During the spring semester, Notre Dame faculty gave 3-Minute Lightning Talks on exciting topics within their fields of expertise. While you don't have a Ph.D. yet, we bet you're developing an expertis...

During the spring semester, Notre Dame faculty gave 3-Minute Lightning Talks on exciting topics within their fields of expertise. While you don't have a Ph.D. yet, we bet you're developing an expertise in something. If you were giving a Lightning Talk, what topic (academic or not) would you choose?

I would give a Lightning Talk on the reality TV competition, Survivor, to analyze the strategy of successful players in the game and the psychology behind choices and game theory incorporated into the competition. On the show, contestants compete in mental and physical challenges while learning to survive in an extreme environment and while voting out other players until one contestant outlasts the rest. Holding a seminar to further explore Survivor could help deepen one’s understanding of perseverance in the face of obstacles and how relationships with others affect someone’s future. Survivor would be a stimulating topic for discussion because of its relevance to today’s social issues, and seeing a diverse group of people from a variety of backgrounds working together can inspire others and help establish role models for many. As a long-time Survivor fan who enjoys debating it with family and friends, an impactful takeaway for me from the game is the importance of developing meaningful relationships. Those who succeed in the competition build positive relationships that are strong enough to persist even after the game is over. These types of relationships can be applied to our own lives and illustrate the value of building trust in others.