SEPTEMBER 2008

Watch what it took to assemble the Class of 2012 on
The Commons lawn for this very big photo.

Vanderbilt moves up in national rankings

Vanderbilt is listed at No. 18 in the latest annual rankings of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, improving one position from last year and tying with Emory University and the University of Notre Dame. Vanderbilt was also ranked No. 14 among national universities in the Great Schools, Great Prices category. » Full Story

Vanderbilt ranks No. 42 on list of Top 500 World Universities

Vanderbilt University placed No. 42 on an academic ranking of the top 500 world universities by China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which compiles one of the leading international indexes of major universities. “We’re extremely pleased to be recognized as one of the top universities in the world. The ranking reflects the hard work and dedication of our faculty, students and staff members, as well as the distinction of our alumni,” said Richard McCarty, Vanderbilt provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. » Full Story

The Commons transforms undergraduate experience

The undergraduate experience is undergoing its most significant transformation with The Commons, Vanderbilt's new campus within a campus. First-year students who entered Vanderbilt this fall no longer live in residence halls located on three different parts of campus, but together in a campus community along with 10 faculty members, the dean of The Commons, and the families of the faculty members and dean. See the Tennessean's coverage of The Commons. » Full Story

Columnist and blogger praises Vanderbilt's sense of welcoming

Local columnist and blogger, Tim Chavez, found himself accidentally in the midst of move-in day at The Commons on Aug. 16 when he walked across campus to a medical appointment. In his blog, Political Salsa, Chavez described his impressions: “The campus was open, friendly, optimistic, laughing, smiling and tolerant of all the differences of the people descending upon it. In fact, there was sense of welcoming, of actually wanting all these differences for a higher purpose that goes with learning, enlightenment and progress.” » Full Story

A blight to remember

U.S. News and World Report—A recent discovery by Vanderbilt scientists indicates that survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic still carry antibodies for that variant of the disease. James Crowe Jr., director of the Vanderbilt Program in Vaccine Science, led the study. See additional coverage in Science News. » Full Story

News from
Alumni Relations

Find Vanderbilt events at a Chapter near you

Connect with fellow Vanderbilt alumni and friends at Chapter events in your area. Cities with upcoming Chapter events include:

Birmingham
Boston
Charlotte
Chattanooga
Chicago
Houston

New York City
Paris, France
Kansas City
San Francisco
Los Angeles

Check the current calendar for all events planned in your area; new events are always being added.

Reunion/Homecoming 2008

Register now for Reunion/Homecoming, Oct. 24-25. Visit your class Web site for a complete list of events and for information on hotels and football tickets. Questions? E-mail us or call 615/322-6034.

Not in a Reunion year?

The Nashville Vanderbilt Chapter invites all alumni to the Homecoming tailgate before the Vanderbilt-Duke football game on Saturday, Oct. 25. For details click here, e-mail Alumni Relations or phone 615/322-2929.

New K.C. Potter Center opens

The inaugural reception for the new K.C. Potter Center will take place Oct. 24, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. during Reunion 2008. Located in Euclid House, 312 West Side Row, the center is home to the new Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Life. For more information, see the center's Web site or call 615/322-3330.

Nominations open for Distinguished Alumnus Award

The Alumni Association seeks nominations for the next Vanderbilt Distinguished Alumnus/a Award, given to someone whose global contributions have had an indelible, beneficial impact on humankind. The deadline to submit nominations is Sept. 15, 2008. Nomination form, award criteria, and a list of previous recipients are all online.

Help recruit the next class of Vanderbilt Commodores

The Vanderbilt Office of Undergraduate Admissions is looking for alumni to serve as ambassadors for the university to prospective students and their families, representing Vanderbilt at local college fairs and interviewing applicants nationwide. Contact Tricia Blumenthal in the Admissions Office or call 615/343-1269.

Join us on the Commodore Tailgate Tour

The Vanderbilt Alumni Association and National Commodore Club are sponsoring tailgates at two more away football games this fall: Sept. 20 at Ole Miss and Nov. 15 at Kentucky. You can register online. Be sure to mark your calendars now for the Homecoming tailgate and Vanderbilt-Duke game Oct. 25.

Travel with Vanderbilt
in 2009

From the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Horn, from Canada's St. Lawrence Seaway to the coast of Turkey, the Vanderbilt Travel Program offers something for everyone. Contact us by e-mail or phone 615/322-2929.

VU + iTunes = iTunesU

Download coursework, lectures, news, music, sports, special events and more. Play on your iPod, Mac or PC, or burn a CD. Explore a world of knowledge at Vanderbilt. » Full Story

From the Campus

Chancellor pledges to combat "anti-science political culture"

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos pledged at the 2008 Fall Faculty Assembly to vocally combat an "anti-science political culture" in the United States. "Our research funding (is) up over 6 percent, with many of our peers declining," Zeppos said Aug. 26 at the Student Life Center. "I say this with pride but also concern, frustration and deep disappointment. Our nation's progress and competitiveness … depend on well-funded research and education." » Full Story

Popular professor, sister slain in robbery attack

Four persons believed responsible for the Aug. 26 shootings of popular Vanderbilt Assistant Professor Pierre Colas and his sister, Marie Colas, during a robbery at Colas' East Nashville home have been charged with criminal homicide. The professor was found dead at the scene and his sister, visiting from Switzerland, died from her gunshot wound Aug. 31. The university has created a blog that friends and colleagues of Marie and Pierre from around the world have been using to share their thoughts, memories and grief. » Full Story

Family Weekend on
Oct. 3-5

Vanderbilt parents, grandparents and siblings should circle Oct. 3-5 on the calendar and plan to attend Family Weekend on campus. Families can register online. The deadline for registering is Sept. 18.

VU study finds drinking coffee may help recovering alcoholics

A Vanderbilt University study has found that 88.5 percent of recovering alcoholics drink coffee regularly, compared to 57 percent of the rest of the population. Recovering alcoholics also imbibe coffee with more gusto—one-third drink more than four cups a day.
» Full Story

Peabody faculty chosen as editors of national handbook

Vanderbilt Peabody College faculty members Karen Harris and Steve Graham have been selected as co-editors of the first edition of the American Psychological Association's Educational Psychology Handbook, which will serve as a key tool for practitioners, professors and students.
» Full Story

Vanderbilt's new students officially join university by taking Founders Walk

More than 1,700 new Vanderbilt students, including first-year and transfer students, carried banners and marched into the school's main gate during Founders Walk, a tradition that formally welcomes new students to the Vanderbilt community. » Watch Video

Two former congressmen help teach elections course

A Vanderbilt 2008 elections course will meld rigorous academic research with real-world politics as two former U.S. representatives join renowned political scientists John Geer and Bruce Oppenheimer to team-teach one of the university's most popular classes. » Full Story

Aquarium, painting donated to Children's Hospital

The Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt recently received a large aquarium for its neonatal nursery. Perot Systems Inc. donated a 4-by-6-foot, aquarium-themed painting along with a 65-gallon aquarium. The painting will be installed on the eighth floor of the hospital. » Full Story

Cheng H. Khoo named new registrar

The new Vanderbilt registrar is Cheng H. Khoo. For the last decade he was director of admissions and records at West Virginia University. Before that, Khoo spent 10 years at the University of Kansas. » Full Story

Vanderbilt political scientist honored for book

David E. Lewis, a Vanderbilt professor of political science, has been awarded the Herbert A. Simon Best Book Award for The Politics of Presidential Appointments: Political Control and Bureaucratic Performance. The American Political Science Association's Public Administration Section gives the award annually for the best book on public administration. » Full Story

vanderbilt.media

Latest VUCAST:
It's move-in, move-in

Calculators okay in math
class if students know
the facts first

“It's Good to be Gold”
Web site features
player interviews

Convocation Ceremony
for Class of 2012

Vanderbilt in the News

Come to college but leave your car at home

Automotive Industry Today—Vanderbilt and Belmont University recently announced their partnership with Zipcar, the world's largest provider of cars on demand by the hour or day, to provide Zipcars on campus to university faculty, staff, and students as an environmentally friendly alternative to the costs and hassles of keeping a car on campus. » Full Story

Vanderbilt Trauma Center celebrates 10th anniversary

The Reporter—The Vanderbilt Trauma Center celebrated its 10-year anniversary on Aug. 13. As the region's only provider of Level 1 trauma care, the Vanderbilt Trauma Center's staff of 16 physicians, 108 nurses and 42 staff has treated more than 33,000 acutely ill patients since the unit's opening. » Full Story

Course helps kids get a grip on writing

The Washington Post—Handwriting Without Tears teaches children the basis of handwriting and penmanship, filling what has become a gap in elementary education. Professor of Special Education Steve Graham, who authored a study on the relationship between handwriting and school performance is quoted. » Full Story

Sports News

SEC names Nickson week's best on offense

The Tennessean—Vanderbilt quarterback Chris Nickson was honored as the Southeastern Conference's offensive player of the week following his career-best 166-yard rushing performance in last week's 34-13 win at Miami (Ohio). Nickson, who scored a pair of rushing touchdowns in the victory, also threw for 91 yards and a score in his first start since last year's Georgia game. » Full Story

Moore expected to be a triple threat this fall

The Tennessean—Vanderbilt's D.J. Moore was a nightmare for opposing offenses, stalking the secondary, delivering vicious hits and picking off a Southeastern Conference-high six passes last season. Already established as a first-team all-SEC selection, the junior cornerback is expected to become a triple threat this fall. » Full Story

VU coach ranked most underrated

Nashville City Paper—Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson all but laughed off a SportsIllustrated.com article that listed him as the nation's most underrated football coach. Since 2005, Johnson has guided the Commodores to 14 victories, tying for the most wins at the school in a three-year span since 1982-84. » Full Story

Setbacks don't slow down
VU co-captain

The Tennessean—There are coaches who haven't lasted as long at Vanderbilt as George Smith. The senior receiver is in his sixth year in the Commodore program. During that time he survived a life-threatening illness and a gunshot wound. He's currently sidelined with a broken foot but is expected back on the field sometime after the season starts. » Full Story

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