For the Summer & Spring 2022 photo contest, we asked students to submit photos that they felt best portrayed the following themes: Academic Pursuit, Cultures, Customs, History, Traditions & International Friendship, ND Irish Abroad, and Scenes from Abroad. The winners and honorable mentions for each theme are posted below. Congratulations to all of the winners!
Academic Pursuit
Grand Prize
Rebecca Boyle, Santiago
Performing radio astronomy research as a part of my host university's astroengineering group. The goal of this project was to experimentally optimize the design for a helical antenna in a low-cost radio telescope for educational use.
Honorable Mention
Sydney Brown, Santiago
Alyson Chin smiles in wonder at a small crustracean she found while at Constitución beach near the city of Talca in Chile. Taken to the area by her host family from Curepto, Aly was able to explore the beach area, and learn that it is a small portion of the land that the indigenous Mapuche people call their home. The beach also used to serve as a famous port for shipping merchandise. Encounterting an animal native to the Chilean ocean face to face was a special bonus from the trip!
Honorable Mention
Patricia Curtin, Toledo
While in Spain, I joined a Sports Science lab to get to know the sciences from a completely different point of view (and in a completely different language). Although this was one of the most challenging this I have ever done, I have never felt more connected to a lab more so than my colleagues and friends I made in Spain. I co-authored an oral presentation through the union of bilingual communication with scientific language while working on team of 6 PhDs, and assembled new materials and different methods for study on the impact of hypoxia on cognitive performance in Spanish and English language. I also made lifelong friends. Maria, the PhD student who took this photo of me, actually visited and stayed with me three weeks ago at Notre Dame while completing her three-month international PhD requirement in the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab!
Cultures, Customs, History, Traditions & International Friendship
Grand Prize
Lindsey Reina, Rome Undergraduate Program
This photo was taken during the inauguration of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, beginning his second seven-year term. An Italian acrobatic flight team performed after he was sworn into office, leaving behind the red, white, and green colors of the Italian flag seen in the photo.
Honorable Mention
Mia Manabat, Rome Undergraduate Program
On my walk to our first mass together as a program, I stumbled upon this unique van exhibiting the strong sense of Italian nationalism!
Honorable Mention
Francesca Schena, Rome Undergraduate Program
This photo captures one of the essential traditions of Italy. Bari, a small coastal town in southern Italy, is characterized by beautiful shores and wonderful small businesses. Each day, the streets are lined with women hand making the local 'orecchiette' pasta, freshly sold to those walking by. This act symbolizes so much about the culture of small towns in Italy. They have a culture of family and love, even extending to visitors on the street. Italy is deep rooted in tradition, given its long history and diverse regions. Hand-made pasta is just one of the many ways I had the opportunity to learn about and participate in Italy's culture while living there.
ND Irish Abroad
Grand Prize
Meredith Stump, Santiago Summer
ND student climbing a volcano on an excursion lead by indigenous peoples.
Honorable Mention
Maghan Gallagher, Dublin Summer
My friends and I spent a day exploring Dublin. One of our many stops was The Little Museum of Dublin where we learned about Ireland's history and culture throughout the years. We took lots of silly pictures with the exhibits including some where we pretended to work at the Irish Times while I was wearing Notre Dame gear. I believe my friend James Baird took this photo using my phone. I obtained consent from James to submit it.
Honorable Mention
Meagan Moore, London Summer
I took this picture of my ND London bag and Pret coffee in front of Big Ben. We would get out of class around lunchtime every day, pick up sandwiches from the Pret a Manger in Trafalgar Square because it was right next to Fischer (our class building), and picnic in Parliament Square which has views of Big Ben (pictured), Parliament, and Westminster Abbey..
Scenes from Abroad
Grand Prize
Rebecca Boyle, Santiago
Photograph of Josiah Castillo taken during a day trip to Piedras Rojas, a volcanic landscape and salt lake situated in the heart of the Chilean altiplano in the Atacama Desert.
Honorable Mention
Lindsey Reina, Rome Undergraduate Program
This photo was taken on a beautiful day in Rome, Italy as my ND friends and I were walking in front of the Colosseum.
Honorable Mention
Tess Spesia, Santiago
A boy pauses on a bike outside of a pottery shop in Pomaire, Chile. Pomaire is a small town outside of Santiago that is known for its pottery industry. We went on a day trip to Pomaire to take a pottery class and experience the rich culture in this small Chilean town.