Year: 2025

Some people may worry about being bitten by a snake or spider, but have you ever considered what would happen if a small black hole tried to pass through your body? An article by Professor of Physics Robert Scherrer in the International Journal of Modern Physics D poses and answers that very question. Scherrer set out to find what the gravitational effects would be if a primordial black hole passed through the human body, helping scientists better understand the properties of dark matter. Read More

A new potential treatment for schizophrenia discovered through the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery has entered phase 1 clinical trials, marking the fifth WCNDD therapeutic to advance into human testing. Read More

A new study led by Aditya Kurre, BA’22, and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Guggenheim Fellow Larisa DeSantis has revealed the specific diet of two species of giant ground sloth, uncovering the vital roles they played in their environments. Their findings could help scientists restore ecosystems that once thrived thanks to these massive mammals. Read More

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt invites the community to a new season of discovery, connection and fun with a dynamic lineup of winter courses and programs to keep your mind active and your spirit warm.  Whether you’re diving into science, literature or music, or exploring global perspectives through courses on Japan, Sicily and the Abrahamic faiths, you’ll find something to spark your curiosity. This winter also features returning favorites like Tai Chi and Gentle Yoga, new opportunities to learn Mahjong, and creative arts offerings from landscape painting to the always-popular Steel Drum Band and Chorale.  Read More

Vanderbilt hosted the 11th annual Blue Ribbon Teacher Awards in collaboration with the Nashville Public Education Foundation on Oct. 30. Twenty-five Metro Nashville Public Schools educators—including several Peabody College alumni—were recognized for excellence in student success, opportunity, instruction and leadership. Honorees received a $2,000 cash prize, professional headshots, a trophy and two round-trip Southwest Airlines vouchers. Read More

By Jenna Somers Mark Lipsey Mark Lipsey, professor emeritus of public policy at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, has been awarded the Stockholm Prize in Criminology, the world’s largest and most prestigious criminology prize. Lipsey received the award for his research on rehabilitative programs… Read More

As conversations about the value and nature of higher education continue at colleges and universities nationwide, a new national Vanderbilt Unity Poll finds that Americans are largely united on the fundamental value of higher education—and in their distaste for the influence of politics and the cost of college degrees.  Read More

Get to know the Class of 2026 Outstanding Senior winner and incredible nominees and hear what inspires the winner most. Read More

The vocals of Brandi Carlili and the Alabama Shakes backed by SistaStrings washed over the crowd of nearly 2,000 concert attendees as Strengthening Ties: Vanderbilt @ 150 brought the Sesquicentennial celebrations to a joyous conclusion for the entire university community on Sunday, Nov. 9, at The Pinnacle. Read More

Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development has established the new Teacher Pathway Scholarship for all admitted master’s and Ed.D. students in initial teacher licensure programs and advanced programs. The new scholarship guarantees a minimum 30 percent of tuition for initial licensure and advanced programs listed below,… Read More

Vanderbilt Crowdfunding, an initiative in its inaugural year, offers a new level of possibility through student-led philanthropy. Supported by university resources provided by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, the forward-looking approach to engagement and philanthropy reframes fundraising from a formal transaction to a shared investment in future leaders—to a community coming together for support. Read More

Vanderbilt's Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization had an exceptional 2025 fiscal year, setting all-time records across multiple metrics while expanding the university's innovation impact. CTTC experienced growth in technology disclosures, licensing transactions, industry-sponsored research, and startups launched—demonstrating the university's commitment to expanding the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. Read More

Applications are now open for the next cycle of EAT!, a free program that provides international students and scholars a chance to enjoy American food and culture with a local family. Read More

Winners from the latest cycle of the Ignite Tech Development Grant have been announced, showcasing the diverse potential of emerging learning technology innovation. This year’s competition attracted a strong and diverse applicant pool from across Vanderbilt’s schools and all academic levels, from undergraduates to faculty. The winning proposals focus on learning that spans the spectrum from math to empathy to AI ethics. Read More

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries have partnered with Amazon Web Services to launch the Vanderbilt Cloud Innovation Lab for Libraries and Applied Digital Preservation, powered by AWS. This initiative, the first of AWS’s cloud innovation programs to be housed in an academic library and focused on archival preservation, was celebrated Oct. 27 at a ribbon-cutting event and reception on the Vanderbilt campus. Read More

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver recently announced the extension of Melissa Rose’s term as dean of the Blair School of Music and the reappointment of Pamela Jeffries as dean of the Vanderbilt School of Nursing. Both renewals illustrate the university’s regard for shared governance, commitment… Read More

Vanderbilt University has received a catalytic $30 million gift from John Addison, BE’01, and Shannon Addison, BS’02, to ignite a bold new era of innovation at the School of Engineering. Their visionary contribution serves as the lead commitment for Power the Impossible, a new $300 million fundraising campaign in support of the School of Engineering. Building on the remarkable momentum of the university’s record-breaking Dare to Grow campaign, Power the Impossible will position Vanderbilt Engineering among the world’s most influential, impactful and recognized engineering institutions of this century. Read More

A new PBS Kids series created to help children better understand the impact of weather and climate took instructional cues from Jeremi London, associate provost for academic opportunity and associate professor of mechanical engineering, who played a role in the show’s development. Read More

Schizophrenia has been proven to be heritable, but typical analyses so far haven’t been able to pinpoint what, genetically, is going wrong in the brain. A new paper by Professor Bingshan Li and research instructor Rui Chen outlines how to improve on existing genetic screening for schizophrenia risk by expanding the areas of the chromosome scanned for genetic signals. Their results point to a “tangible biological pathway—and potential treatment target—linking genetic risk to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia,” Chen said. Read More