Commencement 2020

Vanderbilt University is honoring 34 faculty members retiring in 2020 for their years of service, and bestowing on them the title of emeritus or emerita faculty. Read More

It wasn’t the end to senior year that anyone anticipated, but the memories of meaningful experiences, friendships and challenges linger. Read More

A volunteer team of undergraduate, graduate and professional students, along with university leadership, is leading the planning for this year's virtual celebrations and the in-person Commencement festivities slated for 2021. Read More

Vanderbilt’s Class of 2020 represents a rich variety of backgrounds, experiences, goals and dreams. Learn more about some of the remarkable graduates from this year’s class. Read More

Vanderbilt’s 10 colleges and schools, as well as a number of campus groups, organizations and programs, are celebrating the Class of 2020 through videos, messages, commemorations and more. Read More

As Next Steps at Vanderbilt marks its 10th anniversary throughout 2020, the year also brings another significant milestone: The first class of Next Steps at Vanderbilt students will graduate from its expanded four-year program. Read More

Some students participating in a Blair School of Music songwriting seminar planned on penning songs about graduating from college. Then the novel coronavirus pandemic hit. The students left campus, and the desire to process their emotions through song increased exponentially. Read More

As the world responds to COVID-19, Vanderbilt's Class of 2020 reflects on reaching the milestone of college graduation during such a tumultuous time. Read More

As the Vanderbilt campus braced itself to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through a series of proactive measures in March, School of Medicine class president Varun Menon, MD'20, shared some thoughts on his experience of being a medical student during the unprecedented outbreak. Read More

Qisen Song, BA'20, reflects on the unexpected ending of his senior year at Vanderbilt, and the meaning of home and family during difficult times. Read More

While still focusing on the difficulties of the most recent couple of months, it’s more important now than ever to reflect on the strides the Vanderbilt University community has made throughout the 2019-20 academic year, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

A tribute to seniors living in the E. Bronson Ingram Residential College has taken on special significance now that students are away from campus. Read More

Class of 2020 graduates, their friends, family members and supporters can now download university-, school- and Commencement-themed virtual backgrounds for their Zoom meetings, meetups and online celebrations. Giphy stickers also are available for Instagram Stories by searching #VU2020. Read More

Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente kicks off the celebration of Vanderbilt’s 2020 graduates in a new video message. The university will honor the Class of 2020 through stories, video, social media and more over the next week, culminating with a special address from Wente to graduates at 9 a.m. CST on Friday, May 8. Read More

Brittany Hunter didn’t follow a traditional path to Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management. But one thing she can list on her résumé is: “excels at taking a new perspective.” Read More

In high school Andrew Brodsky wanted to become a middle school or high school science teacher. He chose Vanderbilt because of Peabody College’s top rankings, and enrolled as a secondary education and chemistry double major. But sometimes plans change. Read More

Tamee Livermont was eager to begin working as a public health liaison with the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Health Board even before completing her studies at Vanderbilt. But just a week after starting her new position, instead of shaping policy, she was directly involved with the fight against COVID-19. Read More

Hannah Miller welcomes a challenge—whether it’s leading route reconnaissance and convoy security missions, participating in multinational military training exercises, or preparing to serve in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps. Read More

Psychology and communications studies double-major Tommy Oswalt came to Vanderbilt as a first-generation college student with a dream of finding a creative and supportive community like the large Cuban family he left in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Read More

The first baby Vernicia Winford helped deliver into the world as a certified nurse-midwife was her own niece, born just a few days after the nursing graduate student passed her American Midwifery Certification Board exam last December. Read More