College Of Arts And Science Alumni

Caleb Feiring, BA'15, who studied English, economics and history at Vanderbilt, is an entrepreneur with an interesting—and incredibly tiny—place to call home in New York City. Read More

The Vanderbilt experience is woven into the lives of Allyson Maske, BS’92, and Jim Maske, BE’93, MBA’99, who first met as undergraduates. Between them, they have attended four of Vanderbilt’s schools and colleges, and their son, J.D., is a member of the Class of 2028 at Peabody College. The Maskes are on the Parent Leadership Committee and made recent gifts to Vandy United and Opportunity Vanderbilt in support of the university’s Dare to Grow campaign. Read More

The AAVA embodies the transformative power of connection and cultural identity—all from a place of gratitude. It strengthens the presence of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American community through cultural celebrations and networking events, collaborating with student organizations to connect alumni with current Vanderbilt students. Joy Cox, BA’98, MD’02, is AAVA's president. Read More

Darryl Berger, BA’69, and his family, have hosted the New Orleans Commodore Launch for four decades, marked by hospitality, connection and Commodore pride. Read More

Russell Smith, BA'68, of Washington, D.C., after retiring from his law practice, has joined Associate Professor of Classical and Mediterranean Studies Joseph Rife and his students on international archaeological digs that have made extraordinary finds. Read More

Thirty-five years ago, Alan LeQuire, BA’78, became Nashville’s most prominent sculptor with the unveiling of Athena Parthenos. In June, he returned to the Parthenon with a new body of work that celebrates contemporary people and an exhibit focused on Athena. Read More

As a research institution, the two “products” Vanderbilt puts into the world are alumni and the research produced. Whether it’s helping to cure cancer, inspire with art, or promote sustainability, Vanderbilt students learn to apply the combination of practical skills and confidence that can only be gained from experience to a broad range of fields—positioning them to be much more effective in translating their education to results outside the classroom. Read More

'The River Will Be a Part of Us' by Justus Wayne Thomas, BA'80, chronicles the journey of a group of young people from the U.S. and Germany who launched a homemade raft on the Missouri River near Kansas City, determined to float to St. Louis and from there all the way down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Read More

Jeff Martindale, BA'90, was awarded the Six Star Medal in March for completing the original six Abbott World Marathon Majors: TCS New York City Marathon (2010), Boston Marathon (2013), Bank of America Chicago Marathon (2017), Berlin Marathon (2022), TCS London Marathon (2023) and Tokyo Marathon (2025). Read More

David Boaz, a foundational figure of modern libertarian thought who brought libertarian ideas into the mainstream, died June 7, 2024, at his home in Arlington, Virginia. He was 70. Read More

After a car accident in 2022 forever altered Robby Barbieri's life, he refused to let anyone take his future. In fact, he worked to change countless lives for the better in his adopted home state by advocating for legislation that allows thousands of Tennesseans with disabilities to maintain careers and care for families. Read More

Jim Emison is dedicated to seeking justice for Elbert Williams, the first known NAACP member to be racially terrorized and slain. Read More

Joanna Winston Foley, BA’65, brings the lack of racial representation in public art to light through advocacy and her website Representation Matters. Read More

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 More

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 More

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 More

Alumnus, trustee emeritus and Nashville real estate visionary James Stephen “Steve” Turner, a prominent university benefactor whose gifts included funding for commissioned works for Blair School of Music signature ensembles, died Feb. 11. He was 77. Read More

In January 2020, Bernard Nomberg, BA'90, launched the 'Conversations with Commodores' podcast, along with a Facebook group specifically for Vanderbilt football alumni and others close to the program—coaches, trainers, cheerleaders, etc. Today, the community has grown to around 500 members. For all who played, the stories that emerge on the podcast are their shared history. Read More

With Portland, Oregon, as his base, second-generation Vanderbilt alum Jacob Grier, BA'04, consults in the spirits industry and writes books on topics from tobacco policy to mixology. His latest book on cocktails is 'Raising the Bar: A Bottle-by-Bottle Guide to Mixing Up Masterful Cocktails at Home' (Chronicle Books, 2022) cowritten with Brett Adams, bartender and curator of the selection at the Multnomah Whiskey Library. Read More

Elizabeth “Betsy” Sanner Ayala, BA’99, is the executive in charge behind many popular TV shows across the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio of networks. After joining HGTV in 2016 and advancing her career to head Food Network in 2022, she now oversees the creation, production and release of all Food Network programming and operations. Read More