She was even more excited when the stadium’s brand-new video board aired an NBC about ’s research into blocking peanut allergens from triggering immune system overreactions. She asked her father, a drug company executive and 91³Ô¹Ï business school alumnus, if this might be an opportunity to get involved with a solution to a condition that had complicated her life since childhood.
“I remember to this day her looking at that screen and turning to me,†said. “She said, ‘Daddy, can I meet him? I really want to do something about it.’ This kid actually did that.â€
It was a bold request, but Bilgicer didn’t hesitate after Dr. Eglite reached out. The 91³Ô¹Ï professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering invited the whole Eglite family to his and explained his complex research in overwhelming detail.
The coincidence of that video playing to the right audience of two has led to immense mutual benefits. Nearly eight years later, Bilgicer and Eglite have partnered to form a company called Artin Immunology that aims to turn Bilgicer’s peanut allergy research into a blockbuster drug.
We also hear from Ainee Martin, a recently graduated chemical engineering and pre-med student whose passion for helping others was born of her past experience with medical professionals following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Their stories reflect the University of 91³Ô¹Ï’s interdisciplinary approach to healthcare—one that’s preparing the next generation of doctors to be a force for good in the world.
]]>This podcast episode features , managing director of the 91³Ô¹Ï Poverty Initiative and the Michael L. Smith Managing Director of the , who shares how 91³Ô¹Ï’s research has shaped policy changes—such as expanding access to high school diplomas for adults—and helped nonprofits implement programs that truly work. With more than 100 projects in 30 states, LEO’s evidence-based approach is cutting through political divides to create solutions that lift people out of poverty.
We’re also joined by , the William J. Pulte Director of the Keough School’s . She discusses how her experiences—from being a first-generation student at 91³Ô¹Ï to leading post-disaster rebuilding efforts—have shaped her work in helping communities build resilience. She also explains how the Keough School’s approach to poverty extends beyond economic hardship, addressing social, psychological, and environmental challenges to foster true human flourishing.
By collaborating with policymakers, local leaders, and global networks, 91³Ô¹Ï is bridging the gap between poverty research and real-world impact. Listen to the full episode of 91³Ô¹Ï Stories to learn how 91³Ô¹Ï is driving change—and why this work matters.
]]>– Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., University President
]]>About two dozen seniors in the 91³Ô¹Ï program were impressed with the mealtime rituals at the United States Military Academy at West Point: the corps formations with drums and bugle, the historic Washington Hall that reminds visitors of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, and the efficiency and precision of feeding 4,000 cadets in a matter of minutes.
But when the 91³Ô¹Ï students in school gear waded into the cavernous mess hall with the gray-clad Army cadets, a chorus of boos erupted.
James Lindell, a senior from Hawaii who wore a 91³Ô¹Ï Glee Club jacket, said he didn’t mind. He expected it on the Thursday before Army faced 91³Ô¹Ï in a football game at Yankee Stadium in late November.
“I understood it was all in the spirit of competition,†Lindell said. “Once we all sat down at lunch, I got to meet the cadets I was sitting with. The football rivalry was quickly an afterthought to learning about each other’s college experiences.â€
]]>Enter the Basilica of the Sacred Heart during the 3:30 Sunday Mass, and you’ll hear a choir singing the tunes of the same church songs you remember—except the lyrics are in Spanish. Or you may hear some different melodies that bring new meaning to the word catholic, or universal.
, 91³Ô¹Ï’s Spanish choir, sings every Sunday at La Misa en Español in the Basilica. The choir treats each Mass as a celebration that not only uplifts the spirit, but also fosters a profound sense of belonging and pride, where the richness of Latino heritage shines through. That’s the goal for Jaimie Lopez-Alvarez, a senior and Coro’s co-president.
“Coro, for me, is really a space to de-stress and step aside from the busyness of campus, and it also helps me feel closer to home because I’m also part of a choir back home, so I feel really connected to my culture,†she said. “Being so far from home, it reminds me of my family, but it also helps me grow my faith in a different way, incorporating my love for music and song.â€
]]>In this special episode of 91³Ô¹Ï Stories, Father Jenkins reflects on his tenure with host Jenna Liberto.
]]>In this episode of 91³Ô¹Ï Stories, host Jenna Liberto talks to , who shares his plans for expanding the University's impact globally.
]]>As the University of 91³Ô¹Ï celebrates International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, meet eight individuals who are accelerating progress in their respective fields and advancing the University’s mission as a leading research institution that is a means for good in the world.
What comes to mind when you think about the at the University of 91³Ô¹Ï? Likely, an image of traditional Roman Catholicism. But the Church is a global body with diverse traditions and people who lead them. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the life story of the chair of 91³Ô¹Ï’s Department of Theology, .
In this episode of 91³Ô¹Ï Stories, we explore one way the University embraces and advances its Catholic character in the global context.
]]>When Rev. Charles O’Donnell, C.S.C., assumed the presidency of the University in 1928, he sought to bring to campus guest lecturers who could help elevate 91³Ô¹Ï’s academic reputation. One such invitation was extended to Gilbert Keith (G.K.) Chesterton of England. It was, in some ways, an obvious choice: At the time, Chesterton was the most famous Catholic writer in the world.
]]>The democratic government in Ukraine is under military attack from a Russian invasion, while the democracy in Nicaragua was undermined from within by an elected but autocratic leader.
Representatives from both countries — and — are among the nine visiting fellows currently participating in a program the has run since 1983. This residential program offers visiting faculty the time to pursue scholarly inquiry wherever it takes them, advance their personal research and collaborate with other scholars from across the U.S. and world.
In the spirit of this year’s focusing on “,†here are their stories, which illustrate two of the ways that democracy can be threatened or dissolved. In a world where democracies are measurably losing ground, their experiences offer profound lessons in the ongoing fight for freedom, justice and a government that is responsive to the needs of its people.
]]>In this episode, we look at the relationship between the great Catholic intellectual G.K. Chesterton and the University of 91³Ô¹Ï. Chesterton spent a semester on campus in 1930, lending his intellectual prowess and good humor to the 91³Ô¹Ï community. Today, a collection of his personal belongings is adding a new dimension to the University’s presence in London.
]]>We know that a good night’s sleep can help you at work…but what role do dreams play in your 9-to-5? We sat down with Casher Belinda, assistant professor for management at the Mendoza College of Business, to discuss a new study that shows how the emotions we experience at night can help us during the day.
Read more about Belinda's study at: /news/enter-sandman-study-shows-dreams-spill-over-into-the-workplace-and-can-be-channeled-for-productivity/
]]>When they reach the designated plot, Swenson extends the clipper about 30 feet high and pulls the rope to snip off a leafy twig from the canopy of a tall, tagged tree. The twig floats down through the dappled sunlight and lands in his hand.
It would be a majestic scene but for the mosquitoes. Hundreds and thousands of them, swarming everything that smells like warm blood.
Swenson cuts twigs from nine sample trees in each plot where the reflection of light from the leaves could show up in a space-based image. Rubio selects one leaf from each twig, folds it into a labeled test tube, and drops it in a metal canister of liquid nitrogen.
This flash freezing will preserve its RNA, which degrades quickly otherwise. Later in his campus lab, Swenson can study the leaf’s gene expression, which changes as it is stressed by drought later in the summer.
]]>One of the more popular stories we've produced is on the origin of the University's athletics nickname, the "Fighting Irish."
As the football team prepares to open its season in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, we revisit that history to open the new season of 91³Ô¹Ï Stories.
Guest narration by Brian Ó Conchubhair of the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies.
Read more at:
Explore the University's relationship with the Emerald Isle at:
]]>But she decided to try the genealogy website FamilySearch because she was working with Brigham Young University economist on a study of intergenerational mobility. Buckles knew how difficult it can be to track and link the historical records of one person over time, especially women who change names when they marry.
She decided to look up her great-grandmother, and was surprised to see that some of her U.S. census records were already attached to her profile on FamilySearch. In 1910, the 2-year-old was listed as Mary L. Gaddie. A decade later, she went by her middle name of Lettie. And by 1940, she was a married woman: M. Lettie Caswell.
Buckles knew traditional research methods that attempt to trace a person by following the same name over time would have failed to make the connections.
]]>