NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The newly created Center for the Americas at Vanderbilt will provide innovative perspectives on American history, culture and society by bringing together a powerful group of scholars whose research and teaching cuts across the political and geographical boundaries of North, Central and South America. This unique center will raise Vanderbilt’s profile abroad while encouraging more international students and faculty to come to campus, according to Jane Landers, associate dean of the College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt.
“The Center for the Americas builds on some already existing interdisciplinary programs by developing a new community of scholars that is pulled together in ways they might not connect otherwise,” Landers said. “The community will involve a broad range of scholars including senior invited scholars, post-doctoral fellows working on new research, graduate students and the existing faculty on campus who have an interest in the Americas.”
Topics likely to be studied by the center include economic development and globalization problems, political leadership, racial and social inequality, and the comparative study of the literatures and cultures of the Americas. Landers said that new synergies among existing programs, such as African-American Studies, American and Southern Studies, Comparative Literature, East Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin American and Iberian Studies, and Women’s Studies, are anticipated.
“Eventually out of all of all of this mix of scholars, thematic study and related conferences, we envision that we will revitalize graduate and undergraduate education,” she said. “We expect that new graduate and undergraduate courses will be developed and that publications of conference proceedings and original research by participating scholars will increase Vanderbilt’s international reputation. “
An international search is underway to hire a major scholar with strong academic credentials and international visibility to lead the center. While Vanderbilt has committed funds from the University’s Academic Venture Capital Fund for the next five years, the new director will be heavily involved in raising a permanent endowment of $10 million.
Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee will affirm Vanderbilt’s longstanding ties to parts of the Americas south of the equator when he visits Brazil May 21-28. Gee will travel to São Paulo, Brasilia, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro to meet Vanderbilt alumni as well as business leaders, non-profit groups and administrators with Vanderbilt’s partner institutions there. Landers noted that many Brazilian scholars who are highly positioned in their country’s economies and government ministries were trained at Vanderbilt. “This trip reunites Vanderbilt with its Brazilian alumni and friends while creating awareness of new initiatives. These include a consortium among Vanderbilt, Howard, the Universidade de São Paulo and the Universidade Federal da Bahia as well as the new Center for the Americas,” Landers said.
Media contact: Ann Marie Owens, 615-322-NEWS, annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu