College Of Arts & Science

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 named Timothy P. McNamara, a visionary leader, trusted peer and mentor, as Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science for a two-year term beginning July 1. Read More

Morinville, a history major in the College of Arts and Science, was named to the next class of the John Robert Lewis Scholars & Fellows Program for 2024-2025. Selected through a highly competitive process, the scholars and fellows represent a wide range of backgrounds, ideologies and faiths, creating an environment that fosters open dialogue, empathy and understanding. The program is run by the Faith and Politics Institute. Read More

David Hercules, Centennial Professor of Chemistry emeritus, who served as the chair of the Department of Chemistry for eight years, died January 20, 2024, after a battle with cancer. He was 91. Read More

Steven Wernke, associate professor and chair of anthropology, has developed GeoPACHA (Geospatial Platform for Andean Culture, History and Archaeology), a web application that allows researchers to map archaeological sites in the Andes at a greater scale than ever before. GeoPACHA has enabled new discoveries about past human occupation in the region that will be featured in six articles in the February issue of the journal Antiquity. Read More

Dennis G. Hall, Vanderbilt’s first associate provost and later vice provost for research, dean emeritus of the Graduate School, professor emeritus of physics and professor emeritus of electrical engineering and computer science, died Jan. 6 in Nashville. Read More

Adapa, an Ingram Scholar in the College of Arts and Science, will travel to Sweden in December as one of only 10 students globally to receive a 2023 Future Nobel Laureate Scholarship.   Read More

Gabrielle Beck, a sophomore studying neuroscience and environmental policy, received an all-expense-paid invitation from National Climate Assessment program Director Allison Crimmins through her work as a Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education Fellow, where she has been able to take part in projects that deal directly with sustainability and climate change. Read More

The podcast, Art of Interference, dives deep into the intersection of art, climate change and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Spearheaded by a team of College of Arts and Science faculty and students, the four-season podcast seeks to broaden our perspectives on climate change and our role in it by engaging with the arts. Read More

More than half of the world’s population lives in dense urban areas. The College of Arts and Science’s Grand Challenge Initiative on Cities is hosting a two-day symposium to address critical questions, such as: What makes a successful city, and how might universities and scholars introduce innovative ways of understanding cities, their problems and their solutions? Read More

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver has appointed a committee to conduct a national search for the next dean of Vanderbilt University’s College of Arts and Science. The committee consists of a range of faculty from Arts and Science and collaborating colleges, as well as non-faculty peers. Read More

Vanderbilt University students in two business courses managed a $500,000 investment fund and took fourth place in the 2022 Tennessee Valley Authorities' Investment Challenge. The Vanderbilt team beat the S&P 500 performance by 3.9% and outperformed 21 other teams. Read More

The Vanderbilt Language Tables program concluded its inaugural year on campus on April 20, bringing together students, faculty, staff and the public to explore languages and international cuisine in Vanderbilt dining halls. Read More

Vanderbilt research shows the unintended consequence of pesticides is the death of a bee’s circadian rhythm, not the bee herself. Read More

Actress Kirsten Dunst, left, and co-star Théodore Pellerin film a scene for On Becoming a God in Central Florida, a quirky Showtime comedy created by alumnus Robert Funke about a cultish, Amway-like marketing scheme. Courtesy of SHOWTIME On Becoming a God in Central Florida is an oddly academic-sounding title for… Read More