Releases

By Jennifer Kiilerich Teenagers in the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV), staff with the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art (VUMA) and Nashville Metro Historical Commission archaeologists recently joined forces in a unique collaboration. Beginning in January 2025 with support from Vanderbilt’s Community Engagement Collaboration Fund, three… Read More

Founders Walk, an annual tradition at Vanderbilt that celebrates the moment that first-year, transfer and Next Steps students officially begin their journey as members of the Vanderbilt University community, took place on Aug. 17, concluding Move-In Weekend. A magical scene awaited students, with a grand entrance marked for each Commons house amid twinkling lights woven through the lawn’s elms and oaks and melodic strains from a string quartet. Read More

Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver has launched a global search for the next dean of the Vanderbilt University College of Arts and Science, who will begin their appointment in the 2026–27 academic year. Dean Timothy P. McNamara has announced his decision to step down from the deanship at the end of his term on June 30, 2026, and return to the faculty. Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich This July 6 – 23, rising high school seniors in the Cooke Young Scholars Program immersed themselves in life and learning at Vanderbilt University. During the initiative’s annual Senior Summit, 57 students stayed on campus, studied in advanced courses and participated in engaging residential experiences.  … Read More

Learn more about Prof. Jesús Ruiz and his family and why he's excited to be faculty head of Moore College. Read More

See the top songs on Gilbert Gonzales's playlist and learn why he wanted to be a faculty head of house. Read More

by Jenna Somers Karen Legrand Karen Legrand returned to Guatemala with “new eyes” after her experience in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development in 2020-2021. In the highlands of Guatemala, she created a violence prevention program, followed by a… Read More

Learn about the newest faculty head of house and his special ties to Vanderbilt long before he became a professor. Read More

Amy Owen The Tennessee Education Research Alliance, a research-practice partnership between the Tennessee Department of Education and Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development, is pleased to announce Dr. Amy Owen as its new executive director. Owen succeeds Dr. Laura Booker, who will transition into… Read More

By Jenna Somers and Krystal Schmidt   This summer, around 30 middle-school students from the Tennessee Nature Academy explored upstream and downstream Mill Creek, which flows 28 miles from Nolensville to the Cumberland River in Tennessee. Some students moved as quickly as algae-covered rocks would allow, while others took… Read More

Get to know Jesse Spencer-Smith's favorite food, books, music and why he's excited to be faculty head of Sutherland House on the Ingram Commons. Read More

Vanderbilt University has announced that the New York State attorney general has granted the approval necessary to close on the lease of its new campus in New York City. The approval is an important milestone in the agreement between Vanderbilt and the General Theological Seminary that enables Vanderbilt to operate on the historic block in the heart of the Chelsea neighborhood.    Read More

Coming off a season defined by grit, growth and unforgettable moments—including a thrilling bowl game victory—Vanderbilt Football is again stepping into the national spotlight. The team appears in the new Netflix docuseries SEC Football: Any Given Saturday; all eight episodes premiered Aug. 5 Read More

When bacterial pathogens enter our bodies, they’ve got one goal—hunt for food to multiply. And during the process, they make us sick. Eric Skaar, Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology and director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, is uncovering how pathogens compete with healthy microbes for essential nutrients. Read More

“At Vanderbilt, we are committed to being a destination for the most promising individuals from a broad range of perspectives and creating an environment where they can reach their full potential. To that end, we undertake many efforts to advance and more deeply embed our long-held values of free expression,… Read More

Tracy Sharpley-Whiting's research explores the interior lives of historical figures whose artistic influence shaped their worlds. Her impressive accomplishments led to her recent election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies. Read More

Carl Rodrigues, a dynamic leader in real estate and economic development, has been announced as Vanderbilt University’s first vice chancellor for real estate, facilities and development. He will begin his tenure on a part-time basis on Sept. 1 and transition to a full-time role beginning Nov. 1. Read More

Statement issued July 24, 2025 Vanderbilt has hired the firm Baker Donelson to conduct an independent review of recent incidents involving covert recordings of university employees. Baker Donelson will be tasked with reviewing the specific circumstances related to the recordings and identifying steps the university can take to ensure all… Read More

The influence of Vanderbilt University writers on acclaimed author Flannery O’Connor—and the extensive reach of O’Connor’s work on literature and beyond—are the subjects of a new Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries exhibit. Read More