featured
Give Metro Nashville feedback on Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan
Oct. 3, 2023—To prepare Nashville and Davidson County and ensure its citizens’ ability to thrive for years to come, former Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s office, in partnership with Metro Nashville departments and the Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, have developed a Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan. The advisory committee was chaired by Vice Chancellor for Administration Eric Kopstain and Vanderbilt Law...
Vanderbilt contributes civil engineering and operational expertise to Nashville mayor’s climate adaptation and resilience plan
Sep. 26, 2023—Vanderbilt faculty and staff have been key contributors to a Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan that was released by Metro Nashville on Sept. 19. Jaclyn Mothupi, director of social innovation at the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center, and Janey Camp, research professor of civil and environmental engineering, co-chaired the subcommittee on adaptation and resilience as part of Mayor John Cooper’s Sustainability...
Four recognized with 2023 Vanderbilt alumni awards
Sep. 14, 2023—The Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors has announced its 2023 alumni award recipients. They will be honored during Reunion and Homecoming weekend Nov. 2–5. Cynthia “CJ” Warner, BE’80, is the Alumni Professional Achievement Award recipient. The award recognizes Vanderbilt alumni who have distinguished themselves through their professional accomplishments and whose contributions honor the legacy of excellence at...
Registration open for inaugural Commodore Cup, a campus-wide sustainability challenge hosted by the Wond’ry
Aug. 31, 2023—The Wond’ry, in collaboration with Clearloop and the Division of Administration, will host the inaugural Commodore Cup design challenge this September, with $10,000 worth of cash prizes up for grabs. Open to all students, staff, faculty and alumni, this year’s theme is Sustainability. Applications close on Sept. 1 at midnight. Register here.
New map app for all-electric VandyRide shuttles, other important updates to the service
Aug. 24, 2023—Vanderbilt University announced earlier this summer that it will deploy the first all-electric multi-vehicle shuttle fleet at a university in Tennessee. The new fleet will provide eco-friendly vehicles for VandyRide, a nighttime shuttle service for Vanderbilt students, by the start of the fall 2023 semester. The transition to these EV shuttles will help Vanderbilt further reduce...
Vanderbilt Campus Dining launches ReusePass reusable container program
Aug. 21, 2023—Vanderbilt University Campus Dining is introducing the ReusePass program, its latest effort toward integrating sustainability into daily campus life. Launching at the start of the fall 2023 semester, ReusePass offers a straightforward process that empowers participants to effortlessly make eco-conscious dining choices and help curb single-use plastic waste. ReusePass replaces the Fill it Forward program...
Jonathan Gilligan receives 2023–24 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award
Aug. 18, 2023—Jonathan Gilligan, Vanderbilt University professor of earth and environmental sciences and of civil and environmental engineering, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award for the 2023–24 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Gilligan will be the visiting Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Digital Technologies and Sustainability...
Vanderbilt hosts SmartComp 2023, prestigious IEEE international conference on smart computing
Jul. 28, 2023—Vanderbilt University recently hosted the ninth Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Conference on Smart Computing, a reflection of the university’s leading role in AI and its involvement in advanced smart community projects. Organized with the support of the Institute for Software Integrated Systems, the conference drew a diverse mix of academics, community leaders and professionals from across...
Vanderbilt preserves history through the salvaged remains of the Bicentennial Oak
Jun. 29, 2023—The Bicentennial Oak, the only tree on Vanderbilt’s campus known to predate the founding of the university, fell in November due to age-related decay. Estimated to be about 250 years old, the bur oak was one of the most recognizable trees on campus, and it served as a landmark near Garland Hall for generations of Vanderbilt...
New study in ‘Nature Water’ demonstrates a vastly more sustainable, cost-effective method to desalinate industrial wastewater
Jun. 22, 2023—Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that has developed a cutting-edge method that seeks to make the removal of salt from hypersaline industrial wastewater far more energy-efficient and cost-effective. While desalination through reverse osmosis has made tremendous strides—allowing for salt removal from seawater for less than a penny per gallon—it still falls short in...