Releases

Preschoolers, beginning readers and all book lovers are invited to join children's author Alyssa Satin Capucilli, author of the popular Biscuit series, for "Cookies and Milk with Biscuit" at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Room 241. The free event will feature a visit with a life-size Biscuit mascot, songs, stories, snacks and prizes. Read More

A decline in the level of America's trust in government began nearly 40 years ago, and a continuation of that trend in 2004 would benefit President George W. Bush, according to Vanderbilt political scientist Marc Hetherington. He is the author of Why Trust Matters: Declining Political Trust and the Demise of American Liberalism. Read More

Miguel de Cervantes' story of a deluded Spanish gentleman stubbornly living as an honorable knight in a world where chivalry is dead has resonated with readers for four centuries. Read More

The Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is working to finalize agreements which will place the hospital as the manager of the NICU at Gateway Medical Center in Clarksville as soon as January 2005. Read More

Four Vanderbilt scientists ñ Walter J. Chazin, Raymond N. Dubois Jr., Leonard C. Feldman and Dennis G. Hall ñ have been elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an honor bestowed upon them by their peers. They are being honored for contributions to research that runs the gamut from determining the atomic structure of proteins to paving the way for improved treatments of digestive diseases including colon cancer, from investigating the atomic structure of materials to providing new insights into the fundamental nature of light. Read More

Literature by Zora Neale Hurston and others can make a vital contribution to historians wishing to learn about those long misrepresented by traditional records, argues a historian who will speak at Vanderbilt University. Read More

While many Godzilla fans view the Japanese fantasy films as pure entertainment, a Vanderbilt University historian believes the original movies serve as important reflections of Japanese post-war society. Yoshikuni Igarashi, associate professor of history and director of East Asian Studies at Vanderbilt, is the plenary speaker for an Oct. 28-30 conference at the University of Kansas marking the 50th birthday of Godzilla. Read More

Members of CHEERS (Collegians Helping to Encourage and Educate Responsible Socializing), a student-based alcohol awareness organization at Vanderbilt University, will stage a mock drunk driving accident on the Vanderbilt campus on Thursday at 3 p.m. Read More

The presentation of a new book offering book-by-book commentaries on the Bible by scholars from around the world will be a highlight of activities sponsored by Vanderbilt Divinity School as part of university homecoming. Read More

More than 300 students at Franklin's Page High School will have a chance to visit a planetarium without leaving school grounds Wednesday, Oct. 27. Astronomers from Vanderbilt and Fisk universities will bring a portable, inflatable planetarium to the school to help educate students about the stars with the goal of interesting them in a career in science. The planetarium is the centerpiece of the Fisk-Vanderbilt NASA Roadshow, made possible by a grant from NASA. Read More

Biomedical engineers and physicians at Vanderbilt University have brought the day when artificial limbs will be controlled directly by the brain considerably closer by discovering a method that uses laser light, rather than electricity, to stimulate and control nerve cells. Read More

A legacy of the 2000 election is the increased likelihood that the 2004 and subsequent presidential races will end up in the courts, says Susanna Sherry, Cal Turner Professor of Law and Leadership at Vanderbilt University. Read More

"Company," Stephen Sondheim's grown-up look at love and marriage, is the second production of the Vanderbilt University Department of Theatre's 2004-2005 season. Read More

The Rev. Peter J. Gomes, author of bestselling books about faith and widely regarded as one of America's most distinguished preachers, will deliver the 2004 Cole Lectures at Vanderbilt University on Nov. 4 and 5. Read More

Vanderbilt professors will discuss diverse topics ranging from the presidential election and its impact on the Middle East to understanding the latest recording technologies during a series of "Classes Without Quizzes" on Nov. 5. Read More

A few lucky families will avoid long lines to receive flu vaccine for their young children, and may help future generations at the same time by participating in flu vaccine research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Read More

Decades ago Halloween meant visiting a handful of houses, always prepared to earn a treat with a clever homemade costume and a friendly Halloween greeting. Today many families feel trick-or-treating is an exercise in excess at a time when obesity is one of the nation's top health concerns. Read More

Juvenile defenders from all 50 states, juvenile justice advocates and legal experts will convene in Nashville Oct. 22-24 for the national Juvenile Defender Leadership Summit. The summit is held in a different city each year and is co-sponsored this year by the Vanderbilt Child and Family Policy Center. Read More

One week before American voters decide whether to retain George W. Bush as president or make a change with Sen. John Kerry, political analyst and author Joe Klein will speak at Vanderbilt University. Read More

Carole Brookins, the World Bank's executive director for the United States, will speak about "Tennessee and the World Bank: Partners in Development" at Vanderbilt University on Oct. 20. Read More