spotlight
Dr. John Sloop Named Endowed Chair in the Humanities
Mar. 30, 2026—Dr. John Sloop was recently named the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at a ceremony led by Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost Cybele Raver. Dr. Sloop was just one of two recipients from the College of Arts and Science to receive this distinction. It is also the first time that a faculty...
CMST Event Focuses on Influencer Culture
Mar. 23, 2026—The Department of Communication Studies welcomed to Vanderbilt two renowned scholars to discuss the impact of influencers on contemporary American culture. Dr. Sarah Banet-Weiser, the Walter H. Annenberg Dean of the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Grant Bollmer, an Associate Research Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland,...
Professors Koch, Sandoz, and West Honored at NCA
Nov. 24, 2025—Professors Isaac West, John Koch, and ML Sandoz were honored with awards at the National Communication Association’s annual convention. Professor West was presented with the Randy Majors Award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender scholarship in Communication Studies. The award is named for Randy Majors, who was one...
Dr. Max Dosser and Dr. Isaac West Facilitate Discussions about Fandom, True Crime
Nov. 24, 2025—Communication Studies faculty Max Dosser and Isaac West recently facilitated public discussions with two noteworthy artists. Professor Dosser interviewed actor Gavin Casalegno, who stars as Jeremiah Fisher in the television series The Summer I Turned Pretty. As reported by the Vanderbilt Hustler, Dosser asked Casalegno about everything from his career to his creative process. Professor...
Dr. Dustin Wood’s Class Tours The Hermitage
Apr. 9, 2025—“I hope to meet you all in heaven, both Black and White.” According to Hannah, one of the enslaved persons by Andrew Jackson’s bedside, these were the last words of the former president before he died in his bedroom at The Hermitage. This account ofJackson’s final moments is one of many stories that can be...
Dr. Bohyeong Kim Publishes New Book
Feb. 7, 2025—The Department of Communication Studies celebrates the publication of Professor Bohyeong Kim’s new book Critically Capitalist: The Spirit of Asset Capitalism in South Korea. The work is an ethnographic study of South Korea’s lay investors and aspiring millionaires that demonstrates how the country’s capitalism thrives on its critiques. Critically Capitalist presents an ethnography of South Korea’s...
The Vanderbilt Debate Team attends the World Universities Debating Championship in Panama City, Panama
Jan. 28, 2025—Over winter break, The Vanderbilt Debate Team traveled to Panama City, Panama for the World Universities Debating Championship. This is an annual event where the top British Parliamentary Debate teams in the world compete for the title of world champion. At this competition, Vanderbilt debated schools from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South...
Dustin Wood’s Class Hosts “One Small Step” Workshop
Nov. 12, 2024—Conflict and communication breakdowns are often connected to poor listening. Perhaps this is unsurprising. Whether due to being distracted, jumping to conclusions, or thinking about how to respond to our interlocutor, many of us can struggle to be good listeners. Effective listening may prove especially challenging when we’re interacting with those who see the world...
Dustin Wood’s Class Visits Site of MLK Address
Sep. 20, 2024—The Civil Rights Movement has been described as a religious phenomenon. Many of the Movement’s leaders were ministers, and many more people were inspired to participate in the Movement due to their religious beliefs. While religion motivated many individuals to join the struggle for civil rights, most churches were hesitant to support the Movement at...
VU Spotlights CMST Graduating Senior Haley Bishop
Apr. 16, 2024—