John Green is synonymous with Indianapolis. He’s the guy who wrote The Fault in Our Stars while living in the Circle City, the guy who champions the Indy Eleven, and the guy who famously loves the state of Indiana with a ferocity usually reserved for sports teams. But if you pay close attention to his work, his social media, or his podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed, you’ll notice a recurring geographical ghost: South Bend. Specifically, the University of Notre Dame.
It’s a weirdly persistent connection.
You’ve got a man who is arguably one of the most famous living authors, a YouTube pioneer, and a philanthropist. He didn't even go to school there—he's a Kenyon College alum. Yet, John Green and Notre Dame seem to be in a constant orbit around one another. It isn't just about football, though he certainly has thoughts on the Irish. It’s about a specific kind of Midwestern intellectualism and a long-standing relationship with the university’s academic community that most fans actually overlook.
The unexpected residency of a YA icon
A few years back, the literary world did a bit of a double-take. It was announced that John Green would be a "Guggenheim Fellow in Residence" or a visiting fellow at the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Advanced Study (NDIAS).
This wasn't just a "show up and sign books" kind of gig.
He was there to work. To think. To be around people who study the big, scary, beautiful things that John usually obsesses over in his books. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the institute focused on "The Ethics of Data," which sounds exactly like the kind of rabbit hole Green would dive into for six months. He spent time on campus interacting with fellows, faculty, and students, bridging the gap between "internet famous person" and "serious researcher."
Honestly, it makes sense. If you’ve listened to The Anthropocene Reviewed, you know John isn't just a novelist. He's a chronicler of human impact. Notre Dame, with its heavy emphasis on the intersection of faith, ethics, and global health, offers the perfect sandbox for that. He wasn't just there as a celebrity; he was there as a peer.
The residency allowed him to step away from the relentless "busy-ness" of being a public figure. In South Bend, he could just be a guy in a library. Well, a guy in a library who occasionally gets recognized by a terrified freshman who grew up watching Crash Course.
The South Bend connection: More than just a campus
John’s brother, Hank Green, once joked about how much time John spends thinking about Indiana geography. But for John, Notre Dame represents a specific cultural touchstone. It's the "local" powerhouse.
Think about the geography here.
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Indianapolis and South Bend are only about two and a half hours apart. For an Indiana resident who cares deeply about the state’s intellectual output, Notre Dame is the sun that a lot of things revolve around. It's not just about the Golden Dome or the football Saturdays—though the stadium atmosphere is something John has touched on before. It's the fact that the university acts as a magnet for the world-class thinkers he wants to talk to.
He’s been spotted at local coffee shops. He’s been seen walking the lakes.
The relationship isn't one-sided, either. The university has embraced him not just as a "local celebrity" but as a serious contributor to the humanities. This matters. In a world where YA authors are often dismissed as "lightweight," Notre Dame’s academic validation of Green’s work—specifically his non-fiction and his advocacy for global health—is a significant marker of his evolving career.
Why this matters for the "John Green Brand"
We usually see John through a screen. He’s the guy in the "Pizzamas" shirt talking about tuberculosis or AFC Wimbledon. But the Notre Dame affiliation grounds him in a different way. It connects his work to the tradition of "The Public Intellectual."
Think about it:
- He uses the university’s resources to vet his research on global health (specifically his fight against TB).
- He engages with the Notre Dame community to discuss the "meaning of life" questions that permeate Turtles All the Way Down.
- He brings a massive, young, digital-native audience's attention to the kind of slow, methodical research happening in South Bend.
It’s a symbiotic relationship. Notre Dame gets the "cool factor" and a direct line to millions of Gen Z and Millennial fans. John gets a quiet place to think and a community of scholars who can help him sharpen his arguments.
The football of it all (and the "Sportsball" irony)
You can't talk about John Green and Notre Dame without acknowledging the sport in the room. John is a self-confessed sports obsessive. Whether it’s Liverpool FC or the Indianapolis Colts, he loves the "collective effervescence" of a crowd.
While he isn't a "rah-rah" Notre Dame superfan in the traditional sense—his heart belongs to his alma mater, Kenyon, and his hometown teams—he respects the ritual. He’s written and spoken about the sheer power of 80,000 people caring about the same thing at the same time.
There’s a specific kind of Midwestern melancholy that John captures so well in his writing. You see it in the grey skies of a South Bend November. You see it in the way people cling to their traditions. When John is on campus during a game weekend, he’s observing. He’s taking notes on why we care about these things. Why do we scream for a touchdown? Why does it feel like the world is ending when the Irish lose?
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He’s looking for the "human-centered" story beneath the scoreboard.
Tuberculosis and the Notre Dame experts
This is where things get really "real." John’s current life mission is the eradication of tuberculosis. He’s been a loud, persistent voice against companies like Johnson & Johnson and Danaher, pushing for lower prices on life-saving tests and meds.
Notre Dame happens to be a hub for global health research.
The Eck Institute for Global Health at Notre Dame is a serious player in this field. By being physically present in South Bend, John has had the opportunity to interface with actual scientists and policy experts who are on the front lines of the diseases he talks about. This isn't just "content" for a video. This is him doing the legwork to make sure his activism is backed by the most current data.
People think he just goes there to give speeches. In reality, he’s often there to listen.
A shift in his writing?
There has been a lot of speculation among Nerdfighters (his fanbase) about whether his time at the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study will lead to a new book. His last major release, The Anthropocene Reviewed, was a departure from fiction.
Being in an academic environment like ND often sparks a different kind of creativity. When you’re surrounded by people studying the "Ethics of Data" or "Global Health Equity," you don't necessarily write a story about two teenagers falling in love in a hospital. You write about the systems that build the hospital. You write about the ethics of being alive in a digital age.
If John’s next book feels more "academic" or "philosophical," you can bet the seeds were planted during a walk across the South Bend campus.
What most people get wrong about his South Bend ties
People often assume he’s there because he’s "moving into academia" or because he’s bored with YouTube. Neither is true.
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John Green is a master of the "side quest." He’s a guy who realized early on that if you have a massive platform, you have to keep filling your own tank with new ideas, or you’ll eventually start repeating yourself. Notre Dame is his refueling station.
It’s also not about the money. He doesn't need the fellowship stipend. He needs the conversation. He needs to be challenged by people who haven't read his books and don't care how many subscribers he has. There’s a humility in that—a guy at the top of his game deciding to become a "student" again in a university setting.
Real-world impact and the "Green Effect"
The "Green Effect" is real. When John mentions a book, it sells out. When he mentions a charity, it gets flooded with donations. When he spends a year in residence at Notre Dame, he brings a level of visibility to the university's research programs that they couldn't buy with a million-dollar ad campaign.
Student journalists at The Observer (Notre Dame’s student paper) have chronicled his visits with a mix of awe and "just let him live" respect. He’s become a part of the campus fabric, albeit a temporary one.
Actionable insights for fans and aspiring writers
If you’re looking at John Green’s relationship with Notre Dame and wondering what it means for you, there are a few practical takeaways. It’s not just about celebrity watching; it’s about how to sustain a creative life.
- Seek out "Third Spaces": Even if you aren't a famous author, finding an intellectual community outside of your work—like a university library, a lecture series, or a local think-tank—is vital for fresh ideas.
- Don't be afraid to be a "Beginner" again: John went to Notre Dame as a fellow, essentially putting himself in a position to learn from others. If you’re stuck in your career, find a place where you’re the least knowledgeable person in the room.
- Follow the research: If you want to support John's work, don't just watch the vlogs. Look at the organizations he partners with, like the Eck Institute for Global Health. See what they’re doing.
- Value the "Midwest Intellectual" tradition: There’s a tendency to think all "important" conversations happen in NYC or LA. John’s commitment to Indiana and institutions like Notre Dame proves that you can change the world from a "flyover state."
The John Green and Notre Dame connection is a testament to the idea that curiosity shouldn't have an expiration date. Whether he's cheering at a game or debating the ethics of AI in a seminar room, he’s showing us that the best way to be a writer is to be a relentless student of the world.
If you find yourself in South Bend, take a walk by the lakes. Look at the architecture. Try to see it through the eyes of a guy who has spent his whole life trying to find the "extraordinary" in the "ordinary." That’s where the real story is.
Next Steps for Readers:
Check out the latest research coming out of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study to see the topics John was immersed in during his residency. If you're interested in his advocacy, visit pih.org (Partners In Health) to see how the global health initiatives he discusses with academic experts are being implemented on the ground. For those wanting to see his personal reflections on the area, his 2024-2025 vlog archives offer the most direct window into his "South Bend life."