April Evans

Congratulations to Principal Senior Lecturer of Classical and Mediterranean Studies Dan Solomon on being awarded the Ernest A. Jones Award for 2025 in the humanities. The award recognizes excellence in academic advising. Read More

By Madyson Cahill When I sat down to interview Vanderbilt Alumni Bronwen Blass, Class of 2000, I wanted to know how her journey in gender and sexuality studies (GSS)—formerly known as women’s studies—compared to my experience today. She reminisced about her time at Vanderbilt, from protesting to being the president… Read More

By Garrison Morrison For two Vanderbilt alumnae, the lessons learned in their gender and sexuality studies courses continue to guide how they think, lead, and build more equitable futures in their careers. Molly Moreau, Class of 2016, and Amanda Berk, Class of 2020, pursued majors in medicine, health, and society… Read More

By Daniela Aquirre Professor Essin’s assignment for our Gender and Sexuality Studies Senior Seminar felt like the perfect capstone for a department that has consistently opened my eyes and challenged the way I think. Our project was to interview graduates of Vanderbilt’s gender and sexuality studies (GSS) program, formerly known… Read More

By Christina Kim When I talked with Dr. Obianuju Mbamalu, who goes by Dr. Uju for short, I was struck by how warm and easy she was to speak with. Dr. Uju is an endodontist practicing in the Miami–Fort Lauderdale area, but before dental school, she received her bachelor’s degree… Read More

By Vincent Castillo When Dr. Christin Essin announced that our Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS) senior seminar would be interviewing alumni, I was excited but also curious about what it could look like for a GSS major or minor. I had spoken to consultants, nonprofit professionals, and analysts, but many… Read More

By Emily Bernstein As my senior year progresses, I am both worried and excited by the uncertainty that looms just beyond graduation. What does life beyond Vanderbilt actually look like? How do my degrees and college interests translate into a real world, professional life? Although I stumbled into my Gender… Read More

By Sam Mitike This semester, students in the Gender and Sexuality Studies Senior Seminar worked to highlight alumni whose careers reflect the program’s interdisciplinary spirit. I had the opportunity to speak with Mel Pugeda, BA’05. A former human and organizational development major and women’s studies minor, Mel has built an… Read More

By Juliet Curtin, Class of 2026 When Professor Essin told our Senior Seminar class that we would be interviewing graduates of Vanderbilt’s Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS) program (formerly known as Women and Gender Studies) I was ecstatic. I had never had the chance to speak with alumni before, and… Read More

Peggy Lucas-McGowan is celebrating her 50th anniversary at the College of Arts and Science, all of which has been devoted to the Department of Physics and Astronomy. She has witnessed enormous changes since her start in 1974—from the advent of the computer to increased female representation in the sciences. Read… Read More

The College of Arts and Science has launched the Center for Global Democracy, a premier social science institute dedicated to pioneering research and innovation in democratic politics around the world. Noam Lupu, professor of political science, directs the new center. Noam Lupu, professor of… Read More

By Nick McCoy, Evolutionary Studies undergraduate communications assistant  Reese Martin has always been drawn to biology and exploring the behaviors of different organisms. During his childhood, he dug in anthills, and now he observes the life history traits of flower beetles and other taxa. Martin’s new first-author paper, “Pleiotropy… Read More

James Auer, senior lecturer of Asian studies, emeritus, died May 16, 2024, as a result of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 82. Auer founded the Center for U.S.-Japan Studies and Cooperation at Vanderbilt in 1988, which was an active hub promoting cooperation between the two countries in the areas… Read More

Carl H. Johnson, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences, along with a team of Vanderbilt scientists, have succeeded in adjusting the daily biological clock of cyanobacteria, making the blue-green algae a more prolific producer of renewable fuels, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, like insulin. The ultimate solar-powered machines, cyanobacteria… Read More