commencement 2018
What’s On My Mind: Commencement is the first page of a new chapter
May. 10, 2018—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.
Class of 2018: Joshua Forges creates art that reflects his life
May. 8, 2018—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.
Class of 2018: Kelly Perry uses storytelling to connect and heal
May. 8, 2018—Kelly Perry believes in the power of stories—writing them, collecting them and sharing them to strengthen community.
Class of 2018: Josh Fleck is giving greater mobility to people with disabilities
May. 7, 2018—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.
Class of 2018: Samantha Long sings with body and soul
May. 7, 2018—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.
Senior Day address by Amal Clooney open to all VU students, faculty and staff
May. 4, 2018—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.
Class of 2018: Logan Brown has immersed herself in law and justice
May. 3, 2018—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.
Class of 2018: Phillip McGloin wants to promote sports as a cultural unifier
May. 3, 2018—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.
Chancellor Zeppos, Amal Clooney to address graduating seniors
Apr. 30, 2018—Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos will give his Commencement address to about 3,100 graduates Friday, May 11, the day after the students hear from international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.
Class of 2018: Christian Motyczka helps build a virtual reality app for struggling addicts
Apr. 30, 2018—School of Engineering senior Christian Motyczka has found his passions in and out of the lab. He is one of two computer science undergraduates who developed a virtual reality program to help addicts stay clean.
Class of 2018: Sami Chiang champions hands-on learning
Apr. 30, 2018—Sami Chiang was conducting experiments and using critical thinking long before she knew what those things were. The daughter of a school administrator and an engineer, the Berkeley, California, native’s life was immersed in experiential learning from the start.
Class of 2018: Briana Francois wants to make content that resonates and entertains
Apr. 26, 2018—The only thing Briana Francois enjoys more than watching TV and digital content is creating it. Her double majors in psychology and cinema and media arts have allowed her both to examine human behavior and represent it authentically on film.