Today is the last day to RSVP to Vanderbilt University’s 2023 Congressional Reception. Please see below for more details and to RSVP.
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Chancellor Diermeier shares campus message on Supreme Court decision regarding admissions processes
Chancellor Daniel Diermeier shared a message with the Vanderbilt community after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admissions practices violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution: “As a university leader, I am deeply disappointed by the court’s decision. We strongly believe that a university must be able to enroll the students that allow it to best serve its mission and deliver an outstanding educational experience for all. Diversity, broadly defined, is essential to dialogue, learning, innovation and growth for every member of our community. The court’s decision makes it more difficult for colleges and universities to create a dynamic campus community composed of people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Vanderbilt will fully comply with the law as it relates to the Supreme Court’s decision. In the coming weeks, a university task force that was appointed in May will thoroughly assess the implications of the court’s ruling and its effects on students, faculty and staff.” MORE
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National Science Foundation—Scientists led by Vanderbilt astronomer Stephen Taylor use exotic stars to tune in to ‘hum’ from cosmic symphonyAstrophysicists using large radio telescopes to observe a collection of cosmic clocks in our galaxy have found evidence for gravitational waves that oscillate with periods of years to decades, according to a set of papers published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The gravitational-wave signal was observed in 15 years of data acquired by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves Physics Frontiers Center, a collaboration of more than 190 scientists from the U.S. and Canada who use pulsars to search for gravitational waves. The 15-year data release demonstrates that the signal is consistent, with slowly undulating gravitational waves passing through our galaxy. “This is key evidence for gravitational waves at very low frequencies,” said Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Stephen Taylor, who co-led the search and is the current chair of the collaboration. “After years of work, NANOGrav is opening an entirely new window on the gravitational-wave universe.” MORE
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| FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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Department of Energy—DOE awards $2M to Vanderbilt-led consortium to develop best practices for consent-based siting of interim storage for spent nuclear fuelA team led by Steve Krahn, professor of the practice of nuclear environmental engineering at Vanderbilt, will be awarded about $2 million to assist the U.S. Department of Energy in the development of best practices to protect community well-being and address the concerns of people in its management of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The funding is part of $26 million the DOE has provided for groups of university, nonprofit, and private-sector partners that will work with communities interested in learning more about consent-based siting, management of spent nuclear fuel, and interim storage facility siting considerations. This effort will be managed within the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP), which is led by David Kosson, the Gass Family Chair in Energy and the Environment and Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Vanderbilt. MORE
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National Institutes of Health—Vanderbilt Peabody researcher receives grant to study depression link in mothers and childrenPostdoctoral scholar Kaylin Hill has received a K23 Mentored Patient-oriented Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Mental Health. The five-year grant exceeding $900,000 will support Hill’s research into the neurobehavioral pathway from depression in mothers and birthing parents to the development of increased risk for depression in their young children. Hill will assess neural and behavioral indicators of depression in 125 pairs of mothers and their 18-month-old children to establish foundational insights into the brain and behavioral basis for depression vulnerability in mother–child relationships. This novel research has the potential to help identify children at highest risk for depression and develop targeted preventions to support their mental health. MORE
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National Institutes of Health—Study reveals brain function predictors of treatment outcomes for adolescent depressionA recent study published in Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology demonstrates that measures of brain function related to emotional processing in adolescents with depression could improve predictions of treatment outcomes in response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The study results could indicate that adolescents with depression who show typical emotional processing may benefit from other treatments. According to senior author Autumn Kujawa, even though CBT is one of the most effective treatments for depression, 40 to 60 percent of adolescents with depression do not respond to CBT and could benefit from alternative treatments, either alone or in combination with CBT. While little information exists on who is most likely to benefit from specific treatments, this study sheds light on the adolescents who may respond best to CBT and a new way to potentially identify who they are. [This study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.] MORE
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration—Scientist who helped prove Einstein theory opens doors to black holes for students with diverse majors[Students] with diverse majors may not become astronauts or astronomers, but they were given an opportunity to join a special class led by Vanderbilt astrophysicist Karan Jani, one of the scientists who discovered gravitational waves . . . [and] head of Vanderbilt’s Lunar Labs Initiative. Jani created the course ASTR 3890: Black Holes in Our Universe and opened it to all undergraduates with no prerequisites. Jeni’s class focuses on helping students who are new to astronomy to grasp the huge breakthroughs in black hole research and how they relate to our place in the universe. In the next two years, payloads going up with NASA’s Artemis II moon mission through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program will test the technologies for the [ Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna] project in which Jani is working. His goal is to deploy LILA infrastructure over 10 years with NASA Artemis moon missions. MORE
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Vanderbilt, VUMC investigators garner $1.2M Keck Foundation grant for groundbreaking genetic researchChuck Sanders, vice dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Professor and professor of biochemistry, and Roy Zent, Thomas F. Frist Sr. Professor, professor of medicine and vice chair of research for the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, have received a $1.2 million award from the prestigious W.M. Keck Foundation for their groundbreaking project, “Genetic Intolerance Patterns as a Treasure Map to Genes that Define Us as Human.” Chuck Sanders’ research primarily focuses on the role of defective proteins in various diseases; Zent’s work centers on the roles of integrin cell adhesion receptors in health and kidney disease. The project brings together their unique strengths and interdisciplinary collaboration, enabling them to probe the selected proteins at multiple levels . . . .The $1.2 million grant will be instrumental in supporting this labor-intensive endeavor, which will involve extensive experimentation to uncover the importance and functionality of these proteins. MORE
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Global Strategy at the Forefront: Vanderbilt and the AAU Task Force’s U.S.-India Focus
The Association of American Universities’ Task Force on Expanding U.S.-India University Partnerships, which includes Vanderbilt University Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Padma Raghavan, has published an interim report highlighting the commitment of top research universities in the United States and India to strengthening their collaboration. The report—released to coincide with a visit to the U.S. by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi—made nine recommendations, including establishing focused Indo-U.S. Global Challenge Institutes to address themes of vital common interest, enhancing student-based research collaborations, providing more internship opportunities and improving support for faculty-led research. The task force’s work exemplifies Vanderbilt’s ongoing efforts to expand its international connections. In March, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost C. Cybele Raver established the Global Strategy Committee . . . to recruit global talent and to boost Vanderbilt’s global reputation and collaboration efforts with initiatives that enhance international engagement and student experience. MORE
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Study reveals how school districts can create principal pipelines to strengthen school leadershipEffective principals have been shown to improve teacher and student outcomes as well as the culture and climate of schools. Now a new study provides insights on how school districts can develop principal pipelines to ensure schools are staffed with effective leaders. Led by Ellen Goldring and Mollie Rubin, professors at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, the study examined 84 school districts across the country that participated in the Principal Pipeline Learning Community, sponsored by the Wallace Foundation. In various ways, district processes and leaders greatly benefited pipeline development. The research team recommends several actions of districts interested in developing principal pipelines, including that they consider pipelines for multiple leadership roles as part of a whole-system approach, connect pipelines to specific leadership needs and goals of the district, create a core central office team with dedicated leadership, and focus on diversifying school leadership and building principals’ skills in equity and inclusion. MORE
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Nashville community invited to county-wide candidates meet and greet on July 8
On Saturday, July 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are co-hosting a County-wide Candidates Meet and Greet in Fannie Mae Dees Park, 2400 Blakemore Ave. (also known as Dragon Park). This event is in collaboration with the Hillsboro-West End Neighborhood Association and Belmont-Hillsboro Neighbors. A Nashville campaign tradition, this meet and greet provides an opportunity for the local community, including the Vanderbilt community, to become better informed about their choices in the upcoming election. This free event will feature candidates for mayor, vice mayor and Metro Council at-large. Attendees will have an opportunity to interact with the candidates and enjoy a complimentary picnic lunch. MORE
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