Faculty News

Associate Professor of Chemistry Renã Robinson For Associate Professor of Chemistry Renã Robinson, science has long been about helping people. She was an avid scientist-in-training throughout her childhood and went to college intending to become a cardiac surgeon. But when she got close to the end of… Read More

One year ago, Sahil “Sael” Soni ’21, a chemistry and economics double major, had just returned from a blue-ribbon performance in Vanderbilt Debate’s first-ever international competition. He was looking forward to finishing the 2019-2020 season on a high note, as were his teammates. For… Read More

Samar S. Ali, JD’06, BS’03, has joined the faculties of the Department of Political Science and Law School as a research professor focusing on international law and conflict resolution. Samar S. Ali, JD’06, BS’03, has joined the Vanderbilt faculty as a research professor in political science and… Read More

Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences Antonis Rokas in his lab. (John Russell/Vanderbilt University) Antonis Rokas, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences, has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The lifetime honor, first awarded… Read More

Department of Philosophy visiting scholar Emanuele Costa According to Department of Philosophy visiting scholar Emanuele Costa, people often see modern philosophy as ancient history. But the discipline, which covers the 1500s-1800s, is highly relevant to both today’s scholars and the public at large. “Modern European and… Read More

Katherine Friedman, associate professor and vice chair of biological sciences (Steve Green/Vanderbilt University) When Vanderbilt ramped down research activities early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Friedman Lab was better-positioned than many. Led by Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Biological Sciences Katherine… Read More

Vanderbilt University’s first ROTC cadet corps poses for a farewell photo near what is now the main entrance to campus. They left shortly after to serve in World War I. A little more than one hundred years ago, rows of young men stood at attention for a portrait in front… Read More

Joshua D. Clinton, Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair and Professor of Political Science (John Russell/Vanderbilt University) On election night, tens of millions of Americans will turn on their televisions, log onto the internet, or pick up their smartphones for a unified purpose: learning the identity of the next President of… Read More

Michael Eric Dyson, a globally renowned scholar of race, religion and contemporary culture, will join Vanderbilt as Centennial Chair and University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science and University Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School on Jan. Read More

Gilman Whiting, associate professor of African American and Diaspora Studies (Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt University) On a hot, muggy August evening, a group of masked students followed Gilman Whiting, associate professor of African American and Diaspora Studies, onto the lawn in front of Wilson Hall. There, they took up socially… Read More

Are student loans a smart way to pay for college? Is pawning jewelry ever a good way to acquire extra cash? And why do humans have so much trouble making smart financial decisions? Economics faculty Paige Marta Skiba and Lesley Turner are researching the answers to… Read More

Noam Lupu (Steve Green/Vanderbilt University) New research from Associate Professor of Political Science Noam Lupu challenges several common assumptions about white working-class support for President Donald Trump. Lupu conducted the research, outlined in the article “The White Working Class and the 2016 Election,” with… Read More

As public health officials tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, they face an overwhelming number of factors that affect the virus’s spread. Population density, economic challenges, adherence to social distancing measures—they all play a part in determining the rise or fall of infection rates. And the results of efforts to “flatten the… Read More

Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science has long had connections to Latin America. Through the Center for Latin American Studies, the work of Latin American specialists in departments such as history and anthropology, and numerous student and faculty research trips, the college has forged strong… Read More

THE WORK “What are the burdens we carry?” For three years, Associate Professor of the Practice of Art Jana Harper has been exploring and answering that question through her project This Holding. “That question multiplied into other questions,” Harper said. “What might those… Read More

Amidst all the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, one constant has held: researchers across the College of Arts and Science have dedicated their efforts to understanding the virus, how to control it, and how it impacts our communities. Jennifer Trueblood, associate professor of psychology, and… Read More

Two members of the College of Arts and Science faculty—Distinguished University Professor Houston A. Baker and University Distinguished Professor George Hornberger—have been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS). Founded in 1780 by John Adams and John Hancock, among others,… Read More

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Steve Townsend Assistant Professor of Chemistry Steve Townsend has been named to this year’s class of Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awardees. Every year, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation supports the careers of a select number of faculty in the chemical… Read More

Associate Professor of Art Vesna Pavlović has been awarded a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship to conduct research at the Archives of American Art (AAA) in summer 2021. The program provides support for outstanding visual artists from around the world, with the aim of inspiring… Read More

More than 500 College of Arts and Science alumni registered for an April 22 coronavirus webinar with David Wright, Stevenson Professor of Chemistry, Dean of Graduate Education & Research, and expert on respiratory viruses and diagnostics. The webinar, which was hosted by the Office of Development… Read More