Gen. Paul Nakasone

A transformative gift from Vanderbilt parents Laurel and Cliff Asness of Greenwich, Connecticut, to the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security and the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation will have a significant impact on the future of national security and neurodiversity. The gift highlights the extraordinary support of the Vanderbilt community and underscores the ongoing momentum of the university’s historic Dare to Grow campaign which surpassed its original goal of $3.2 billion 20 months ahead of schedule. Read More

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Gen. Nakasone, former NSA director, founding director of Vanderbilt’s Institute of National Security, Distinguished Research Professor of Engineering Science and Management, and special advisor to the chancellor, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss the challenges of national security in the 21st century and academia’s role in training the next generation of multifaceted national security professionals. Read More

Away from Washington but at the heart of critical conversations, Vanderbilt is fast becoming a national hub for security and strategy. A prime example: the 2025 Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, which brought together national and international leaders for two days of high-level dialogue April 10–11. That commitment took on new form this year with the summit’s first installment connected with the newly launched Institute of National Security. Read More

Eleven Vanderbilt students are engaging in cutting-edge national security research through a new, dynamic partnership between Immersion Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security. This partnership emphasizes the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of Immersion Vanderbilt and supports the Institute of National Security’s mission of developing the next generation of national security leaders. Read More

Big ideas, bold leadership and lessons in resilience took center stage at this year’s Live. Learn. Lead. Symposium. From a four-star general’s wisdom to hands-on student leadership, here’s what you missed. Read More

The founding director of Vanderbilt University’s Institute of National Defense, retired General Paul Nakasone, has been appointed to OpenAI’s Board of Directors as a member of its Safety and Security Committee. Read More

Retired General Paul Nakasone, who was named as the founding director of the Vanderbilt Institute for National Security earlier this year, received the 2024 William Oliver Baker Award, given in honor of the former president of Bell Labs and a longtime Presidential science advisor. Read More

Vanderbilt University is proud to announce the launch of the Institute of National Security. The founding director and leader of the institute will be retired General Paul M. Nakasone, who has served as commander of U.S. Cyber Command, director of the National Security Agency, and chief of the Central Security Service. Read More