Faculty News

“Sometimes our motivations aren’t what we asked for—they are given to us.” That is the experience of Visiting Assistant Professor of English Didi Jackson, who joined Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science in Spring 2021. A true lover of the humanities, Jackson brings to A&S a deep passion for telling… Read More

Sandra Rosenthal, Jack and Pamela Egan Chair and professor of chemistry, shares how her personal struggle with bipolar disorder has influenced her research. Read More

“Leadership is a choice – a title doesn’t entitle you to anything.” That is the belief of Patrick Leddin, associate professor of the practice of managerial studies, as he guides readers through the journey to becoming a successful leader in his new book, The 5 Week Leadership… Read More

Raheleh Filsoofi, Lynn Ramey, Angela Sutton (Vanderbilt University) Three faculty members from the College of Arts and Science have been selected to receive important grants to support their research in the humanities. The announcement of the awards comes in the wake of a strategic effort by A&S… Read More

Vanderbilt College of Arts & Science is honored to welcome 52 new faculty members from both the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years to our growing community of distinguished scholars.    “We are thrilled about what this diverse roster of world-class researchers and educators will bring to our academic landscape,”… Read More

As we begin the fall semester, A&S faculty and students reflect on the trials of the last year and look ahead with promise to the year ahead. Read More

Vanderbilt University’s Office of the Provost annually recognizes faculty members for their accomplishments in teaching, research, and service to the campus community with internal awards. Announced at the Fall Faculty Assembly on August 26, 2021, six College of Arts and Science faculty members received awards for their outstanding work. Below… Read More

Today, June 19, marks 156 years since Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom from slavery in the state of Texas—the last state where the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced. At the time, an estimated 250,000 people were still enslaved in Texas. What began as an annual celebration in Texas’ Black… Read More

In 2007, Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science launched an innovative new major called Medicine, Health, and Society (MHS). From attracting just 40 enrollees in its first year, the interdisciplinary program has grown rapidly into one of A&S’s most popular majors. More than 700 undergraduate students are… Read More

Women’s History Month is both an opportunity and an invitation: an opportunity to learn more about an often-hidden side of history and culture, and an invitation to develop a new awareness, concerns, and habits of learning that can carry through the rest of the year. As part of the College… Read More

On March 24, the College of Arts and Science recognized 19 outstanding faculty members and graduate students for excellence in teaching and advising. These awards are an important part of the Arts and Science tradition, and past recipients include some of the most distinguished and beloved professors and instructors in… Read More

Holly McCammon, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Sociology The history of women’s rights in the United States is inextricable from the history of social movements. In the nineteenth century, married women fought for legal personhood and the right to own property independent of their husbands. In the early… Read More

Allison Schachter, Chair of Jewish Studies and Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, English, and Russian and East European Studies (Vanderbilt University) Allison Schachter, an associate professor of Jewish studies, English, and Russian and East European studies,… Read More

The College of Arts and Science has announced the recipients of the 2021-2023 Dean’s Faculty Fellowships. Seven junior faculty members from diverse areas of expertise were recognized by the dean for their extraordinary promise in their respective fields. They join the existing group three faculty members who were awarded 2020-2022… Read More

Tiffany R. Patterson, Associate Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies From a young age, Associate Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies Tiffany Ruby Patterson loved to learn. She read voraciously throughout her childhood: a set of World Book encyclopedias purchased by her uncle, an entire… Read More

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