Department Of Physics And Astronomy

After hours of thinking about theoretical physics, senior Zachary Bednarke relaxes by playing his trumpet. While running through scales on the instrument, he is also, technically, still doing schoolwork. Read More

Data scientist Dave Spiegel presents a physics and astronomy colloquium, “From Exo-Worlds to Health Monitoring to Clothing Personalization,” Dec. 8. Read More

Two Vanderbilt physicists, Keivan Stassun and Kalman Varga, have been elected fellows of the American Physical Society. Read More

Watch video of a panel discussion about the limits of free speech, especially on college campuses. Moderated by John M. Seigenthaler, former news anchor for NBC, MSNBC and Al Jazeera America. Panelists include: Haka Mitchell, Executive Director of Rocketship Nashville; Norman Tolk, Vanderbilt Professor of Physics and liaison for the… Read More

John M. Seigenthaler will moderate a panel discussion titled "The Limits of Free Speech?" Oct. 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Vanderbilt Central Library's Community Room. Read More

Nine faculty members who hold endowed chairs were honored and donors were thanked during a festive celebration Sept. 26 at the Student Life Center. Read More

Observational astrophysicist Jedidah Isler, a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt, has been selected as a member of the National Geographic Society's inaugural class of Emerging Explorers. Read More

Ernest Jones, one of the last of the generation of scientists to have worked on the Manhattan Project, died Dec. 19. He was 97. Read More

James Peebles, the Albert Einstein Professor of Science, Emeritus, at Princeton University, is giving a free public lecture on campus Oct. 22 titled "The Renaissance of General Relativity." Read More

This year's Forman lecturer, Chad Orzel, will talk about social media for communicating science. Read More

Professor of Astronomy David Weintraub will discuss his popular book "Religions and Extraterrestrial Life" Feb. 12 at the University Club. Read More

Now in its third year, the SEC Faculty Travel Grant Program provides support for selected faculty members to collaborate with colleagues at other Southeastern Conference member institutions. Read More

David Weintraub's new book explores how leaders in the world's major religions will react to the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Read More

The influential Sloan Digital Sky Survey is launching a major new program called SDSS-IV this month, and Vanderbilt astronomers are directly involved. Read More

An ultra-fast and ultra-small optical switch has been invented that could advance the day when photons replace electrons in the innards of consumer products ranging from cell phones to automobiles. Read More

Early 20th-century Nashville history, the French films behind American remakes, and key discoveries about physics are among the 2014 winter term offerings from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt University. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers Michael Goldfarb, William Robinson and Vicki Greene will be featured in the latest installment of WNPT's "Tennessee Explorers" series. Read More

Researchers are developing imaging methods to predict patient outcome early in the course of chemotherapy for breast cancer – to allow clinicians to adjust therapy for patients who are not responding. Read More

Douglas S. Hall, professor of physics and astronomy, emeritus, died March 16 after a brief illness. Hall was a distinguished astronomer and scientist credited with several significant discoveries. Read More

Not long after he arrived at Vanderbilt nine years ago, Keivan Stassun, professor of astronomy, began building on a newly forged alliance with Fisk University, a historically black college just two miles from the Vanderbilt campus, in an effort to increase the number of African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans… Read More