Profiles
Persistence in a pandemic: College of Arts and Science students complete summer internships with innovative businesses
Oct. 23, 2020—Though the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled many students’ original summer 2020 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. Students Emery Little, Lucas Ludgate, Brooke Ellis, and Jaime Perez all used their summers to complete internships...
Words in Common: Mother-daughter duo and writers-in-residence Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams share a deep creative calling
Oct. 1, 2020—Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams are both writers-in-residence at Vanderbilt—Randall in the Department of African American and Diaspora Studies and Williams in the Department of Medicine, Health and Society. And neither is afraid to shine a ...
Trailblazing alumna Dorothy Phillips discusses her career as a chemist, importance of diversity in the physical sciences
Oct. 1, 2020—Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips, BA’67, the first African American woman to receive an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt and a member of the inaugural class of Vanderbilt Trailblazers, recently was interviewed by the American Chemical Society about he...
Professor uses centuries-old martial arts form to educate students about Brazilian democracy
Sep. 15, 2020—On a hot, muggy August evening, a group of masked students followed Gilman Whiting, associate professor of African American and Diaspora Studies, onto the lawn in front of Wilson Hall. There, they took up socially distanced positions and began working their way through a series of exercises designed to encourage rhythm, flexibility, balance, and cooperation....
Seizing the Opportunity to Accomplish Lifelong Goals: Alfred Prah, BA’19
Sep. 4, 2020—As a student in Ghana, Alfred Prah, BA’19, didn’t have access to a laptop or personal cell phone at the boarding school he attended. Despite that, he was captivated by the potential of technology to enrich his education and had dreams of using AI to make technology more useful and accessible to everyone. He knew...
The Power of Mentoring: Susan Gessner Stewart, BS’90
Jul. 20, 2020—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 and Astronomy, where one professor’s mentoring changed the path of her life. Now...
Biological Sciences Ph.D. Student Finds Creative Outlet in Science-Themed Art
Jun. 30, 2020—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 major magazines in the Philippines. Steenwyk loved making art as a child and...
News and Interviews: ‘Sunday TODAY’ host Willie Geist, BA’97, reflects on the pandemic, his podcast, and the pride he takes in Vanderbilt
Jun. 17, 2020—Geist answers questions about working in the media during this tumultuous news cycle, launching his Sunday show, and his strong affinity for Nashville and the Commodore community.
College of Arts and Science Faculty Fight COVID-19 in Latin America
Jun. 17, 2020—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 ties to the region, its universities, and its people. So...
Jana Harper: Creating performance art during COVID-19
Jun. 9, 2020—THE WORK “What are the burdens we carry?” For three years, Associate Professor of the Practice of Art Jana Harper has been exploring and answering that question through her project This Holding. “That question multiplied into other questions,” Harper said. “What might those burdens look like? What do they look like for us as individuals?...