Update on the university’s economic condition

Chancellor Zeppos e-mailed the Vanderbilt community today with this message about the economy and its current impact on the university.

Get your fresh, hot baseball tickets here

Today’s wintry weather aside, baseball season – which for me conjures images of springtime, hot dogs and long, lazy afternoons watching the game – is underway and season tickets for the fabulous Commodores’ games are now available. This is the team that took the SEC Championship in 2007 and spawns superstars – David Price helped take Tampa to the World Series in ’08 against my own Phillies, Pedro Alvarez went to the Pirates last spring as the No. 2 draft pick overall. Here’s your chance to catch a star in the making and watch our beloved Coach Corbin and his players in action. If you are interested I recommend acting now–the last two seasons sold out. Details below:

To order tickets call (615) 322-GOLD (4653) or order online at vucommodores.com.

2009 SEASON TICKET PRICES:

Commodore Season Ticket- $125

Outfield Season Ticket- $75

Outfield Faculty/Staff Season Ticket- $50
(up to 2 per person)

Commodore Premium Ticket- SOLD OUT

Reflections on the Inauguration

The News Service’s own (and recent Emmy winner!) Princine Lewis traveled to last week’s inauguration of President Barack Obama. She’s graciously agreed to share her personal thoughts and experiences with us:

I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that America has elected its first black president – even though I was one of the tiny specks you saw waving my American flag excitedly on the National Mall on Inauguration Day.

It has taken me some time to write this post because I have been thinking – “How can I capture the emotion of such an incredible experience?” Being on the mall that day is something I will remember and treasure for the rest of my life.

President Barack Obama – I just get a kick out of typing and saying this – has generated a lot of excitement among those thirsty for change and hope. But his election is especially poignant for me as the child of a father who fought in segregated troops in World War II and parents who attended segregated schools.

Words cannot describe the emotion and feelings of excitement and goodwill in Washington during the Inauguration. You almost forgot about the cold temperatures – almost. But it was worth braving the cold to join the diverse sea of humanity – from the Canadians waving their flags to the Jamaican drum band playing in celebration on the National Mall – to witness this unforgettable moment in our shared history.

I think sometimes we take for granted what it means to be an American – but I was bursting with pride as I joined more than a million people singing “America The Beautiful” and the “The Star Spangled Banner” – and how could you not be moved by Aretha Franklin singing “Let Freedom Ring?”

It gives me hope that Obama was able to connect with a wide variety of people. And as I continue to be struck and thrilled by those images depicting all of America’s presidents and the contrast of No. 44, I hope Obama’s election isn’t a brief anomaly but a sign that Americans can finally put aside their biases and elect whom they feel is the best leader for our country.

Inauguration viewing party at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center

As captured by Steve Green:

Inaugural viewing party at Vanderbilt University's Black Cultural Center

44

Here at BlogVU we’re completely engrossed in today’s events in Washington as the nation prepares to inaugurate Barack Obama as the nation’s 44th and its first African American president. Nothing speaks to the strength of our our democracy more than this event–the peaceful transition of power.

Viewing parties are taking place all over campus, and a candlelight vigil and celebration are planned for this afternoon, as well as a panel discussion tomorrow. More information about campus events, including live video of events today and tomorrow, are available on VUCast.

Some of the news coverage of the inauguration with Vandy experts below:

The Mail (U.K.): Barack Obama to draw on JFK’s famous ‘ask not’ speech for his own inauguration address.

Barack Obama will take a leaf out of John F. Kennedy’s book in his inaugural speech to urge a new era of “responsibility and accountability.”

Thomas Schwartz, professor of history, is quoted. Professor Schwartz also comments on Obama’s address in Time: Will Obama’s inaugural address be one for the ages? A Reuters article from yesterday, also quoting Professor Schwartz on the subject of Obama’s address, has been picked up in both the French- and Spanish-language presses: Les Américains attendent le discours inaugural de Barack Obama and Obama enfrenta grandes retos en discurso inaugural.

VUStar round up for 2008

A summary below of the past year’s activities in VUStar, our on-campus television studio housed in the Wyatt Center. Great work Emily, Pat, Craig, Brian and all of our fantastic faculty for making this happen and spreading the black-and-gold word. Report below from video director Emily Pearce:

Almost 200 million people watched Vanderbilt experts on networks, cable networks and major dot com internet sites thanks to VUStar. This is a very conservative estimate. We do not have access to numbers for the numerous interviews we do for ABC.com, Reuters TV and the athletics video feeds to name a few. Also the CNN.com and Reuters TV interviews pop up on major internet video surfing sites.
107 TV interviews were conducted using VUStar; 56 were Universtiy/Athletics; 51 were Medical.  (complete listing attached) In 2007 we did 150 reaching about 165 million.

Of the 51 medical, 12 were Dr. William Schaffner and 7 were Dr. Paul Ragan
The vast majority of the university interviews were political since it was a presidential election year. But, Law, Divnity, Owen, Athletics and Peabody were represented, as well.

RADIO ISDN
21 radio interviews were conducted using the ISDN line at VUStar. 19 were university; 2 medical. (complete list attached) In 2007, that number was 22.

Top Vanderbilt news for 2008

It was a big year here at the U. Wrap up below, courtesy of the wonderful Missy Pankake, myVU:

Editor’s note — the following, in no particular order, is a selection of news highlights that made headlines at Vanderbilt in 2008.

News that made headlines

Nicholas S. Zeppos becomes the eighth chancellor of Vanderbilt on March 1.

Three generations of the family of the late Monroe Carell Jr. pledge a gift of $20 million to the fundraising effort for a new facility to care for children and mothers. The Campaign for Children and Mothers, with a goal of $45 million, will support the building of a 400,000-square-foot facility adjacent to and connected with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

The Commons, a new campus within a campus for first-year students, opens Aug. 16.

VMC signs an agreement in September to be the new health care and emergency medical services provider for the Nashville Predators, Nashville’s National Hockey League team.

VUSN begins offering a Doctor in Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree.

The Commons Center is the first building in Nashville and the first building at a Tennessee university to receive Gold level certification for its environmentally friendly construction from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

Pediatric heart specialists at the Children’s Hospital perform life-saving surgery on Iraqi toddler Amenah al-Bayati.

H. Rodes Hart, a Vanderbilt alumnus and Board of Trust member, succeeds the late Monroe Carell Jr. as chairman of Shape the Future, the university’s comprehensive campaign.

Vanderbilt announces it would replace need-based student loans with institutional grants and scholarships beginning in fall 2009 for all students with demonstrated financial need.

Vanderbilt’s recently announced enhanced financial aid program receives a major boost with a $20 million gift from an anonymous donor.

Figures released by Tennessee’s Department of Health confirm that VMC continues to provide nearly half (47.9 percent) of all uncompensated medical care within Davidson County.

Vanderbilt University Library rolls out new online service: DiscoverLibrary. It contains all of the records from Acorn, the library’s current online card catalog, as well as records from the Television News Archive, the library’s largest digital collection.

Athletics

The first Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame inductees are honored.

ESPN’s College Game Day broadcasts live from the Vanderbilt campus for the first time.

Vanderbilt football becomes bowl-eligible for the first time in 26 years. The ‘Dores beat Boston College in the Music City Bowl Dec. 31.

Anniversaries

The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing turns 100 during the 2008-2009 academic year, and is holding a series of activities to celebrate its rich history. The school developed a yearlong calendar of special events designed to highlight both the past and future of nursing.

The Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities celebrates its 20th anniversary. Special celebratory events included an unprecedented meeting of people, many of whom were leaders in the Civil Rights movement, interviewed by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author, poet, and Vanderbilt alumnus Robert Penn Warren for his 1965 book Who Speaks for the Negro?

Employee News

Vanderbilt Medical Center bans smoking on campus by staff, patients, visitors and contract employees, effective Sept. 1.

New Faculty/Staff Express Care walk-in employee clinic opens. Care is available M-F in the Medical Arts Building.

Staff Changes

Beth Fortune named vice chancellor for public affairs.
Jeffrey Balser named dean of the School of Medicine.
Richard McCarty named provost.
Jennifer Pietenpol named director of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
Carolyn Dever named dean of the College of Arts and Science.
Cheng H. Khoo named university registrar.
Susie S. Stalcup selected new vice chancellor for development and alumni relations.
Ara Pachmayer named director of the Global Education Office.
Nora Spencer named director of the Office of LGBTQI Life.

In Memoriam

Monroe Carell Jr., Board of Trust member
Pierre Colas, assistant professor of anthropology
Neil Brake, university photographer
Bettie Page, Peabody College alumnae

Lists and Rankings

Vanderbilt University ranked No. 18 in national universities by U.S. News & World Report.

VMC ranked No. 15 in the U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Hospitals.”

The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt was No. 23 in U.S. News & World Report‘s best children’s hospitals.

Vanderbilt University placed No. 42 on an academic ranking of the top 500 world universities by China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development is the second-ranked education school in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Vanderbilt Law School is No. 15. The research program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center tied at No. 16.

Vanderbilt University is ranked in the Top 10 best places to work in academia by The Scientist.

Vanderbilt University has attained the rank of 20th in the nation in the total value of federal science and engineering research grants awarded to campus researchers, according to an annual report compiled by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The School of Medicine ranked No. 10 for NIH (National Institute of Health) funding in fiscal year 2007.

VMC among the nation’s 100 “most wired” hospitals and health systems by Hospitals and Health Networks.