Cyber defense leaders address growing security challenges as part of Vanderbilt’s inaugural Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats
U.S. Cyber Command Director Gen. Paul Nakasone shed new light on Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine and, for the first time, revealed U.S. efforts to prevent foreign meddling ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Nakasone’s remarks came during the inaugural Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, which was May 4–5 at the Student Life Center. Topics of discussion during the two-day event included the importance of academic, military, government and private sector partnerships; the need to recruit, train and retain talent to lead research in vital areas; and the prevention of future epidemics and pandemics. [Chancellor Daniel Diermeier] announced a university-wide initiative on the future of conflict, starting with a faculty steering committee that will advise university leadership on how to accelerate interdisciplinary research in multiple areas, including data science, AI, cybersecurity and the social sciences. MORE
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FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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National Institutes of Health—Multisite collaboration shows that virtual research program provides benefits to underrepresented undergraduates
Five medical schools in the U.S., including Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, collaborated with the American Heart Association to implement a summer program designed to support diversity in biomedical science. The program, Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences, was initiated in 2019 but had to adapt its format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [The AHA SURE program’s primary goal is to provide undergraduate research experiences for underrepresented students in biomedical science, and they found that the collaborative efforts of multiple institutions to develop a virtual training experience led to the same if not greater exposure for students to various biomedical science institutions. This program was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.] MORE
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Department of Defense—Three Vanderbilt students named Goldwater Scholars for 2022
Rising seniors Alexandra Duncan, Andrew Hanna and Ethan Nguyen have been named 2022 Barry A. Goldwater Scholars, joining 2021 scholar and fellow rising senior Joseph Sexton for a new Vanderbilt institutional record of four current Goldwater Scholars. The Goldwater Scholarship is the nation’s most competitive scholarship for undergraduate STEM students who show exceptional promise for becoming the nation’s next generation of research leaders. In collaboration with the Department of Defense National Defense Education Program, and with additional support from Congress, Goldwater Scholars receive up to $7,500 per year toward educational expenses for the remainder of the student’s undergraduate career. MORE
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Department of Education, State Department—CSLS Held Award Ceremony for Students in LCTL
The Center for Second Language Studies held its award ceremony for student achievement in less commonly taught languages on Monday, April 25th. Graduate and undergraduate students studying twelve different languages received recognition for special accomplishments in their study including multiple external awards for study abroad and international internships employing their unique language skills. These students’ achievements mark Vanderbilt as a destination for excellence in education in these critical and priority languages. The group of students and recent graduates includes multiple Fulbright grant recipients, US Department of State Critical Language Scholarship recipients, and US Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowships. MORE
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NASA—Esteemed astrophysics professor Keivan Stassun co-authors study for NASA on increasing diversity and inclusion in space mission leadership
Keivan Stassun, Stevenson Professor of Physics and Astronomy and director of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, is a co-author of the study [that] outlines near- and long-term actions NASA can take to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the leadership of space mission proposals submitted to the NASA Science Mission Directorate. The group acknowledged that unspoken criteria for evaluation of potential mission leaders may unfairly favor those who give up family obligations—even if they are otherwise highly scientifically qualified, have the necessary experience and have the skills to assemble a capable and effective management team. Ultimately the group developed a toolkit of practical and effective actions that NASA and its partners can take to help proposers overcome barriers and ensure a diverse pool of proposal leadership teams based on best practices from other agencies funding large, primary investigator-led, multi-institutional projects. MORE
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Vanderbilt University School of Nursing launches Tennessee’s first master of nursing degree
The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has launched a master of nursing degree to help meet the high demand for registered nurses in health care settings throughout the nation. The program aims to attract people looking for a career change or those with a bachelor’s degree in another field. Applications are open and will be accepted through August 2022. The program will begin in spring 2023. The M.N. program is a direct response to the dire need for registered nurses nationwide—a need that became more acute throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The first of its kind in the state of Tennessee, the M.N. curriculum will prepare graduates to provide holistic care for individuals of all ages, communities and populations while giving consideration to the socioeconomic, cultural, political, environmental and educational influences on health and well-being . . . . MORE
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Diermeier urges Class of 2022 to go forward with courage, 'dare to grow'
Chancellor Daniel Diermeier congratulated the Class of 2022 for their “persistence, patience and above all, courage” during the past four years when he delivered his Commencement address at Vanderbilt Stadium on May 13. An estimated 14,000 guests joined graduates of the university’s 147th class during an in-person main ceremony that was livestreamed on Vanderbilt’s website. Diermeier noted that Vanderbilt was built during another difficult time, the nation’s recovery from the Civil War. Cornelius Vanderbilt, with influence from his Southern wife, Frank Armstrong Vanderbilt, acted boldly by endowing a new university to help heal a fractured region and country. MORE
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Diermeier speaks to Danish Parliament
Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier gave remarks during a public hearing held by the Higher Education and Research Committee of the Folketinget, the Danish Parliament, on May 3. The Danish Parliament is currently debating the importance of free expression in its universities. Diermeier, who joined the May 3 event virtually, was invited to give an overview on the history and current practice of free expression and open discourse at universities in the United States. Diermeier noted that one of the principles upon which open discourse and free expression depend is “maintaining a position of principled neutrality on general political and social matters—matters that do not affect the functioning of the university directly.” Attendees of the hearing included members of parliament, representatives of the Danish foreign ministry and the media. MORE
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Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering expands community outreach with inaugural Friends and Family DayThe Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering hosted a successful inaugural Friends and Family Day last month for more than 250 registered attendees. Graduate student volunteers, undergraduate students from Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science and volunteers from John Overton High School conducted more than 15 hands-on nanoscale science demonstrations for attendees, including 3D printing, electroplating, graphene transfer, hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, light diffraction and ferrofluids. VINSE is a multidisciplinary institute that supports research, education and K-12 outreach across science, engineering and medicine. Housed in the Engineering and Science Building, VINSE facilities comprise a state-of-the-art cleanroom with hard and soft lithography, an imaging suite including a focused ion beam instrument and a characterization laboratory. Other VINSE outreach activities include . . . [the] National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates. MORE
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AI and Machine Learning in Biomedical Research
Access to big data and an increase in computation power through artificial intelligence and machine learning is changing the landscape of biomedical research. How are these new tools used and how are they leading to new discoveries? Are they able to make drug discovery cheaper, faster, and safer? What are the ethics of using these tools? Join Ian Macara, Ph.D., chair and professor of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, for the next Lab-to-Table Conversation from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences. This month, the event will take place on May 24 at 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. CDT. The panel will discuss the use and impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning on biomedical research, how it is being used for new and paradigm-shifting discoveries, and its ethics. MORE
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