Keivan Stassun

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

At Vanderbilt, people with autism aren’t only research subjects—they are key drivers of scientific discovery. Vanderbilt’s autism research centers and academic programs have fostered a collaborative ecosystem where neurodiverse scholars and scientists can thrive and bring their unique perspectives and abilities to bear on complex research challenges. Read More

Vanderbilt’s Innovation Catalyst Fund has awarded seven new faculty-led projects, advancing translational research and innovation in health care, engineering and AI-driven solutions. Read More

Larry Bartels and Keivan Stassun were among the 23 recipients of 2024 National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation—the nation’s highest honors for exemplary achievement and leadership in science and technology. Both received their medals from President Joe Biden during a White House ceremony on Jan. 3. Read More

Larry Bartels and Keivan Stassun were among the 23 recipients of the 2024 National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation—the nation’s highest honors for exemplary achievement and leadership in science and technology. Both... Read More

See how a passion to help underrepresented students ignited astrophysicist Keivan Stassun’s mission, earning him a MacArthur “genius” award. Read More

Stassun, who is also a founding co-director the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program, was among the 2024 MacArthur fellows announced on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The fellowship, which is awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, aims to identify extraordinarily creative individuals with a track record of excellence in a field of scholarship or area of practice. Recipients also demonstrate the ability to affect society in significant and beneficial ways through their pioneering work or the rigor of their contributions, according to the foundation. Read More

AJ Hinton, Amber Crabtree, and colleagues collaborated to provide a commentary on the challenges facing autistic adults in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine. As autistic adults face a high unemployment rate, the authors argue that solutions are necessary to evoke change within STEMM institutions to acquire and retain autistic employees. Read More

Two Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that earned a $1 million grant to develop AI-based training that will help neurodiverse people learn to drive—addressing a huge obstacle for that population. “The ability to drive will open up new opportunities for employment and a life of independence for many neurodiverse individuals,” said Nilanjan Sarkar,... Read More

Two Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that earned a $1 million grant to develop AI-based training that will help neurodiverse people learn to drive—addressing a huge obstacle for that population. “The ability to drive will open up new opportunities for employment and a life of independence for many neurodiverse individuals,” said Nilanjan Sarkar,... Read More

Aging stars expand and eventually destroy planets in their inner systems. Or do they? A team of researchers that includes Keivan Stassun finds evidence of a planet that survived its star’s transformation, and that is reshaping our understanding of planetary and stellar evolution. Read More

A team of STEM researchers, including Vanderbilt astrophysicist Kelly Holley-Bockelmann, have published a new collaborative study on Ph.D. bridge programs as a mechanism to empower students, foster diversity and spur a more holistic approach to graduate education.  Read More

A National Academies committee, featuring Vanderbilt astrophysicist Keivan Stassun, published a report and resource guide on effective mentorship in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine. Read More

An astrophysicist at Vanderbilt is part of the committee behind a review of NASA’s updated Science Plan, a five-year strategic roadmap for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Read More

The catalog identifies 1,823 stars for which TESS is sensitive enough to spot Earth-like planets just a bit larger than Earth that receive radiation from their star equivalent to what Earth receives from our sun. Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation seeks to transform workplaces by developing new technologies based on the specific skills and talents of people with autism, effectively inspiring advances that can lead to meaningful employment and a fuller life. Read More

Astronomers have come up with a new and improved method for measuring the masses of millions of solitary stars, especially those with planetary systems. Read More

Astronomers at Vanderbilt and Ohio State have discovered a planet like Jupiter zipping around its host star every day, boiling at temperatures hotter than most stars with a giant cometary tail. Read More

Astronomers from Vanderbilt, Lehigh and Ohio State universities have discovered a “puffy planet" with the density of Styrofoam that is an excellent test-bed for probing exoplanets for signs of life. Read More

During this talk, Dr. Keivan Stassun summarizes the promise of the TESS mission for detecting other worlds like our own and identifying other places in the universe where life just might be possible. This talk took place at Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory on March 3rd, 2017. Read More