MyVU

We all love to talk. But is language just a tool we use to communicate—or is it something more powerful? How does it impact democracy, identity and access? In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Akshya Saxena, associate professor of English at Vanderbilt, and Provost C. Cybele Raver dig into the fascinating and layered history—and future—of language. Read More

Martin Egli, the Richard N. Armstrong, Ph.D. Professor of Innovation in Biochemistry and a professor of biochemistry at the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, delivered a Kairos Lecture on May 28. Egli’s work, which has resulted in over 300 publications and two influential nucleic acid textbooks, has advanced strategies to stabilize RNA for therapeutic applications, including siRNA. He has received major honors and extensively served his department and the university. Read More

The Vanderbilt rocket team captured its ninth payload design award and placed 2nd at the 2025-2026 University Student Launch Initiative competition conducted by the NASA Marshall Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Read More

Library professionals from across North America came together at Vanderbilt University May 27–29 for the 2026 Southern Library Support Staff Conference. This annual gathering, hosted by the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, is designed to offer all levels of staff at academic, public, school and special libraries an opportunity to learn, teach, share and develop connections with others in their field. Read More

The inaugural program invites students to develop real companies designed to solve real-world business challenges from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, NASA, IBM, Xtremis and EPB.  Read More

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt invites the community to explore new ideas and connect with fellow lifelong learners through a wide-ranging lineup of summer courses for adults ages 50 and older. This summer’s offerings span history, literature, film, photography, wellness, gardening, religion and the arts. Participants can examine… Read More

Vanderbilt’s Innovation Ambassadors program provides faculty across Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center with peer guidance on innovation, intellectual property and commercialization. Through the Vanderbilt Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, faculty ambassadors help researchers explore how discoveries can move beyond the lab and into real-world application.  Read More

Vanderbilt University has named Elizabeth Zechmeister vice provost for graduate education and growth initiatives, dean of the Graduate School and the director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, effective July 1. Zechmeister succeeds C. André Christie-Mizell, whose five-year term as dean concludes June 30 after a period of devoted leadership and service to graduate education at Vanderbilt. Read More

In January, Vanderbilt expanded its multi-tool AI strategy, making ChatGPT EDU, Amplify 2.0 and Grow with Google available to eligible faculty, students and staff. Not sure which tool fits your needs? There are resources to help. Read More

Vanderbilt University alumnus Umar Sohail Qureshi, BS’25, has been selected as a 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University, joining one of the world’s most prestigious graduate leadership development programs. Qureshi, from Karachi, Pakistan, will pursue a Ph.D. in physics with a minor in computer science at Stanford’s School of Humanities… Read More

The Vanderbilt Choral Scholars have spent the last week immersed in the rich musical traditions of Northern England, combining performances, collaborations and liturgical music-making in a tour that is already proving transformative for the Blair School of Music students. Read More

The Vanderbilt Alumni Association will welcome new and returning alumni leaders to its board for three-year terms that start July 1, 2026. The Alumni Association’s mission is to engage Vanderbilt alumni in the life of the university, encourage lifelong connections and support the university’s mission and priorities. Read More

In a groundbreaking study published recently in the journal Nature, researchers at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt Health have created the first growth charts for white matter in the brain over a human lifetime. The work brings together nearly two decades of Vanderbilt research collaborations, the university’s extensive MRI data collections, and an advanced AI-enabled computing platform. Read More

Vanderbilt University will welcome thousands of family members and alumni to campus for Family Weekend, September 18–20, and Reunion, October 15–18, and staff volunteers are needed as Vanderbilt Ambassadors to make the weekend a success. Read More

Vanderbilt University computer science students have developed an accurate, reliable and cost-effective solution for segmenting and labeling television news broadcasts, making them more discoverable and accessible to researchers. This new tool, the first created through the Vanderbilt Cloud Innovation Lab for Libraries and Applied Digital Preservation, powered by AWS, uses artificial intelligence to improve upon manual processes and may reduce costs up to 80 percent. Read More

The Vanderbilt University Center for Structural Biology and Center for AI in Protein Dynamics recently hosted a symposium called “Bridging Atoms and Algorithms: A Symposium on AI and Structural Biology.” The March event brought together Vanderbilt faculty, trainees, and invited speakers to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and structural biology, share research, and foster new scientific collaborations. Read More

As an undergraduate, Marcia Fordyce-Steinfurth, BA’94, arrived in Nashville from Washington, D.C., eager to continue her education at another top-tier institution after attending Stone Ridge. At Vanderbilt, she connected with classmates from her hometown as well as peers from a wide range of backgrounds, all while immersing herself in a small-town Southern culture that was entirely new to her. Now, with a daughter at Vanderbilt, Marcia and her husband, P.R. Steinfurth, have witnessed firsthand how the university continues to help students access professional opportunities. Inspired in part by the lasting impact of Marcia’s undergraduate education, the Steinfurths knew they wanted to give back. Read More

In an age defined by information overload, viral narratives, and deepening political divides, Vanderbilt University’s McGee Applied Research Center for Narrative Studies is positioning itself at the forefront of media literacy education. Read More

The Vanderbilt University Board of Trust elected a slate of new trustees during its annual spring meeting in early May. Philip Bredesen, Mark Howard Carter, BE’98, and Dina Powell McCormick will serve five-year terms beginning July 1. Todd Graham, BE’96, will serve a two-year term as the alumni trustee, bringing the alumni perspective to the board. Additionally, comedian and actor Nate Bargatze will serve as a community member on the Athletics Committee. Read More

From her home office across West 21st Street in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, Double ‘Dore Emily Baker Tobin can look out at the Gothic spires and collegiate quadrangle of the General Theological Seminary (GTS)—a landmark that has framed her daily life for years. As a lifelong Episcopalian, she had long admired the buildings, but could never have imagined that one day she would bring her alma mater to the historic campus. Read More