Commencement 2018

Reflecting on Commencement week, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos shares his thoughts in this week’s column about how each person can make a positive difference in the world. Read More

In his message to the class of 2018 at Commencement last Friday, Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, President and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, spoke of the increasingly high cost of health care, and the role the new graduates might play in bringing it under control as they venture into their new careers. Read More

Before Class of 2018 graduates Jami Cox and Ryan Connor walked across the Commencement stage May 11, they joined Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos for one last conversation as Vanderbilt undergrads. Read More

Last week’s Commencement marked a milestone for Vanderbilt University School of Nursing when it awarded 73 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees, the greatest number since the program began in 2008. Read More

A highly accomplished group of 83 students earned doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences from Vanderbilt during the 2017-2018 academic year. Read More

Vanderbilt awarded graduate and undergraduate degrees to current and former Commodore student-athletes during Friday's Commencement celebration on campus. Vanderbilt boasted a graduation success rate of 92 percent during the past academic year, a measure of degree completion compiled by the NCAA. Read More

More than 1,360 members of the Class of 2018 participated in giving to this year’s Senior Class Fund, setting a new record. By reaching 85 percent class participation, this year’s seniors were the first to secure a $100,000 challenge donation issued by Vanderbilt Board of Trust member and student philanthropy advocate Alex Taylor, BS’97. Read More

Acknowledging that their Vanderbilt degrees will grant 2018 graduates a wide range of options, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos offered up five specific ways to use their education for good. Read More

Vanderbilt University recognized the top-graduating student from each of its undergraduate and professional schools on Friday, May 11, during annual Commencement ceremonies. Read More

Twenty-two retiring faculty members were recognized during Vanderbilt’s Commencement ceremony May 11, when the university honored their years of service and bestowed on them the title of emeritus or emerita faculty. Read More

In a Senior Day speech that brought a packed Memorial Gymnasium to its feet, Amal Clooney took the crowd through historic examples of courage, including Vanderbilt Distinguished Alumnus Rev. James Lawson. Read More

(photo by Anne Rayner) From left, Ella Radcliffe, School of Nursing; Yun Young (Susan) Yim, Graduate School; and Saad Rehman, School of Medicine, are among those taking part in today’s Commencement exercises. Commencement schedule: 9 a.m. — University-wide Commencement, Alumni Lawn (Memorial Gym in event of rain) 11 a.m. Read More

In this week's column, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos shares the range of emotions—excitement, anticipation, optimism—evoked by Commencement as Vanderbilt's newest alumni start their next journey. Read More

Joshua Forges has been inspired to make art ever since his second-grade teacher complimented his drawing of an alligator. She recommended that Forges attend art-focused magnet schools in his native Miami, and by high school, he was taking college-level classes and drawing, painting and sculpting up to four hours each day. Read More

Kelly Perry believes in the power of stories—writing them, collecting them and sharing them to strengthen community. Read More

As a high school student, Josh Fleck knew he wanted to research and develop robotic prosthetic devices. At Vanderbilt, the mechanical engineering major has spent the past three years in Assistant Professor Karl Zelik’s Biomechanics and Assistive Technology Lab immersing himself in research. Read More

Samantha Long, who is majoring in musical arts (voice) at Blair School of Music, came to Nashville with many interests, not certain if music would be her path. But after doing a bit of searching, she found that singing was still her passion. Read More

The entire Vanderbilt community is invited to hear British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney speak beginning at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 10, in Memorial Gym. Clooney will receive Vanderbilt's prestigious Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal when she addresses graduating seniors, their families and other members of campus during Senior Day. Read More

At age 12, Logan Brown decided she wanted to become a lawyer. So the pre-teen pursued and landed an internship at the Douglas County district attorney’s office in Lawrence, Kansas, giving her a front-row seat to the legal system at work. Read More

Since he was 13, Phillip McGloin’s world had orbited around basketball. He walked on to the Commodore basketball team as a freshman and played three seasons. But he chose to leave the team during his junior year to begin planning more seriously for his future. Read More