Commencement 2019

Tennis champion, entrepreneur and equal rights advocate Venus Williams imparted to Vanderbilt University’s Class of 2019 a well-tested list for success heavy on risk-taking, goal-making and optimism during remarks delivered Thursday in Memorial Gym as part of Senior Day. Read More

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos encouraged graduates at Vanderbilt Commencement to be the brave leaders that America and the world desperately needs—leaders who focus on making the world better for others, not just themselves. Read More

Vanderbilt University recognized exceptional graduating students from each of its undergraduate and professional schools on Friday, May 10, during this year’s Commencement ceremonies. Read More

Twenty-five retiring faculty members were recognized during Vanderbilt’s Commencement ceremony May 10, when the university honored their years of service and bestowed on them the title of emeritus or emerita faculty. In addition, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos was appointed Chancellor Emeritus, effective Aug. 15, 2019. Read More

An expected 1,701 undergraduates and 2,125 graduate students will receive degrees from Vanderbilt University today at ceremonies held across campus. Watch a livestream of the Alumni Lawn ceremony at www.vanderbilt.edu. Read More

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos looks ahead to his final Commencement ceremony as chancellor in this week's column. Read More

As part of its sustainability initiative, Vanderbilt University will distribute 2,000 reusable water bottles and offer hydration stations for guests to fill their own reusable containers at its main Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10. Read More

Vanderbilt’s Class of 2019 will party with a purpose, hear from a woman who changed tennis forever and bid farewell to the university’s eighth chancellor, Nicholas S. Zeppos, who will deliver his final Commencement address at its greenest graduation ceremony. Read More

From an Alternative Spring Break trip to renovate houses with Habitat for Humanity, to a Home Depot–sponsored web-coding hackathon, to a semester of study abroad that took him to cities such as Madrid, Marrakesh and Istanbul—Robby Perry’s time at Vanderbilt exemplifies just how much you can pack into four years. Read More

What does it take to run a growing health brand with a positively focused social media presence while excelling at academics and maintaining a social life? For Los Angeles native Sloane Chmara, it’s all about wellness. Read More

It was at Vanderbilt that Alexandra Vierling found her passion for nursing. But the idea of working at the intersection of health care and education was a seed planted long ago. Read More

Gabriela Alvarado began her graduate program intent on studying something microscopic, but she ended up developing a passion for understanding the bigger picture of her research. Read More

A Facebook query seeking Vanderbilt students who were pilots led Riley Ferguson to two of her closest friends and the founding of AviaDORES, a campus organization with the mission of making aviation accessible to VU students. Read More

Aya Abou-Jaoude has always planned to become a physician. But she says an eye-opening Vanderbilt course last year about refugee resettlement helped affirm her ultimate goal: to pursue pediatric medicine, with a particular focus on refugee health. Read More

Ben Scheer jumps imagination-first into big projects, and he’s not afraid of a lot of trial and error. The human and organizational development and economics double major has worked on dozens of entrepreneurial endeavors that focus on solving problems through technology. Read More

Creative writing and computer science classes in middle school and high school inspired Jasper Lu to pursue a liberal arts education at Vanderbilt, where he could explore all his passions and identify connections between them. Read More

Like many medical students, Kathleen Gallagher knew by the time she’d finished high school biology that she wanted to become a doctor. It was the tragedy of Sept. 11, however, that launched her journey into trauma surgery. Read More

As the only child of a university biology professor, Ananya Sharma’s talent in science came naturally. Yet, while navigating a STEM-specialized curriculum in high school, she discovered an interest in women’s studies. Read More

During his college search, Jarryd Bethea sought an institution that would combine great academics, strong school spirit, and a community where he could make an impact. He found that and more at Vanderbilt. Read More

Evan Suzman, a cross country runner for the Commodores, likes to clear his mind with long, winding runs across campus. Off the course, the native New Yorker is a double major in history and child development, with a focus on the history of science. Read More