Roster
A Stronger Voice: As the new head of the NCAA’s inclusion efforts, Derrick Gragg aims to amplify opportunities for student-athletes
Dec. 7, 2020—Derrick Gragg, a former student-athlete on the Vanderbilt football team, is the NCAA's new senior vice president for inclusion, education and community engagement.
In the Running: For five alumni who competed in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Team Trials, just getting to the starting line was a long journey
Oct. 29, 2020—On Feb. 29, the best distance runners in the country were in Atlanta to compete in the 2020 United States Olympic Marathon Team Trials. Of the 691 elite men and women runners who came from all corners of the nation to compete, five were Vanderbilt alumni.
Catalyst for Change: Shan Foster, BS’08, has found success off the court in working to end violence against women
Jul. 23, 2020—Foster, the vice president of external affairs at YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, leads the AMEND Together initiative, a prevention program dedicated to ending violence against women and girls by engaging men and boys to be part of the solution.
Long Run: 97-year-old Roy Englert Sr., BA’43, defies his age every time he takes to the track
Feb. 17, 2020—Englert holds world records in the 95-to-99 age group in the 800-meter, 1,500-meter, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter races, along with the 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800 relays.
Wholehearted: Pitcher Tyler Brown and his 1-year-old daughter, Bella, both fight to overcome long odds
Nov. 7, 2019—The 2019 College World Series produced a number of compelling storylines as Vanderbilt’s baseball team claimed its latest NCAA championship. But one in particular—that of relief pitcher Tyler Brown and his daughter, Bella—captured the hearts of ’Dores fans across the nation.
Golden Memories: After the tragic death of his parents, cross-country coach Steve Keith reflects on their lifelong love for Vanderbilt
Aug. 20, 2019—The passing of Bob Keith, BA’53, and Sharon Wemhoener Keith, BA’53, marked the end of a 70-year love affair that began on the Vanderbilt campus. I always felt a special Commodore connection to my parents, attending the university myself in the 1970s as a philosophy major and member of the men’s track and cross-country teams.
Beyond the Horizon: A devastating childhood injury led Scott Muller, BS’94, to discover his passion for the great outdoors
May. 23, 2019—Whether vying for gold at the Olympic Games alongside the world’s best slalom kayakers or helping lead the Clinton Climate Initiative to create a global consortium of cities focused on sustainability, Muller can trace the trajectory of his life’s work and passions back to formative experiences at the David Williams II Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Commodore-in-Chief: Malcolm Turner brings an NBA executive’s perspective to his new role as Vanderbilt’s athletics director
Feb. 19, 2019—Malcolm Turner, a former member of the National Basketball Association’s senior leadership team and president of the NBA G League, took the helm as Vanderbilt’s next vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletics director Feb. 1.
Return to Form: Jan Hildebrandt, BE’79
Nov. 19, 2018—Hildebrandt retired from competitive swimming the day her senior season ended at Vanderbilt. Or so she thought. Nearly 40 years later, she found herself competing in the U.S. Masters Swimming Nationals, a long-course pool meet featuring the best amateur adult swimmers from across the country.
Unsung Heroes: Gift recognizes efforts of Vanderbilt athletic trainers working ‘behind the scenes’
Sep. 6, 2018—Lindsy McLean's bequest, allocated in two parts to the Department of Athletics, ensures that future athletic trainers are given every opportunity to succeed.
Clubhouse Leader: Golfer Theo Humphrey finishes Vandy career as SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year and Player of the Year
Jun. 7, 2018—Encouraged by the vision of then-new Men’s Golf Head Coach Scott Limbaugh, Theo Humphrey chose to attend Vanderbilt, helping lead the team to its first SEC championship in 2017.
Unexpected Blessing: Blessing Ejiofor is thankful to be at Vanderbilt after high school recruiting scandal
Feb. 26, 2018—Blessing Ejiofor is from Ebonyi, Nigeria, more than 6,000 miles from Nashville—but growing up, she was well aware of Vanderbilt. In fact, she considered it her “dream school” early on.