Releases

The Vanderbilt University Board of Trust elected a slate of new trustees during its annual spring meeting in early May. William H. “Hal” Hess, JD’90, Keith Hoogland, BA’82, and John Ingram, MBA’86, will serve five-year terms beginning July 1. Allison “Allie” Hall Eagles, BA’16, will serve a two-year term as the young alumni trustee. Read More

In commemoration of Chancellor Emeritus Nicholas S. Zeppos' legacy at Vanderbilt, the Board of Trust commissioned an official portrait of Zeppos that was unveiled on May 7. The portrait has been installed at the front entrance of Zeppos College. Read More

Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier has appointed global hospitality leader Markus Schreyer as CEO of the newly created Vanderbilt Enterprises, a strategic initiative designed to advance mission-aligned ventures that generate sustainable new revenue streams and support strategic priorities. Schreyer will begin his role on June 1, 2025. An initial focus will be on enhancing Vanderbilt Athletics resources, support for student-athletes and the fan experience. Read More

Vanderbilt-New York City's first foray into public programming invited New York City residents to engage with the university in a three-event series titled “Vanderbilt in the City: Conversations on America.” The series, held between March and May, convened faculty and thought leaders for conversations that explored what it means to be an American today as our role in the world is shifting. Each event drew several hundred attendees, filling the venue to capacity—a strong signal of the enthusiasm for Vanderbilt’s debut programming. Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich Marissa Tessier, Melanie Hundley and Elizabeth Seeker. Photo: Krystal Schmidt Convincing tweens and teens to read books can be an uphill battle. But a collaboration between two Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development students, their professor, and best-selling Disney Books author Jen Calonita is… Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich Only a third of American students read proficiently, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress. Scores continue to lag behind those from 2019 and 2022, and there has been little overall improvement since the NAEP began tracking reading in 1992. Educators and policymakers have… Read More

by Jenna Somers Jessika Boles After consulting with the palliative care team, Jessika Boles, MEd’08, found herself speaking with a mother about honoring her daughter’s legacy. “One of the ways we can do that is through handprint art, since handprints and fingerprints are unique to each person. Would you… Read More

The Class of 2025 brought laughs, hugs, tears and lots of smiles to Vanderbilt's social media pages. Take a look at a few of our favorite posts from Graduates Day and Commencement. Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich When top special education researchers, a cutting-edge dyslexia academy and research center, and influential school leaders converge at Vanderbilt University, big ideas are bound to emerge. That is exactly what happened at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools Neurodivergence-Informed Schools conference, hosted by the Roberts Academy… Read More

Jeremy Payne, principal senior lecturer in the Department of Human and Organizational Development, has been awarded the 2024-2025 Chancellor’s Cup by Chancellor Daniel Diermeier for his steadfast mentorship and teaching of undergraduate students. For more than six years, Payne has mentored and advised undergraduate, professional, and graduate students, and has shown he is committed to developing personal connections with each of them. Read More

Lynn Fuchs Lynn Fuchs, Dunn Family Professor of Psychoeducational Assessment, Emerita, passed away on May 7, 2025. She was 75 years old. Throughout her career, Fuchs was recognized as one of the top scholars in special education and psychological sciences as well as a leading scholar in mathematical and… Read More

Sarah Brown-Schmidt Sean Corcorcan Brian Heuser Amy Palmeri Kelly Slay (Vanderbilt University) Anita Wager Sarah Brown-Schmidt received the Peabody… Read More

Camilla P. Benbow A rigorous research institution, a top-ranked education college, an innovative learning community—for all the phrases you could use to describe Peabody College, perhaps the one that encompasses all of them, that rings truest, is that Peabody is, and has always been, an essential home for human… Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich The Roberts Academy at Vanderbilt University welcomed its inaugural class of third and fourth graders in August 2024. Since then, the school has celebrated many more firsts, from a groundbreaking ceremony to festivities and innovative collaborations. Established in 2023 with an unprecedented gift from Hal and… Read More

By Jenna Somers Where can professionals from K-12 and higher education institutions, non-profits, private industry, and federal and local governments collaborate to learn from and with one another on how to strengthen their leadership within their respective organizations? The answer to that question may be found in the dynamic learning… Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich In rural Monroe County, Tennessee, the school district’s only teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) is approaching retirement. But her daughter, Andrea Leatherwood, is almost ready to step into the role. Leatherwood is among the first cohort of teachers accepted last summer into the new Vanderbilt… Read More

By Jenna Somers When parents need answers about their child’s cognitive and emotional development or mental health, they may first ask the child’s pediatrician or a specialist. The parents may find the help they seek, or the doctor might say something like, “The research isn’t clear on that yet.” Scientific… Read More

by Jenna Somers When a first grader has a spelling test on a Friday, they probably understand that the more they study throughout the week, the better they’ll perform on the test. They also probably understand that if they only study on Monday, then by Friday, they may not remember… Read More

Sharon Shields, Distinguished Alumna, Peabody College Doctor of Education Degree Ceremony at the Peabody Esplanade on May 09, 2025. (Photo by Joe Howell/Vanderbilt University) Sharon Shields and Camilla Benbow, Peabody College Doctor of Education Degree Ceremony at the Peabody Esplanade… Read More