Vanderbilt, UNC and Duke nurse-midwives join forces to reduce Black maternal health risks
Nurse-midwives and educators from three prominent research universities have teamed up to improve pregnancy outcomes in Black communities by providing specialized training for doulas, persons who support birthing mothers and families through the entire process of childbirth. The Alliance of Black Doulas for Black Mamas is led by Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Associate Professor Stephanie DeVane-Johnson, PhD, CNM, FACNM . . . . The project leaders are Black, certified nurse-midwives with a combined 60+ years of midwifery experience. The main program goals are to: decrease Black maternal mortality and morbidity; improve patient experiences; provide doulas for free to families; and help those interested in becoming doulas build critical skills and later use those skills to earn wages. MORE
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Vanderbilt graduate student creates academic bridge for Central American and Caribbean students in astrophysicsWhen Antonio J. Porras Valverde, a Vanderbilt astrophysics Ph.D. candidate, began his journey in higher education, the Costa Rican native found a need to expand support for students of color—especially for Central American and Caribbean students studying astrophysics. That inspired him to launch the Cenca Bridge program, providing academic guidance to undergraduate students from these areas who are interested in the field. Through a recent $21,000 grant from the International Astronomical Union Office of Astronomy for Development, Cenca Bridge will bolster the quality of education in the Central American and Caribbean regions by providing paid internships and mentorships. MORE
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Global Vanderbilt: Anita Mahadevan-JansenAnita Mahadevan-Jansen, Orrin H. Ingram Professor of Biomedical Engineering, shares her perspective on how maturing abroad shapes her career as a scientist with her colleagues, peers and students. MORE
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How much is the Great Resignation Costing Companies?
For many investors, the SEC’s November 2020 human capital disclosure requirement didn’t require enough. The rule allows companies to choose what workforce costs, wellness, diversity and retention details—among other human capital data—to share, providing substantial managerial discretion. Human capital has become a major financial performance predictor, especially amidst a tight labor market. On average, labor expenses make up 57% of operating costs at S&P 500 companies, according to MyLogIQ. High turnover rates can also indicate poor management or a lack of business agility. In competitive markets shareholders worry that companies might subvert workforce risks without stricter SEC regulations. But a new study by 3 Vanderbilt professors may allay these fears. It examines human capital disclosures over 20 years, finding most companies reveal risk in good faith and that prior SEC rule changes made a significant impact. MORE
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Unity Project launches summer conversation series, Unity Talks
The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy is launching a series of conversations and interviews featuring its co-chairs—Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Vanderbilt faculty member and entrepreneur Samar Ali—and renowned guests from the media, academia and government. These conversations will focus on the important issues facing America today, the relevant work and ongoing research of the guests, and ideas for how people can make sense of the dizzying onslaught of news and events at home and abroad—and how they can help. Each one-on-one interview between a Unity Project co-chair and their guest will range from 20 to 30 minutes and will be available at Vanderbilt.edu/unity. [Check out Episode 1: Dean John Geer and Jonathan Martin, and Episode 2: Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Yuval Levin.] MORE
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Inaugural summer camp at Blair School of Music teaches kids to create video game scoresA pilot program launching at Vanderbilt Blair School of Music this summer will teach middle and high school students how to create music scores for video games. The program, called Music Tech, is designed to pave pathways to Blair, particularly for students in underserved communities who may not otherwise visit campus or interact with the music community. A $50,000 gift from the Valere Blair Potter Charitable Trust is funding the creation of the program, which will begin with a cohort of 12 students coming to Blair on July 12–13 for the inaugural camp. Music Tech is the latest effort from Blair to foster stronger ties in the Nashville community through music and to cultivate new and diverse audiences for various art forms. MORE
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The front lines of forgiveness
As students from Vanderbilt Divinity School file through the metal detectors at Tennessee’s Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, they leave more than just their phones and laptops on the outside. They leave behind any notions of a traditional classroom experience as well. Carrying only approved writing utensils and notepaper, they report to a classroom that’s a stark contrast to the bright, comfortable ones they’re accustomed to at Vanderbilt. Yet perhaps the biggest difference between the Divinity School courses offered on campus and those inside Riverbend—Assistant Professor Graham Reside’s Life on Death Row and Associate Professor Paul Lim’s Justice, Mercy, and Mass Incarceration—are the students’ classmates. Each week over the course of a semester, students explore the issue of incarceration from a theological perspective joined by 14 death row inmates, who at one time in their lives made the costly mistake of crimes for which juries ordered them to pay the price of execution. Vanderbilt has the distinction of being the only university in the country to offer such a course. MORE
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