Vanderbilt Magazine

Xuanxuan Chen is thankful for her memories of Vanderbilt's campus as she completes her senior year from home in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China—14 time zones away—as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

After graduating with a Ph.D. in cell and developmental biology from the Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Alissa Guarnaccia will begin a rare postdoctoral research position with health care biotechnology giant Genentech. Read More

More than 7,600 members of the Vanderbilt community, including alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends, joined together on Giving Day, April 7, to donate more than $5 million to help advance the university’s mission of education, discovery and leadership. Read More

A family legacy of fighting for civil rights fuels Chicago native Anana Upton, whose mission is creating positive change in underserved communities. Read More

At Vanderbilt, Anighya Crocker found the freedom to pursue all of his passions, double-majoring in voice performance and law, history and society. Next, he is looking toward law school and politics—and maybe a run for governor of Tennessee.      Read More

Ryan Boyette is using his Peabody master’s degree to further the work of the education nonprofit To Move Mountains, which he and his wife, Jazira, launched a few years before coming to Nashville. Read More

Identical twins Jade and Jazmyn Ayers have immersed themselves in literature and personal narratives for years, leading to majors in English as well as a creative way to pair storytelling with another of their passions: medicine. Read More

Charles E. Roos, a retired physics professor who built his department’s research in areas ranging from superconducting wire to recycling technology, has died. He was 93. Read More

Vanderbilt University’s Faculty Fellowship Challenge, launched in September 2018 to create fellowships and directorships to fuel research discoveries and expand teaching opportunities, successfully concluded in December 2020 with 36 positions created, supported by 31 unique endowments from alumni and other donors. The university backed the challenge with a matching investment. Read More

Betsega Bekele, MEd'14, helps lead American Portrait, a multiplatform, national storytelling project tied to PBS’ 50th anniversary celebration. The digital-first initiative that launched online in January 2020 is centered on this question: What does it really mean to be an American today? Read More

Assistant Professor of History of Art Rebecca VanDiver focuses her research on African American artists—particularly Black female artists of the 20th century. In the classroom, she presents art history not only as a discipline that allows for a study of the history of artistic movements and style, but also as a lens to study culture and history. Read More

Major Jackson, who joined the university’s faculty as Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English in January 2021, is the author of five books of poetry. Read More

Annie Beatrice “Bea” Martin, a retired teacher and administrator who was committed to education, outreach and social justice, died Oct. 11, 2020. She was 87. Read More

James Richard Tuck of Nashville, retired associate general counsel of the National Life and Accident Insurance Co. and charter member of the Nashville Metropolitan Council, died Aug. 20, 2020. He was 102. Over his long life, he was part of some key stories in the 20th-century history of Nashville. Read More

The Vanderbilt community heard unique insights and discussions with business leaders and innovators at Owen Forward, a weeklong virtual celebration of Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management held Nov. 9–13. Read More

Education Concern Center Nepal, or ECC, was cofounded in 2017 by Janie Kaiser, BS'15, who serves as its managing director. The center uses a four-part program—teacher training, classroom materials, improved infrastructure and teacher support—to expand educational resources in Nepal's remote schools. Read More

The first African American to earn a doctorate in human genetics from Vanderbilt, Janina Jeff, MS'12, PhD'12, launched an award-winning podcast called "In Those Genes" that translates cutting-edge genetic research into everyday language that uncovers the lost identities of African-descended Americans through the lens of Black culture. Read More

By Lisa Robbins and GayNelle Doll The following is adapted from the story “Deep Roots, Strong Tree,” which originally appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Vanderbilt Magazine. During his gubernatorial campaign, Lamar Alexander donned a red and black plaid shirt and walked across much of Tennessee to meet voters. Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the entire Vanderbilt community to change its routines. But because of the live-performance nature of music schools, the Blair School has implemented numerous precautions to ensure that faculty and students remain safe—all while maintaining a semblance of the highly personalized instruction for which Blair is known. Read More

A new Vanderbilt event series highlighting diverse voices on vital issues, ’Dores in Dialogue, kicked off on Dec. 2, 2020, with a conversation on eliminating racial disparities in public safety and policing. The event was presented by the Vanderbilt Alumni Association and the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni. Read More