Vanderbilt’s commitment to support active-duty and veteran service members, as well as the U.S. military establishment, has been ingrained in the university’s history for more than a century, when the campus’s first Reserve Officer Training Corps unit was formed by the U.S. Army in 1918.
In the ensuing decades, a mutually beneficial relationship grew. Broadly, the military strengthened educational partnerships, Vanderbilt became a destination for veterans on the GI Bill, and in 1945 the U.S. Navy ROTC formed a unit on campus.
Photo: Harrison McClary/Vanderbilt University
The stalwart dedication by the university and the military to the values of service, leadership and community inspired novel programs that benefit society while also educating aspiring, current and former service members. The enduring excellence of the ROTC programs exemplifies the university’s dedication to service members and is a model for new programs and collaborations.
KEY PARTNERSHIPS
Key partnerships with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs directly support long-term well-being and educational opportunities:
- Tuition support for qualifying service members and their families through the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program substantially reduces or eliminates student debt that often stifles career prospects.
- A Vanderbilt Divinity School partnership with the VA’s Integrative Mental Health program helps prepare chaplains with evidence-based practices through its doctor of ministry in integrative chaplaincy.
Vanderbilt provides additional support for veterans to further their careers as civilians:
- The Bass Military Scholars Program launched in 2018 with a charitable gift from the Bass Family Foundation. In addition to tuition support at the graduate and professional level, the program provides a support system within each scholar cohort and creates opportunities for them to interact with the greater community, enhancing the Vanderbilt experience for all.
U.S. Army veteran, Bass Military Scholar and School of Nursing student Vanessa Morales speaks at the 2023 Veterans Day Breakfast. (John Amis) - SkillBridge Fellowships provide service members who are leaving the military with skills, training, knowledge and experience to improve their options for civilian employment.
BOLD VISION DRIVEN BY DISCOVERY
Vanderbilt’s commitment to enhancing military excellence integrates its culture of discovery, innovation and thought leadership. The Vanderbilt Institute of National Security launched in September 2024 to support national security efforts though cutting-edge research, educational programs and strategic partnerships.
Led by retired Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, Distinguished Research Professor of Engineering Science and Management at the School of Engineering and special advisor to the chancellor, the institute will address urgent threats to national security and develop national security leaders. A former commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, Nakasone began his military service as an ROTC cadet at St. John’s University. His career illustrates the potential offered by ROTC programs.
For Vanderbilt, Nakasone’s position with the institute is perhaps a culmination of its support for the military that began so long ago with an ROTC unit.
The institute is just the latest in a series of efforts related to the military:
- Vanderbilt welcomed its first U.S. Army War College Fellow in the 2024–25 academic year. Army aviator Col. Zachary Dadisman will further his leadership skills through coursework and act as an ambassador of the Army to the community.
- An agreement with the U.S. Army Development Command’s Chemical Biological Center will use research to improve national defense capabilities while educating scientists and engineers. To celebrate the new agreement, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation hosted DEVCOM CBC leaders and staff to explore relevant projects.
- As the lead university collaborator in the Pathfinder program, Vanderbilt pairs researchers with soldiers to co-design technological solutions to real-world needs and challenges. The effort has resulted in innovations that improve the lives of soldiers.
Pathfinder is supporting the work of Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Karl Zelik (second from left) and soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell in developing an exosuit for soldiers that augments lifting capabilities and reduces back strain. (Vanderbilt University)
Chancellor Diermeier and others board Blackhawk helicopter in May 2024 to observe Pathfinder field operations. (U.S. Army photo by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Public Affairs Office)
Beyond these formal programs and their direct benefit, spontaneous opportunities arise when military leaders and veterans live, lead, work and learn within the campus community. For example, a group of computer science students recently went to DEFCON-32 with Nakasone, who served as keynote speaker. They learned about computer- and hacking-related subjects, as well as cyber-security challenges, among established hackers, security experts and other professionals dedicated to cyber awareness.
In alignment with Immersion Vanderbilt, this experience provided real-world exposure to classroom content, with the added benefit of Nakasone’s deep content expertise—just one outcome of the generational relationship with the nation’s military.
