During the Spring Faculty Assembly on April 9, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Provost C. Cybele Raver and Faculty Senate Chair Tyler Barrett presented awards to nine faculty members who made a significant impact through scholarship, research, creative expression, service, teaching or mentoring.
Barrett, who is professor of emergency medicine in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, associate chief medical officer for compliance in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and chair of the Faculty Senate, welcomed faculty to the assembly and gave a brief update on the work of the Faculty Senate this year. Also, he acknowledged the significant number of nominations for awards and thanked faculty for taking the time to recognize the work of their peers.
Then, Diermeier acknowledged that the assembly honors the work that continues despite uncertain and often unsettling times for higher education.
“Questions persist about the future of research funding. Government actions affect our students and our colleagues. Polarization defines our politics at home, and war and geopolitics upend assumptions daily. All this uncertainty can weigh heavily,” he said to those gathered in the Student Life Center ballroom.
“Yet each day, you show up to your labs and your classrooms with courage, commitment and optimism,” he said. “Because of you, we are able to carry out our mission of transformative education and pathbreaking research. Because of you, Vanderbilt is recognized as a success story in a tumultuous time. Thank you for your outstanding work. And thank you for supporting one another as you do it.
“Vanderbilt is fully engaged in protecting the ability of universities to fulfill their mission—while also recognizing the need for thoughtful reform,” he added.
Diermeier then shared information about the ways Vanderbilt is responding to today’s challenges, from convening university leaders and faculty to engaging with lawmakers and making the case for the essential role that universities play in our society.
Diermeier highlighted growth and changes, including Jason Merchant becoming dean of the College of Arts and Science and new campuses being developed in West Palm Beach, New York City and San Francisco. He also acknowledged changes within the larger community with Dr. Jeffrey Balser announcing his upcoming retirement from VUMC and the university’s efforts to develop the 40 acres on the west side of campus into an innovation neighborhood.
He closed his remarks by telling the faculty, “Despite the uncertainty that surrounds us, your university is sound. More than that, we are helping to define what it means to be the great research university of the 21st century. We are doing so not by imitating others, but by following our own path—grounded in our shared values and common purpose, confident in our mission, and ambitious in our vision. None of this would be possible without your work, your dedication and your steadfastness.”
FACULTY AWARDS
After his address, Diermeier recognized the 43 faculty members who reached the milestone of serving 25 years at Vanderbilt.
Then, he, Raver and Barrett presented this year’s awards.
Four awards recognize outstanding scholarship. The winners were nominated by peers. The faculty senators serving in their third year reviewed the nominations and made suggestions for winners to leadership, who finalized the honorees.
The Harvie Branscomb Distinguished Professor Award recognizes research that furthers the aims of the university through creative research, teaching and service. Eric Skaar, Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology and University Distinguished Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Medicine was awarded the Branscomb award. Skaar’s research focuses on nutritional immunity and how the body fights infection by keeping essential metals out of bacteria’s reach. Skaar has shown how dangerous pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA), can overcome the body’s defenses and acquire the nutrients they need to grow. This finding opens new paths to treat antibiotic-resistant infections, providing new weapons in this serious medical battle.
The Joe B. Wyatt Distinguished University Professor Award celebrates faculty who develop significant knowledge from research or demonstrate exemplary innovations in teaching. Gautam Biswas, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Computer Science in the College of Connected Computing and of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the School of Engineering, won the award. Biswas is a pioneer at the intersection of artificial intelligence, engineering and education, redefining how students engage with challenging ideas. Beyond the classroom, he has advanced complex systems in aviation and energy by improving aircraft diagnostics and developing AI-driven methods that reduced energy use on Vanderbilt’s campus. He has mentored generations of students and built bridges across disciplines while changing how we solve complex, real-world problems—from safer aircraft to more efficient energy systems.
The Joseph A. Johnson, Jr., Distinguished Leadership Professor Award goes to a member of the faculty who has proactively nurtured an academic environment where everyone feels valued and where diversity is celebrated. This year’s winner of the Johnson Award was Consuelo Wilkins, Mildred Thornton Stahlman Professor in Rural Health and professor of medicine in the School of Medicine for reshaping how health care and research connect with the people they serve. Wilkins focuses on improving access to care and ensuring that research reflects real patient experiences. She has strengthened collaboration between Vanderbilt and Meharry Medical College, opening new pathways for shared research and community impact. Through the Community Engagement Studio, she brings patients and community members into the process from the start—helping shape questions, methods and outcomes. Nationally, she has helped lead the NIH’s All of Us Research Program in building a diverse database to drive discovery. Wilkins’ work builds trust, improves care and transforms how research serves communities.
The Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Professor Award recognizes scholarship that contributes to the analysis and solution of significant problems of contemporary society. This year’s recipient was Josh Clinton, the Abby and Jon Winkelried Professor and professor of political science in the College of Arts and Science. Clinton studies how people think about politics and how those beliefs shape elections, institutions and public policy. From polarization to public confidence in government and the challenges of modern polling, his work captures the forces shaping our political moment. Through the Vanderbilt Poll, he brings that research into the real world to provide a clear, nonpartisan view of public opinion in Tennessee and beyond. He also serves as NBC News’ senior election analyst, turning streams of data from closely watched races into confident calls on election night. Clinton’s work cuts through complexity and helps explain what people believe, how those views shift and why it matters.
The five teaching and mentoring awards were selected based on nominations from the undergraduate student body.
The Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Classroom Teaching was presented to Emily Pendergrass, professor of the practice in teaching and learning in Peabody College. One student nominator described Pendergrass’ classes as “a dynamic discovery of new learning.” Learning comes to life through school visits and guest speakers—and sometimes a call to local principals so students can hear how their questions play out in practice. Pendergrass adjusts course readings and connects student ideas to relevant research, responding directly to students’ specific interests. She even read a student’s favorite book overnight to keep the conversation going. She challenges students to think further, and they leave her class ready to lead, question and make a difference.
The Madison Sarratt Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching was awarded to Ji Hye Jung, associate professor of percussion in Blair School of Music. The nominators noted that in every lesson, Jung plays alongside her students, pushing them to listen, adapt and respond. But she isn’t just training performers; she’s shaping people with rigor and care. She’s introduced students to new ideas and the professional music world through experiences like a study trip to Seoul. She mentors them through auditions, festivals and burnout. One student shared that Jung helped them rekindle a passion for music-making and clarify future possibilities in music during a period of uncertainty, adding, “She has been a consistent presence in my personal development as a college student, a musician and a person.”
The Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award celebrates faculty for outstanding commitment to developing students holistically and exceptional support of undergraduate student research opportunities that go beyond the standard faculty adviser role and was presented to Kendal Broadie, Stevenson Professor of Neurobiology and professor of biological sciences in the College of Arts and Science. Students learn to lead as researchers in Broadie’s neuroscience lab. They troubleshoot experiments, refine ideas at the bench and design independent research to study how the brain communicates at the cellular level. One student recalls joining the lab unsure of their footing after early academic struggles. Instead of focusing on setbacks, Broadie asked a simple question: “How will you grow from this?” That mindset defines his mentoring. As students learn to think and work like scientists, he also helps them build the resilience and confidence to persevere and succeed. Broadie transforms students into emerging scientists ready to ask bigger questions and pursue meaningful discovery.
The Excellence in Immersion Vanderbilt Mentoring Award honors faculty who inspire students to dig deeper into their Immersion Vanderbilt projects and have supported students throughout their entire Immersion Vanderbilt experience, or who have mentored a student during their Immersion Vanderbilt project. This year, the mentoring award went to Emily Ritter, associate professor of political science in the College of Arts and Science and director of the Research on Conflict and Collective Action Lab. Ritter’s mentorship transformed a student’s immersion experience into a rigorous, hands-on research journey. As part of a research team, the student examined land allotments and their effects on collective resistance and helped build a nationwide allotment map—contributing to data collection, spatial mapping and methodological design. Ritter paired consistent guidance with meaningful autonomy and integrated the student as a full collaborator. The student presented the project’s preliminary findings at the American Political Science Association conference and created an award-winning undergraduate research fair poster. With Ritter’s mentorship, the student gained technical skills, confidence in scholarly communication and a path toward a future in research.
The Faculty Innovation in Teaching Award honors faculty who ignite curiosity through creative course design or innovative instruction. Michael Miga, the Harvie Branscomb Professor and professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Engineering won the award. The chancellor noted that collaboration between surgery and engineering at Vanderbilt spans decades and is being redefined through Miga’s pioneering Engineering in Surgery and Intervention program. This approach transforms how engineers learn to solve real-world problems, taking students out of the classroom and into the operating room. The NIH-supported program places students in clinical environments, where they observe procedures, engage with physicians and learn to identify and investigate problems. Miga’s work is changing how students think and opening new possibilities for engineers and clinicians to solve challenges in medicine together.
