Issues

Incoming Vanderbilt students still get the thrill of ripping open a thick packet telling them they’ve been admitted. Only now, in the era of all things digital, the vast majority of applicants first learn about the decision through their own personalized Vanderbilt Admissions website. Read More

Vanessa Beasley, BA’88, an expert in race, gender and diversity in U.S. political rhetoric, has been named the next dean of The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt. Read More

Oscar Touster (photo courtesy of Vanderbilt University Special Collections and Photo Archives) Oscar Touster, professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, emeritus, and first chair of the Department of Molecular Biology in Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science, died Feb. 27, 2015. He was 93. Reared in a multicultural New… Read More

Dr. Levi Watkins Jr. (photo by Joe Howell) Dr. Levi Watkins Jr., a renowned Baltimore cardiac surgeon, champion of racial equality and diversity, and the first African American to be admitted to and graduate from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM), died April 11, 2015, from complications after suffering… Read More

The White House recognized Gokul Krishnan, a Ph.D. student in learning sciences at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, June 12 as part of a kickoff celebration for the National Week of Making. Read More

Miriam Halachmi Miriam Halachmi, a lecturer in modern Hebrew at Vanderbilt for 31 years, died Feb. 28, 2015, at her home in Nashville. She was 70. Halachmi attended school in Binyamina, Israel, where she grew up, and went to David Yellin Teachers’ College. She earned degrees in education, counseling… Read More

Vanderbilt University’s admittance rate for incoming first-year students once again fell to a new low this year, continuing a trend toward higher application volumes and greater selectivity. Read More

Vanderbilt University contributed $8.9 billion to the health of Tennessee’s economy during 2013–14, according to a biennial independent economic analysis titled “Vital Stats.” Read More

The Cal Turner Family Foundation has committed nearly $1.2 million over five years to establish the Turner Family Center for Social Ventures at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management. Read More

Four outstanding alumni known for their service to the university, service to others, and for their professional accomplishments have been chosen by the Vanderbilt University Alumni Association Board of Directors to receive alumni awards in 2015. Read More

William L. Garrison William L. Garrison was known early in his career for revitalizing the field of geography through greater scientific thinking and methods, which led to increased use of computerized statistical techniques in geographical research. He died Feb. 1, 2015, in Lafayette, California, at the age of 90. Read More

For the third year in a row, the Vanderbilt Aerospace Club has won NASA’s annual rocketry competition, beating out 30 other university and college teams. Read More

Vanderbilt golfer Hunter Stewart, BA’15, capped a banner senior season by being named SEC Player of the Year in April following a vote by the league’s coaches. Read More

Ralph Webb, the starting running back for the Commodores, was one of 12 Vanderbilt students who traveled to Australia in May and June to study the diverse ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. Read More

Halpern, a 12-time National Park Service artist-in-residence, is currently working at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. Read More

To help smooth the application and audition process for prospective students, Blair adopted the online tool Decision Desk, which allows applicants to upload a video audition, as well as letters of recommendation from music instructors. Read More

No longer content to live in the shadow of any other institution, today Vanderbilt vies for the absolute best students anywhere in the world, attracting them with academic, cultural and financial-aid offerings that make even the most determined Ivy aspirants think twice. Read More

Looking for a good summer read? Try these titles written by alumni. Read More

Corbin, who was named College Baseball Coach of the Year after leading the Commodores to their first College World Series title last year—and taking the team to another championship series this year—looks for subtle signs that players will find success on and off the field. Read More

Founded for the education of young men, Vanderbilt from its earliest days allowed a handful of women to attend classes as “listeners.” In 1879, 20-year-old Kate Lupton silently broke the gender barrier when she received her diploma in private for a master of arts degree. Read More