FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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National Science Foundation—Vanderbilt researcher receives $2.5 million NSF grant to establish Climate Leaders Academy
Leah Dundon, research assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been awarded a $2.5 million NSF grant to establish a Climate Leaders Academy at Vanderbilt that will support students learning about climate change from a range of perspectives and include participation at the annual United Nations climate change conferences, known as COPs. The Climate Leaders Academy that is supported by the new three-year grant will offer opportunities for students from a range of institutions of higher education to learn about and work together to address climate change issues. The program will also focus on efforts to expand access to climate change studies from under-represented populations. The NSF-supported Climate Leaders Academy is expected to launch in the spring of 2023. MORE
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For some students with disabilities, full inclusion may not be the answer
Proponents of full inclusion—placing students with disabilities in general classrooms for most of the school day—maintain that the more time those students spend in such classes, the better they do academically. A new paper by Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development researchers challenges that assumption. When properly applied, they found these programs benefitted many—but not all—special-needs children. Specifically, these programs strengthened expressive language, improved peer interactions, increased task engagement and encouraged more normative school behavior for many students with disabilities. However, the researchers also found that students with more serious learning and behavior problems required an intensity of intervention not offered in many class-wide programs. MORE
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The impact of COVID-19 migration patterns on municipal bonds
The COVID-19 (COVID) pandemic is labeled as a global health crisis, but its impact reaches far beyond health. Challenged with these unprecedented times and due widely to the increase in remote/hybrid work and life, municipalities have experienced significant shifts in their economies, with new migration patterns and varying goods/services needs. [A Vanderbilt researcher] finds that the disruption to migration patterns due to the pandemic has a natural and significant impact on the fiscal health of municipalities. Using data on municipal bonds, this study explores how the pandemic-motivated change in migration patterns and lifestyles impacts the vitality of municipalities. The study finds that in light of the pandemic, the disruption to migration patterns and changes in preferences for goods/services significantly impacts the vitality of municipalities and is likely a lasting and economically relevant phenomenon. MORE
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Q&A with Ted Fischer: What defines quality in coffee, and who gets to decide?
Many of us have a personal relationship with coffee. But have you ever thought about where your coffee comes from? Or the hidden ways your daily dose of caffeine connects you to the lives of others? Ted Fischer, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Anthropology, has built a career out of researching those questions. Vanderbilt University, he adds, has a history and reputation in coffee studies. The Institute of Coffee Studies was founded in 1999 to encourage research into the physiological effects of coffee consumption. More recently, the university was home to the Coffee Equity Lab at the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center. Fischer spoke to MyVU about his research expertise and how thinking about coffee can teach us more about our place in the world. MORE
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‘Forbes’ names Vanderbilt University a ‘Best Employer’ in Tennessee
Vanderbilt University has received its best-ever ranking by Forbes on the publication’s annual list of America’s Best Employers By State. Vanderbilt jumped 17 spots to No. 10 among Tennessee employers, reflecting significant gains for the university. MORE
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School of Engineering incoming class marks a new milestone with a majority of women
Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering hit a record enrollment of 1,473 undergraduates for fall 2022, including a majority of first-year females and a growing number of first-year underrepresented minorities. In this year’s class, 50.1% of first-year engineering undergraduates are women; overall, 41.6% of the school’s undergraduates are female. In the case of URMs, they make up 22.9% of first-year engineering undergraduates and 20.1% of the school’s undergraduate population. Philippe Fauchet, the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering and professor of electrical engineering, said the strong numbers speak to the School of Engineering’s strong academic reputation, as well as its commitment to inclusivity. MORE
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Annual report on security and fire safety available by Sept. 30
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, the Tennessee College and University Security Information Act, and the Fire Safety Right-to-Know provisions of the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act, Vanderbilt University publishes an annual report to provide information on security-related services offered by the university. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains information related to university-wide security and safety, including related policies, procedures and crime statistics. The report also describes fire safety systems, policies and procedures for on-campus student housing facilities and residence hall fire statistics. MORE
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