University News and Communications publishes VUToday, a compilation of Vanderbilt mentions in the media, each weekday. Here, read a selection of those Vanderbilt news stories for the week of April 10. To subscribe to the daily VUToday newsletter, visit news.vanderbilt.edu/vutoday.
The Tennessean: How ‘Hamilton’ changed one of Vanderbilt’s most popular classes
Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos and Alice Randall, writer in residence in African American and Diaspora Studies, have teamed up to reimagine Zeppos’ Federalist Papers course, weaving songs from the hit musical Hamilton with historical documents tracing the founding of the U.S. The course is taught at Fisk University with a blend of Fisk and Vanderbilt students. Zeppos, Randall and Vanderbilt senior Kathryn Fuselier, who is taking the course, are quoted. The article mentions the Fisk–Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge program and references the naming of Associate Professor of English Ifeoma Kiddoe Nwankwo as associate provost for strategic initiatives and partnerships last summer. The article appeared on the front page of Saturday’s printed edition.
The Wall Street Journal: Faculty salaries edged up in current academic year
Faculty salaries edged up 2.6 percent to an average $80,095 for the current academic year from the year before, though inflation-adjusted earnings were nearly flat for college professors, according to a new report by a nonprofit organization of professors and academics. According to the report, Vanderbilt University is one of the universities that has achieved salary equity among male and female full professors. Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos is quoted.
NASA: NASA announces preliminary award winners for 2017 Student Launch
After a day of rocket launches during the 2017 Student Launch, NASA announced the challenge’s preliminary winners April 8 at an awards ceremony hosted by Orbital ATK Aerospace Group at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The Education Engagement Award, presented to the team that best informed others about rocketry and other space-related topics, was awarded to the team from Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt also won the Payload Design Award and the Rocket Fair Display Award (College Division).
NSF’s Science 360: Generation robot
A surgical snake-like robot created by a team led by Nabil Simaan, associate professor of mechanical engineering, otolaryngology and computer science, is featured in this compilation depicting the history and effectiveness of robots. The footage used in the video was produced by Vanderbilt Video.
Inside Higher Ed: Study examines loan aversion by population
A new study out of Vanderbilt University seeks to quantify loan aversion among different populations. Among high school seniors, students at community college and adults without a college degree, the majority of each group believe it’s a good idea to save up enough money before making a purchase (as opposed to borrowing money to buy). The authors—Angela Boatman, Brent J. Evans and Adela Soliz, all three of whom are assistant professors of public policy and higher education—also found that women are less loan-averse than men and that Hispanic students tend to be more loan-averse than white students.