Joe Biden

Vanderbilt Distinguished Visiting Professor of Political Science and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jon Meacham has been awarded a National Humanities Medal, the nation’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities.    Read More

With the first presidential debate of 2024 quickly approaching, the American public is expressing widespread concern about the state of democracy and our Constitution. There is also consensus among Americans that free speech is fundamental to democratic governance, according to the most recent Vanderbilt Unity Poll measuring Americans' views of unity and beliefs on government and democracy.  Read More

The Choice, produced by the Dialogue Vanderbilt, is a four-part podcast focused on the key moments and ramifications of the 2024 presidential election between former president Donald J. Trump and current President Joseph R. Biden. Vanderbilt’s Jon Meacham and John Geer will blend history and political science to offer insights and context about this rematch of the 2020 presidential contest. Read More

Americans saw an uptick in unity for the first time in over a year, with widespread agreement that the U.S. political system needs to be more responsive and an overall distrust of social media influencers, according to the most recent Vanderbilt Unity Poll measuring Americans' views of national unity and the democratic process. Read More

Douglas Schmidt, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Computer Science, has been confirmed to become Director of Operational Test and Evaluation for the Department of Defense following a full vote by the U.S. Senate on Feb. 29, 2024. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy’s latest Vanderbilt Unity Index shows the country continuing its trend toward more polarization, ending 2023 down nearly three points from the start of the year. Read More

President Joe Biden’s nomination of Douglas Schmidt, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Computer Science, to become Director of Operational Test and Evaluation for the Department of Defense was formally submitted to the Senate on Dec. 4, 2023. Read More

Gabrielle Beck, a sophomore studying neuroscience and environmental policy, received an all-expense-paid invitation from National Climate Assessment program Director Allison Crimmins through her work as a Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education Fellow, where she has been able to take part in projects that deal directly with sustainability and climate change. Read More

Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC, Hugh Jackson Professor of Medicine and chair of the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will be appointed director of the National Cancer Institute. Through this upcoming appointment, Rathmell will become the NCI’s 17th director and only the second woman to hold this position leading the nation’s fight against cancer. She was chosen to serve in this role by President Biden. Read More

WHAT: Due to security measures and limited space for former Vice President Joe Biden’s 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, appearance for the Chancellor’s Lecture Series at Vanderbilt University, media who plan to attend must RSVP interest by noon Friday, April 6. Outlets will be informed Monday whether… Read More

Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., B.F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology and director of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), has been selected to serve on a Blue Ribbon Panel that will inform the scientific direction and goals at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for Vice President Joe Biden’s National Cancer Moonshot Initiative. Read More