Melissa Gresalfi

Each fall, Vanderbilt University welcomes a cohort of more than 1,600 new first-year undergraduate students. As new students learn what it means to be a member of the Vanderbilt community, they participate in an extended orientation program called Vanderbilt Visions—small seminars with 18–20 students designed to support their transition to college life, foster community connection and introduce them to the wide range of resources available to support their success. Each Visions group is facilitated by a faculty member and an upper-division peer mentor, known as VUceptors, who work together to model dynamic and meaningful faculty-student engagement. VUceptors support first-year students throughout CommonVU Orientation and during the six-week Vanderbilt Visions program.  Read More

Melissa Gresalfi will step down as Vanderbilt University’s dean of residential colleges and residential education and dean of The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Tiffiny Tung announced today. Gresalfi, who also is a professor of mathematics education, has been given an opportunity to enhance her research projects. Her last day as dean is June 30.   Read More

The Vanderbilt University English Language Center and Residential Colleges recently partnered for the Explore Nashville program to provide students with an enriching cultural experience connected to the Southern Festival of Books. The festival was co-presented by Vanderbilt University… Read More

By Jenna Somers In September, a delegation from Pakistan visited Vanderbilt University for the weeklong STEM-Powered Immersion Conference, hosted by Peabody College of education and human development. Six faculty members from Sukkur IBA University and Qasim Aslam, founder and chief executive officer of Beyond the Classroom, participated in a… Read More

Founders Walk, an annual tradition at Vanderbilt that celebrates the moment that first-year, transfer and Next Steps students officially begin their journey as members of the Vanderbilt University community, took place on Aug. 17, concluding Move-In Weekend. A magical scene awaited students, with a grand entrance marked for each Commons house amid twinkling lights woven through the lawn’s elms and oaks and melodic strains from a string quartet. Read More

This summer, Vanderbilt’s incoming first-year students will take on a new challenge: learning to listen with curiosity. As part of the 2025–26 Martha Rivers Ingram Commons programming theme, “Stories that Connect Us,” students will conduct interviews during the summer with members of their communities, practicing the skills of thoughtful listening and engaged dialogue.  Read More

A key component of first-year student support is Vanderbilt’s six-week extended orientation program, Vanderbilt Visions. Vanderbilt Visions is co-facilitated by an upper-division peer mentor and a faculty member, called VUceptors. VUceptors support students throughout CommonVU Orientation and for the duration of the Vanderbilt Visions program. Faculty who would like to learn more about serving in the role of a faculty VUceptor are invited to an interest breakfast on Wednesday, Jan. 29, from 9 to 10 a.m. at The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons dean’s residence, located at 1235 18th Ave. S. Read More

Vanderbilt Residential Colleges announces a new faculty head of Sutherland House on The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons. Jesse Spencer-Smith, interim director and chief data scientist at the Data Science Institute and professor of the practice of computer science, will assume the role of faculty head beginning Jan. 1, 2025. He will succeed Chezare Warren, associate professor of equity and inclusion in education policy in the Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, who has served as faculty head since 2021. Read More

Faculty who would like to learn more about serving in residential or programmatic roles within the university’s residential colleges system are invited to an open house on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons dean’s residence, located at 1235 18th Ave. S.    Read More

Residential Colleges invites all Vanderbilt faculty, students and staff to nominate a book for the Campus Reading for the Class of 2029; next year’s theme is Stories that Connect Us.   Read More

An annual tradition at Vanderbilt, Founders Walk celebrates the moment that first-year, transfer and Next Steps students officially begin their journey as members of the Vanderbilt University community. The celebratory procession, which took place Aug. 18, is the conclusion of Move-In Weekend. Read More

Professor Jessica Oster has been named as a faculty head of Stambaugh House, joining six other faculty members who will start in fall 2024. Oster is an associate professor of earth and environmental sciences and director of graduate studies. She was named a Chancellor Faculty Fellow in 2022 and has received a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER grant. Read More

Six faculty have been appointed as residential leaders in shaping student learning experiences beyond the classroom. Dean of Residential Colleges and Residential Education Melissa Gresalfi announced the appointments for the 2024–25 academic year. Read More

The Campus Reading for the 2024–25 academic year will be I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times by Mónica Guzmán. The book was chosen by a committee of faculty and students and launches community-wide dialogue that begins during orientation and continues throughout the year in houses on The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, in Vanderbilt Visions groups, and across campus. Read More

Each fall Vanderbilt University admits a diverse cohort of more than 1,600 first-year undergraduate students. These students are welcomed to the Vanderbilt family with support through the transition process and a vast network of resources that can help ensure their success.  Read More

Faculty who would like to learn more about serving in residential or programmatic roles within the university’s residential colleges system are invited to an open house on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The information session will cover the significance of faculty engagement within the residential colleges system, roles available to faculty and the application process. Read More

Faculty at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College are available to comment on trends in K-12 and higher education. Read More

Peabody researchers can speak on a wide array of topics, including talent retention, school turnaround and administrative leadership. Read More

Peabody's Melissa Gresalfi is co-author of a four-book series that provides a K-12 curricular toolkit for supporting systems thinking in the digital age. Read More