parties who asked me flippantly, “What in the world are you going to do with an English degree?”
Then one day I stumbled upon room 119 of O'Shaughnessy Hall where I met Jared Mrozinske, the Director of Beyond the Dome, the career development program for the College of Arts & Letters.
I think I almost cried after I first met with him because 1. I’m a big crybaby, and 2. He was one of the first people at Notre Dame to tell me that not only was being in the College of Arts & Letters cool, but it was advantageous for my future career.
#4: ‘Theology helps provide the words’: Rev. Kevin Grove, C.S.C., teaches students how to engage meaningfully
#3: Arts & Letters senior Isa Tasende connects political science and economics with law, research, and consulting
Isabela “Isa” Tasende believes today’s most pressing issues — immigration, violence against women, private business influences — are best understood and addressed from an interdisciplinary perspective.
“We live in a world of hyperspecialization, and the lack of interdisciplinary understanding, I think, has led to big gaps in people not knowing how to talk to each other about these issues,” she said.
Originally from Panama, Tasende has always had an interest in understanding policy and helping people. Now a senior at the University of Notre Dame, she majors in political science and economics and has a minor in theology. The diverse coursework has led to opportunities in law, research, and consulting — and they’ve equipped her to tackle worldwide problems from a more connected perspective.
“I’m all about filling the gaps,” Tasende said. “Between public, private, civil society; between different disciplines. I think a more interconnected world is a more efficient one.”
Read more about her experiences
#2: Arts & Letters faculty continue record NEH success, winning three fellowships and a major grant
Three faculty members in the College of Arts & Letters have won National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) fellowships, extending the University of Notre Dame’s record success with the federal agency committed to supporting original research and scholarship.
Shane Duarte, an associate professor of the practice in the Department of Philosophy; Mary Celeste Kearney, an associate professor of film, television, and theatre; and Stephen Ogden, the Tracey Family Associate Professor of Philosophy, are among the 82 scholars to be awarded the competitive fellowships, which were announced Tuesday.
Additionally, a pair of A&L scholars — Katie Bugyis, the Rev. John A. O'Brien Associate Professor in the Program of Liberal Studies, and Margot Fassler, the Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Music History and Liturgy Emerita — have won a significant, three-year NEH Humanities Initiatives at Colleges and Universities grant to develop a website and to teach medieval liturgy.
“I am delighted and proud that the NEH has again supported our faculty members’ relevant and interesting projects,” said Sarah Mustillo, the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts & Letters. “These four awards highlight the quality of diverse academic research conducted by our experts in multiple fields as well as the excellent support provided by the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts throughout the application process.”
Read more about their award-winning reseach
#1: From Miami to Milan: Designer Ryan Twardzik ’16 showcases his furniture that makes people happy
Lego bricks were a childhood favorite of Ryan Twardzik ’16; he used the interlocking plastic pieces to give form to his creative ideas.
These days, some of his furniture pieces — which have been featured in shows from Miami to Milan — give a nod to those building blocks. Like Legos, his bold furniture is fun to interact with.
“It’s wild to show off furniture you made that brings joy to people,” said Twardzik, who earned a BFA in design with a concentration in industrial design at the University of Notre Dame. “These are pieces that beckon to be touched, to be used."
Read more about how Arts & Letters shaped his craft and path
