Vanderbilt Magazine

  • Vanderbilt University

    Kim Le, BA’98, Animated Storyteller

    Courtesy of Kim Le After spending nearly two decades as a storyboard artist for Hollywood film and television production companies, Kim Le is guided by a singular imperative: “I want to tell a good story, entertain people, and hopefully make them laugh.” As creative types go, storyboard artists… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Three Decades of Impact

    Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans On clinic day every week, first-year nursing student Brooke Hazen’s 12-hour shift starts at 6:30 a.m. “We’re taking vital signs, helping patients shower and walk, administering shots and IVs, and interpreting lab results,” she says. Hazen is in Vanderbilt School of Nursing’s prespecialty… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Jarred Amato, BA’09, Watering ‘Book Deserts’

    Photo by John Russell Reading, and a child’s access to books, is a precursor to success by all yardsticks. But the lack of reading materials in many neighborhoods across America—regions known as “book deserts”—threatens the educational achievements of countless students. English teacher Jarred Amato decided to do… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    ‘Commodores in the Community’ Celebrates Alumni Passion for Service

    Left to right: Nick Lovinger, BA’15; Jake Goldklang, BA’15; and Liam Byrne, BA’14, braved a snowy Saturday morning with other members of the Metro New York Vanderbilt Chapter to volunteer for their service project benefiting the Bowery Mission. Vanderbilt’s long-standing commitment to community service includes strong student traditions such… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Alumna Pays It Forward Through Advocacy

    Karen White, BA’11, was born to be an advocate. Her first experience in advocacy was for herself at the age of 15, when she left a volatile home life and struggled to support herself through periods of homelessness. “I remember sleeping on the couch in the tattoo parlor… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Yvonne Young Clark, MS’72, First Lady of Engineering

    “Y.Y.” Clark at thebeginning of her groundbreaking career. Photo courtesy Society of Women Engineers Yvonne Young Clark, the first woman to earn a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Howard University, the first woman to earn a master’s degree in engineering management from the Vanderbilt University School… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Barbara Tsakirgis, Renowned Scholar of Classical Archaeology

    Photo by Daniel Dubois Barbara Tsakirgis, a noted scholar on ancient Greek domestic architecture as well as a strong community advocate for Nashville’s Parthenon, died Jan. 16. Tsakirgis, 64, had been diagnosed with ALS three years ago and died at her home. She was a professor of classical… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Harold Bradley, ’49, Hall of Fame Guitarist

    Bradley in 1961. Photo by Joe Rudis/THE TENNESSEAN Harold Bradley, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, famed guitarist, and cog in the family that led the ascent of country music in Nashville, died Jan. 31. He was 93. Bradley grew up in Nashville and took up… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Everett H. Erlick, BA’42, ABC’s Chief Lawyer

    Everett H. Erlick, a distinguished veteran of the broadcast industry and longtime public servant, died March 8, 2019, at his home in Stuart, Florida. He was 97. As executive vice president, general counsel and director of the American Broadcasting Cos. Inc. for 25 years, his expansive portfolio… Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • photo of Jada Benn Torres in the lab

    History Unshackled: Jada Benn Torres is part of a multidisciplinary effort to uncover new details about the African slave trade

    Benn Torres is joined by a team of faculty across a range of disciplines, from anthropology and history to Latin American studies and literature, who are filling in the gaps of our knowledge about the African diaspora and bringing a fresh perspective to its present-day consequences. Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Congratulations, Class of 2019

    From an aspiring cardiologist attuned to women’s health issues to an award-winning flute player who mentors young students, the Vanderbilt Class of 2019 is ready for new challenges and new adventures. Read More

    May 23, 2019

  • photo of Kito Huggins

    ‘Promise and Potential’: Q&A with Kito Huggins, BS’96, JD’99

    Huggins, a former student government president and Posse Scholar, continues to drum up enthusiasm for Vanderbilt nearly 30 years after arriving on campus. Read More

    May 20, 2019

  • Robby Perry, BE’19: Happy Helping Others

    Happy Helping Others: Robby Perry, BE’19

    From an Alternative Spring Break trip to renovate houses with Habitat for Humanity, to a Home Depot–sponsored web-coding hackathon, to a semester of study abroad that took him to cities such as Madrid, Marrakesh and Istanbul—Robby Perry’s time at Vanderbilt exemplifies just how much you can pack into four years. Read More

    Apr 11, 2019

  • Sloane Chmara, BA’19: Wellness Influencer and Entrepreneur

    Wellness Influencer and Entrepreneur: Sloane Chmara, BA’19

    What does it take to run a growing health brand with a positively focused social media presence while excelling at academics and maintaining a social life? For Los Angeles native Sloane Chmara, it’s all about wellness. Read More

    Apr 11, 2019

  • Alexandra Vierling: Special-needs siblings inspire a career in care

    Special-needs Siblings Inspire a Career in Care: Alexandra Vierling, BS’19

    It was at Vanderbilt that Alexandra Vierling found her passion for nursing. But the idea of working at the intersection of health care and education was a seed planted long ago. Read More

    Apr 11, 2019

  • Gabriela Alvarado: Beyond the Petri Dish

    Beyond the Petri Dish: Gabriela Alvarado, PhD’19

    Gabriela Alvarado began her graduate program intent on studying something microscopic, but she ended up developing a passion for understanding the bigger picture of her research. Read More

    Apr 11, 2019

  • Riley Ferguson, BA’19: Flying on to Medical School

    Flying on to Medical School: Riley Ferguson, BA’19

    A Facebook query seeking Vanderbilt students who were pilots led Riley Ferguson to two of her closest friends and the founding of AviaDORES, a campus organization with the mission of making aviation accessible to VU students. Read More

    Apr 11, 2019

  • Aya Abou-Jaoude: Refugees and a ‘Third-Culture Kid’

    Refugees and a ‘Third-Culture Kid’: Aya Abou-Jaoude, BS’19

    Aya Abou-Jaoude has always planned to become a physician. But she says an eye-opening Vanderbilt course last year about refugee resettlement helped affirm her ultimate goal: to pursue pediatric medicine, with a particular focus on refugee health. Read More

    Apr 11, 2019

  • Vanderbilt University

    Great App for Great Apes: Ben Scheer, BS’19

    Ben Scheer jumps imagination-first into big projects, and he’s not afraid of a lot of trial and error. The human and organizational development and economics double major has worked on dozens of entrepreneurial endeavors that focus on solving problems through technology. Read More

    Apr 11, 2019

  • Jasper Lu: Using Science to Spark Innovation

    Using Science to Spark Innovation: Jasper Lu, BS’19, MS’19

    Creative writing and computer science classes in middle school and high school inspired Jasper Lu to pursue a liberal arts education at Vanderbilt, where he could explore all his passions and identify connections between them. Read More

    Apr 11, 2019