Society And Culture

For the first time since the Vanderbilt Poll–Nashville was established in 2015, more than half of respondents say they believe the city is headed in the wrong direction. Davidson County voters are concerned about affordable housing and crime, but give positive marks to Mayor John Cooper and other local leaders. Read More

Vanderbilt University legal scholar Michael P. Vandenbergh has been named a 2022 Andrew Carnegie Fellow and has been awarded $200,000 to support his research into overcoming political polarization to address the causes of climate change and the issues it is creating. Read More

Michael Kurek, who served 14 years as chair of the Department of Music Composition at Vanderbilt Blair School of Music, is only the second person to hold the distinction of composer laureate of Tennessee Read More

Blair School Dean Lorenzo F. Candelaria sees opportunities to revolutionize the experience of classical music in ways that cultivate new and diverse audiences for the art form. In some cases, it means taking the music to unexpected places.  Read More

Evelyn J. Patterson The effects of racism and sexism lead to higher maternal mortality rates among Black women in the U.S. than previously realized, according to new research from Associate Professor of Sociology and Law Evelyn J. Patterson at Vanderbilt University. Even after controlling… Read More

Jad Abumrad, a public radio icon, podcast pioneer and founder of Radiolab, will join Vanderbilt University to lead and advise on several areas of work, including the launch of a new podcast institute designed to become a national center of excellence for the evolving profession of digital narratives. Read More

In 2022, neurodiversity in the workplace is an issue capturing attention, as conversations on how to create more inclusive spaces for all continue among business leaders. Tim Vogus, deputy director of Vanderbilt's Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, focuses on research related to improving the workplace for people on the autism spectrum. Read More

The Vanderbilt University Symphony Orchestra and Vanderbilt's collegiate choirs will host a musical tribute to remember those who’ve suffered a loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. The concert will be on April 10 at 2 p.m. at the Martha Rivers Ingram Center for the Performing Arts at Vanderbilt Blair School of Music.  Read More

The Vanderbilt College of Arts and Science has launched a new climate studies major. The major integrates the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities to give students a comprehensive perspective on climate change, its challenges and its possible solutions. Read More

Experts from the Vanderbilt LGBT Policy Lab a discussion about the state of research regarding LGBTQ+ rights and policy and the effects of pro- and anti- queer policies on health, education, economic outcomes and overall well-being Read More

Partnering with the Data Science Institute, Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center Director Rosevelt Noble is leveraging custom artificial intelligence techniques to identify common themes and topics for his book, "Lost in the Ivy," about the experience of African Americans at Vanderbilt. Read More

Xiu Cravens, professor of the practice of education policy, describes how her understanding of her culture, language and opportunities in China informs her work with Vanderbilt students. Read More

March 16 marked the one-year anniversary of the day a 21-year-old man went on a shooting rampage at three spas in the Atlanta area, killing eight people—six of them women of Asian descent. The shootings stoked outrage and fear among Asian Americans, who were already experiencing discrimination, racism and hate crimes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The act of violence led to dialogue at Vanderbilt and college campuses across the country and resulted in calls to create more inclusive spaces for AAPI populations.    Read More

To observe the first anniversary of the shootings that targeted Asian American women in Atlanta and the 40th anniversary of the killing of Chinese American Vincent Chin by white autoworkers, Vanderbilt’s AAPI employee affinity group will host an in-person event with author and activist Helen Zia, 12:30–2 p.m. March 24. Read More

During the first-ever public conversation between former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and sex trafficking victim and convicted murderer Cyntoia Brown-Long, the two agreed that significant improvements are needed in the criminal justice system. On March 15, Brown-Long and Haslam came together for Vanderbilt’s first public lecture at Langford Auditorium since the COVID-19 pandemic halted similar events for nearly two years.  Read More

The Initiative for Race Research and Justice at Vanderbilt Peabody College will host a virtual panel discussion to address actor Whoopi Goldberg’s recent comments about race, Jewishness and the Holocaust. The free event is scheduled for Thursday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m. CT. Registration is required.  Read More

Six women who have helped shape the university and its history are being honored as part of a new Women at Vanderbilt Portrait Project at the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center. The portraits, commemorating women from the 19th century through today, will be unveiled at an event on March 14. Read More

Kimberly Welch, associate professor of history and assistant professor of law at Vanderbilt University, has been awarded a 2022 Dan David Prize. The internationally renowned annual award, headquartered at Tel Aviv University, gives prizes of $300,000 each to nine early- to mid-career history scholars whose outstanding contributions expand knowledge of the past, enrich society in the present and promise to improve the future of the world.   Read More

Science’s influence on pop culture is undeniable, and the reverse is equally important. Research led by Jay Clayton, the first literature professor to ever receive funding from the NIH, shows that films portray genetic science as risky far more often than television shows. Read More

Daniel J. Gervais, Milton R. Underwood Chair in Law, director of the Vanderbilt Intellectual Property Program and faculty co-director of the LL.M. Program, as well as professor of French, describes how his work in international law has shaped his view on collaboration and teaching. Read More