Experts

The late Sen. Robert Byrd was among a group of highly effective Democratic Senate leaders who shared the trait of representing small-population states, says Vanderbilt political scientist Bruce Oppenheimer, who has researched this phenomenon. “Others who come to mind are Mike Mansfield, George Mitchell, and more recently, Tom Daschle and… Read More

The worst environmental disaster to hit the U.S. occurred in part because of BP’s institutional arrogance, pushing a technology beyond its limits, and basic communication failures, according to Vanderbilt University Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Mark Abkowitz, an emergency preparedness and response expert. Read More

As the Obama administration researches candidates to succeed retiring Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens, Vanderbilt experts are ready to weigh in on Justice Stevens, the Supreme Court and the list of potential nominees. Read More

President Obama is now debating whether to have the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, prosecuted in a military tribunal, despite Attorney General Eric Holder's plan to try Mohammed in civilian court. Read More

Vanderbilt University faculty are available to offer perspective on business issues and other current topics for the year 2010. Read More

Watch Christopher Slobogin, Milton Underwood Professor of Law at Vanderbilt, discuss the death penalty and government's ability to implement it fairly. Read More

A leading international law expert cautions that the troop surge in Afghanistan must be accompanied by a concurrent improvement in the nation's system of justice, now plagued by lawlessness and graft. Read More

Marketing experts at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management are available as sources for holiday shopping stories on a range of topics from the impact of social networking on consumer decision-making to marketing radically new products. Read More

Governments across the country are grappling with thorny legal issues as they ponder the most significant reforms to marijuana laws in decades. A Vanderbilt law professor who previously has commented on marijuana law issues in news stories is available for interviews. Read More

William Turner, former Obama health care advisor, Betts Chair and Professor of Education and Human Development, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, is among several Vanderbilt professors available to comment on health care reform. Read More

Will Judge Sonia Sotomayor become the next U.S. Supreme Court justice? Vanderbilt faculty Tracey George, Terry Mahoney and Brian Fitzpatrick provide expert insight and commentary. Read More

Empirical research from Vanderbilt professor of law and political science Tracey George shows how the United States court system, especially the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, could dramatically change under the Obama Administration. Read More

Students helping other students learn has been proven to boost academic achievement and social skills in students with and without disabilities. A new book by Vanderbilt University researchers, Peer Support Strategies for Improving All Students' Social Lives and Learning, based on over 20 years of research in the field, offers teachers practical guidelines for implementing these peer support strategies in the classroom. Read More

Students helping other students learn has been proven to boost academic achievement and social skills in students with and without disabilities. A new book by Vanderbilt University researchers, Peer Support Strategies for Improving All Students' Social Lives and Learning, based on over 20 years of research in the field, offers teachers practical guidelines for implementing these peer support strategies in the classroom. Read More

Last May, during my remarks at Vanderbilt University's graduate school commencement ceremony, I shared this observation, "The world you're about to enter as Vanderbilt's newest alumni is a world where many of the challenges so in need of fresh ideas are increasingly measured in trillions." Little did I know then that the economy's approaching nosedive would soon turn trillions into front-page news. Read More

Patrick O'Keeffe, who won the prestigious Story Prize for short stories in 2005, will read from his work Thursday, Feb. 5, at Vanderbilt University. Read More

Voters in Tennessee House Speaker Kent Williams' district could continue to support and re-elect the Elizabethton representative – even if he switches parties – says Vanderbilt University political scientist Christian Grose. Read More

America's arduous struggle over competing visions of nationhood involving race is a giant step closer to resolution with the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, says Vanderbilt University historian Gary Gerstle. Read More

Barack Obama's history-making election to president of the United States has many wondering what does this achievement mean for race relations in America – what now? Is there still need for affirmative action? Is there less racism in America than we might have once thought? Will the Obamas have an impact on African Americans' and others' expectations for and perceptions of family and achievement? Read More

Vanderbilt University has named Ara Pachmayer director of its Global Education Office (GEO), which provides international learning and global engagement experiences for students. Read More