Spring 2017

In August 2016, Farnsworth grabbed headlines by piloting her fixed-wing, single-engine Cirrus SR22T to Cuba, a feat made possible by the diplomatic thaw underway between the U.S. and the communist nation. Read More

Inspired by last year’s flooding in Louisiana, Chris Lowry wrote his winning composition, which premieres in June in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Christopher Lowry In August 2016 much of southern Louisiana lay underwater, flooded by more than 7.1 trillion gallons of rainfall. It was, meteorologists said, a… Read More

Lucy Mensah is completing a prestigious fellowship at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lucy Mensah, MA’12, PhD’16, who graduated with a doctorate in English, is drawing on her humanities training to take a path less traveled. Mensah started graduate school in 2011 with the goal of… Read More

Soprano Kelsey Onwuzuruigbo sings at Nashville’s inaugural Opera on Tap event, held at Harpeth Brewing Co. in September 2016. Photo by Nduka Onwuzuruigbo Nashville is known for its live music scene. Some nights you can drink a beer and enjoy country, blues, bluegrass, opera … no, not opry, opera—complete… Read More

“Day Boy Night Girl” by Sarah E. Vaughn is on view at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center exhibit “Breaking Ground” through June. Whether we realize it or not, we often silence individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities because of our own inability to communicate with those unlike ourselves. Read More

When I think of Vanderbilt, my mind immediately goes to my friends and classmates. But what about alumni from the graduate and professional schools, staff and faculty members, sports fans, even prospective students? Each one of these individuals helps make the Vanderbilt community a special place filled with smart, capable people willing to lend a hand when needed. Read More

As CEO, Adena Friedman has laid out a bold vision to build upon Nasdaq’s foundational legacy as a leading provider of the technology that powers financial markets. It’s an ambitious goal that could transform Nasdaq—and exchanges around the world—for years to come. Read More

ILLUSTRATION BY CANDACE ROSE RARDON   About 7,500 years ago a construction project of almost unfathomable scope began taking shape along the Pacific coast of what is today northern Peru. Initially a low-lying ceremonial mound, it would become in 4,000 years’ time a monument of staggering size—100 feet tall,… Read More

At Vanderbilt, which includes in its mission “service to the community and society at large,” numerous graduates have dedicated their life’s work to helping improve conditions around the world. Read More

Fitzpatrick and Lédeczi developed an introductory computer programming class that, by one account, ranks as the fifth most popular free online course of all time. They have taught more than 170,000 students in 192 countries and racked up more than 2 million lecture views. Read More

Vanderbilt philosophy professors Robert B. Talisse and Scott F. Aikin offer some rules of thumb on how to argue. Read More

Equality Weekend, a three-day event that honored 21 of Nashville’s civil rights leaders, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Vanderbilt’s breaking the SEC color barrier with men’s basketball players Perry Wallace, BE’70, and Godfrey Dillard. The 21 leaders were honored at the Commodore men’s basketball game Feb. 18 and the women’s game Feb. 19—both of which were Vanderbilt victories. Read More

Yarbrough's World War II scrapbook is now part of the foundational collection of the Smithsonian’s newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Read More

Vanderbilt celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Impact Symposium, an event that will always be remembered as one of the signature moments in the university’s history. Read More

Vanderbilt Divinity School received a $1 million grant from the Henry Luce Foundation last December to establish the Public Theology and Racial Justice Collaborative. Dean Emilie M. Townes is serving as the project’s director. Read More

Guided by little more than a desire to learn sign language and perhaps some divine intervention, longtime Atlanta television news personality Karen Graham, BA’87, has launched a digital news network for the deaf community. Read More

As part of Black History Month, Vanderbilt’s basketball teams suited up in specially made jerseys for their winning games on Feb. 18 and 19. The back of each uniform featured the name of an individual who played an influential role in the civil rights movement. Read More

Like generations before them, Vanderbilt students always enjoy letting off steam at the annual Rites of Spring before settling in for finals. Performers this year were JOHNNYSWIM, St. Lucia, The Shins, Romario, Aminé, Ty Dolla $ign and Rae Sremmurd. Read More

I am convinced this is the finest collegiate publication in print. Most every article in every edition piques my interest, and the writing is outstanding! The photojournalism and letters to the editor are a joy to peruse as well, and in keeping with the overall balance and excellence. Thank you for all the years of enjoyment. Read More

Cathy Swezey has won 150-plus games during her 20 years as head coach of women’s lacrosse at Vanderbilt. Read More