What do a conductor, a chemist, and a neurobiologist have in common?
At first glance, not much. Yet that wasn't the impression visitors got when they walked into Jordan Hall of Science during the second annual Beauty of Understanding Showcase. Easel after easel lined the hall, displaying research through watercolor paintings, elegant data, acrylics, comic-style illustrations, photography, musical performances, and three-dimensional exhibits as graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and teaching scholars shared creative interpretations of their research.
As guests moved from display to display—often engaging directly with the artists themselves—animated conversations filled the room. Together, they explored the question at the heart of the event: What do you find beautiful about your work?
The inspiration behind the Beauty of Understanding
That question—and the opportunity it created for reflection—gave rise to the Beauty of Understanding Showcase. This initiative grew from an idea first proposed by Ph.D. candidate Amandhi Mathews last year. It all began when the biological sciences doctoral student was eating lunch while listening to a seminar by social scientist and Notre Dame sociology alumnus Brandon Vaidyanathan. During the talk, Vaidyanathan shared findings from his and another Notre Dame alumnus, Bridget Ritz’s global study of more than 400 scientists, many of whom identified beauty as a central motivation for their work.
As a neurobiologist, Mathews was struck by the idea. Artists devote their lives to beauty. Musicians spend years refining performances because they find them beautiful. Researchers, too, regularly describe images and data as beautiful, yet rarely pause to consider what that language means.
Finding purpose in research
The idea resonated with Mathews. At the time, she was struggling to find a sense of purpose in the day-to-day demands of research and the uncertainty that often comes with doctoral study.
“In a profession where milestones are often unclear, and achievement can feel perpetually out of reach,” Mathews explained, “the idea that my purpose might simply be to understand the beauty of neurobiology was profoundly freeing for me.”
Mathews knew she wasn’t alone in what she calls “a cycle of endless striving” and wanted to start a program that might help other graduate students reframe their own work. She took the idea to Mimi Beck, program director of Graduate Student Life, and Mary Ann McDowell, the associate dean for professional development at the Graduate School and a professor of biological sciences. They were excited about the concept and helped bring it to life right away.
“At the heart of human flourishing is the ability to find beauty in what we do,” McDowell said. “While the academic journey can be relentless, the Beauty of Understanding Showcase gives graduate students and postdocs a moment to pause, reflect on the initial spark that drove their research, and return to their work with a renewed sense of wonder.”
Now in its second year, the Showcase features work from graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from a variety of fields, each offering a different perspective on what they find beautiful about their work.
Beauty on display
One of the most unexpected exhibits was a video of Sacred Music at Notre Dame conductor Gayle Rhodes leading the Concordia Vocal Ensemble during a recital in March 2026. Rhodes beamed as she engaged in conversation after conversation with a stream of attendees who stopped by her table to listen, admire, and ask about her work, later saying, "I've had so many great conversations and opportunities to open up the world of music!”
Rhodes was passionate about participating in the Beauty of Understanding Showcase because it allowed her to show attendees that, like the sciences, music is deeply rooted in research.
“Research in the music world differs from that in other fields, which means our work often goes unrecognized and is often labeled ‘simply practice,’” Rhodes said. For Rhodes, research involves hours spent studying scores, leading rehearsals, testing approaches, refining techniques through real-time feedback, and learning from mentors.
Rhodes also finds beauty in the collaborative process. “My research depends on so many people: my mentor professors, the choir members, and the other conducting students,” Rhodes said. “Collaboration in music is ripe with opportunities to learn and create something that would never have existed on its own.”
Across the room, Teresia Njoroge, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher from Indiana University School of Medicine, stood next to her acrylic painting of an Anopheles stephensi mosquito, surprisingly detailed for someone who had only recently taken up painting.
The painting’s subject was one she knows well. “In my research, I study various disease-vector mosquitoes, including Anopheles stephensi,” Njoroge explained, “which is particularly close to my heart because of its devastating impact back home in Africa.”
The mosquito is expanding the spread of malaria into new regions of Africa, creating a growing public health challenge. “Painting was a way to bring visual awareness to a critical global health challenge,” she said.
Njoroge hoped visitors would leave with a deeper appreciation for the connections between science and everyday life. “I want them to realize that the insects we fight against are incredibly sophisticated, but so are the green, sustainable technologies we are developing to control them. I hope they walk away understanding that science isn’t just confined to a laboratory; it is deeply connected to global health, environmental preservation, and human lives.”
Njoroge also appreciated the opportunity to engage the public differently. “Giving scientists a space to share their work through art makes complex research accessible and humanizes the people behind the lab coats,” she said.
Where art and science meet
Doctoral candidate in the department of chemistry and biochemistry, Shayanta Chowdhury, has been involved with the Beauty of Understanding since the beginning, including helping shape the inaugural Showcase. In fact, he has long been drawn to both artistic and scientific ways of seeing the world.
For Chowdhury, beauty emerges through patterns, perspective, and the unexpected connections between art and science. "I love patterns, and I enjoy being able to relate my research to everyday things," Chowdhury said. "The silver nanoparticles I work with, under a microscope with dark field illumination, look like galaxies and stars."
This year, his submission featured a three-dimensional photography display highlighting members of the Notre Dame community whose work bridges the arts and sciences. Through portraits and interviews, he celebrated others exploring the intersections of the two disciplines. Many of those featured in the project were people he met through communities such as LASER (Leadership Advancing Socially Engaged Reearch) and Beauty of Understanding.
"When Shayanta joined LASER, he was interested in bringing artists and scientists together and exploring the common ground between them," said John Lubker, director of LASER and associate dean of academic affairs. “What is remarkable is that those interests helped shape a career path he may never have considered otherwise."
After graduation, Chowdhury will begin a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Mariners' Museum and Park in Virginia, where he will research ways to mitigate damage to historic shipwrecks caused by chemical deposits in submerged wood. This position combines scientific research, history, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
“LASER very directly helped me go down this path by allowing me to reflect on my values, passions, and long-term goals,” Chowdhury explained. “And it also gave me the courage to pivot to an uncommon career path in conservation science or cultural heritage chemistry, where I can apply my technical skills to the preservation and study of heritage objects.”
Chowdhury's journey also illustrates a broader goal of graduate education at Notre Dame. Through programs like LASER, graduate students are encouraged to consider “What’s my vocation?” rather than “What’s my career?” Beauty of Understanding events throughout the year—and the culminating Beauty of Understanding Showcase—create opportunities for reflection. By stepping back from the day-to-day demands of research, students can reconnect with the values, passions, and sense of purpose that inspired their work in the first place.
Creativity beyond the lab
The theme of connecting personal passion with professional work extended beyond the student exhibits. This year's Beauty of Understanding Showcase also featured a keynote presentation by invited artist Matt Cashore, photography program director at the University of Notre Dame. Cashore reflected on his creative journey, shared the inspiration behind some of his favorite images, and spoke about his recent book, Love Thee, Notre Dame.
Saurja DasGupta, an assistant professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Notre Dame, and illustrator Argha Manna, Artist-In-Residence at IIT Gandhinagar, India, were invited artists who collaborated on a series of comic-style illustrations tracing DasGupta’s efforts to better understand the role of RNA in the origin of life. At a time when many students are gravitating toward visual and abbreviated forms of learning, their project highlighted how art and storytelling can help make complex scientific research more accessible and engaging.
Mathews said it was especially inspiring to see successful researchers make space for creativity alongside their scientific work—something many of the graduate students hope to do in their own careers.
The future of Beauty of Understanding
As the evening came to a close, it was clear that the Beauty of Understanding Showcase had become more than a Showcase. It has become a space for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to reflect on their work, connect, and share their passions with the broader Notre Dame community.
For Mathews, watching it all unfold has been deeply encouraging. “It’s been really, really rewarding,” she said. “Just the idea that people are interested gives me a lot of hope. In the scientific community, in the research community, that people will walk into an event like this gives me a lot of hope.”
There is already interest in continuing the Showcase in future years, with a new generation of graduate students preparing to carry the initiative forward.
Smiling, Mathews reflected on what the experience has meant to her. “It has given me the confidence to go after something that’s been in my heart.”
Check out our gallery from the Beauty of Understanding Showcase:
Originally published by at graduateschool.nd.edu on June 23, 2026.