Alumni

Shan Foster, BS’08, is joining the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee as director of MEND, a primary prevention initiative dedicated to ending violence against women and girls in our community. A retired professional basketball player and the all-time leading scorer for Vanderbilt University men’s basketball team, he has served… Read More

Melvin Porter, LLB’59, Oklahoma’s first African-American state senator, was recently honored on the floor of the Senate, 50 years after his election to office. Read More

Matt Belsante, BS’06, an engineering science and economics major at Vanderbilt, didn’t grow up planning to be a professional musician, but he ultimately followed his love of jazz. Now he is a critically acclaimed writer and singer of jazz, pop and swing music similar in style to the crooners of… Read More

A Canby Robinson Society scholarship enabled Mary Masterman to attend Vanderbilt and pursue her dream of practicing family medicine without the worry of impending debt. Read More

Born in a northwest suburb of Chicago to parents who immigrated to the U.S. from southwestern India, Shawn Albert realized early on that he wanted to travel the world. Read More

Divinity distinguished alumnus was strong voice for civil rights Divinity distinguished alumnus was powerful Christian personality and preacher Read More

After spending four years absorbing the style and personality of Nashville while attending Vanderbilt, Timo Weiland, BS’06, is back as one of the headliners for Nashville Fashion Week. The Tennessean profiles Timo’s journey from Vanderbilt to his highly decorated career in fashion as co-founder of the Timo Weiland brand. Read More

With several Nashville-based fashion brands on the cusp of a major breakout (imogene + willie, Ceri Hoover Bags and Otis James Nashville), Van Tucker, EMBA’96, is helping build the businesses to help them achieve that. Read More

Kristin Fleschner, BS’03, who has worked on gender, peace and security issues for the federal government since 2008 was one of 17 women profiled by the U.S. Department of State for Women’s History Month 2015. The 2015 theme, “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives,” is intended to weave women’s stories—individually… Read More

The law career of Judge Martha Daughtrey, BA’64, JD’68, is highlighted by a number of firsts. The first woman to serve as assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee in 1968. The first woman to teach on the Vanderbilt Law School faculty in 1972. The first woman to serve on the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1990. The Tennessean shares her inspiring story in the article “Tennessee judge's epic firsts are historic, unparalleled.” Read More

After building a nuclear fusion reactor in his basement at 17, Thiago Olson, BE’11, is now the founding CEO of Stratus, which is ready to launch a smart credit card that just might change your purchasing habits. Read More

After building successful careers and raising three children, Vicki Simons Heyman, BA’79, MBA’80, and Bruce Heyman, BA’79, MBA’80, were ready for more. “You reach a point in your life,” Bruce explains, “when you’ve done well—but now can you go do good?” So when President Barack Obama asked Bruce to serve… Read More

Like a lot of people, Dan Stephenson developed a taste for macaroni and cheese at a young age, but the “blue-box variety,” as he puts it, didn’t hold his interest for long. Early on he started experimenting with adventurous flavor combinations that eventually would become the hallmark of his business,… Read More

With nothing more than a willingness to make a difference and a $150 grant, high school science teacher Juliet Crupi was able to turn an inner-city after-school club into a nationally recognized program aimed at changing the relationships among her students, food and the community. Read More

Tufts University has named John G. Morris, BA’90, JD’93, currently interim director of athletics at Colorado State University, as its next director of athletics, effective June 15. The appointment follows a national search. Read More

A Vanderbilt engineering graduate who retired from the CIA discussed recently what wearable technology can do — including hand valuable information about users to hackers. A clip of Ira “Gus” Hunt, BE’77, MS’82, appeared in a Fox News investigative piece on devices such as Fitbit and Jawbone, which people use… Read More

Service is an important part of the Vanderbilt student experience, and it is only natural for alumni to seek opportunities to continue those efforts. Regional Vanderbilt chapters provide the perfect opportunity by combining networking and fellowship with community service. Read More

In early September 2014, Ian Crozier, M.D.,’97, supervised the jet evacuation of a critically ill patient from Kenema, the epicenter of the raging Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. An exhausted Crozier told the medical team that he hoped he didn’t have to see them again. One week later, he did. Read More

Stephen Sanders, JD’78, has built a successful law career advocating for people affected in some way by the coal mining industry in Eastern Kentucky. The Vanderbilt Law School recognized his contributions by naming him the 2014–2015 Social Justice Fellow. Sanders spent three days on campus in February presenting to the… Read More

Who are you wearing? This Oscar season, expect to hear Dannijo answered among some of the leading brands of fashion. Founded by Danielle Snyder, BS’07, and her sister, Jodie, the jewelry startup has become a favorite among celebrities. Inc.com shares their story. Read More