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 March 20. To subscribe to the daily VUToday newsletter, visit news.vanderbilt.edu/vutoday.
The Atlantic: Can the country survive without a strong middle class?
In his new book, The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution, Ganesh Sitaraman, associate professor of law, argues that the Constitution doesn’t merely require a particular political system but also a particular economic one, one characterized by a strong middle class and relatively mild inequality. A strong middle class, Sitaraman writes, inspires a sense of shared purpose and shared fate, without which the system of government will fall apart. In this article Atlantic writer Rebecca Rosen interviews Sitaraman about the book.
CNN: The cruel double standard that could save Obamacare
A change in complexion leads to a change in perception. That’s how some explain the surging popularity of the embattled health care law. A recent poll from the Pew Research Center showed that 54 percent of Americans now approve of it, the highest number ever recorded by Pew. Jonathan Metzl, Frederick B. Rentschler II professor of sociology and medicine, health and society, is quoted.
The Tennessean: Vanderbilt urges Congress to fight ‘bad budget for America’
Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos and other college leaders are urging Congress to fight President Trump’s budget proposal, which calls for unprecedented cuts to research funding from several federal departments, notably the National Institutes of Health. Federal research funding from NIH and other agencies touch nearly every aspect of the university and the proposed cuts would have clear implications at the School of Medicine and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In addition to Zeppos, the article quotes Vanderbilt undergraduate student Austin Hardcastle, who works in Professor of Biomedical Engineering Professor Frederick Haselton’s lab.
The Washington Post: As opioid crisis intensifies, one Md. school system looks at a ‘recovery’ school
As communities nationwide are struggling with the opioid pain pill and heroin addiction epidemic, one Maryland school system is examining the idea of creating a recovery school for those who have struggled with substance abuse and are trying to live free of drugs and alcohol. Andy Finch, associate professor of the practice of human and organizational development, is quoted.
U.S. News and World Report: Top undergrad majors at the best medical schools
According to U.S. News data, biological science is among the most popular undergrad majors at top-ranked medical schools, with more than 40 percent of premed students pursuing the degree. Michelle Grundy, director of Vanderbilt University’s Health Professions Advisory Office, is quoted.