University leaders share message celebrating military members and veteransChancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver shared a message with the Vanderbilt community thanking veterans and military members for their service and many contributions to campus life. “Throughout our university’s nearly 150-year history, members of our community have served with distinction around the world in times of war and in times of peace,” Diermeier said. “We are proud to educate the military leaders of tomorrow through our Army and Navy ROTC programs, and to support veterans in making the transition from the military to positions of civilian leadership through our Bass Military Scholars program.” “We are also proud to support members of the military through our research and discovery, working with them to develop innovations that assist their work in the field, and through annual symposia examining America’s readiness and the threats to our national security,” Raver said. MORE
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Veterans celebrated for contributions to VU community
Vanderbilt will celebrate the many contributions military veterans and service members bring to their roles at the university with several initiatives to mark Veterans Day 2022. “Our veterans and Reserve and National Guard members bring their unique experiences, perspectives and skill sets to their work at Vanderbilt each day. They strengthen the fabric of our community and enrich our university culture,” Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. “We are grateful for their vital service to our country and to the university.” MORE
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WATCH: Bass Military Scholars reflect on their time at Vanderbilt as Veterans Day approaches
Veterans Day is a chance to honor those who have served in the military, and Vanderbilt University has a rich tradition of recognizing the leadership qualities of veterans through its Bass Military Scholars Program. The program awards $30,000 scholarships annually to highly talented veterans pursuing graduate and professional degrees across five Vanderbilt schools. From visiting Vanderbilt athletic teams to talk about their military service to mentoring youth and other students in the community, each scholar’s path is unique. All share a commonality of demonstrating the importance of service and commitment through giving back to others. MORE
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Paying it forward: Peabody Bass Military Scholar Timea Taylor committed to higher education mentorship
For four years Timea Taylor served in the Army, primarily as a cable system installer and maintainer stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and then as company logistics manager in Afghanistan. After her service, she attended Wesleyan University as a Posse Scholar in recognition of the leadership skills she developed in the Army. But as a first-generation college student, she was confronted by a steep learning curve and imposter syndrome.Taylor’s mentorship through college allowed her to earn her bachelor’s degree in art history and the college of letters and made her realize her desire to pay it forward by building a career supporting college students like herself. Now she is on track to do just that as a member of the Class of 2024 at Peabody College of education and human development pursuing a master’s degree in higher education administration in the Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations. MORE
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Vanderbilt doctor of ministry degree equips VA, military chaplains for ‘real-world’ roles
Vanderbilt Divinity School’s first class of integrative chaplains—who are focused on serving veterans and active-duty service members through best practices in spiritual and mental health care—will earn a doctor of ministry next spring. Thanks to a unique partnership between the Divinity School and Integrative Mental Health, a national program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 105 students are enrolled in the three-year doctorate program. About 90 percent of the students are either VA chaplains or active-duty chaplains in the Department of Defense. MORE
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Bass Military Scholars program collaborates with football team
Retired U.S. Army brigadier general and Bass Military Scholars program director Scott Brower is giving Vanderbilt football head coach Clark Lea and his team valuable guidance in developing leadership. Brower knew some of his graduate students who needed community service activities could speak to Lea’s team about their experiences. And Lea could rely on Brower’s wealth of knowledge about developing culture and leadership. MORE
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FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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National Science Foundation, Department of Energy—Engineering researchers use NSF and DOE funding to help improve transportation in India
Abhishek Dubey, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and Ayan Mukopadhyay, a research scientist in Vanderbilt’s Institute for Software Integrated Systems, are collaborating with researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) to improve transportation in the city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. [The team is] exploring the possibility of an Aerial Ropeway Transit (ART), or cable car, to address the transportation problem. Some specifics of the project are developing transit demand forecasting algorithms; identifying optimal stop locations for fixed-line ART service; redesigning transit network and operational schedule with fairness and equity considerations; and creating story-maps animation videos on public transportation usage for informing policymakers and transport authorities. [This project is an extension of the current NSF and DOE-funded project with Chattanooga. NSF awarded a supplemental grant of $100,000 to help with the project.] MORE
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Vanderbilt hosts research immersion with Oak Ridge National Laboratory Deputy Director Susan Hubbard
Vanderbilt University and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation hosted Susan Hubbard, deputy director for science and technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and executive vice president for science and technology at UT-Battelle, and Jens Dilling, ORNL director of strategic institutional planning, for a two-day immersion into Vanderbilt’s interdisciplinary research initiatives related to pressing issues in energy, climate and global security. At ORNL, Hubbard guides one of the nation’s most extensive portfolios of research and development, spanning physical and materials sciences, energy and engineering sciences, computing and computational sciences, biological and environmental sciences, neutron sciences, and global security. Led by Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Padma Raghavan and her office, Hubbard engaged dozens of Vanderbilt faculty and research labs to explore enhanced collaborations across nanoscience technology and supercomputing, mobility and transportation, biomedical discovery, and climate, energy and environmental solutions. MORE
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Vanderbilt greenhouse gas emissions drop 19 percent in two years, new sustainability report shows
Vanderbilt University’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped 19 percent overall and 23 percent per square foot since fiscal year 2020, according to the latest annual sustainability report released today by FutureVU Sustainability in the Division of Administration. The findings are among several highlights that showcase the Vanderbilt community’s efforts to support the university’s overall sustainability goals. As Vanderbilt continues to prioritize carbon neutrality, the annual sustainability report provides a means for measuring progress each year toward reducing campus emissions. MORE
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Vanderbilt celebrates Native American Heritage Month in November
November is Native American Heritage Month. The Student Center for Social Justice and Identity is hosting a series of events for students, faculty and staff related to Native American heritage, featuring programs from across campus and the Nashville community. Native American Heritage Month is a time to intentionally celebrate the unique, rich, and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Native peoples while acknowledging the important contributions of Native people. NAHM is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to overcome these challenges. MORE
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