JANUARY 2012
Tom Brokaw to deliver Senior Day address
Veteran broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw will receive Vanderbilt's prestigious Nichols-Chancellor's Medal when he addresses graduating seniors and their families during Senior Day on May 10. For more details about Senior Day and other events planned that weekend, visit the Commencement website. Full story »
Fauchet named School of Engineering dean
Philippe Fauchet, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Rochester, has been named dean of the Vanderbilt School of Engineering, effective July 1. He succeeds Kenneth Galloway, who is returning to the faculty after serving as dean since 1996. Full story »
Vanderbilt sets record for number of new AAAS fellows
Fourteen members of Vanderbilt's faculty have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) this year—the most ever elected in a single year for the university. Vanderbilt boasts 53 AAAS fellows among its current faculty. Full story »
Alumni Association Board calls for nominations
The Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors is seeking nominations for new members. If you know of an exceptional alumnus or alumna with demonstrated leadership abilities, please make a nomination by March 15.
Nominate distinguished alumni
Nominations are being accepted through March 15 for the Distinguished Alumni Award, which is given annually to an alumnus or alumna who has gone beyond a successful vocation to do something of greater benefit for the universal community. To learn more or to submit a nomination, visit the Distinguished Alumni Award page.
Help us plan for Reunion 2012
Update your contact information to receive the latest news about Reunion 2012, scheduled for Oct. 25–27. If your class year ends in 2 or 7, we hope you'll consider joining your classmates Feb. 17–18 at the Reunion Leadership Conference to begin planning. Register to attend the conference, or email us for more information.
Career workshops for alumni and friends
The Vanderbilt Alumni Association has enhanced its Career Moves workshops in chapter cities to offer smaller, more tailored sessions such as "Career Transitions" and "Job Search Basics," as well as networking lunches. For more information visit the Alumni Career Resources webpage, or contact Kate Stuart at
Travel the Baltic
Join Frank Wcislo, associate professor of history and dean of The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt,
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, Ala. Boston Houston Kansas City, Mo. Los Angeles Louisville, Ky. |
Nashville New York City San Diego St. Louis Washington, D.C. |
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Click here for the current calendar of all events planned in your area, and check back frequently.
Sports News
Vanderbilt football looks ahead after Liberty Bowl
Watch Head Football Coach James Franklin's press conference following the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31, and check out other highlights from Memphis at Vanderbilt Bowl Central. The Commodores, playing in their second bowl game in four years, fell
Franklin's contract extension, facility upgrades announced
James Franklin has agreed to a new contract extending his term as Vanderbilt's head football coach, and planning has started for a multiuse recreation and athletic facility that will be accessible to the entire student community, as well as provide much needed practice areas for football, track and other scholarship athletes. Plans are also underway for improvements to the football stadium. Full story »
For more sports news, visit the Vanderbilt athletics site.
Honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. by registering for one of 300 MLK Weekend of Service volunteer opportunities available Jan. 13–15. Numerous events also are planned on campus Jan. 16, including a keynote speech by U.S. Rep. John Lewis. Full story »
Attend the Young Professional Programs Open House
All Vanderbilt students and recent graduates are invited to an open house at Owen Graduate School of Management on Jan. 25 to learn about graduate programs tailored to young professionals, including a four-week "summer boot camp in business," one-year programs in finance and accounting, and a fast-track "3+2" MBA program. Full story »
From the Campus
Vanderbilt University Hospital named to Leapfrog list Vanderbilt University Hospital is among the nation's top 65 hospitals for 2011, according to the Leapfrog Group, a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage. Full story » Hamilton elected to European academy of scholars
Informatics team wins national contest Three members of the Vanderbilt community are among the winners of Show Off Your Apps, a national software application contest sponsored by the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The Vanderbilt team's app, GLAD4U, or Gene List Automatically Derived for You, helps users find mentions of specific genes within the NLM's online biomedical literature repository. Full story » Technology transfer efforts to expand The Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, which assists in the transfer of Vanderbilt inventions to the marketplace where they can have a positive impact on society, is expanding its services to accommodate the growing needs of the university's researchers. Full story » |
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Murphy honored for educational administration work
Johnson named biomedical informatics chair
Sosman named to melanoma research 'dream team'
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Joseph H. Hamilton, the Landon C. Garland Distinguished Professor of Physics, has been elected as a member of the Academia Europaea, a nongovernmental association of independent scientists and scholars in arts and sciences that promotes learning, education and research. 
Joseph Murphy, the Frank W. Mayborn Chair of Education and associate dean of Vanderbilt's Peabody College, has won the University Council for Educational Administration's 2011 Roald F. Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes senior professors in educational administration. 
Dr. Kevin B. Johnson, professor of biomedical informatics and pediatrics, has been named chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics, the largest such academic department in the country, with more than 70 faculty working to develop technologies for the storage, retrieval, dissemination and application of biomedical knowledge. 
Jeffrey Sosman, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, has been named to a melanoma research "dream team" of cancer investigators supported by Stand Up To Cancer and the Melanoma Research Alliance.
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Study finds a nursing shortage less likely Los Angeles Times—Vanderbilt researchers have found that significantly more young people are becoming registered nurses, reversing a 10-year decline in the number entering the profession and easing some concerns about a looming nursing shortage in the United States. Full story » Owen ranks among top 25 business schools Fortune—Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management rose three places to No. 25 in the new Poets & Quants ranking, which is a composite of the five major MBA rankings published by Bloomberg BusinessWeek, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report. Full story » Research shows long-lasting impact for Ecstasy users Daily Mail (U.K.)—Vanderbilt research suggests that recreational use of the drug Ecstasy can lead to the chronic loss of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, sleep, learning and memory. Full story » Vanderbilt ranks high on African American enrollment list The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education—Vanderbilt ranks No. 6 in first-year enrollment of African American students in this survey of the nation's top research universities. Full story » |
Cohen's Nobel-winning work stands test of time
Stanley Cohen, distinguished professor of biochemistry, emeritus, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 1986 for his discovery and characterization of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor. Twenty-five years later the EGF receptor is the target for a growing number of cancer drugs. Full story »
Research with black males expands
Two western Pennsylvania school systems will use a program developed by Vanderbilt's Scholar Identity Institute to encourage young black males to be successful in school and go on to college. Full story »
Study points to personalized treatment for atrial fibrillation
Researchers at the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute have identified a genetic variant in patients who respond well to a common form of therapy for atrial fibrillation, a condition that affects more than 2 million Americans. Full story »
Research suggests failures in the Model Penal Code
New research from Vanderbilt University Law School suggests that juror confusion about application of the Model Penal Code in criminal trials could cause major, unnoticed and life-altering sentencing errors. Full story »
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