Commencement

Joshua McGuire, BMus’03 and principal senior lecturer in musicianship at Blair School of Music, has been named the new university marshal for Vanderbilt’s Commencement ceremony. Read More

The clock is ticking down as Vanderbilt quickly approaches a major milestone—Commencement is officially less than 100 days away. The undergraduate Class of 2025 will have a familiar backdrop for their May 9 Commencement ceremony: GEODIS Park. Home to Nashville SC, GEODIS Park is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada—and it’s only four miles from campus. Read More

In celebration of our graduates, Graduates Day will take place on Thursday, May 8. Vanderbilt University Commencement will be held on Friday, May 9.   Read More

Since Vanderbilt’s founding in 1873, campus traditions have evolved as the university has grown. Here are a few favorites that highlight community, belonging and history at the university.  Read More

Vanderbilt University’s undergraduate Class of 2024 undergraduate will have a unique backdrop for their May 10 Commencement ceremony: Geodis Park. Read More

"Spring Procession," a poem by Didi Jackson, assistant professor of English, read at Vanderbilt's Sesquicentennial launch in March. Read More

The spirit of “daring to grow” is inherent to our Vanderbilt way of life, and it extends to every member of our community. It is behind every groundbreaking discovery made by our faculty members, whether in the laboratory, clinic or conference room or within a single line of music or stroke of paint. It lives among our coaches and student-athletes as they continually raise the bar for their own accomplishments. It is exemplified by our staff members, whose dedication to our collaborative culture of excellence helps to create the environment in which we all thrive. And it is especially present among our alumni as they help one another to strive for, and achieve, new ambitions. At Vanderbilt, we learn for life. Read More

“Dare to Grow” Commencement Address by Chancellor Daniel Diermeier Vanderbilt University May 13, 2022 To graduates of the Class of 2022; to parents, families and guests; to members of the faculty and the Board of Trust; to our staff volunteers and to graduates from the Class of… Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier congratulated the Class of 2022 for their “persistence, patience and above all, courage” during the past four years when he delivered his Commencement address at Vanderbilt Stadium on May 13. An estimated 14,000 guests joined graduates of the university’s 147th class during an in-person main ceremony that was livestreamed on Vanderbilt’s website. Read More

Since 1877, Vanderbilt has awarded a gold medal to the student graduating with first honors from each of the university’s 10 schools and colleges. The awards are named after the university’s founder, Cornelius Vanderbilt, who made a contribution to endow the awards in their first year. Read More

Vanderbilt University has honored 35 retiring faculty members for their years of service by bestowing upon them the title of emerita or emeritus faculty. They were recognized during Vanderbilt’s Commencement ceremony on May 13. Read More

Reid Hoffman, who played integral roles in founding the companies PayPal and LinkedIn, called on Vanderbilt University’s Class of 2022 to invest in true, substantial and enduring friendships as they set out on the next phases of their lives. Read More

The 2020–21 academic year in many ways was defined by urgency and imminent priorities—from the rapid implementation of COVID-19 safety protocols and weekly testing to the procurement of technology required for hybrid teaching and the herculean planning behind the two in-person Commencement ceremonies we hosted this spring, to name just a few. I remain inspired by the way our community responded to these challenges with such profound resilience and innovative problem-solving. Read More

We are excited to announce that the university will hold in-person Commencement ceremonies May 15–16 for the Class of 2021, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost Susan R. Wente wrote in a message to this year's graduates. Read More

We are excited to announce that the university will hold in-person Commencement ceremonies May 1–2 for the Class of 2020, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost Susan R. Wente wrote in a message to last year's graduates. Read More

Vanderbilt Magazine raises a glass of its own to the tenacious, accomplished and always adaptable Class of 2020. Cheers to you all. Read More

At a time when we are physically separate, the connections embodied by our One Vanderbilt community have become even more vital. Read More

Rama Kumaran initially intended to study both science and flute when he came to Vanderbilt. He says he didn’t come expecting to know everything. “But I expected to do everything," he says. Read More

Caruso graduated with his Ph.D. in philosophy in 2016, and today he uses what he learned to teach ethics to medical school students. Read More