Spring 2018

Photo by Laurie Perez When Hurricane Harvey struck Houston in August 2017, one of the hardest-hit areas was downtown, home to the Houston Grand Opera. The company was flooded out of its Wortham Theater Center home, but the show would go on. The company’s season-opening… Read More

The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team came up just short in its quest for a second national championship, falling 4–3 in a tight three-set match to the Stanford Cardinal at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, May 22. Read More

As music director for the world tour of Phantom of the Opera from 2012 to 2016–and as associate music supervisor for seven international companies of the production–Stan Tucker, BMus’73, has felt the whoosh of the show’s iconic falling chandelier hundreds of times as it landed inches from his head. Photo… Read More

Photo by Jason Sheldon Leah Stewart, BA’94, has five acclaimed books to her credit, and her sixth, What You Don’t Know About Charlie Outlaw (2018, G.P. Putnam’s Sons), released this spring, is certain to further her reputation as a writer of keenly observed, engaging fiction. With its lively story… Read More

Such Sweet Thunder, the debut recording of the Blair Big Band, was released in March and includes Blair students and faculty, plus some of Nashville’s veteran players. Tracks include new compositions as well as standards such as “The Very Thought of You,” which features legendary Nashville pianist Beegie Adair. Read More

Literary Obscenities: U.S. Case Law and Naturalism after Modernism (2018, Penn State University Press) by Erik M. Bachman, BA’03 This comparative historical study explores the broad sociocultural factors at play in the relationships among U.S. obscenity laws and literary modernism and naturalism in the early 20th century. Putting obscenity case… Read More

J.R. Hand, BS’03, and Kailey Hand, BS’03, MEd’05 The 200 alumni and parent volunteers represented Reunion, chapters, the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni, G.O.L.D. Council, and the Parents and Family Association board. “There was an exciting energy level with so many Commodores together. I really enjoyed meeting the… Read More

After Lisa Abramson gave birth to her first daughter in 2014, she descended into a dark period of postpartum depression and psychosis, a mood disorder that is estimated to affect more than 3 million women—roughly one in seven new moms—every year. The experience influenced her to write The… Read More

Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt University How much should I expect to pay for rent? What about finding a roommate? How should I manage taxes? Vanderbilt seniors are well prepared to succeed in a number of fulfilling careers, but still have lots of questions about adjusting to life after… Read More

Frank F. Drowota III, BA’60, JD’65, who served on the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1980 to 2006, died April 15. He was 79. Drowota served on the Davidson County Chancery Court and the state Court of Appeals before first winning a seat on the state Supreme… Read More

Daniel DuBois/Vanderbilt University Nancy Ransom, MAT’71, EdD’88, founding director of the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center at Vanderbilt and a champion of women’s rights, education and gender equality, died March 19 in Wilmington, Delaware, from complications of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was 89. From 1978… Read More

Eugene Arthur TeSelle Jr., Oberlin Professor of Church History and Theology, emeritus, and a strong advocate on community issues ranging from urban neighborhood preservation to integrated schools, died March 1. He was 86. TeSelle was born in Ames, Iowa, on Aug. 8, 1931. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa… Read More

Theo Morrison, Joe Howell/Vanderbilt University Theo Morrison developed his civic acumen as a kid watching televised Nashville Metro Council meetings with his parents. “They instilled in me a love for my community and a commitment to making sure that I was engaged,” he says. “It was fascinating to… Read More

Susan Urmy/Vanderbilt University During Vanderbilt’s third annual Giving Day on June 5, alumni from across the country showed their support and Commodore pride by making gifts of all sizes. Bryan Byrdlong, BA’15, was among them. As the chair of Graduates Of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) for the Nashville Chapter… Read More

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. Read More