Mary-Lou Watkinson

On a summer day in Nashville, one person escapes the heat in an air-conditioned office while another delivers packages in a metal truck that absorbs heat or labors outdoors for hours under the sun. Both people experience the same weather, but according to new research from Assistant Professor of Cinema… Read More

When Nashville’s Sexual Assault Center (SAC) set out to reimagine an exhibition for its spring open house, two College of Arts and Science students stepped forward to bring the project to life. Quinn Fitzpatrick (left) and Taliyah Bradberry (right) Taliyah Bradberry, a senior double-majoring in history of art and studio… Read More

Adapted from a press release written by Arizona State University The experiences we face early in life may leave lasting marks on our health that echo across decades—even throughout the body. Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Scholar in Biological Sciences Rachel Petersen A new study published in Science (DOI), “Age… Read More

Paul Elledge, professor of English, emeritus, died April 27, 2026, in Olympia, Washington, at the age of 87. A longtime member of the Vanderbilt community, Elledge devoted more than four decades to teaching, scholarship, and academic leadership. Known for his thoughtful mentorship, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to the humanities, he… Read More

Dark energy makes up roughly 70 percent of the universe, but it remains one of the greatest mysteries of physics that scientists have been trying to answer for decades. From left: Oem Trivedi, Alfredo Gurrola, Robert Scherrer Dark energy is speeding up the expansion of the universe and shaping the… Read More

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Alexandre Tiriac has received a 2026 McKnight Scholar Award to expand his research on brain development. Started in 1977 by the McKnight Foundation, the McKnight Scholar Awards are granted to early-career scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to neuroscience. The highly completive… Read More

Adapted from a press release written by Kate Barnes, University of Michigan According to a new study, a Florida law designed to prevent gun violence by temporarily removing firearms from people at risk of harming themselves or others is used unevenly across the state. These findings could help researchers and… Read More

Radical collaboration blossomed this spring as the Department of Asian Studies partnered with the Vanderbilt Facilities Maintenance and Operations Grounds team to bring locally sourced branches into floral arrangements for the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival. Collecting from the arboretum’s seasonal prunings, the project connected… Read More

At a young age, Sophia Kantejeva learned firsthand how socioeconomic status impacts healthcare. “Growing up in Illinois in a tiny, subsidized-housing neighborhood with limited access to healthcare, and noticing how characters in TV shows could go to emergency rooms and urgent care without any concern over money, I became aware… Read More

William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair and Professor of Biological Sciences Brandt Eichman is the first Vanderbilt faculty member to be awarded the prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowship. Jointly funded by the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation, the fellowship invites outstanding international researchers… Read More

This year, four College of Arts and Science students had the opportunity to participate in the 2026 Rachel Carson Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. A national environmental organization envisioned by late marine biologist Rachel Carson, the Rachel Carson Council (RCC) promotes scientific concern for the environment and human health to… Read More

For George Boardman, history was never just a subject—it was part of the fabric of his everyday life. His mother earned a Ph.D. in diplomatic history and spent years teaching and researching the field, his father ran for U.S. Congress in the ’90s, and his grandfather served as a senior… Read More

For many students, middle school is a time of uncertainty. For Alaina Jefferson, it marked the beginning of a certain and lifelong fascination with the brain. As a seventh grader attending a science camp at Virginia Commonwealth University, Jefferson participated in an experiment that allowed students to control each other’s… Read More

In today’s world, we have more content choices than ever before, and yet the media industry is facing an uncertain future due to declining audiences, failing business models, and threats to free expression. In an age defined by information overload, viral narratives, and deepening political divides, Vanderbilt University’s… Read More

As you walk around Nashville, you have likely come across Little Free Libraries, a book-sharing program where community members take or leave books in standing boxes. Looking at the success of these communal libraries, Professor of Communication Studies Claire Sisco King wondered if there was a way… Read More

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more than one million violent crimes are committed in the United States every year. While data on the attacks, the victims, and the larger community abounds, rarely have researchers explored how incidents of crime impact the mental health of nearby residents. Photo by… Read More

The robot revolution is coming, and it’s time to pick a side. This spring, the Department of Theatre presents Я.U.Robot, an adaptation of Karel Čapek’s 1920s science fiction play R.U.R. about a future where synthetic workers are mass-produced to serve humanity. The concept was chosen by Professor of Theatre and the… Read More

Julia “Jules” Ashworth (class of 2026) fell in love with the French language at an early age, when she took her first French class in the third grade. She continued to study French up until middle school, when she was required to take Spanish, but then re-enrolled in French as… Read More

When physics and astronomy Ph.D. candidate Oem Trivedi was growing up in India, he had big dreams: becoming a wrestler in the World Wrestling Entertainment industry. Trivedi admits that as a kid he was not the best student; his parents were often called to the school for his behavior, as… Read More

William McLaughlin starts his day at 7 a.m. with a cup of coffee. Photo by Liz Chagnon/Vanderbilt University A Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences, he likes to keep his mornings slow and predictable before driving to campus to work in Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Megan Behringer’s… Read More