Mary-Lou Watkinson

Photo by Kate Snyder Most of us have heard the phrase “it takes a village” when it comes to childcare. This age-old saying holds true for some songbirds, and a new study has found that this “village” has evolutionary consequences for their songs. Birdsong is often framed as a sexually… Read More

Freshly brewed coffee. Cut grass. Campfires. Spring flowers. Reading these words may conjure a specific scent in your mind. Scent is everywhere, and there is a shared experience in how different cultures and individuals use and depict fragrance. A new exhibit currently on display at the Vanderbilt University Museum of… Read More

Steve Buckles, senior lecturer of economics, retired, died on January 10, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 82. Born on June 11, 1943, in Kansas City, Missouri, Buckles received a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College in 1965. Afterwards, he enrolled in the economics Ph.D. program at Vanderbilt. During… Read More

Photo by Lucius Outlaw Over the next year, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair and Professor of Psychology Sohee Park will work to develop a novel approach to examine the nature of the body and the self in those with schizophrenia. Park will be conducting this research as part… Read More

In the College of Arts and Science, teaching is a critical part of our mission, with our faculty at the heart of our school. Each year, we recognize our faculty for their dedication to not only teaching, but also for their mentorship and guidance. During the first faculty meeting of… Read More

Two seniors in the College of Arts and Science have been named 2026-2027 recipients of the Wattles Fellowship. The fellowship offers three women graduates from Vanderbilt University a one-year, fully integrated position in the London corporate risk management and insurance market. Meet the college’s two Wattles Fellows and learn about… Read More

Illustration by Liz Chagnon Artificial intelligence has become increasingly present in our everyday lives—embedded in our cell phones, popping up on social media platforms, and incorporated into many business operations. With this rapid adoption comes many emotions ranging from excitement about having a technological aid that makes life more efficient… Read More

Can you tell the difference between an artificial-intelligence-generated face and a real one? In an era of digital misinformation, where fabricated images can spread widely across news and social media, this skill is proving invaluable. A new study has found that a person’s object recognition ability, or the ability… Read More

Freedom is something many people in the world seek, but what factors contribute to a country being considered free? This is a question students in Associate Professor of Political Science Katherine Carroll’s course, Middle East Politics, explored by creating a mock report for Freedom House, a… Read More

There are more than 80,000 unaccounted-for American service personnel from past conflicts, according to the U.S. Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). More than 70,000 are missing from World War II alone, leaving their surviving families and descendants with questions, but no answers. Growing up, Associate Professor of the… Read More

The class met a tour guide at the airport upon arriving in Panama. Some students may use Fall Break as an opportunity to catch up on rest, see the fall foliage, or carve pumpkins. Students in Principal Senior Lecturer Lori Catanzaro’s class spent their break touring tropical… Read More

Three students in the College of Arts and Science were named 2025-2027 recipients of the Voyager Scholarship, the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service. Awarded to students in their third year of undergraduate education, the two-year scholarship champions young leaders who can bridge divides and help solve the world’s biggest challenges. Read More

Adapted from an article by Andy Flick Aditya Kurre When you think of a sloth, an image of a slow, cuddly, furry creature hanging out in trees may come to mind—the picture of tranquility. But millions of years ago, sloths were around 9 feet tall and weighed anywhere from 400-2,500… Read More

Some people may worry about being bitten by a snake or spider, but have you ever considered what would happen if a small black hole tried to pass through your body? An article by Professor of Physics Robert Scherrer in the International Journal of Modern Physics D… Read More

On September 14, 2015, at 4:51 a.m. Central Time, scientists witnessed something no human had ever seen before: two black holes colliding. A computer simulation of two black holes colliding created by researchers from LIGO, the California Institute of Technology, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These black holes, which… Read More

Atlanta-based artist Susan Ker-Seymer and Robert Barsky For those experiencing writer’s block, or just looking for inspiration, journeying outside and spending time in nature may be the answer. The natural world has a cadence that helps us relax and refocus, allowing creativity to flow. This was the case for Professor… Read More

David A. Nunnally, associate professor of biology, emeritus, died on September 5, 2025, in Columbia, Tennessee, at the age of 90. Born in 1935 in Memphis, Tennessee, Nunnally was a dedicated scholar and educator. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of the South in 1956. Later… Read More

The College of Arts and Science has long been an innovator and leader in the arts—from theater to studio art to cinema to architecture. Faculty and students alike create, build, and explore in visionary ways that affect the way we interpret and live in the world around us. Leah Lowe,… Read More

After scraping your knee or getting cut by an errant tree branch, you likely slathered your injury with the antibiotic ointment Neosporin. Widely used to prevent infection, one of the active ingredients in Neosporin is neomycin. Discovered in the 1940s, neomycin is an effective topical antibiotic, however, if injected into… Read More

When John Warren is seeking inspiration, he walks and observes. John Warren with his 16mm camera. Wandering the streets of Nashville with a 16mm Bolex film camera, the lecturer in art is constantly on the hunt for his next project. While exploring the city, Warren noticed one… Read More