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Hercules, Centennial Professor of Chemistry, emeritus, has died

Jan. 25, 2024—David Hercules, Centennial Professor of Chemistry, emeritus, who served as the chair of the Department of Chemistry for eight years, died January 20, 2024, after a battle with cancer. He was 91. Born in Somerset, Pennsylvania on August 10, 1932, Hercules developed an interest in science at an early age, spurred by the gift of...

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The big picture: Archaeology of the Andes revealed on a scale not previously seen

Jan. 19, 2024—Steven Wernke, associate professor and chair of anthropology, has developed GeoPACHA (Geospatial Platform for Andean Culture, History and Archaeology), a web application that allows researchers to map archaeological sites in the Andes at a greater scale than ever before. GeoPACHA has enabled new discoveries about past human occupation in the region. These findings will be...

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Study reveals a universal pattern of brain wave frequencies

Jan. 18, 2024—Adapted from article written by Anne Trafton, MIT News Office Throughout the brain’s cortex, neurons are arranged in six distinctive layers, which can be readily seen with a microscope. André Bastos, assistant professor of psychology, is senior author on a study published in Nature Neuroscience detailing that these layers also show distinct patterns of electrical...

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Berg family gift to establish global artist-in-residence program and Dean’s Faculty Fellowships in the arts

Dec. 14, 2023—New opportunities to work with groundbreaking artists and gain exposure to global perspectives will soon be available to students and faculty, thanks to a generous gift from current Vanderbilt parents Allison and Larry Berg.

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Nine faculty receive awards for outstanding efforts in teaching and advising

Dec. 6, 2023—On December 5, the College of Arts and Science recognized nine faculty members for outstanding teaching and advising. These annual awards acknowledge faculty who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication and commitment to their students, and the nominations come directly from the students. The college is pleased to announce the following fall 2023 award winners: Advising Award...

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inter+SECTIONS: environmental justice + sustainability with Patrick Trent Greiner

Nov. 30, 2023—Patrick Trent Greiner, assistant professor of sociology and C. Family Dean’s Faculty Fellow in Grand Challenges: Climate and Society, studies the intersection of environmental justice and sustainability. He investigates how public policy has created social inequality in the past, increasing environmental risk to marginalized communities, and affecting the health and quality of life for many.

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Lachs, Centennial Professor Emeritus and beloved instructor for a half-century, has died

Nov. 29, 2023—John Lachs, professor emeritus of philosophy and Centennial Professor Emeritus, died November 14 in Nashville. He was 89. Lachs was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1934, and emigrated to Canada as a child. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1956 and a master’s degree in 1957 from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He graduated from Yale...

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In my words: I was selected to discuss climate change at the White House (Gaby Beck ‘26)

Nov. 17, 2023—Gabrielle Beck Neuroscience and English, ‘26 Hear from sophomore Gabrielle Beck, who attended the National Climate Assessment report release at the White House, about her interest in climate change and public health disparities and her plans for the future. My passion is in understanding and addressing the intersection of climate change and public health disparities....

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New collaborative research project seeks improved treatment for cystic fibrosis

Nov. 13, 2023—Lars Plate, assistant professor of chemistry and biological sciences, has received a $2.76 million collaborative grant to investigate medical therapy for people with cystic fibrosis. The interdisciplinary project brings together teams with varied expertise in computational structural biology, proteomics, biophysics, and physiology in hopes of improving the quality of life for those afflicted with the...

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Good Authority website provides important political analysis for the public

Nov. 10, 2023—A fresh political news site has just launched with John Sides, William R. Kenan Jr. Chair and professor in political science, at its helm. Goodauthority.org draws on the expertise of leading political scientists to provide the public with evidence-based, non-partisan information about the most important issues of the day. Good Authority’s mission is “to bring...

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