Nicholas S. Zeppos
Nicholas S. Zeppos was named Vanderbilt University’s eighth chancellor on March 1, 2008.
A distinguished legal scholar, teacher and executive, Zeppos served from 2002 – 2008 as Vanderbilt’s chief academic officer, overseeing the university’s undergraduate, graduate and professional education programs as well as research efforts in liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education, business, law and divinity. As provost and vice chancellor, he chaired Vanderbilt’s budgeting and capital planning council and led all fundraising and alumni relations efforts across the institution, in addition to overseeing the dean of students and dean of admissions.
Zeppos has led a number of important initiatives at Vanderbilt, including the planning process for The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, a landmark transformation of the first-year experience; the Strategic Academic Planning Group; innovative efforts in undergraduate admissions and financial aid; and the development of new programs in Jewish studies, law and economics and genetics, among others.
In a bold move to strengthen Vanderbilt’s commitment to admitting undergraduates on the basis of accomplishment and achievement, rather than their ability to pay, in 2009, Zeppos created an expanded financial aid program. By replacing undergraduate need-based loans with grant and scholarship assistance, this transformative initiative opened the university’s doors wider to highly talented and qualified students of all economic, cultural and geographical backgrounds. The expanded aid program is funded by a combination of strategic budget allocations and the university’s Shape the Future fundraising campaign, which under Zeppos’ leadership exceeded its $1.25 billion goal two years ahead of schedule, set a new target of $1.75 billion by 2010, surpassed that amount, and now stands at $1.9 billion.
Zeppos joined the Vanderbilt community in 1987 as an assistant professor in the Law School, where he has been recognized with five teaching awards. He subsequently served as an associate dean, then as associate provost before being named provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2002. He served as interim chancellor of the university from August 1, 2007, until March 1, 2008 when he was appointed chancellor.
Chancellor Zeppos currently serves on the boards of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Alliance for Public Education. He also serves on the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board and the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute Board.
June 2011