Vanderbilt Magazine
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Lane Change: Vanderbilt experts say the future of urban transportation relies not on one solution, but on many
Self-driving cars. Ride shares. Electric bikes and scooters. The future of transportation, experts say, won’t include just one mode, but instead many. Depending on your point of view, that’s either a welcome relief or a nightmare. Read MoreOct 30, 2019
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Dying of Whiteness: How the politics of racial resentment is killing America’s heartland
On the night of Nov. 21, 2014, Becca Campbell, a 26-year-old woman from Florissant, Missouri, died of whiteness. Read MoreOct 30, 2019
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Reunion Revelry: Weekend draws more than 4,800 alumni and guests to campus
The beauty of Vanderbilt’s campus was on full display Oct. 18–19, as more than 4,800 alumni and guests celebrated Reunion and Homecoming Weekend. Read MoreOct 24, 2019
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Message from the Alumni Association President: Share your thoughts on Vanderbilt’s next chancellor
Dan Lovinger By all measures—admissions, graduation rates, philanthropic support, exceptional faculty, diversity and financial health—Vanderbilt has raised its profile dramatically under the leadership of Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos. We will be forever grateful for his knowledge, vision and passion during his 11 years as chancellor, as well as his 32… Read MoreAug 23, 2019
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Recent Books, Summer 2019
Everybody’s Doin’ It: Sex, Music, and Dance in New York, 1840-1917 (2019, W.W. Norton) by Dale Cockrell, professor of musicology, emeritus Everybody’s Doin’ It is the eye-opening story of popular music’s 70-year rise in the brothels, dance halls and dives of New York City. It traces the birth of popular… Read MoreAug 23, 2019
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Chancellor’s Letter: Vanderbilt for Life
Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt University Since coming to Vanderbilt in 2002, I have seen the university from many different perspectives—as a scholar and faculty member, a department chair, a mentor, a vice chancellor and as Vanderbilt’s provost, and even as the proud parent of an alumna after one… Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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New Game in Town: Vanderbilt athletics enters a new era with Malcolm Turner and Jerry Stackhouse
Turner and Stackhouse developed a mutual admiration during their time in the G League. At the same time Turner was guiding the league through unprecedented growth, Stackhouse was leading the Toronto Raptors’ affiliate, Raptors 905, to the league championship. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Romancing the Pen: Writing romance novels is a passionate pursuit for these four Commodores
Several members of the Vanderbilt community have enjoyed success in the romance genre, drawing upon their varied experiences and interests to bring their stories to life. And they all point to their time at the university as helping spark their imaginations and kindle the passion for their creative pursuits. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Education Evolution: Vanderbilt scholars are working to align higher ed policy with 21st-century needs
Some of the leading efforts to understand the changing nature of public higher education, and implement policies to address those shifts, are being directed by faculty and alumni of Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Life in Towers: A final look at Carmichael Towers before their demolition
After 53 years, Carmichael Towers, Vanderbilt’s monument to 1960s Brutalist design, are coming down, soon to be replaced by the next phase of the university’s residential colleges along West End Avenue. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Vandy … Boy!: Baseball team clinches second NCAA championship
Vanderbilt’s baseball team clinched its second NCAA championship June 26, winning a final Game 3 against the Michigan Wolverines at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Fortifying History: Vanderbilt research leads to UNESCO designation for Nashville’s Fort Negley
Two years ago, Fort Negley, a Union Army stronghold located a few miles east of Vanderbilt’s campus, was slated to be demolished to make way for one of Nashville’s newest mixed-use developments. Yet, in part because of efforts by Vanderbilt researchers to document the vital contributions African Americans made to building and defending the site, not only was Fort Negley spared, but the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also recognized it as a “Site of Memory” as part of its Slave Route Project. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Golden Memories: After the tragic death of his parents, cross-country coach Steve Keith reflects on their lifelong love for Vanderbilt
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. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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How to be a grill master: Expert advice from chef Jon Bonnell, BS’94
Chef Jon Bonnell, BS’94, shares his tips for success as both “grill master” and host. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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‘The Wing of a Butterfly’: Why the ugliest pitch in baseball is a thing of beauty
Because knuckleballers want no spin at all, they don’t engage the same muscles as conventional pitchers. If a robot could pitch, it would throw like a knuckleballer, like one mechanical piece instead of a flexible acrobat stressing multiple leverage points to impart spin. The physical dangers of repeated throws at maximum effort do not apply for these craftsmen. Theirs is the safest pitch of all, but the trade-off is severe: It is also the hardest to master, and to trust. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Final Four Finish: Men’s Golf reaches NCAA semifinals
The loss capped the storied Commodore careers of seniors Will Gordon, BS’19, and Patrick Martin, BS’19, who combined to win 16 team championships, five individual titles, three NCAA match play appearances, six GCAA All-America honors, seven All-SEC honors, three Palmer Cup selections, and two GCAA All-America Scholar honors during their time on campus. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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In the Spotlight: Matthew Baker’s innovative literary work grabs Hollywood’s attention
Vanderbilt M.F.A. graduate Matthew Baker has sold eight of his stories to media production companies for film adaptation during the past two years. Photo by Logan Werlinger Matthew Baker, MFA’12, never expected to see his work inspire a Hollywood bidding war. When an agent contacted him in 2017 about pitching… Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Fernanda Contreras: Game, Set, Match
Women’s tennis standout Fernanda Contreras, BE’19, grew up knee-deep in a pile of LEGOs in her living room. Now, having graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, she feels her path has come full circle. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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The Art of Imaging: VUIIS, Fine Arts Gallery bridge science and art to create 3D artifacts
Anna Fisher, a certified nuclear medicine technologist, scans an ancient stamp using the PET/CT scanner. Photo courtesy Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery When the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science installed a new state-of-the-art PET/CT scanner in early 2018, the team probably never imagined it would be used for an art… Read MoreAug 20, 2019
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Accolades: JJ Bleday and Kristin Quah
The Miami Marlins selected junior right fielder JJ Bleday with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft on June 3, and bowler Kristin Quah, BE’19, became just the third student-athlete in Vanderbilt history to win the H. Boyd McWhorter Award in April. Read MoreAug 20, 2019