Growth Initiatives

Vanderbilt University-NYC Events

In March 2025, Vanderbilt launched its first series of public programming in its New York City location, titled Vanderbilt in the City. This event series convenes a variety of faculty and thought leaders around the world for engaging conversations.

The series will continue in the new academic year with events on September 25 and November 13. Learn more about and register for these upcoming events below.

Picture of a Vanderbilt University sign located on the Vanderbilt location in New York City
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Vanderbilt in the City

Vanderbilt in the City is an event series hosted at Vanderbilt University–New York City, 440 W. 21st St., in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. These events open the university’s doors to the New York City community and convene faculty and thought leaders for discussions that explore big questions and ideas.

Attendance is open to the public; registration is required. Learn more about and register for upcoming events below.

Upcoming Events

  • AI and the Future of the American University - November 13, 2025

    This event will feature a moderated panel conversation on artificial intelligence and the future of American higher education, hosted in collaboration with the New York Academy of Sciences.

    Attendance is open to the public; registration is required. Register here.

    • Date: Thursday, November 13
    • Time:
      • Reception: 6–7 p.m. ET
      • Event: 7–8 p.m. ET
    • Location: The Refectory at Vanderbilt University–New York City. Main entrance at 440 W. 21st St. (between 9th and 10th avenues) 
    • Panelists:
      • Nicholas Dirks, President and Chief Executive Officer, The New York Academy of Sciences 
      • Julie Samuels, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tech:NYC; Vanderbilt Law School Alumna 2005
      • Nabiha Syed, Executive Director, Mozilla Foundation
      • Matthew Johnson-Roberson, Inaugural Dean of the College of Connected Computing, Vanderbilt University
    • Moderator:
      • Rufus Griscom, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Next Big Idea Club; Host, Next Big Idea Podcast
Audience at event at Vanderbilt University - New York City
Panelists at event at Vanderbilt University - New York City

Past Events

  • America and the World - March 6, 2025

    This panel explored shifts in foreign policy and international alliances and their impact on the future of multilateralism, global security and America’s role in addressing challenges like climate change and emerging technologies.

    • Date: Thursday, March 6
    • Time:
      • Reception: 6–7 p.m. ET
      • Event: 7–8:30 p.m. ET
    • Location: The Refectory at Vanderbilt University–New York City. Main entrance at 440 W. 21st St. (between Ninth and 10th avenues)
    • Opening Remarks: C. Cybele Raver, provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, Vanderbilt University
    • Panelists:
      • Rana Foroohar, global business columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times and global economic analyst for CNN
      • Brett Benson, associate professor of political science and Asian studies, Vanderbilt University
      • Beth Noveck, professor at Northeastern University and Director of the Burnes Center for Social Change and the Governance Lab (The GovLab)
    • Moderator: Jad Abumrad, public radio icon, podcast pioneer and Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology
  • American Humor - April 10, 2025

    Award-winning authors and Vanderbilt faculty members Lorrie Moore and Major Jackson explored the power of humor and storytelling to bridge divides in a “fireside chat.” Moore read from I Am Homeless if This Is Not My Home, and Jackson read from Razzle Dazzle: New & Selected Poems. Afterward, they discussed humor’s role in society and writing’s cultural power and political impact.

    • Date: Thursday, April 10
    • Time:
      • Reception: 6–7 p.m. ET
      • Event: 7–8:30 p.m. ET
    • Location: The Refectory at Vanderbilt University–New York City. Main entrance at 440 W. 21st St. (between Ninth and 10th avenues) 
    • Panelists:
      • Lorrie Moore, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, Vanderbilt University
      • Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, Vanderbilt University
  • Health in America: Challenges and Opportunities - May 1, 2025

    This panel explored pressing public health issues, the role of federal agencies and emerging priorities for health policy. Experts from NYU, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt and the American Journal of Public Health discussed such topics as health equity, science-based policymaking and the rise of “healthism” and self-directed health—examining their implications for the future of U.S. health policy.

    • Date: Thursday, May 1
    • Time:
      • Reception: 6–7 p.m. ET
      • Event: 7–8:30 p.m. ET
    • Location: Vanderbilt University–New York City. Main entrance at 440 W. 21st St. (between Ninth and 10th avenues)
    • Panelists:
      • Eric Klinenberg, professor of sociology, Helen Gould Shepard Professor in the Social Sciences and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge, New York University
      • Melissa Harris-Perry, Maya Angelou Presidential Chair in the Department of Politics and International Affairs, the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Program in Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University
      • Alfredo Morabia, M.D., professor of clinical epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Public Health
    • Moderator:
      • Jonathan Metzl, Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry and director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, Vanderbilt University
  • Divine Rhythms: Jazz and the Sacred - September 25, 2025

    An evening of conversation and music as artists, theologians, and musicians explored the influence of spirituality on the development of jazz and the meaning of sacred elements within the jazz tradition.

    • Date: Thursday, September 25
    • Time:
      • Reception: 6–7 p.m. ET
      • Event: 7–8:30 p.m. ET
    • Location: The Refectory at Vanderbilt University–New York City. Main entrance at 440 W. 21st St. (between 9th and 10th avenues)
    • Opening Remarks: C. Cybele Raver, provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, Vanderbilt University
    • Panelists:
      • Robbie Fry, Principal Senior Lecturer of Musicology and Ethnomusicology, Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University
      • Eric Thomas, Assistant Professor of Bible, General Theological Seminary
      • Buck McDaniel, Artist-in-Residence at The General Theological Seminary; Director of Music at the Church of Our Saviour, Murray Hill and Chapel of the Sacred Hearts, Kips Bay
    • Moderator: Yolanda Pierce, Dean of the Divinity School; University Distinguished Professor of Religion & Literature; University Distinguished Professor of African American & Diaspora Studies, Vanderbilt University
    • Performance: Live jazz ensemble featuring students from Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music