The Franco Institute will host its inaugural Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton Culture and the Public Good Symposium on April 10, 2026. Named for two of the foremost socially engaged Catholic thinkers of the 20th century, the signature annual event will culminate a year of themed research support at the institute. It gathers speakers across a range of backgrounds — public figures, artists, and scholars — to consider an urgent yet enduring question and engage in a dialogue that can guide public conversation on the topic. This year's speakers are Vauhini Vara, Shankar Vedantam, Jenny Odell, and Rainn Wilson. To coincide with this year's research theme of attention, our speakers will respond to the question "How should we hold attention?" The Franco Institute has created an "attention" syllabus to correspond with this year's research theme and symposium.Read along with us!