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Auer, founder of the Center for U.S.-Japan Studies and Cooperation, has died
May. 23, 2024—James Auer, senior lecturer of Asian studies, emeritus, died May 16, 2024, as a result of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 82. Auer founded the Center for U.S.-Japan Studies and Cooperation at Vanderbilt in 1988, which was an active hub promoting cooperation between the two countries in the areas of economics, national security, and...
Vanderbilt scientists develop an algae time machine, advancing biomedicine
May. 13, 2024—Carl H. Johnson, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences, along with a team of Vanderbilt scientists, have succeeded in adjusting the daily biological clock of cyanobacteria, making the blue-green algae a more prolific producer of renewable fuels, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, like insulin. The ultimate solar-powered machines, cyanobacteria are like tiny workshops churning out everything from...
Students help build a more equitable coffee supply chain through innovative design challenge
Apr. 29, 2024—By Ann Marie Deer Owens Imagine going to a coffee shop and ordering your favorite drink. You see a QR code next to your menu item. The code’s link connects you to global music from where the coffee beans were grown, as well as information about the local farmers who harvested the beans. That is...
Cognitive scientist and respected leader Tim McNamara named dean of College of Arts and Science
Apr. 18, 2024—Vanderbilt University has named Timothy P. McNamara, a visionary leader, trusted peer and mentor, as Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science. McNamara’s appointment for a two-year term, announced by C. Cybele Raver, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, follows McNamara’s exemplary service as interim dean since July 2023.
CLACX: A legacy and future of leadership and evolution
Apr. 5, 2024—For more than 75 years, Vanderbilt has been a pioneer in the study of the Americas, forging new paths to innovate, shape, and advance the field. Now, the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies (CLACX) once again finds itself at the forefront, driving important changes in education, research, and programming, both at the...
15 years of the Beckman Scholars Program: Providing unparalleled undergrad research opportunities
Apr. 2, 2024—The highly selective Beckman Scholars Program is celebrating 15 years of partnership with the College of Arts and Science. Over the years, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has provided more than $543,000 in support of 23 undergraduate Beckman Scholars at Vanderbilt who engage in unique, hands-on, mentored research. The Beckman Scholars Program (BSP) supports...
McLean awarded Herty Medal for chemistry achievements, distinguished service
Mar. 25, 2024—John A. McLean, Stevenson Professor of Chemistry and dean of graduate education and research in the College of Arts and Science, has been named the winner of this year’s Charles H. Herty Medal by the Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society. The award recognizes outstanding work and service by a chemist in the Southeast....
First-gen college student prepares for grad school future focused on evolutionary biology research
Feb. 16, 2024—Credit: Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation/Kaerie Ray College of Arts and Science senior Sarah Hourihan is eagerly awaiting journal publication of a first-author manuscript featuring results of research on the dark-eyed junco songbird completed as a Beckman Foundation Scholar. The paper, available as a pre-print on bioRxiv, signals the end of work on one research...
New center launches, leading the conversation on the American presidency
Feb. 7, 2024—The Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the American Presidency has launched, with the goal of exploring the presidency through an innovative, comprehensive lens. Housed within the College of Arts and Science, the center will serve as a nationally recognized hub for innovative scholarship about the workings of the presidency. On February 6,...
Weiler, emeritus professor of physics and astronomy, has died
Jan. 26, 2024—Thomas Weiler, professor of physics and astronomy, emeritus, died December 17, 2023, after enduring a progressive neurodegenerative variant of Parkinson’s disease. He was 74. Weiler was an international leader in the use of neutrinos to elucidate new particle physics and astrophysics. He received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1971 and a Ph.D. in...