Natural Sciences

Undergraduate students at A&S have unique opportunities to conduct a wide range of research, discovery, and scholarship during their time on campus. As an undergraduate researcher, Pax Poggi BA’25 studies the intersection of mathematics and consciousness. Hear about his work with the integrated information theory of consciousness,… 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

The Department of Physics and Astronomy hosted former Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen at an April 8 colloquium attended by students, faculty, and other members of the Vanderbilt community. In a lecture followed by a question-and-answer session with attendees, Bredesen shared the value of scientific frameworks for problem-solving… 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

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

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

Though the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled many students’ original summer plans, College of Arts and Science students adapted quickly. Through technology, creativity, and determination, they found ways to expand their horizons and continue preparing for life after Vanderbilt. Juniors Navya Thakkar, Skylar Cuevas, and Natalie Elliott all used their summers to… Read More

Susan Gessner Stewart, BS’90 When Susan Gessner Stewart, BS’90, first came to the College of Arts and Science, her mind was firmly grounded on this planet—in the world of architecture, to be precise. Then a string of unexpected circumstances led her to the Department of Physics… Read More

Jacob Steenwyk (Vanderbilt University) It’s no surprise that Jacob Steenwyk became interested in art at a young age. Both his parents are artists: his father served as art director for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his mother was a recognized art critic who has published in… 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

Two graduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy have been awarded coveted U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) fellowships to advance their research. David Curie, a third-year physics Ph.D. student, received an Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Fellowship to conduct part of… 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

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

Founder’s Medalist Sumanth Chennareddy BA’20 Sumanth Chennareddy BA’20, a neuroscience major and Spanish minor, is this year’s Founder’s Medalist for the College of Arts and Science. The Founder’s Medal is a 143-year-old tradition that recognizes the top graduating student from each of Vanderbilt’s 10 schools… 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

William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair Brandt Eichman has been named the recipient of the Biochemical Society’s 2021 International Award for outstanding and independent research that demonstrates the importance of the molecular biosciences. Brandt Eichman (Vanderbilt University) The Biochemical Society, the UK’s… Read More

When Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences Thomas Clements first came to Vanderbilt, he realized right away that he would have to be intentional about connecting with his students. His fall teaching load typically includes BiSci 1510, an intro-level lecture that sometimes draws hundreds of students, and he wanted them… Read More

Two College of Arts and Science faculty members have been named Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 2020 Research Fellows. Assistant Professor of Psychology Antonia Kaczkurkin and Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Ann Tate will each receive a $75,000 award, which can be used over a… Read More

On February 3, an unusual sight greeted visitors to Buttrick Hall. Tall, brightly colored banners lined the Buttrick lobby. Each banner bore a large graphic and a poem. As students, faculty, and staff made their way past the banners, they noticed something unusual: every poem in the collection was about… Read More

Assistant Professor of Physics Alfredo Gurrola has won a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to further his search for the particles that make up dark matter and are responsible for dark matter interactions. The grant is part of the NSF’s prestigious CAREER program, which supports early-career faculty… Read More