Society And Culture
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How teams are seeded in tournaments can make a big difference in their outcomes. The way the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup are seeded could use some work, say Owen Professor Michael Lapre and co-author Julia Amato, BA鈥23, in an article in the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports. Improving how teams are seeded could make for fairer, more exciting tournaments, Lapre said: 鈥淏alanced groups increase the chances that the best teams advance and that more matches truly matter.鈥
Apr 10, 2026
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Field work led by Associate Professor Tiffany Fracchia recently solved an 80-year-old mystery for the family of a missing World War II soldier. In 2022 and 2023, Fracchia and her students excavated remains from the site of a 1944 B-17G crash near Neron, France. They were later identified by the Department of Defense as U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. Gerard J. Melofchik of New York, and his family finally held a memorial for him in November. 鈥淗earing that we were able to bring some peace and answers to another military family 鈥 was really rewarding for me,鈥 said Alyssa Bolster, BA鈥22.
Jan 16, 2026
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A new PBS Kids series created to help children better understand the impact of weather and climate took instructional cues from Jeremi London, associate provost for academic opportunity and associate professor of mechanical engineering, who played a role in the show鈥檚 development.
Nov 13, 2025
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Classroom creativity gets big-screen results for Cinema and Media Arts students
See how Cinema and Media Arts students are reaching real-world successes with their films. Read MoreNov 10, 2025
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Maya Singhal: How neighborhoods create a feeling of safety across cultures
大象传媒app SPARK: Meet new faculty Maya Singhal and see how their research could help us understand the impact of diverse community dynamics. Read MoreSep 22, 2025
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Transatlantic collaboration: Vanderbilt, Liverpool award first joint research seed grants
Vanderbilt University and England鈥檚 University of Liverpool have announced the inaugural recipients of a new joint seed grant program, which supports faculty teams pursuing innovative projects designed to grow into larger collaborations and external funding.聽 Read MoreSep 4, 2025
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In this episode of Quantum Potential, Amanda Little, writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt鈥檚 College of Arts and Science, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss how journalism can highlight the tipping points humanity faces and how people-first storytelling can move us from observation to action.
Jun 24, 2025
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Vanderbilt University has joined the Urban Humanities Network (UHN) as a consortium campus, solidifying the university鈥檚 place among leading institutions at the forefront of urban humanities scholarship. Established in 2022, UHN unites universities, organizations, and researchers dedicated to interdisciplinary study within the urban humanities, which operates at the nexus of humanities, urbanism, and design.
May 9, 2025
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History鈥檚 detective: Jane Landers and her team rescue enslaved Africans鈥 stories from oblivion
See how historian Jane Landers and her team are rescuing enslaved Africans鈥 stories from oblivion and honoring thousands of lives. Read MoreApr 17, 2025
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Mariam Adam: Internationally acclaimed clarinetist pushes musical boundaries 聽聽聽
Mariam Adam puts a priority in her work on innovative musical collaborations that benefit her students while building a legacy to be discovered by future generations. The assistant professor of clarinet is a fierce advocate for music education who has performed with such greats as Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. Read MoreApr 15, 2025
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Kevin Murphy, Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities and professor of history of art and architecture, and Mary Anne Hunting, BA鈥80, have uncovered the histories of female architects in the American Modernism period of the U.S. in new research.
Mar 20, 2025
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According to new research from Panka Bencsik, assistant professor of medicine, health and society, on days when highways are more congested, particularly during weekday afternoon rush hour, people are more likely to choose the fast-food option.
Feb 20, 2025
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How do we create a more 鈥減erson-centered鈥 judicial system and when is fairness more valued than winning? Listen to the latest episode of Provost Cybele Raver鈥檚 鈥楺uantum Potential鈥 podcast with law professor Lauren Sudeall, Lauren Sudeall, the David Daniels Allen Distinguished Professor of Law and Director, Vanderbilt Access to Justice Initiative.
Feb 13, 2025
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Katie Crawford, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair, professor of history, and chair of the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, has been named the interim director of the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities. Crawford鈥檚 appointment follows the five-year leadership of Holly Tucker, Mellon Foundation Chair in the Humanities and professor of French, who is stepping down to pursue her research and new trans-institutional projects.
Jan 29, 2025
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Phased launch of new VU SBER IRB begins March 3
The Vanderbilt University Social, Behavioral and Educational Research Institutional Review Board will begin its phased launch on March 3, transitioning oversight of SBER studies involving human participants from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center IRB. Researchers can access new resources, training and tools to streamline the submission process and ensure compliance during this transition. Read MoreJan 15, 2025
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Cemetery of enslaved people at The Hermitage located with assistance from VISR
Directly north of The Hermitage, on a slight rise at the edge of the wooded bottomland near a creek, investigators confirmed what they had seen on a historic map: a cemetery where an estimated 28 bodies of enslaved individuals who lived on the property during the Jacksonian era are interred.聽Part of the research came from efforts by the Vanderbilt Institute for Spatial Research, directed by Steve Wernke, professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology at Vanderbilt. Read MoreDec 12, 2024
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A series of three recently published studies have provided the first nationally comprehensive analysis of shootings by law enforcement officers that injured or killed people in the U.S. Led by Julie Ward, assistant professor of medicine, health, and so...
Nov 22, 2024
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A person鈥檚 native language is often referred to as their 鈥渕other tongue.鈥 But does a first language always come from your mother? In a new study conducted by Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Nicole Creanza, postdoctoral student Yakov Pichkar,...
Nov 21, 2024
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Mar铆a Magdalena Campos-Pons, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Art, secured a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to advance the work of the聽Engine for Art, Democracy & Justice聽(EADJ), which she founded.
Nov 21, 2024
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Adam Blandin, assistant professor of economics, typically analyzes how the amount of time worked affects a person鈥檚 earnings; how family structure affects wages, employment, and equality; and the economic implications of remote work. However, recently, Blandin looked at generative AI through an economic lens and helped create the first nationally representative survey on how workers are using generative AI.
Nov 20, 2024