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Caroline Kennedy leads off Commencement celebrations to honor Class of 2020
The Vanderbilt Class of 2020 is being honored in a special weekend of Commencement celebrations. All activities will observe campus health and safety protocols. The undergraduate Class of 2020 will be honored with an in-person and virtual Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 1, at Vanderbilt Stadium. Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan R. Wente, who served as interim chancellor when the Class of 2020 had their degrees conferred virtually last year, will lead the event and will address the graduates. MORE
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VUSN/VUMC Mobile Vaccine program goes where needed to reach the unvaccinated
Assistant Professors Carrie Plummer, PhD, MSN’05, and Christian Ketel, DNP'14, RN, head up a community outreach program that brings vaccinations to people who might not otherwise have access or are hesitant to be vaccinated. One of the first events was at Nashville’s Mercury Court, where more than 100 residents received COVID-19 vaccinations from VUSN faculty and students. The Vanderbilt efforts have included knocking on doors in housing communities to educate and bring vaccines to people without other access. The mobile program also teams up with community organizations who promote and educate their communities about the value and need for the vaccine. At a recent event at Valor Academy in South Nashville, more than 500 people received vaccines, thanks to the outstanding recruitment by community leaders Valor and Amed Family Clinic. Among recruitment activities were translation of forms into Spanish and Arabic, signage, calling patients and answering questions, and helping people sign up, plus individuals working one-on-one using their own contacts.
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Vanderbilt to keep masking, physical distancing protocols in place
The CDC announced on Tuesday new guidelines regarding outdoor masking for vaccinated individuals when alone or in small groups. Vanderbilt’s COVID-19 safety protocols and mask requirements on and off campus will remain the same, whether individuals are currently vaccinated or not. With an influx of guests and graduates planning to celebrate Commencement who may or may not be vaccinated, and the university’s continued efforts to finish the semester while protecting the health and safety of the Vanderbilt community as much as possible, all individuals on the Vanderbilt campus must continue to follow Vanderbilt protocols. The university will announce any changes to protocols after the COVID-19 safety protocols working group submits its recommendations in mid-May. MORE
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Inside the Data Science Institute: Women’s Rights Research
Holly McCammon, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and professor of law and sociology, shares how a partnership with the Data Science Institute shaped her research on court cases that consider women and the law. MORE
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On Unity: Beasley presents history of the president’s address to a joint session of Congress
The U.S. Constitution requires a president to deliver an annual message to Congress, but it does not impose any specifications. As the history of this paramount speech has evolved over 200 years, the president’s words matter, but, increasingly, theatrics and Congress’ response influence the American people’s perception of leadership. Presidential rhetoric expert, Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Vanessa Beasley presents the evolution of the president’s annual address to Congress in a video essay . . . for The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy. MORE
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Construction to begin on Vanderbilt graduate and professional student housing development
Construction will begin on Vanderbilt University’s housing development for graduate and professional students during the week of April 26. Adjacent to campus on Broadway, between Lyle and 20th avenues, the development is the culmination of student feedback and the university’s desire to provide graduate and professional students housing near campus at below-market rates. Construction, originally scheduled to begin in summer 2020, was delayed due to COVID-19. The building is expected to house students for the 2023–24 academic year. This housing environment will be reflective of the diversity and inclusion that Vanderbilt values in graduate and professional education. The project will feature approximately 615 beds, offering a mix of unit types, a public courtyard, a fitness center and a collaborative workspace open to all graduate and professional students. MORE
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First female Vanderbilt athletic director named Peabody College distinguished alumna
Candice S. Lee, the first African American woman to head a Southeastern Conference athletics program, will be honored by Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development with the 2021 Distinguished Alumna Award during Class of 2020 Commencement on May 2 and Class of 2021 Commencement on May 16. A former student-athlete at Vanderbilt, Lee is the vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director, the first woman to fill those roles. Lee holds three degrees from Peabody College. As a captain and four-year letter winner for Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball team, she graduated with a bachelor of science degree in human and organizational development in 2000. She also received her master’s degree in human development counseling in 2002, and, in 2012, she earned her doctorate in higher education leadership and policy. MORE
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American Soundtrack: A look inside the National Museum of African American Music
On a wall inside the newly opened National Museum of African American Music in downtown Nashville is a quote by American musicologist and author Eileen Southern: “The enduring feature of Black music is neither protest nor self-expression; it is communication, and one cannot imagine a time when Black musicians will have nothing to say either to others or to God.” Communication is at the heart of the partnership between NMAAM and Vanderbilt. The museum officially opened this year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the doors now are open to ideas for acquisitions, guest lecturers, panel discussions, classes and performances. The museum experience takes the visitor through the historical roots of African American music along the Rivers of Rhythm pathway to exhibits specific to gospel music, blues, jazz, R&B and post-World War II popular music, and hip-hop. MORE
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VUbrief summarizes Vanderbilt news items to inform our Congressional community of developments at the university. Visit our website for past issues of VUbrief. Vanderbilt University Office of Federal Relations (202) 216-4361
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