Division Of Development And Alumni Relations

Vanderbilt University will welcome thousands of family members and alumni to campus for Family Weekend, September 18–20, and Reunion, October 15–18, and staff volunteers are needed as Vanderbilt Ambassadors to make the weekend a success. Read More

As an undergraduate, Marcia Fordyce-Steinfurth, BA’94, arrived in Nashville from Washington, D.C., eager to continue her education at another top-tier institution after attending Stone Ridge. At Vanderbilt, she connected with classmates from her hometown as well as peers from a wide range of backgrounds, all while immersing herself in a small-town Southern culture that was entirely new to her. Now, with a daughter at Vanderbilt, Marcia and her husband, P.R. Steinfurth, have witnessed firsthand how the university continues to help students access professional opportunities. Inspired in part by the lasting impact of Marcia’s undergraduate education, the Steinfurths knew they wanted to give back. Read More

During a special ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida on March 16, Cody Crowell, BS’07, was honored with Vanderbilt’s Pathfinder Award in recognition of his exceptional vision and dedication in helping the university identify and pursue transformative opportunities, particularly his leadership in championing our expanded presence in West Palm Beach. Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich Molly Anne Thompson Murfreesboro, Tennessee, residents Dr. Roy and Margrey Thompson are skilled at finding laughter amidst difficulties. Each of their three children faced unique learning differences, and the couple often had to fight to get them the support they needed in school. Now, years after launching… Read More

In many ways, the stigma around mental health has started to soften in recent years, especially as more public figures speak out about their struggles and as more resources become available at Vanderbilt and beyond. But donors Diana Grant, BA’85, and Daniel Frey are committed to taking this progress even further. Read More

Mentorship shapes every phase of student development at Vanderbilt, from the direction of students’ research papers to their careers and aspirations. But its impact is especially strong in the lab of F. Peter “Fred” Guengerich, PhD’73, in the department of biochemistry. Read More

Vanderbilt Law School has received a $10 million commitment from Lara and Clay Travis to fund a number of key priorities, including the First Amendment Clinic, the Law School’s “Respectfully Dissent” debate series, merit- and need-based scholarship aid, child care funding for student-parents, support services for student veterans, and the Law School’s ongoing building renovation. The Travis’ investment directly supports the university’s historic Dare to Grow campaign. Read More

In 2024, as Opportunity Vanderbilt celebrated its 15th anniversary, Trustee Robert “Bob” Levy, BA’72, and his wife Diane S. Levy demonstrated their continued commitment to student access through a transformative $1.1 million matching gift initiative. The program, which inspired 22 alumni from the graduating classes of 2000 to 2025 to make their first endowed gifts to the university by establishing Opportunity Vanderbilt scholarships, reached its goal more than four months ahead of schedule by August 2025. Read More

Vanderbilt Crowdfunding, an initiative in its inaugural year, offers a new level of possibility through student-led philanthropy. Supported by university resources provided by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, the forward-looking approach to engagement and philanthropy reframes fundraising from a formal transaction to a shared investment in future leaders—to a community coming together for support. Read More

Vanderbilt University has received a catalytic $30 million gift from John Addison, BE’01, and Shannon Addison, BS’02, to ignite a bold new era of innovation at the School of Engineering. Their visionary contribution serves as the lead commitment for Power the Impossible, a new $300 million fundraising campaign in support of the School of Engineering. Building on the remarkable momentum of the university’s record-breaking Dare to Grow campaign, Power the Impossible will position Vanderbilt Engineering among the world’s most influential, impactful and recognized engineering institutions of this century. Read More

Vanderbilt University hosted more than 5,700 alumni and guests on campus Nov. 6–9 for Reunion and Homecoming 2025. This year’s attendance was the largest in university history—even surpassing 2022’s Triple Reunion. The weekend schedule featured more than 85 events showcasing the university’s latest programs and initiatives, deepening connections among alumni celebrating milestone class years, and welcoming back all alumni for Homecoming.   Read More

A transformational $20 million gift will elevate Vanderbilt University’s Center for Entrepreneurship into a best-in-class hub for entrepreneurial excellence that will serve as a beacon for aspiring founders and global business leaders alike. Read More

In a powerful capstone to its legacy, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation is investing an additional $16.5 million in Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering and the Clark Scholars Program—building on a transformational partnership that began with the program’s founding in 2017. The Clark Foundation’s generosity also fuels Vanderbilt’s historic Dare to Grow fundraising campaign Read More

Moments before James Patterson and Patrick Leddin took the stage, the Langford Auditorium went dark. A campus-wide power outage was the culprit, but cancelling the event wasn’t in the cards. Instead, prolific author Patterson and associate professor Leddin used the circumstances to their advantage — they were, after… Read More

Our world is constantly evolving, and the ability to embrace the disruption that arises from change can be the key to unlocking new opportunities and achieving personal growth. That’s the premise behind Disrupt Everything, a new book by acclaimed author and Vanderbilt alum James Patterson and associate professor Patrick Leddin. Together, the authors will discuss the idea behind positive disruption during a book event at Langford Auditorium on March 26 at 7 p.m. Read More

Nearly 150 parent and alumni leaders gathered on campus Feb. 28 and March 1 for Vanderbilt’s eighth annual Volunteer Leadership Weekend. Attendees of the weekend events included representatives from many alumni and parent groups across the university. Read More

The Young Alumni Trustee program allows a recent graduate of any of Vanderbilt's undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools to serve one, two-year term on the Board of Trust. You are invited to submit nominations by Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. Read More

Vanderbilt University will welcome alumni to campus Nov. 7–10 for Reunion, and staff volunteers are needed to make the weekend a success.   Read More