University News and Communications publishes VUToday, a compilation of Vanderbilt mentions in the media, each weekday. Read a selection of Vanderbilt news stories for the week of Oct. 24. To subscribe to the daily VUToday newsletter, visit news.vanderbilt.edu/vutoday.
The Atlantic: Light research hasn’t slowed pre-K expansion
In a new report published in Behavioral Science and Policy Journal, Dale Farran, Antonio M. and Anita S. Gotto Professor of Teaching and Learning, and Mark Lipsey, research professor and director of the Peabody Research Institute, assert that states are failing to adequately research early-education practices prior to implementing them, favoring the adoption of the feel-good issue without stopping to consider what data show is actually working. Their findings piggyback on the landmark study the pair released last year, which suggests participation in pre-k does not lead to long-lasting positive gains for low-income children.
The Christian Science Monitor: How can universities keep minorities in STEM graduate programs?
Beyond offering academic help, a handful of universities are finding ways to support minority students on an emotional and community level, with the goal of outlining paths toward technical and academic careers. Featured in the piece are the experiences of Vanderbilt sociology doctoral student Stacey LaMar Houston, and the efforts of Ebony McGee, assistant professor of diversity and STEM education, to create a welcoming environment for minority students. Both are quoted extensively.
NPR’s All Things Considered: Bitter and contested elections in America’s history
Thomas Schwartz, professor of history, discusses the history of peaceful transfers of political power in American presidential elections, going back more than 200 years.
The Christian Science Monitor: Could Texas go blue?
A Democratic presidential candidate has not won in the Lone Star State since 1976. But less than two weeks before the election, polls have Donald Trump with only a single-digit lead over Hillary Clinton in Texas. Josh Clinton, Abby and Jon Winkelried Professor of Political Science, is quoted.
Vox: Genetically engineered humans will arrive sooner than you think. And we’re not ready
Michael Bess, Chancellor’s Professor of History and author of Our Grandchildren Redesigned: Life in the Bioengineered Society of the Near Future, is interviewed about new advances in biotechnology and how they will provide both tantalizing possibilities and alarming consequences for humans.