Vanderbilt Project On Unity And American Democracy

Roschke, a renowned expert in media literacy and misinformation, has been named the inaugural executive director of the McGee Applied Research Center for Narrative Studies at Vanderbilt University beginning Oct. 15. Roschke will also hold a faculty appointment in the Program in Communication of Science and Technology in the College of Arts and Science. Read More

To ensure student voices are integral in the direction and activities of Dialogue Vanderbilt, a new cross-initiative Dialogue Vanderbilt Student Advisory Board is being established, effective for the fall 2024 semester. Applications are now open for all undergraduate students. Dialogue Vanderbilt is the university’s core initiative to bridge divides,… 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

James Patterson has published over 400 titles and sold more than 425 million copies of his books, but he first gained the confidence to pursue a career in writing while working toward a graduate degree at Vanderbilt. Patterson, who earned his master’s in English from the university in 1970, discussed his writing process, prolific career, the value of collaboration, and his support for librarians and reading in a wide-ranging conversation moderated by former NBC News anchor John M. Seigenthaler. Read More

David Brooks, an internationally acclaimed journalist whose work has shaped timely conversations around controversial and complex issues, will receive Vanderbilt University’s prestigious Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal when he speaks at the university’s 2024 Commencement activities. Brooks’ Graduates Day address will be on May 9 at 11 a.m. on The Commons Lawn. Read More

Don Abram, the visionary founder of Pride in the Pews, will be the next speaker in the Dialogue Vanderbilt faith leader series. His conversation with Vanderbilt Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce is scheduled for 5 p.m. March 6 at the John Seigenthaler Center. Read More

The event, hosted by The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy and the Rogers Center for the American Presidency, is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public; registration is required to attend. Read More

Americans overwhelmingly feel that their political systems do not represent them, including compromise on abortion, and they are not confident the American political system accurately reflects their will, according to the latest quarterly Vanderbilt Unity Poll measuring Americans’ unity and beliefs on government and democracy. Read More

A feature program about The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will make its Nashville Public Television debut on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 8:30 p.m. CT and will be available afterward on the PBS app. Directly following the premiere, at 9:30 p.m., Vanderbilt professor John Geer and Unity Project co-chairs Bill Haslam and Samar Ali will discuss what they’ve learned in the two years since the project’s inception.  Read More

Vanderbilt celebrated its “bedrock principle” of free speech through a series of panels and discussions Oct. 10–17 during the university’s inaugural celebration of national Free Speech Week. Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier participated in a conversation titled “The Path Forward for Academic Freedom in Higher Ed” as part of the world-renowned Aspen Ideas Festival on June 29. The panel set out to explore the “twin ideals of open inquiry and free expression” as well as higher education’s unique role in advancing these forces. Read More

Vanderbilt University and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy hosted a live virtual discussion June 7 to discuss the nation's mass shootings and the continued divisiveness about gun violence and legislation. Read More

Climate change and environmental issues can no longer be considered partisan if any real progress is going to be made, according to experts who participated in a virtual discussion hosted by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy on Feb. 22. Read More

The 2020–21 academic year in many ways was defined by urgency and imminent priorities—from the rapid implementation of COVID-19 safety protocols and weekly testing to the procurement of technology required for hybrid teaching and the herculean planning behind the two in-person Commencement ceremonies we hosted this spring, to name just a few. I remain inspired by the way our community responded to these challenges with such profound resilience and innovative problem-solving. 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

Whatever difficulties we face—in the world at large and closer to home—a united Vanderbilt spirit of compassion, intelligence, strength and courage pervades our community. Read More

At a time of deeply troubling division within our country, Vanderbilt stands uniquely positioned to help unite our country through the advancement of research, scholarship and compelling dialogue. Read More