December 2014

Dear College of Arts and Science friends:

I recently received good news about major achievements for a student and two faculty members that underscore the range and reach of the College of Arts and Science.

Second-year MFA student Anders Carlson-Wee won a creative writing fellowship in poetry from the National Endowments for the Arts. The NEA selected him for the literary arts fellowship from more than 1,600 poets. To put this in perspective, Kate Daniels, professor of English and director of the creative writing program, says it’s rare for a student to receive that fellowship.

Professors Jeffrey Schall and David Wright have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Association fellows are elected by their peers for advancing science or its applications.

Schall, the E. Bronson Ingram Professor of Neuroscience and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, was elected for his groundbreaking work regarding visual perception, cognitive control and decision-making. Wright, Stevenson Professor of Chemistry and chair of the department, was elected for his exceptional contributions to bioinorganic chemistry and its application to the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, particularly in the fields of malaria and RNA viruses.

Congratulations to Anders, Jeff and David. What wonderful news to close out the year!

On behalf of the College of Arts and Science, I wish you and yours happy holidays.

Dean John Sloop's signature

John M. Sloop

Shocking—the media goes crazy over eels

Research by Kenneth Catania, Stevenson Professor of Biological Science, reveals that an electric eel’s shock works like a Taser, immobilizing prey. The news story—and video—were irresistible to the New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC News, CBS News, USA Today and dozens of other news outlets globally.The video has received more than 66,000 YouTube views so far.

Arts and Science in the News

Time turned to psychology’s Steve Hollon for insight on ways to save on mental-health care (the New York Times also talked to him about depression); Earth and environmental sciences’ Larisa DeSantis appeared on Nat Geo Wild’s Future Cat; and Jonathan Metzl spoke on MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry Show about recent high-profile killings of unarmed African Americans by white police officers.

50,000+ surveyed
Crime and violence concern people in the Americas more now than a decade ago. That’s according to the 2014 AmericasBarometer survey by the Latin American Public Opinion Project.

Jackie Robinson of the SEC
Alumnus Perry Wallace, BE’70, and his biographer, Andrew Maraniss, BA’92, spoke on campus and to NPR about Wallace’s role in integrating SEC basketball in 1966.

As seen in Vogue
Danielle Snyder, BA’07, and her sister co-founded the jewelry line, DANNIJO, sold around the world. She tells Vanderbilt students about being an entrepreneur.

Read any good books?

Faculty across campus–especially those in A&S–name their favorite books of the year.

Ampersand | Vanderbilt University College of Arts and Science
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