Alumni

One hundred years ago pilot Tony Jannus made history when he flew a biplane from Tampa, Fla., to neighboring St. Petersburg. By all accounts the flight itself was unremarkable. There were no speed or distance records broken that day, nor feats of aerial acrobatics. In fact, the plane was in… Read More

By Sidney DeLair, BA’75 It was my first hello and my last goodbye. As I stood by the green dumpster overflowing with boxes discarded by freshmen moving into the Kissam Quadrangle, I waved goodbye to my dad and mom while their blue 1965 Buick LeSabre slowly inched onto West End… Read More

Like the vineyards that produce the classic vintages she adores, Amy Christine Ellis’ palate has been carefully cultivated for years. Recently, she was named a master of wine by the Institute of Masters of Wine—one of only 312 people to hold that title worldwide, and one of only 10 women… Read More

A disappointing court decision led attorney Piper Hendricks to an unusual change of career—documentary filmmaking—with a little help from a nun. “I was working in international human rights litigation,” recalls Hendricks, “and was handling cases against corporations, including one against [a tire manufacturer] for using child labor in Liberia. It… Read More

Nora Tyson, a 1979 Vanderbilt graduate, is vice admiral and deputy commander of United States Fleet Forces Command and one of StyleBlueprint's "Faces of the South." Read More

Alumna cultivated her passion for service while at Peabody. Read More

StyleBlueprint.com profiles 2012 Vanderbilt University Distinguished Alumna Nora Tyson, BA’79, and her rise to vice admiral and deputy commander of United States Fleet Forces Command. Read More

Five alumni will be inducted into the Vanderbilt Student Media Hall of Fame during Homecoming/Reunion weekend. Read More

Ezell is remembered for her fierce advocacy on behalf of the disabled. Read More

Steven Smartt, BME’71, MME’72—associate dean for academic services in the Graduate School, assistant provost for research, and assistant professor of the practice of education—leads a parallel life. A trumpet player since elementary school, the Nashville native earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from Peabody College. He… Read More

The Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce new leadership and the addition of eight new members. Patti White, BA’76, is president and Perry Brandt, BA’74, JD’77, is president-elect. New members include Ryan Grant, BS’01; Eileen C. Hart, BA’10, MSN’12; Larkin Martin, BA’85; Kate Morgan, BS’06; Alex Quintana, BA’05, MSF’06; Tim Warnock, BA’84; Valerie Williams, BE’95; and Justin Wood, BA’03, JD’06. Read More

The Senate has confirmed Staci Yandle, JD’87, as a federal judge in the Southern District of Illinois. According to Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., she will be the first African-American judge to ever serve in Southern District of Illinois, and only the second woman to do so. Read More

Vanderbilt fans, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos and Gov. Bill Haslam were among those who gathered June 26 to celebrate the championship 2014 Vanderbilt Commodore baseball team and Coach Tim Corbin. Read More

James W. Barker, PhD'11, has been awarded the 2014 Paul J. Achtemeier Award for New Testament Scholarship. Barker, a visiting assistant professor of religion at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, was honored for his essay "Ancient Compositional Practices and the Gospels: A Reassessment." Read More

When it comes to his love for auto racing, Travis Geisler is always willing to go the extra mile—thousands of them, really, if one considers his college years. While at Vanderbilt he made the 1,200-mile round trip between Nashville and his hometown of Pittsburgh nearly every weekend just to compete… Read More

Members of the classes of 2004 through 2013 have once again made Vanderbilt history by rising to the university’s challenge specifically for graduates of the last decade—the GOLD Challenge 2.0—and helping to secure another $100,000 gift to Opportunity Vanderbilt. Opportunity Vanderbilt is the university’s initiative to replace all need-based undergraduate… Read More

View more photos With 23 trips to nearly every continent, the Vanderbilt Travel Program offers alumni a chance to see the globe with fellow Commodores. Twenty-two travelers recently returned from “Treasures of Southern Africa,” which featured historic Cape Town, the wildlife at Thornybrook Nature Reserve and… Read More

Adena Friedman, MBA’93, will rejoin NASDAQ OMX as president of the company’s Global Corporate, Information, and Technology Solutions comprising Information Services, Technology Solutions and Corporate Client Group business segments. In this newly created role, Friedman will be responsible for overseeing the strategy and operations as well as having financial responsibility… Read More

As co-founder of theAudience, with William Morris Endeavor Chief Ari Emanuel and Napster cofounder Sean Parker, Oliver Luckett, BA’96, is well-known for creating buzz for celebrities and brands on social media. But the tech mogul is less known for his true passion—art. He is nurturing emerging artists and giving them ultimate… Read More

TriStar Centennial Medical Center announced it has named Brian Marger, MBA’98, chief operating officer of HCA Holdings’ flagship hospital. Read More