Impact Symposium

Since Vanderbilt’s founding in 1873, campus traditions have evolved as the university has grown. Here are a few favorites that highlight community, belonging and history at the university.  Read More

See some of the bold and collaborative actions Vanderbilt University accomplished this year an innovator and leader in solving the world’s most pressing challenges. Read More

Award-winning journalist and anchor Anderson Cooper is coming to Vanderbilt’s campus on March 21, and comedian and political satirist Ziwe Fumudoh is coming to Vanderbilt on March 26 to speak at the 60th anniversary of the IMPACT Symposium. Read More

The student-led Impact Symposium was established 60 years ago to bring leaders and intellectuals from around the world to Vanderbilt University to encourage discussion on current issues affecting our world. Plan to join this year’s anniversary celebration on Thursday, March 21, and Tuesday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Langford Auditorium. Read More

A little more than two months after he spoke to nearly 11,000 people at Vanderbilt’s 1968 student-led Impact Symposium, presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy was assassinated in California. Frye Gaillard writes about serveing as Impact’s chairman and Kennedy’s host at Vanderbilt. Read More

As the chairmen of the first five Impact sym­posia, we are delighted when articles about this important and unique Vanderbilt institution are published, most recently the “Speak Up” article written by Andrew Maraniss in the Spring 2017 issue. Read More

Vanderbilt celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Impact Symposium, an event that will always be remembered as one of the signature moments in the university’s history. Read More

Plenty of notable personalities visited Vanderbilt this past spring or showed some love to Commodore Nation on social media—and sometimes both. Read More

Watch Leymah Gbowee, a 2011 Nobel laureate, speak at Vanderbilt's Impact Symposium March 19, 2013. Read More

Watch a conversation with former Sen. George Mitchell, who served as U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace from 2009 to 2011 and as independent chairman of the Northern Ireland Peace Talks, facilitated by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Maraniss at Vanderbilt University March 18, 2013. Read More

Watch video of Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, and Bill Richardson, a former governor of New Mexico who has served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and as secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, speaking at the 2012 Impact Symposium on March 21. The discussion was… Read More

Watch video of retired Gen. Wesley Clark and Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor who has served as ambassador to Singapore and China and was a recent contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, speaking at the 2012 Impact Symposium that took place on March 20. The discussion was moderated by… Read More

Watch video of Sen. Lamar Alexander speaking at the 2012 Impact Symposium on March 19. This year’s theme is “Rise of the Rest: What is the Future of American Foreign Policy?” The Vanderbilt University Speakers Committee organizes the annual IMPACT Symposium, which has been a tradition at Vanderbilt since 1964. This… Read More

Watch video of “How Does the Media Speak to the Middle Class,” a public conversation between Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, and William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard. The talk took place Monday, March 21, at Vanderbilt University’s Langford Auditorium as part of the university’s annual Impact Symposium. Read More

Arianna Huffington (Photo courtesy of Washington Speakers Bureau) Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post; William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard; Tim Pawlenty, a former governor of Minnesota and possible 2012 presidential candidate, and Christina Romer, former chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, will deliver public… Read More

Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota, and Christina Romer, former chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, are speaking as part of the university’s annual Impact Symposium. Read More

Arianna Huffington (Photo courtesy of Washington Speakers Bureau) PLEASE NOTE that Arianna Huffington and William Kristol’s talk was rescheduled and took place Monday night. Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post; Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota; Christina Romer, former chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic… Read More