Spring 2010

Gold Medal Physics: The Science of Sports (2010, The Johns Hopkins University Press) by John Eric Goff, BS’92 Using performances by elite athletes such as Greg Louganis, Bob Beamon and Lance Armstrong as starting points, Goff discusses the science behind diving, long jumping, cycling, skating, football, soccer, and a… Read More

Until the late 1950s, Peabody College’s Knapp Farm was known for its herd of prize, purebred Holsteins. George Peabody College for Teachers, which opened on its present-day campus in 1914 after a series of previous incarnations dating from 1785, had two related missions. One was to provide a graduate-level education… Read More

In February, Vanderbilt students and other volunteers completed “Food Fight,” a large mural in Rand Hall that depicts an epic battle between junk and healthy food. Read More

Among business leaders it’s generally accepted that “poaching” or hiring a competitor’s employees violates an unwritten rule of business and may be unethical. But a new research paper concludes that as long as their actions are not deceptive or illegal, companies that intentionally identify, contact and offer employment to a rival… Read More

Greene, Maguire, and Velkovska It’s the hottest temperature ever achieved in a laboratory: 250,000 times hotter than the heart of the sun. Three Vanderbilt physicists are members of the scientific team that has reported creating an exotic state of matter with a temperature of 4 trillion degrees Celsius. The new… Read More

About 100 million years ago, the bacterium Wolbachia came up with a trick that has made it one of the most successful parasites in the animal kingdom: It evolved the ability to manipulate the sex lives of its hosts. “When it developed this capability, Wolbachia spread rapidly among the world’s… Read More

When Jason Martin gives a talk about his research, he begins with the story of Mariana Bridi da Costa. The Brazilian supermodel died from severe sepsis after amputation of her hands and feet failed to stop its spread. Martin, a fellow in allergy, pulmonary and critical care medicine, is part… Read More

One of the best ways the world can promote peace and stability is to expand commercial nuclear power based on the extraction of uranium from the ocean, contends Frank Parker, an internationally recognized expert in remediation of radioactively contaminated soil and water. At a meeting held at the Pontifical Academy… Read More

“My students may not expect to learn about Plessy v. Ferguson or Brown v. Board of Education, but these things and many others play into musical moments,” says Jim Lovensheimer, shown here with his faithful greyhound, Shoes. Experienced in the context of our day-to-day lives, pop music can seem ephemeral… Read More

Courtesy Metropolitan Transit Authority Vanderbilt is the primary sponsor of a new nonprofit corporation created to promote public transportation in Middle Tennessee. The university has committed $100,000 per year for the next three years to help fund the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee. “Mass transit is already an important part… Read More

A program aimed at improving teaching in urban middle schools will begin enrolling students this summer. The result of a partnership between Peabody College of education and human development and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), it is geared toward students who want to teach in Nashville public schools. Students will… Read More

“The duties of leadership at any level … are to try and get the big ideas right, first and foremost.”   —Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command, on the challenges of Afghanistan. The International Legal Studies program and the College of Arts and Science sponsored his… Read More

Finding out where to eat, what’s happening, and how to get around are common questions on every college campus. At Vanderbilt the answers to these questions can be found quickly and easily using new applications developed by engineering students for iPhone and Android mobile devices. The new free apps—Dining, Campus… Read More

Beginning fall 2010, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing will offer its first non-nursing degree: a master of science in nutrition and dietetics. “When we consider our nation’s obesity epidemic, the complexity of health-care delivery, and the use of the Internet as a source of health information, we realize that we… Read More

Jamie Robinson has always been a healthy eater, but she never had to work as hard to make a healthy trip to the grocery store as she did in January. “I wanted to get a big bag of grapes for snacking, but they were $4, so no grape snacks,” Robinson… Read More

Medical standards might not trigger an alarm, but a mother’s instincts are pretty accurate when things are not right. ~ Anne Ussery, member, Children’s Hospital Family Advisory Council A new system at Vanderbilt gives families a powerful tool to call quickly for help if they suspect a patient’s condition is… Read More

www.vanderbilt.edu/commencement What happens if it rains? Where is the Wesley Place Garage? And what’s up with all those tassel colors? Visitors can learn the words to the alma mater, find out where to stay, get the latest updates and much more at Vanderbilt’s just-launched Commencement website. Read More

Stallings Named Coach of the Year—Again Vanderbilt Head Men’s Basketball Coach Kevin Stallings has been honored by SEC coaches with the Coach of the Year Award, his second during his 11-year tenure with the Commodores. Stallings, who also claimed the honor in 2007, commandeered the 2009–10 team to his fifth… Read More

Dick Dickerson If you ever need to photograph a hairless dog, Dick Dickerson is a good man to know. He will keep you entertained and even bring along a spare hairless dog. When we decided to create a Vanderbilt Magazine cover with a movie-poster look to promote our story… Read More

Jonathan Marx A former journalist with 20 years’ combined experience as an editor, critic and reporter for the Nashville Scene and The Tennessean, Jonathan Marx is now publications manager for the Nashville Symphony. A Nashville native, Marx has maintained a side career as a musician and has recorded a dozen… Read More