Franklin named head football coach

James Franklin, the former assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland, was introduced as the 27th head coach in Commodore football history on Dec. 17. Watch an interview with Franklin and check out the highlights from his first day as Vanderbilt’s coach. Full story »

Nobel Peace Prize winner to deliver Senior Day address

Wangari Maathai, the 2004 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the environmentally conscious Green Belt Movement, will address graduating seniors and their families during Senior Day on May 12. Full story »

VUMC helps launch largest child health study in U.S.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is one of 30 pilot sites across the country participating in the National Children’s Study, the largest long-term study of child health in U.S. history. The study will ultimately track 100,000 children from before birth to 21. Full story »

Jean Heard, former first lady of Vanderbilt, dies

Jean Keller Heard, widow of Chancellor Emeritus Alexander Heard and a social, musical and civic presence in Nashville for more than four decades, died Jan. 2. She was 86. Full story »

Help us plan for Reunion 2011

Update your contact information to receive the latest news about Reunion 2011, scheduled for Oct. 20–22. If your class year ends in 6 or 1, we hope you will consider volunteering for your Reunion and join your classmates Feb. 25–26 at Reunion Leadership Conference to begin planning. Register to attend or email us for more information.

Phone and hotel discounts available for alumni

As part of the Vanderbilt Alumni Association discount program, Sprint is offering alumni 15 percent off monthly mobile service. To learn more about the program and start saving, sign up today. Also, all alumni are eligible for discounts at Club Quarters, a member-focused, full-service hotel chain in 14 metropolitan cities. For locations, membership benefits, pricing and other details, visit the alumni benefits page.

Alumni job board and career webinars coming soon

Thank you to all alumni who contributed to our career services survey. Your feedback helps us shape new programs to better serve you. In the coming months, we will be launching a new Vanderbilt job board through VUconnect, creating webinars for job search strategies and networking, and building online career resources. Email Alumni Relations with questions.

Take an insider’s tour of Rome

Discover the history and culture of Rome, spanning ancient to modern times, May 11–21 with Senior Lecturer in Italian Tracy Barrett. Highlights include day trips to Perugia, Terni and Tivoli, where you’ll explore the Villa d’Este and the Villa Adriana. Visit the Vanderbilt Travel Program page for more information and to reserve your space today.

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:

View the current calendar of events planned in your area, and check back frequently.

Every day, every year, Vanderbilt reaches new levels of success thanks to gifts from alumni, parents and friends. Please consider making your online gift now.

From the Campus

TV show being filmed at VUMC

The Reporter—Vanderbilt University Medical Center is the backdrop for a new reality TV series about mothers and their newborn babies, titled Baby’s First Day. The show will debut on TLC this spring. Full story »

Vanderbilt University Hospital named to Leapfrog list

Vanderbilt University Hospital is among the nation’s top 65 hospitals for 2010, according to the Leapfrog Group, a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage. Full story »

Bond, former NAACP chairman, to speak at MLK celebration

Civil rights leader and former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond will deliver the keynote address at a Jan. 17 Vanderbilt event commemorating the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Full story »

Library hosts ‘Sixties at 50’ exhibition

“The Sixties at 50,” an exhibition of unique video, photographs and other treasures from one of society’s most significant decades, is on display in new gallery space at Vanderbilt’s Central Library and Special Collections. Full story »

Vanderbilt in the News

Van Horn blogs about health care

Forbes—Larry Van Horn, associate professor of management and faculty director of the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management health care program, has started a new blog at Forbes about health care.

Vanderbilt to explore wind turbine, solar panel use

The City Paper—Vanderbilt is partnering with Nashville officials to install a wind turbine and 20 solar panels atop Love Circle as part of a study exploring alternative forms of energy. Full story »

Shade Tree Clinic helps those in need

The Tennessean—The Shade Tree Clinic, a nonprofit health clinic run by Vanderbilt medical students, offers free vaccinations and other medical services to those in the Nashville community who need it most. Full story »

Law students prompt more transparency at U.S. News

U.S. News & World Report—At the urging of the nonprofit group Law School Transparency, founded by two Vanderbilt students seeking to make post-graduation employment data clearer to prospective law students, U.S. News & World Report plans to roll out more detailed employment data in next year’s rankings. Full story »

The disappearing art of handwriting

Chicago Tribune—Steve Graham, the Currey-Ingram Chair in Special Education at Peabody College, talks about the decline of penmanship and the continued importance of learning to handwrite legibly, easily and fast. Full story »

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