Peabody College
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Redefining legacy in pediatric care
by Jenna Somers Jessika Boles After consulting with the palliative care team, Jessika Boles, MEd’08, found herself speaking with a mother about honoring her daughter’s legacy. “One of the ways we can do that is through handprint art, since handprints and fingerprints are unique to each person. Would you… Read MoreMay 15, 2025
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Vanderbilt’s Roberts Academy welcomes independent educators for neurodivergence-informed conference
By Jennifer Kiilerich When top special education researchers, a cutting-edge dyslexia academy and research center, and influential school leaders converge at Vanderbilt University, big ideas are bound to emerge. That is exactly what happened at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools Neurodivergence-Informed Schools conference, hosted by the Roberts Academy… Read MoreMay 14, 2025
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Chancellor’s Cup awarded to Peabody College’s Jeremy Payne
Jeremy Payne, principal senior lecturer in the Department of Human and Organizational Development, has been awarded the 2024-2025 Chancellor’s Cup by Chancellor Daniel Diermeier for his steadfast mentorship and teaching of undergraduate students. For more than six years, Payne has mentored and advised undergraduate, professional, and graduate students, and has shown he is committed to developing personal connections with each of them. Read MoreMay 14, 2025
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Lynn Fuchs, leading international scholar, mentor in special education and psychological sciences, 1950-2025
Lynn Fuchs Lynn Fuchs, Dunn Family Professor of Psychoeducational Assessment, Emerita, passed away on May 7, 2025. She was 75 years old. Throughout her career, Fuchs was recognized as one of the top scholars in special education and psychological sciences as well as a leading scholar in mathematical and… Read MoreMay 13, 2025
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One year at Vanderbilt’s Roberts Academy: transforming lives, building community
By Jennifer Kiilerich The Roberts Academy at Vanderbilt University welcomed its inaugural class of third and fourth graders in August 2024. Since then, the school has celebrated many more firsts, from a groundbreaking ceremony to festivities and innovative collaborations. Established in 2023 with an unprecedented gift from Hal and… Read MoreMay 13, 2025
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Where leaders learn: Inside Vanderbilt’s online Leadership and Learning in Organizations doctoral program
By Jenna Somers Where can professionals from K-12 and higher education institutions, non-profits, private industry, and federal and local governments collaborate to learn from and with one another on how to strengthen their leadership within their respective organizations? The answer to that question may be found in the dynamic learning… Read MoreMay 13, 2025
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Innovative research, enduring impact: 100 years of the visual disabilities program at Peabody
By Jennifer Kiilerich In rural Monroe County, Tennessee, the school district’s only teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) is approaching retirement. But her daughter, Andrea Leatherwood, is almost ready to step into the role. Leatherwood is among the first cohort of teachers accepted last summer into the new Vanderbilt… Read MoreMay 13, 2025
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Decoding young minds: Time sensitivity of knowledge and false belief recognition
by Jenna Somers When a first grader has a spelling test on a Friday, they probably understand that the more they study throughout the week, the better they’ll perform on the test. They also probably understand that if they only study on Monday, then by Friday, they may not remember… Read MoreMay 12, 2025
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Vanderbilt University honors emeritus and emerita faculty at 2025 Commencement
Vanderbilt University honored 32 retiring faculty members on May 9 for their years of service by bestowing upon them the title of emerita or emeritus faculty during Vanderbilt’s Commencement ceremony at GEODIS Park. Two outgoing deans also were recognized for service to the university. Read MoreMay 9, 2025
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Vanderbilt Brain Institute marks 25 years of discovery with 2025 Brain Blast celebration
Since its inception in 1999, the VBI has spearheaded interdisciplinary neuroscience research and education. Over the years, the VBI has grown into a vibrant, trans-institutional hub that spans the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, the College of Arts and Science, the School of Engineering, the Peabody College of education and human development, and other schools and departments throughout Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Read MoreMay 8, 2025
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New era of education innovation with Peabody faculty administrative promotions, inaugural leader of Peabody Leadership Institute
In the spring semester, Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development celebrated the administrative promotions of Nicole A. Cobb to associate dean for professional education and Catherine Gavin Loss to associate provost for academic affairs in the Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Education. The… Read MoreMay 6, 2025
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Empowering kids to unpack AI algorithms: a Vanderbilt researcher’s game-based approach
By Jennifer Kiilerich With artificial intelligence being rapidly deployed across all sectors of public life, including education, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how younger children interact with AI algorithms. Future programmers will need to consider the social and ethical impacts of technology, contends Vanderbilt Peabody College of… Read MoreApr 17, 2025
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Bringing the past to life: fellows announced for new initiative to bolster teaching of high school history
Vanderbilt University’s Alexander Initiative, part of Peabody College of education and human development, has selected its inaugural cohort of Alexander Fellows. The immersive professional development experience for outstanding high school teachers from across the United States aims to revitalize U.S. history and civics education. Thirty teachers were… Read MoreApr 14, 2025
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Vanderbilt, TSU students tour Nashville’s environmental history and sustainability initiatives
In March, students and faculty from Vanderbilt University and Tennessee State University took an environmental tour of Nashville, funded by the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy, and Climate. The students learned about the city’s history and recent sustainability projects to improve the environment. Yolanda J. McDonald The tour included… Read MoreApr 7, 2025
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Vanderbilt Peabody College hosts Japanese gifted and special needs education scholars
Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development’s expertise in designing and offering gifted education was highlighted in March when Peabody Global Initiatives and Chris Vanags, director of the Peabody Research Office, hosted a pair of Japanese visiting researchers. Hirokazu Kumazaki, professor in the Department of Neuropsychiatry at… Read MoreApr 7, 2025
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Kathleen Virginia Hoover-Dempsey, emerita professor of psychology, 1942-2025
Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey Kathleen Virginia Hoover-Dempsey, 82, passed away on March 24, 2025. She joined Peabody College in 1973 as professor of psychology and retired in 2013 as professor of psychology, emerita. During her career, she served several years as chair of the Department of Psychology and Human Development and as… Read MoreApr 4, 2025
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H. Rodes Hart, longtime Vanderbilt benefactor and trustee emeritus, 1932-2025
H. Rodes Hart, BA’54, who had an insatiable appetite for learning and education and contributed to Vanderbilt’s growth through his philanthropy and more than 30 years of leadership on the university’s Board of Trust, died March 30. He was 93. Read MoreApr 2, 2025
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New report could help school districts sustain principal pipeline initiatives
As fewer people enter the education profession and high rates of principal turnover persist, school districts need strategic and systematic approaches to recruiting, hiring, and supporting effective school leaders. Principal pipelines may be the answer. Principal pipelines are a comprehensive and aligned system for identifying, developing, and supporting school leaders. Read MoreApr 2, 2025
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Blending passions: how Vanderbilt alumnus Alex Astrella merges film and therapy to advocate for the neurodiverse community
By Jenna Somers Alex Astrella At age two Alex Astrella, MEd’23, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. His parents were told that he had little chance of graduating high school or becoming financially independent. Today, Astrella is the founder and CEO of Blu Star Productions, an award-winning film studio… Read MoreApr 1, 2025