JUNE 2012
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt debuts added space
VUMC Reporter—Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, which has just been named among the nation's best in pediatric health care by U.S. News & World Report, unveiled a $30 million, 30,000-square-foot expansion during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 9. The expansion creates space for 33 additional beds in the hospital's acute care, surgical and neonatal intensive care units. Full story »
Vanderbilt launches nation's first doctorate in educational neuroscience
Peabody College and the Vanderbilt Brain Institute are partnering to launch the country's first doctoral program in educational neuroscience this fall. The program will research educational issues, such as child development and educational assessment, within a brain science context. Full story »
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New Alumni Board members announced
The Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors has elected seven new members, effective July 1: 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. Thanks to everyone who participated in the nomination process.
Follow the football team to Northwestern
The Vanderbilt Alumni Association and National Commodore Club invite you to join the football team in Chicago Sept. 8 for the game against Northwestern. The comprehensive travel package includes two nights at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, admission to a pregame tailgate, game day transportation, lunch and a river tour of Chicago's architecture.
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:
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New York City Seattle St. Louis Twin Cities (Minn.) Washington, D.C. |
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Click here for the current calendar of all events planned in your area, and check back frequently.
From the Campus
See highlights from Commencement
Relive the best moments from Commencement through this collection of videos, photos, tweets and news stories about the big day. Full story »
Clayton to succeed Ivey as Curb Center director
Jay Clayton, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English, will succeed Bill Ivey as the director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy, effective May 31. Ivey, who came to Vanderbilt in 2002 after serving as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, will take on the role of consultant to the university's international initiatives. Full story »
Center for Medicine, Health and Society expands
The Center for Medicine, Health and Society—a multidisciplinary center that links the social sciences and humanities to Vanderbilt's academic medical center in undergraduate and graduate education—has hired five new faculty members, who study the influence of factors like war, race and politics on health and health care. Full story »
Engineering team wins NASA award
Gautam Biswas, professor of computer science and computer engineering; Xenofon Koutsoukos, associate professor of computer science and computer engineering; and Daniel L.C. Mack, a doctoral student in computer science, have received a 2011 Associate Administrator Award from NASA for their contributions to the design of the central maintenance computer for the Boeing 787 and Embraer aircraft. Full story »
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Vanderbilt in the News
Popular antibiotic linked to risk of sudden death The New York Times—A new Vanderbilt study, led by Wayne A. Ray, professor of preventive medicine, and C. Michael Stein, the Dan May Chair in Medicine and professor of pharmacology, finds that the widely used antibiotic azithromycin may increase the likelihood of sudden death in adults, especially those who have heart disease or are at high risk for it. Full story » Author Randall discusses the politics of fat in black and white
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Alumnus Reif among Gen Y grads launching startups
Alumnus Brodsky to prosecute high-profile hedge fund case Reuters—Alumnus Reed Brodsky, JD'95, a U.S. federal prosecutor who helped convict hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam for insider trading in 2011, is now preparing to prosecute Rajat Gupta, a former Goldman Sachs director accused of supplying illicit tips to Rajaratnam. Full story » |
NPR—Alice Randall, writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt and author of Ada's Rules, a novel whose protagonist struggles to lose weight, is interviewed about her own efforts to change African American attitudes toward fat. 
USA Today—Alumnus Adrian Reif, BS'07, who left a job in banking in 2009 to start Yumbutter, a nut butter company, is one of several Generation Y entrepreneurs profiled in this article.
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Vanderbilt lands patient-centered research grant The Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute has awarded Vanderbilt University Medical Center a two-year, $750,000 grant, which will give patients and their families a more active role and voice in research designed to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Full story »
A new Vanderbilt study has found that an individual's willingness to work hard is strongly influenced by the dopamine levels in three specific areas of the brain. The research could have important implications for the treatment of attention-deficit disorder, depression, schizophrenia and other forms of mental illness characterized by decreased motivation. Full story » Beta cell imaging could help spot diabetes earlier
Physics post-doc headed to Capitol Hill Andrew Steigerwald, PhD'10, a Vanderbilt post-doctoral researcher in physics, has been selected by the Materials Research Society and the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society as their 2012–2013 Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. Full story » |
Researchers at Vanderbilt have helped develop an imaging protocol to hunt for molecules that will light up beta cells—rare but vital insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas. The ability to image beta cells in a patient would help doctors diagnose diabetes earlier and monitor changes in beta cell mass in response to treatments. 
Sports News
Baseball team shows grit in NCAA Regional
The Vanderbilt baseball team, which was once a long shot to make the NCAA Tournament after starting the season 7–15, made an astonishing run into the postseason but came up short against N.C. State in the deciding game of the Raleigh Regional on June 4. The Commodores finished the season 35–28. Full story »
Vanderbilt trio named first-team All-Americans
Senior Marina Alex, BA'12, and junior Lauren Stratton, both members of the women's golf team, have been named first-team All-Americans by the National Golf Coaches Association. Also, senior Ally Carey, BS'12, a midfielder on the lacrosse team, has been named a first-team All-American for the third consecutive season by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association.
Support the Recreation Center and Multipurpose Facility Expansion
An NCAA indoor track. A turf field. An instructional kitchen. Double the cardiovascular exercise space that currently exists on campus. You'll find it all in the plans for the new Recreation Center and Multipurpose Facility Expansion. The website includes renderings, testimonials, project updates and giving opportunities. Your support makes a difference in wellness, athletics and community at Vanderbilt. Full story »
Watch a webcam inside Vanderbilt Stadium to follow progress on the installation of a new video board and construction of a new hillside seating area.
Read the latest issue of Commodore Nation, the official publication of Vanderbilt athletics.
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