Jack Loken

We started this last year. This summer, we’re building on that momentum. NanoExchange is back for Summer 2026, continuing to rethink the traditional seminar format. Designed by students, this series transforms the typical research talk into an open, interactive forum for sharing ideas, asking questions, and… Read More

We are proud to welcome our 2026 cohort of summer interns, marking the 15th year of the NSF REU program alongside the continued growth of the Summer Tech Crew, established in 2016. Together, these programs provide students with hands-on research and facility experience that supports innovation in nanoscale science and… Read More

While much of the campus enjoys spring break, VINSE NanoGuides welcomes 50 students from three middle Tennessee high schools: Cookeville, Greenbrier, and Springfield. They’re here to take part in our Blackberry Solar Cell hands-on lab to learn how nanoscale materials affect renewable energy technologies. Students made their own dye-sensitized solar… Read More

What secrets can a “crime scene” reveal if you know where to look? On Thursday, January 15th, VINSE welcomed 16 students from Giles County High School to our Forensics Lab for a hands-on investigation into the science behind solving mysteries. During the program, students tackled a whodunnit-themed challenge using… Read More

  As part of the VINSE NSF-REU Professional Development Series, undergraduate researchers had the opportunity to hear directly from current Vanderbilt graduate students during a dynamic and insightful panel discussion this week. Panelists Jack Loken, Marsalas Whitaker, Elizabeth Hays, Emily Rouse, and Chris Boyd shared… Read More

On Friday, November 8th, VINSE welcomed 9 students from Clarkrange High School to our Forensics Lab. It seems like there was nothing eye-catching at the “crime scene,” but what were the hidden clues? During the forensics lab program, the students solved a whodunnit-themed activity using several types of spectroscopies including… Read More

On Tuesday, April 23, VINSE welcomed nine students from Clay County High School to our Forensics Lab. Their job was to find proof of “murderer” using the various tools in the lab before the end of the day! Our NanoGuides provided an introduction to the optical properties of natural and… Read More