Author: Jim Patterson
In the Spotlight: Matthew Baker’s innovative literary work grabs Hollywood’s attention
Aug. 20, 2019—Matthew Baker, MFA’12, never expected to see his work inspire a Hollywood bidding war. When an agent contacted him in 2017 about pitching his story “The Transition” as a film property, he recalls that it “almost seemed like a prank.” At the time, he was working on his second collection of stories, and his ambitions...
Lester G. “Ruff” Fant III, BA’63 R.I.P. Ruff
Aug. 20, 2019—EDITOR’S NOTE: Fant, a prominent financier, lawyer and philanthropist in Washington, D.C., died May 19. His friend and classmate, the acclaimed author and humorist Roy Blount Jr., BA’63, penned this remembrance. Lester Glenn “Ruff” Fant III, my old friend and Vandy classmate, was a bonafide, grand-scale benefactor. I will cite some of the excellent causes...
On the Hunt: Elaine Shannon, BA’68, Investigative Journalist
Aug. 20, 2019—As an English major at Vanderbilt, Elaine Shannon learned critical thinking and self-reliance—and that she was not cut out to sit in a library and write papers about poets. Instead she lined up a job as a reporter and launched a career as an investigative journalist and New York Times best-selling author that has led...
Border Roots: Donald R. “Dee” Margo, BA’74
Aug. 20, 2019—EDITOR’S NOTE: As this issue of Vanderbilt Magazine was going to press, the world was just starting to hear about the tragic mass shooting that took place in El Paso on Aug. 3. Mayor Dee Margo wrote on Twitter in the immediate wake of the news, “Our community will not be defined by this senseless...
Accolade: Blair Big Band ‘biblical’ honor
Aug. 20, 2019—The Blair Big Band is the undergraduate collegiate winner in the category Large Jazz Ensemble in DownBeat magazine’s 42nd annual Student Music Awards, announced April 23. This is the Blair School of Music’s first award from DownBeat, which is widely considered the “bible” of the jazz world. The recordings Blair submitted to the competition were...
Engineering to Inform Medicine: Dr. Jeffrey Williams, BE’92
Aug. 20, 2019—On the wall of heart-rhythm specialist Jeffrey Williams’ medical office is his seventh-grade essay in which he writes that he wants to be a cardiologist. He doesn’t remember writing it, but his younger self accurately predicted the future. As co-director of the Heart Rhythm Center at Lakeland Regional Health in Lakeland, Florida, and assistant quality...
New Members Join Alumni Association Board
Aug. 20, 2019—The Vanderbilt University Alumni Association Board of Directors announces seven new members, who began their three-year terms July 1. “Each of these new members sets a great example for all alumni through their philanthropy and volunteerism,” says Dan Lovinger, BA’87, president of the Alumni Association Board. “That passion for Vanderbilt is a great addition to...
2019 Alumni Awards Presented by Alumni Association
Aug. 20, 2019—The Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce its 2019 alumni award recipients. They will be honored Oct. 17 at a special ceremony during Reunion and Homecoming weekend. “These honorees shine through their professional accomplishments and leadership service to their communities and Vanderbilt,” says Jodie Leeka Kim, BE’10, ME’11, awards committee chair...
Armstrong Family Inspires Biochemical Breakthroughs
Aug. 20, 2019—The story of Richard Armstrong is a shining example of how one person’s legacy can have a powerful ripple effect on others. A basic sciences professor of biochemistry and chemistry from 1995 until his 2015 death, Armstrong was known for his groundbreaking biochemical research. In his honor, his family established the Richard N. Armstrong, Ph.D.,...
A Focus on Women’s Health: Sarah Vaillancourt, MSN’18
Aug. 20, 2019—Sarah Vaillancourt’s mission—to help women get the care they need—far predated her nursing degree. “I knew I wanted to work in women’s health before I knew exactly what I wanted to do or how I wanted to do it,” says Vaillancourt, who earned her master of science degree last year. Having also considered medical school...
Benjamin D. Schulman, BE’38, Fostering Diversity
Aug. 20, 2019—The vision and thoughtful generosity of Benjamin D. Schulman, who died June 2, helped Vanderbilt become a more nurturing and diverse community. Schulman, of Carlsbad, California, was 102 at the time of his death. He had returned to campus in January 2017 for a 100th birthday celebration that included a Shabbat dinner and birthday brunch...
The Hindles: Leading by Example
Aug. 20, 2019—The establishment of the Hindle Family Scholarship in 2014 was one more way for John Hindle, BA’68, PhD’81, and his wife, Joan Barr Hindle, to pay forward the lifelong success they have achieved, which John credits in large measure to his Vanderbilt education. At the time they created the fund as part of Opportunity Vanderbilt,...