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  1. No evidence of productivity boom or large labor disruption from AI: Notre Dame’s Melissa Kearney

    August 05, 2026

    Melissa Kearney, Aspen Economic Strategy Group director and University of Notre Dame professor of economics, joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss AI’s impact on the current labor market and more.

  2. ‘Youth Mental Health Summit’ debuts in St. Joseph County

    June 24, 2026

    The first Youth Mental Health Summit debuted in St. Joseph County, bringing together local mental health resources, clinics, hospitals and leaders from Notre Dame. “I think there’s a crisis of mental health across the country and here in our county is no different in that,” said Kristin Valentino, director of the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic.

  3. Is demographic collapse a good idea?

    June 09, 2026

    It is “quite plausible that the modern digital media environment has had profound effects on society that have led to a decline in romantic coupling,” said Melissa Kearney, professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame. 

  4. Turn Privacy Regulation into a Competitive Advantage

    June 02, 2026

    Frank Germann is a professor of marketing and chair of the marketing department at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. His research examines marketing strategy and firm performance, focusing on how organizations build and leverage capabilities in dynamic, global environments.

  5. Opinion: This immigration policy is a winner. It just needs a champion.

    May 21, 2026

    By Alexander Kustov, associate professor of global affairs at the University of Notre Dame and the author of “In Our Interest: How Democracies Can Make Immigration Popular” and the “Popular by Design” newsletter.

  6. How will falling fertility rates hurt the economy? With Melissa Kearney

    May 15, 2026

    Soumaya Keynes speaks to Melissa Kearney, a professor at the University of Notre Dame and the director of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group, which recently put out a series on the topic: Demographic Headwinds: The Economic Consequences of Lower Birth Rates and Longer Lives. They discuss why the fertility rate won’t reverse course any time soon — and what happens when the rest of the baby boomers retire.

  7. U.S. fertility rate hits historic low as women delay pregnancy and have fewer children

    April 30, 2026

    The fertility rate in the United States has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded...I spoke with Melissa Kearney, an economist at the University of Notre Dame. She says these two trends combined - fewer U.S. babies and fewer migrants - these are game-changers.

  8. Research ethics, replication, public sector workers, graduation programs as Tang, and more…

    April 30, 2026

    Notre Dame BIG Faculty spotlight on Rebecca Thornton has discussion of her work on early childhood education in Uganda, and some interesting examples of ethics issues related to research work. “I think my perspective on research ethics has been shaped by experiences early in my career, when I underestimated the impact that researchers can have simply through the process of data collection,” said Thornton. 

  9. The Birthrate Is Plunging. Why Some Say That’s a Good Thing.

    March 02, 2026

    Drops among Hispanic, white and Black teenagers accounted for 37 percent of the national birthrate decline between 2007, when the rate started to go down, and 2019, according to calculations by Melissa Kearney, the Gilbert F. Schaefer Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame and director of the Notre Dame Strengthening Research Initiative, and her colleagues.

    Researchers have pointed to several possible explanations. The decline coincided with the introduction of the smartphone, which rapidly became a tool for both social connection and isolation, even a substitute for sex, said Kasey Buckles, an economist at Notre Dame.

  10. Cohort changes in fertility patterns and the role of shifting priorities

    February 17, 2026

    Low fertility rates in high-income countries defy traditional explanations based on a quality/quantity trade-off in the demand for children and the opportunity cost of women’s time. Analysing fertility in Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the US, this column argues that fertility decisions also depend on the range of socially accepted lifestyle and consumption options and on norms surrounding work, parenting, gender roles, and leisure. Reversing the low-fertlity trend will require significant societal changes that make parenthood more compatible with modern adult life, writes Melissa Kearney, the Gilbert F. Schaefer Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame and director of the Notre Dame Strengthening Research Initiative.

  11. Review: How the suburbs changed the church

    February 12, 2026

    Focusing on Long Island, in New York, Stephen Koeth, an assistant professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, documents in Crabgrass Catholicism the institutional adjustments that occurred as once-urban Catholic families took up suburban living.

  12. Making immigration popular by making better policies

    January 29, 2026

    Writing for the EU-funded Migration Research to Policy Collaborative, Alexander Kustov shares lessons from his new book on immigration, which explains how policy design trumps messaging in building trust with voters. 

  13. Beyond the Myths: A Clearer Path to Poverty Alleviation in America

    November 03, 2025

    In “Beyond the Myths: A Clearer Path to Poverty Alleviation in America,” Notre Dame economists Melissa S. Kearney and James Sullivan reassess poverty trends and policy responses in the United States. They document that, contrary to common perceptions, poverty has declined substantially over the past four decades and that anti-poverty programs have played a central role in this progress.

  14. People are having fewer kids. Their choice is transforming the world's economy.

    October 27, 2025

    "This demographic issue is poised to potentially remake so much of our society," said Melissa Kearney, an economist at the University of Notre Dame.

  15. Scientists Explain Birth Rate Decline in Rich Countries

    July 24, 2025

    But authors Melissa Schettini Kearney, an economist from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, and Levine argue that decline in fertility is "less a reflection of specific economic costs or policies, but rather, a widespread re-prioritization of the role of parenthood in people's adult lives."

  16. As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges

    July 07, 2025

    "It's not that people don't like kids as much as they used to," said Melissa Kearney, an economist who studies fertility and population trends at the University of Notre Dame. "There's just a lot of other available options. They can invest in their careers, take more leisure time — it's much more socially acceptable."

  17. 'Who the messenger is matters': Cultural leaders can positively influence population growth

    April 15, 2025

    Lakshmi Iyer, a professor in the Department of Economics, found that there was more to fertility rates than a simple economic or circumstantial explanation. According to her research, people are having fewer children due to cultural factors, with social norms playing a larger role than previously thought.

  18. New research finds ‘John Paul II effect’ on boosting fertility in Latin America

    April 15, 2025

    “These results indicate that people are really listening to what the pope has to say,” said Lakshmi Iyer, a professor of economics at Notre Dame. “And the topics he addresses really matter.”

  19. Notre Dame researchers are studying Cincinnati's homelessness prevention efforts

    April 14, 2025

    Researchers from the University of Notre Dame are studying homelessness prevention efforts in Cincinnati. The university’s Lab for Economic Opportunities works with service providers to evaluate poverty interventions. "We believe that the social service community contains the innovations that will help us figure out how to solve poverty," said Fran Gallagher, assistant director of project development.

  20. New study claims John Paul II’s visits boosted fertility rates across Latin America

    April 01, 2025

    “These results indicate that people are really listening to what the pope has to say,” said Lakshmi Iyer, a professor of economics at Notre Dame. “And the topics he addresses really matter.”