Government And Community Relations

From the art of landscape painting to the exploration of iconic movies and the history of beer, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt is offering an exciting lineup of summer courses for the 50-plus community. With engaging topics in music, history, literature, wellness and more, OLLI provides a wealth of opportunities for learning and connection. With the launch of Osher Online, students can now tap into the expertise of instructors across the country.  Read More

“Creating cuisines is about building community through agriculture and bridging the local with the global,” said Ted Fischer, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Anthropology, during the opening session of “Food for Thought”—a free program presented by Vanderbilt University and the Frist Art Museum. This series brings together Vanderbilt faculty, Frist curators and local leaders to explore cultural and societal issues through art. The Spring 2025 season focused on two Frist exhibitions: Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism and Tennessee Harvest. Read More

On April 8, the alliance held an event at the Student Life Center focused on building our city’s local technology workforce: “Tech Talent at Scale: World-Class Expertise for Upskilling Nashville’s Workforce.” With discussions on strengthening Nashville’s tech talent pipeline and insights from distinguished experts and industry leaders, this event identified novel collaborative solutions to help bring higher-paying jobs to more Nashvillians and to position the region as a premier center for innovation. Read More

Vanderbilt Divinity School and the Wond’ry’s Fiber Arts Lab will host a collaborative service project with faculty, staff, students and local communities of faith to quilt mementos for families who have lost a loved one while discussing different faith traditions and pathways toward interfaith solidarity. The mementos will be donated to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for distribution. Read More

From garden tours to musical bingo, spring in Nashville is full of opportunities to come together. Vanderbilt University is proud to partner with local nonprofits and cultural organizations to offer events that welcome students, faculty, staff—and the broader Nashville community. Read More

This spring, the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center to honor six individuals from the Vanderbilt community during its annual awards. Read More

Between 2019 and 2024, Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center made a $22.13 billion in economic impact on the city of Nashville and across the state of Tennessee. Read More

Smiles, hugs and a few tears filled the room at the Martin Professional Development Center on Feb. 27 as seniors from zoned and magnet Metro Nashville Public Schools celebrated admission to Vanderbilt and induction into the inaugural cohort of the Nashville Vanderbilt Scholars Program.  Read More

Vanderbilt University is among 471 colleges and universities recognized for outstanding nonpartisan efforts to increase voter registration, education and turnout among students during the 2024 election. Awarded by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, the designation highlights campuses that are setting the standard for civic engagement in higher education. Read More

In January 2024, Vanderbilt joined the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, reinforcing its commitment to engaging the Nashville community and to learning and promoting best practices for addressing the unique opportunities and challenges in our metropolitan environment. Through this membership, the Vanderbilt community can access a network of peer-learning circles, webinars, and community engagement-related content and scholarship. Read More

Tennessee faces a persistent opioid epidemic, with an estimated 70,000 residents affected and the state ranking among the highest for prescription drug misuse. As the crisis evolves, researchers are increasingly turning to neuroscience to better understand the roots of addiction and develop safer, non-addictive pain treatments that could help prevent future overdose deaths. Read More

ON THE HILL is a biannual report produced by the Division of Government and Community Relations summarizing activity at all three levels of government, as outlined by the Vanderbilt Federal Relations, State Government Relations and Local Government Relations teams. Read More

Estonia’s Ambassador to the United States, Kristjan Prikk, engaged students at Vanderbilt on Oct. 2 during a lively classroom discussion on the future of European security and democracy. The event, hosted by the Max Kade Center for European and German Studies, was part of Visiting Associate Professor Alexander Schmidt’s European Cultural History course. Read More

Nearly 100 community members gathered outside of MLK Academic Magnet School, formerly Pearl High School, to celebrate Ridley’s legacy. Funded by Vanderbilt Athletics, the Metro Historical Commission marker was the latest expression of Vanderbilt’s support for the North Nashville neighborhood around Pearl High. Alumni Perry Wallace and Walter Murray, valedictorian and salutatorian of the segregated high school’s class of 1966, went on to have pioneering careers as students at Vanderbilt. Read More

The walls of Salama Urban Ministries came alive with color and meaning as students unveiled a new mural they had helped to create. Gathered with families, teachers and community members, the students pointed proudly to each vibrant panel, sharing stories of how the images reflected their identities and experiences. Read More

Since the start of the academic year, Vanderbilt has witnessed a rush of “Moments That Matter”—from surpassing giving goals ahead of schedule to an exhilarating football victory over Alabama. Contributing to these hallmark moments are Vanderbilt staff, a theme that speakers reflected on throughout the 2024 Fall Staff Assembly. On Thursday, Nov. 14, more than 570 staff members packed the room at the Student Life Center for the event, which was also livestreamed for a virtual audience. Read More

Krish Roy, Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of the School of Engineering, recently engaged in a leadership roundtable in Washington, D.C. with NIH Director Dr. Monica M. Bertagnolli. Hosted by United for Medical Research (UMR), the forum addressed critical issues in biomedical research funding and efforts to secure sustained federal investments in this vital area. Read More

As the November 5 general election approaches, it’s important to know what’s on the ballot and how the decisions made at the polls will impact our community and beyond. Here’s everything you need to know about the candidates and issues on the ballot so you can make informed choices on Election Day. Read More

Vanderbilt encourages the entire campus community to participate in the upcoming November 5 general election. With the voter registration deadline approaching, students, faculty and staff can take advantage of several voter registration and educational events coming up. Read More

From exploring the intricacies of American folk music to delving into the art of memoir writing, there’s something for everyone eager to learn and connect with an inclusive community of learners. OLLI at Vanderbilt is open to all who are 50 and older. Registration for fall 2024 classes is open Aug. 26–Sept. 27; classes for the fall term begin on Oct. 6.  Read More