AUGUST 2012
VUMC ranked No. 1 hospital in Tennessee
VUMC Reporter—Vanderbilt University Medical Center, recently recognized for its innovative efforts in medical technology, has been named the No. 1 hospital in Tennessee and one of the best in the nation in the latest U.S. News & World Report's hospital rankings. Eleven of VUMC's specialty programs rank among the nation's top 50 in their respective fields, including three in the top 10. Full story »
Williams' role in athletics expands
Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos has asked Vice Chancellor David Williams to take on a larger role in shaping the university's athletics and recreation programs. Williams will relinquish his duties as general counsel and university secretary to serve as vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletics director. Full story »
Vanderbilt nurse aids victims of Colorado shooting
VUMC Reporter—Mia Bransford, a nurse at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, was one of the few trained health care workers on the scene during the mass shooting at the Century 16 theater in Aurora, Colo., on July 20. Full story »
Help recruit the Class of 2017
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions needs your help in recruiting the next great class of students to Vanderbilt. Enroll in Commodore Recruitment Programs (CoRPs) to represent the university at college fairs and to interview first-year applicants.
Join the Commodore Tailgate Tour
Be part of the excitement of Vanderbilt football by joining the Commodore Tailgate Tour on three stops this fall: Saturday, Sept. 8, at Northwestern in Evanston, Ill.; Saturday, Sept. 22, at Georgia in Athens; and Saturday, Oct. 6, at new SEC member Missouri in Columbia.
Registration for Reunion 2012, scheduled for Oct. 25–27, is now open online for Quinqs and all undergraduate classes ending in 2 and 7. Visit the Reunion website for information about the weekend's many events, including the Homecoming tailgate and football game on Oct. 27.
Kimball named president, new board members announced
At its annual meeting in May, the Vanderbilt Alumni Association board of directors named Carroll Kimball, BA'84, president and Patricia White, BA'76, president-elect. The following new members were named to three-year terms: Samar Ali, BS'03, JD'06; Brandon Berger, BA'03; Perry Brandt, BA'74, JD'77; Aliya Coher, BA'99; Thomas Conner III, BA'88; Kasey Folk, BA'02; and Justin Giboney, BS'03, JD'06.
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:
Click here for the current calendar of all events planned in your area, and check back frequently.
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From the Campus
Vanderbilt University Hospital earns an 'A' for patient safety
VUMC Reporter—Vanderbilt University Hospital has earned an "A" Hospital Safety Score from the Leapfrog Group, a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage that works to encourage health care safety, quality and affordability. Full story »
Career Center rolls out new name, mission
The Center for Student Professional Development, formerly the Vanderbilt Career Center, is rolling out a new mission and a new name that reflects its holistic approach to preparing students to be resilient in these uncertain times. Full story »
Pierce-Baker writes memoir about bipolar son
Charlotte Pierce-Baker, professor of women's and gender studies and English, has written This Fragile Life: A Mother's Story of a Bipolar Son, a memoir that she hopes will bring greater awareness within the African American community about mental illness and treatment resources. Full story »
Breastfeeding campaign launched
Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center, Health Plus and NashVitality have partnered to launch the Breastfeeding Welcomed Here campaign, a campuswide initiative to make Vanderbilt an even more family-friendly institution by highlighting departments and offices that welcome and support breastfeeding moms. Full story »
Venable, molecular biologist and Vanderbilt administrator, dies
John "Jack" H. Venable, dean of the College of Arts and Science, emeritus, and professor of biological sciences, emeritus, died July 16 after a long illness. He was 74. Full story »
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Vanderbilt in the News
Blumstein influences Supreme Court health care decision
Urban ministries transform Vanderbilt interns The Commercial Appeal—Amanda Hartmann, Ani Missirian-Dill and Hunter Pugh, three Turner Scholars from Vanderbilt Divinity School who are seeking to become United Methodist ministers, interned in Memphis this summer to learn about urban ministry and community building. Full story » |
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Alumnus Irwig's research links hair-loss drug to sexual dysfunction Today Show—Research by Vanderbilt alumnus Michael Irwig, BA'95, assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University, has found that the use of finasteride, a drug marketed under the name Propecia to treat male-pattern baldness, can lead to long-term sexual side effects. Full story »
CNN—Vanderbilt alumna Katrina Markoff, BA'95, is the founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a Chicago-based company that delivers exotic flavors like paprika and curry in luxurious chocolates. Full story » |
Huffington Post—A brief on the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion provision that was written by James Blumstein, University Professor of Constitutional Law and Health Law and Policy, helped shape the U.S. Supreme Court's recent health care ruling. 
A new video from the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center about three cancer survivors |
Vanderbilt lands $46 million grant renewal VUMC Reporter—Vanderbilt's largest single government research grant, the Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health, has been renewed for another five years for $46 million. The grant, which was first awarded in 2007, has helped Vanderbilt build an efficient framework for conducting biomedical research in partnership with Nashville's Meharry Medical College. Full story » Discovery of subatomic particle a major leap forward
Vanderbilt leads international trial of new stroke therapy VUMC Reporter—Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are leading an international clinical trial to examine the functional benefits of a combined therapy to treat acute ischemic stroke, a type of stroke where a blood clot becomes lodged in an artery within the brain, reducing blood flow and depriving brain cells of oxygen. Full story »
New and proposed federal energy-efficient standards for automobiles, clothes dryers, air conditioners and light bulbs will not be effective, according to researchers from Vanderbilt and the Brookings Institution. Full story » |
A group of Vanderbilt scientists participated in the international experiments that led to the recent discovery of what is believed to be the Higgs boson, the final missing ingredient in the model that physicists have developed to explain the behavior of all known subatomic particles. 
Sports News
New football uniforms unveiled
Hundreds of Commodore fans gathered July 11 at the Barnes & Noble at Vanderbilt to watch the unveiling of the football team's new uniforms for the upcoming season. Full story »
Alumnus Snedeker ties for third at British Open
Vanderbilt alumnus Brandt Snedeker, BA'03, tied for third at the 2012 British Open July 22. He finished the tournament at 3 under par, four strokes behind winner Ernie Els. Full story »
Head Women's Basketball Coach Melanie Balcomb, who needs just 19 victories to become the program's all-time wins leader, has received a contract extension that will keep her in Nashville through 2017. Full story »
Vanderbilt, NewsRadio 1510 WLAC sign flagship agreement
Starting Aug. 30, Nashville's NewsRadio 1510 WLAC will broadcast all Vanderbilt football and men's basketball games on one of the nation's strongest radio signals. Full story »
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