Robert Barsky, professor of French and comparative literature, has authored Zellig Harris: From American Linguistics to Socialist Zionism, published by The MIT Press.
Christine Bradley, assistant vice chancellor for community and government relations, has received the 2011 Athena Award, which recognizes outstanding women of Nashville for skill in business, leadership and service to the community.
Sun-Joo Cho, assistant professor of psychology and human development, was recognized by the National Council on Measurement in Education for her work on a new statistical method for measuring the growth of students’ problem-solving skills in mathematics.
Earl E. Fitz, professor of Portuguese, Spanish and comparative literature, delivered a keynote address, “Native American Literature and its Place in the Inter-American Project,” to the Center for the Study of the Americas workshop Approaching Native American Cultures from an Inter-American Perspective held at the University of Graz in Austria. Fitz delivered the lecture by video with assistance from Vanderbilt’s Technology Support Center.
Connie Ford has been named administrative director of inpatient nursing for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Edward H. Friedman, Chancellor’s Professor of Spanish and director of the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities, has penned Into the Mist, an adaption for the stage of Miguel de Unamuno’s novel Niebla (Mist, 1914). Into the Mist is published by Juan de la Cuesta.
Erin Hager has been named director of shared governance for VUMC Nursing.
George C. Hill, professor of microbiology and immunology and associate dean for diversity in medical education, has received the John P. Utz Leadership Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
Shari Meghreblian, a School of Engineering alumna, has been named head of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The Melodores student a cappella group placed third at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella held in New York City. Sophomore Ben Edquist was recognized for Outstanding Choreography for the group’s entire set list.
Don Moore, professor of medical education and administration, has received the Research in Continuing Medical Education Award from the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education.
The award recognizes contributions to research in CME and fostering the development of research and researchers in the society.
Michael A. Newton, professor of the practice of law, has been elected for a three-year term to the American Society of International Law Executive Council. ASIL is a nonprofit organization whose mission is engaging a worldwide network of people interested in international law, promoting research and public awareness in the field, and fostering international relations based on law and justice.
The Vanderbilt News Service’s video unit has been restructured to better meet the increasing demand for video production throughout the university and medical center. Current staff Emily Pearce has been promoted to director of video, Pat Slattery to chief photographer and Jenny Mandeville to videographer/editor; and Mike Todd, chief photographer/news operations manager for local NBC affiliate WSMV, has been hired as senior broadcast videographer.
Richard Peek Jr., the Mina Cobb Wallace Professor of Gastroenterology and Cancer Biology and
director of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at VUMC, has been elected chairman of the American Gastroenterological Association Council.
C. Wright Pinson, deputy vice chancellor for health affairs at VUMC and CEO of the Vanderbilt Health System, has been named among the “130 Hospital and Health Care System CEOs to Know” by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Victoria Risko, professor of education, emerita, has been named president of the International Reading Association. In addition, this summer she will serve as keynote speaker at the Pan African Literacy Conference in Botswana; the New Zealand Reading Association meeting in Rotorua, New Zealand; and the European Literacy
Conference in Mons, Belgium.
William Schaffner, professor and chair of preventive medicine, is among the 2011 honorees by the T. J. Martell Foundation, which funds research for leukemia, cancer and AIDS. Schaffner also has received the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research’s prestigious Duncan Clark Award, given to a senior-level person with a distinguished record of achievement in the areas of teaching, research and advocacy in preventive medicine and public health.
Barbara Tsakirgis, associate professor of classics and history of art and chair of classical studies, has received the 2011 Alumni Education Award from the Vanderbilt University Alumni Association. The award is given annually to a full-time faculty member who has contributed substantially to alumni association education programs.
Vanderbilt received an “A” rating and is one of the top five universities recognized for environmental and social sustainability transparency in an analysis conducted by Claremont McKenna College’s Roberts Environmental Center.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been named among the “100 Top Hospitals” in the Major Teaching Hospitals category by Thomson Reuters. The study uses objective research and independent public data to recognize the best U.S. hospitals.
The Vanderbilt University Police Department has earned accreditation from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation program of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police.
Kristin Whittlesey has been named director of external relations for Blair School of Music. A Vanderbilt alumna, Whittlesey is formerly the managing editor of The Rage for Gannett Publications, and assistant editor of life and entertainment for The Tennessean.