Arts And Science Faculty

Our past has something to say. 2025 Guggenheim Fellow Larisa DeSantis is ready to translate. Read More

Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English Major Jackson sees poetry as an art best appreciated in communion with others and approached through the senses as much as the intellect. He believes deeply in the power of poetry to break down barriers and foster understanding. Read More

For the first time in 45 years, Vanderbilt volleyball is back—and they’re already making history. This month, the team will embark on a 10-day tour of Japan, where they will train and scrimmage with local teams in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo. Throughout the trip, they’ll immerse themselves in high-level athletic training while experiencing Japanese culture, language and tradition. For many players, it will be their first time leaving the United States—a transformative experience made possible through a cross-campus partnership of Athletics, the Global Safety and Health team and the Department of Asian Studies.   Read More

Josh Clinton, Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair and professor of political science, and co-director of the Vanderbilt Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss how transparency and increasing public literacy about statistics—including an awareness of limitations—can disrupt Americans’ mounting distrust in polling data. Read More

At a time of deep political divisions, registered Tennessee voters are united in their overwhelming support for key federal programs, according to the latest semiannual statewide Vanderbilt Poll. Concern about the U.S. economy and personal financial futures is also prevalent, while partisan divides are more apparent on issues such as immigration, tariffs and President Donald Trump’s response to court rulings against his actions and policies.   Read More

Undergraduate research is a defining experience at Vanderbilt, providing students the opportunity to think critically, apply their knowledge, and engage in the scientific process. However, students also grow in unexpected ways beyond just technical skills they learn in the lab. Read More

As Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Physics and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Julia Velkovska studies the tiny particles that form our universe. She focuses on how nuclear matter behaves when confronted with extreme density and temperatures (think trillions of degrees)—similar to the conditions existing microseconds after the big bang, right as the universe was starting to take shape. Just this year, Velkovska and her team of physicists were awarded the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, along with 13,508 colleagues across four landmark CERN experiments. The prize honors decades of work expanding our understanding of the physical universe. Read More

Eighteen months since taking office, Mayor Freddie O’Connell continues to enjoy broad public approval. The 2025 Vanderbilt Poll–Nashville found his favorability among Nashville residents at 67 percent—a very high level of approval for any elected politician that underscores the success of his first year and a half in office. O’Connell’s positive assessment aligns with the emerging consensus that Nashville is headed in a better direction than it was a few years ago.  Read More

Learn about the women who inspire Steven Townsend in his breakthrough research that puts a spotlight on women, their health and discoveries around the healing powers of breast milk. Read More

Fat and protein molecules are essential to human brain health, and there are microscopic transport hubs that make sure the right molecules get to the right cells. If the proteins aren’t interacting properly, they can wind up in the wrong places—a problem that’s been linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. Research in Associate Professor Lauren Jackson’s lab has uncovered how those proteins interact. Read More

The upper-division residential colleges will welcome Jesús Ruiz, who will lead Moore College, and The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons will welcome Gilbert Gonzales as faculty head of Crawford House and Justin Quarry as faculty head of East House.   Read More

According to new research from Panka Bencsik, assistant professor of medicine, health and society, on days when highways are more congested, particularly during weekday afternoon rush hour, people are more likely to choose the fast-food option. Read More

Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities, has been awarded the inaugural Patricia Cannon Willis Prize for American Poetry by Yale Library. Jackson was recognized for his acclaimed collection Razzle Dazzle: New and Selected Poems 2002–2022, published by W.W. Norton in 2023.   Read More

Vanderbilt University has announced that it will host its first public programming in New York City: "Vanderbilt in the City: Conversations on America," beginning March 6. The three-event series, planned for Vanderbilt University–New York City, 440 W. 21st St., in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, will open the university’s doors to the New York City community. Read More

Katie Crawford, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair, professor of history, and chair of the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, has been named the interim director of the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities. Crawford’s appointment follows the five-year leadership of Holly Tucker, Mellon Foundation Chair in the Humanities and professor of French, who is stepping down to pursue her research and new trans-institutional projects. Read More

Immersion Vanderbilt, now in its third year as a graduation requirement, consistently provides students with the opportunity to pursue a variety of in-depth experiences and independent projects. Students align their immersion projects with their interests—whether those are artistic, research-oriented, career-focused, globally aimed or community-engaged. Faculty from all 10 schools and colleges support students’ goals and ambitions within immersion, and this year, that support is enhanced by a new cohort of 10 Immersion Faculty Fellows who are supported by Undergraduate Education in the Office of the Provost.  Read More

Vanderbilt University, led by Professor Ralf Bennartz, will lead a NASA satellite mission investigating Earth's high-altitude ice clouds, backed by a robust grant of $37 million. This endeavor, leveraging the university's climate research expertise, will provide opportunities for student involvement and bolsters Vanderbilt's position in global climate research. Read More

Estonia’s Ambassador to the United States, Kristjan Prikk, engaged students at Vanderbilt on Oct. 2 during a lively classroom discussion on the future of European security and democracy. The event, hosted by the Max Kade Center for European and German Studies, was part of Visiting Associate Professor Alexander Schmidt’s European Cultural History course. Read More

Stewart, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities and professor of religious studies, emeritus, died on Oct. 6, 2024, in Nashville. He was 70. Read More

Wiseman, an acclaimed political economist, was appointed associate provost for strategic projects and Gavin Loss, scholar of education history and policy, was appointed associate provost for academic affairs. Both will serve two-year terms within the Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Education, with Wiseman’s appointment effective with the 2024–25 academic year and Gavin Loss’ appointment effective on Jan. 1, 2025. Read More