Publications
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Cultivating Philanthropic Spirit
Ann Marie, BA’64, and Martin McNamara III, BA’58, and their family recognized their many ties with Vanderbilt by creating the Martin F. McNamara Jr. Scholarship in honor of Martin’s father, a student-athlete who graduated in 1932. The scholarship benefits College of Arts and Science undergraduates. Read MoreMay 13, 2025
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The Gift of Connection
Sarah Catherine “SC” Perot, BS'13, has many roles, but they all work to expand and enhance alumni engagement, which benefits the entire Commodore community. Read MoreMay 13, 2025
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A family tradition grows through open dialogue
Inspired by the spirit of civil discourse, Lise and Ed Spacapan generously support the Dialogue Vanderbilt Student Advisory Board, an intentional effort to consistently advance and more deeply imbed the university's long-held values of free expression, civil discourse and institutional neutrality across campus and beyond. Read MoreMay 12, 2025
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Nashville Jazz Connections at Blair
Jazz has a long history in Music City. As long as Nashville has been a center for recording and education, it has drawn musicians of all types who found places to play—as well as to teach. Many have had connections to Vanderbilt Blair School of Music Read MoreMay 12, 2025
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From Subjects to Scientists: Vanderbilt’s autism research and autistic researchers are reshaping discovery
At Vanderbilt, people with autism aren’t only research subjects—they are key drivers of scientific discovery. Vanderbilt’s autism research centers and academic programs have fostered a collaborative ecosystem where neurodiverse scholars and scientists can thrive and bring their unique perspectives and abilities to bear on complex research challenges. Read MoreMay 12, 2025
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Pascal Le Boeuf: A Vanderbilt ‘Strand’ in Grammy-Winning Music
Pascal Le Boeuf, assistant professor of the practice in music and technology, won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition on Feb. 2, his third nomination in the category. He talked to Vanderbilt Magazine about his influences for the Grammy-winning "Strands." Read MoreMay 12, 2025
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The Grant Game
Internal grant programs at Vanderbilt—developed by Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Provost C. Cybele Raver and Vice Provost for Research and Innovation and Chief Research Officer Padma Raghavan—are accelerating discovery of solutions for real-world challenges. Read MoreMay 12, 2025
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Open Space: Vanderbilt Alumni Propel a Vision for Space Travel That’s Accessible and Sustainable
Blue Origin and a handful of other private companies, like Virgin Galactic and SpaceX, are racing to develop low-cost, reusable rockets that are safe enough to regularly ferry humans—and other materials—to space and back again. At least a dozen Vanderbilt alumni are working in some capacity with David Limp, BS'88, and CEO of Blue Origin, to achieve the company’s sweeping vision. Read MoreMay 5, 2025
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A Collecting Partnership
With the impressive jazz collections at the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, Vanderbilt students and faculty can delve deep into the history of jazz and the lives, music and impact of its pioneering musicians. Read MoreApr 21, 2025
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A New Jazz Age
Vanderbilt University is becoming known as a place to study jazz performance and delve into jazz history through the acquisition of the extensive collections of Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef and Phil Schaap. Read MoreApr 21, 2025
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H. Rodes Hart, longtime Vanderbilt benefactor and trustee emeritus, 1932-2025
H. Rodes Hart, BA’54, who had an insatiable appetite for learning and education and contributed to Vanderbilt’s growth through his philanthropy and more than 30 years of leadership on the university’s Board of Trust, died March 30. He was 93. Read MoreApr 2, 2025
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Blending passions: how Vanderbilt alumnus Alex Astrella merges film and therapy to advocate for the neurodiverse community
By Jenna Somers Alex Astrella At age two Alex Astrella, MEd’23, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. His parents were told that he had little chance of graduating high school or becoming financially independent. Today, Astrella is the founder and CEO of Blu Star Productions, an award-winning film studio… Read MoreApr 1, 2025
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Lauren Egan, BA’17: On the Spot News
Journalist Lauren Egan, BA'17, reports on politics in D.C. for The Bulwark and formerly for Politico. She got her start on-air from war-torn Ukraine for NBC News. Read MoreMar 17, 2025
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Jen Bailey, MDiv’14: Keep the Faith
Jen Bailey, MDiv'14, founded Faith Matters Network, perhaps best known as one of the co-founding organizations of The People’s Supper, gatherings where people “build trust across lines of difference”—political, ideological, social, racial, generational, socioeconomic and religious—by sharing a meal, discovering commonalities and working through differences. Read MoreMar 17, 2025
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“Frost Flowers” an excerpt from ‘This is How a Robin Drinks’
Right now, these native “flowers” are blooming in Nashville—at least, until they melt, which is typically right after they form. Frost flowers are winter ephemerals. They happen when air temperature drops below freezing and warm groundwater rises to extrude itself through the conduit of a real flower stem, especially if that stem is a white crownbeard (Verbesina virginica). “Ice segregation” is the process at work. Water and vapor freeze on contact with air, and waves from within push older crystals forward and out. Read MoreDec 2, 2024
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Vanderbilt Engine for Art, Democracy & Justice awarded $1 million Mellon Foundation grant
María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Art, secured a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to advance the work of the Engine for Art, Democracy & Justice (EADJ), which she founded. Read MoreNov 21, 2024
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Vanderbilt emerita professor Charlotte Froese Fischer was a pioneer in computer science and physics
Charlotte Froese Fischer, a pioneer in the field of atomic structure calculations and an emerita research professor of computer science at Vanderbilt University, died Feb. 8, 2024. Read MoreOct 11, 2024
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This Magic Moment: Vanderbilt football takes down Alabama in historic win
Vanderbilt football takes down the Alabama Crimson Tide to give the Commodores their first win in program history over the top-ranked team in the nation. Read MoreOct 7, 2024
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Message from the Alumni Association President
Through Vanderbilt’s remarkable progress in its ongoing historic Dare to Grow campaign, we are charting a collective course that connects great minds with opportunities to offer solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. We are stronger together, and that strength continues through your alumni journey as Vanderbilt for Life. Read MoreOct 4, 2024