Author
Bringing community to a seemingly solitary endeavor
Oct. 30, 2024—The image of a writer often conjures up visions of an author sequestered away crafting the perfect poem or buried under stacks of paper finishing their next novel. However, award-winning poet and Gertrude Conaway Professor of English Major Jackson believes it is a deeply collaborative process that relies heavily on community. “I think the conception...
Patte, professor of religious studies, emeritus, has died
Oct. 29, 2024—Daniel Patte, professor of religious studies, emeritus, died on September 2, 2024, in Nashville. He was 85. Patte was an internationally acclaimed biblical scholar and teacher, with a focus on the ethics of biblical interpretation and an emphasis on the contextual character of any interpretation of the Bible. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy...
Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science celebrates 30 years of STEM outreach
Oct. 28, 2024—When she was in middle school, Cheryl Quartey remembers looking forward to Vanderbilt students teaching science to her class through the Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science (VSVS) program. “When VSVS came to my class, I realized I had a passion for science thanks to the fun lessons taught by Vanderbilt students,” said Quartey, current VSVS...
Center for Global Democracy Awarded $12.5 million from USAID
Oct. 10, 2024—The College of Arts and Science’s Center for Global Democracy has been awarded $12.5 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to expand its research on democratic governance in Latin America and the Caribbean. The funds will be dispersed over the next five years to support activities related to the AmericasBarometer survey, a...
New study finds that anesthesia inhibits brain’s predictive processing
Oct. 8, 2024—Our brains constantly work to make predictions about what’s going on around us, ensuring that we can attend to and consider the unexpected. However, in a new study led by Assistant Professor of Psychology Andre Bastos, researchers found that animal subjects under general anesthesia were unable to detect moderate and complex surprises. While a sensory...
Nominations now open for Berg Global Artist-in-Residence Fellowship
Sep. 23, 2024—The College of Arts and Science has announced that nominations for the Berg Global Artist-in-Residence Fellowship are now open until September 30. All Vanderbilt faculty are eligible to submit nominations, and nominations by interdisciplinary teams of faculty are encouraged. The program brings accomplished visual artists to Vanderbilt to expose the campus community to new perspectives,...
New faculty Q&A: Discovering black holes in dwarf galaxies with Mallory Molina
Sep. 18, 2024—Meet new Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Mallory Molina and learn about their research on black holes, their teaching style, and why they are excited to join the College of Arts and Science this fall. Q: What is your area of research? A: I’ve always been interested in black holes, and when I was...
Research snapshot: Examining the impact of negative media coverage on LGBTQ+ young adults
Sep. 17, 2024—Kirsty Clark, assistant professor of medicine, health, and society, studies mental health disparities impacting LGBTQ+ populations through her lab. The Clark Lab then develops evidence-based interventions to disrupt the course of such disparities. Clark recently published research in JAMA Pediatrics that explores the effects of negative news and media coverage on the intensity of suicidal...
Stephen Taylor appointed to NASA’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission
Sep. 16, 2024—Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity may soon be disproven by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), and Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Stephen Taylor will be part of a selective team of scientists leading the effort. Taylor is one of only six scientists nationwide appointed to the LISA team, a joint mission between...
New faculty Q&A: Talia Fernós discusses what mathematics teaches us about life
Sep. 12, 2024—Meet new Visiting Professor of Mathematics Talia Fernós and learn about her research on group theory, her teaching style, and what excites her most about teaching students. Q: What is your area of research? A: My research is, broadly speaking, in math, and specifically in group theory, which is a technical term referring to the...