After a two-year hiatus, the University of Notre Dame Shamrock Series football game returns this weekend when the Fighting Irish travel to Chicago to take on the University of Wisconsin on Saturday (Sept. 25) at Soldier Field. The weekend features more than a game, as fans will have the opportunity to take part in a number of events, including a Mass at Old St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, a community service project, several academic panel discussions and Fan Fest activities.
Events are open to the public free of charge, though some require advance registration online. The Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore will also have a presence in the Westin Chicago River North hotel from noon Thursday until noon Saturday. Face masks are required at indoor events.
Here is a complete list of times and locations for Shamrock Series events. Times listed are Central Daylight Time:
Thursday, Sept. 23
- Noon-8 p.m. — Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore open (Westin River North).
Friday, Sept. 24
- 8 a.m.-10 p.m. — Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore open (Westin River North).
- 10:30-11:30 a.m. — “The Convergence of Industry 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence: A New Innovation Ecosystem at Notre Dame” (Westin River North, Jackson Park Room). Leaders of the University’s new Engineering Innovation Hub, iNDustry Labs and regional industry will discuss how Notre Dame is elevating students’ education in innovation and manufacturing while reaching out to regional entities to establish mutually beneficial partnerships. The panel discussion will include Thomas Fuja, professor of electrical engineering and faculty director of iNDustry Labs; Daryl Peterson, associate professor of the practice and managing director of the Engineering Innovation Hub; Gary Neidig, president of Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies; and David Go, professor and chair of the department of aerospace and mechanical engineering.
- Noon-1 p.m. — “The Convergence of Industry 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence: A New Innovation Ecosystem at Notre Dame” (Westin River North, Jackson Park Room). A panel of Notre Dame faculty experts will discuss the future of manufacturing and the role that artificial intelligence will play. Notre Dame research that is accelerating these developments will be highlighted. The panel discussion will include Nitesh Chawla, the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and founding director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society; Robert Landers, advanced manufacturing professor; Tengfei Luo, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering; and David Go, professor and department chair of aerospace and mechanical engineering.
- 12:30-3 p.m. — The Notre Dame Alumni Association and the Notre Dame Club of Chicago will take part in a service opportunity at Mission of Our Lady of the Angels in West Humboldt Park. Participants aged 7 years and older are welcome. The mission is completing major construction and renovation projects, and volunteers will be on site to help clean and prepare spaces for their final use. There will be a variety of projects available. Face masks will be required for all who are indoors. Bus transportation, departing at 12:10 p.m., will be available from the Westin River North hotel. Registration is required and is available online.
- 1:30-2:30 p.m. — “Ripe for Rivalry? U.S.-China Relations Under the Biden Administration” (Westin River North, Jackson Park Room). This event will feature a discussion of U.S.-China relations featuring a former senior diplomat and think tank president Ambassador Ivo Daalder, business leaders Girish Rishi and Leo Melamed and a noted strategic analyst, Notre Dame professor Eugene Gholz. The panel will be moderated by Michael Desch, Notre Dame’s Packey J. Dee Professor of International Relations and the Brian and Jeannelle Brady Director of the Notre Dame International Security Center.
- 3-4 p.m. — “College of Science Presents: Galactic Winds in the Windy City, Identifying Local-to-Global ‘Win-Win’ Solutions for Human Health and Sustainability, and Notre Dame Drug Discovery: Fighting Cancer, Alzheimer’s and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases” (Westin River North, Jackson Park Room). This presentation will include a series of brief discussions led by Notre Dame faculty, who will highlight timely topics affecting us locally, regionally and globally. The panel will include Chris Howk, professor of physics; Nicolas Lehner, research professor of physics; Jason Rohr, the Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla Professor of Biological Sciences and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences; and Brian Blagg, the Charles Huisking Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and director of the Warren Family Research Center for Drug Discovery and Development. The new William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science, Santiago Schnell, will provide opening remarks.
Saturday, Sept. 25
- 7-11 a.m. — Irish Fan Fest (Stadium Green at Soldier Field). This family-friendly gathering will feature performances from the Notre Dame Marching Band, cheerleaders and leprechaun and the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band.
- 8 a.m. (Old St. Patrick’s Catholic Church) — Mass with University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., as celebrant and homilist.
- 8 a.m.-Noon — Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore open (Westin River North).
For more information about activities, visit gameday.nd.edu.