Darryl W. Lunon II, an accomplished attorney whose practice has focused on a range of issues affecting colleges and universities, has been named senior counsel to the vice chancellor and general counsel at Vanderbilt University. Lunon joins the Office of the General Counsel from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was deputy general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer.
“We are excited to welcome Darryl to our team. He is a knowledgeable and experienced higher education attorney who is familiar with the pressing legal issues in higher education for Vanderbilt and its peers,” said Ruby Z. Shellaway, vice chancellor, general counsel and university secretary. “From his work at Georgia Tech and Penn State, Darryl is very familiar with the challenges to large research-intensive universities and has over a decade of government contract experience as a federal attorney, U.S. Army judge advocate and higher education attorney.”
Lunon brings to Vanderbilt broad experience in litigation and transactional matters as well as compliance, regulatory advising and investigations.
At Vanderbilt, he will take on university-wide strategic projects, enabling Shellaway to devote more time to key university matters and strategic planning in support of university leadership.
“In over two decades of professional experience, the majority of that time has been supporting mission-oriented organizations. At Vanderbilt, I can focus my talents on supporting a world-class university as it solves 21st century problems for the betterment of humankind,” Lunon said. “I am honored to join an amazing team of professionals within the Office of the General Counsel, where I will support university-wide strategic projects and a dynamic university leadership team.”
Lunon was hired by Georgia Tech in 2020 after being at the Pennsylvania State University as the inaugural chief legal officer and director of compliance at the Applied Research Laboratory; ARL is a U.S. Navy sponsored University Affiliated Research Center that executes a $2.2 billion applied research contract. Lunon graduated from Mercer University School of Law in 2008, where he also earned a certificate in Advanced Legal Writing, Research, and Drafting.
In 1999, Lunon completed a dual-degree program where he earned a bachelor of science degree in general science from Morehouse College and a bachelor of science degree in civil and environmental engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. During his undergraduate time, Lunon interned for the White House, U.S. Federal Highway Administration and several state departments of transportation. In 2020, Lunon completed Harvard Business School’s Executive MBA program (alternative).
Lunon is excited to live and work in Nashville during a period of significant change and growth. Two of his interests will be enjoying live music events and learning about the residential undergraduate experience at Vanderbilt. “I am excited to become fully integrated into the university and greater Nashville community. Vanderbilt’s 150 years of tradition has created a top tier institution with global impact. Understanding Vanderbilt and Nashville’s storied history will help me better support Vanderbilt’s strategic goals,” he said.
For more information on Lunon and his team members, visit the Office of the General Counsel website.
