The Vanderbilt Story

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

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

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

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

Like many medical students, Kathleen Gallagher knew by the time she’d finished high school biology that she wanted to become a doctor. It was the tragedy of Sept. 11, however, that launched her journey into trauma surgery. Read More

As the only child of a university biology professor, Ananya Sharma’s talent in science came naturally. Yet, while navigating a STEM-specialized curriculum in high school, she discovered an interest in women’s studies. Read More

During his college search, Jarryd Bethea sought an institution that would combine great academics, strong school spirit, and a community where he could make an impact. He found that and more at Vanderbilt. Read More

Rama Kumaran initially intended to study both science and flute when he came to Vanderbilt. He says he didn’t come expecting to know everything. “But I expected to do everything," he says. Read More

Evan Suzman, a cross country runner for the Commodores, likes to clear his mind with long, winding runs across campus. Off the course, the native New Yorker is a double major in history and child development, with a focus on the history of science. Read More

By Braeden Abrahamsen, as told to Andrew Maraniss One of the most positive things about sports is how it brings people together. As a member of the Vanderbilt women’s bowling team, I have teammates from Australia, Russia, Singapore, New York, New Jersey and New Mexico, just to name a… Read More

Student-athlete Emily Mathewson rallies her teammates on the field, and rallied them to support a young patient with cancer at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Read More

Vanderbilt engineering student Miti Joshi took a leap of faith when declaring her major. She ended up falling in love with computer science and launching Vanderbilt Women in Computing. Read More

Professor Jonathan Metzl isn’t afraid to tackle society’s most controversial issues, like guns, mass shootings, health care, race, politics and mental illness. Read More

When Bree Horrocks decided she would pursue her final season of college basketball as a graduate transfer, the 6-foot-5-inch center had conversations with a number of interested coaches. Each time, Horrocks let coaches know their programs would be getting much more than a basketball student-athlete. Read More

A coding hobby led Vanderbilt HOD and economics double major Ben Scheer on a wild immersion, building an app for orangutans at Zoo Atlanta. Read More

Vanderbilt sophomore Jacob Beranek loves music and his Czech heritage. These passions recently converged in an incredible opportunity for the talented music composition major. Read More

What is more daring—camping in a remote part of Antarctica for a month doing field research, or directing and performing in a musical revue about the environment? For Earth and Environmental Sciences major Andrew Grant, pushing boundaries to positively impact the Earth, and the people who call it home, are equally thrilling. Read More

Student-athlete Namilla Sanchez is keenly aware of the role proper nutrition plays in performance. She feels the results each time she dives into the pool – and in her ability to succeed in the classroom. Read More

Teams of makers from Vanderbilt and beyond raced the clock to create innovative solutions to the problems facing those living with disabilities as part of Vanderbilt’s Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) makeathon. Read More

Vanderbilt senior Sloane Chmara is combining a passion for healthy cooking and happy living into a growing online lifestyle brand. Read More