Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni (AVBA)

AVBA Logo

Welcome to AVBA!

Current AVBA membership as of July 2024: 8,277 

The Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni is an organization comprised of Vanderbilt University’s Black alumni dedicated to creating a supportive and responsive environment for the Vanderbilt Black community (Black students, faculty and staff) while promoting Vanderbilt University’s long-standing tradition of scholastic and professional excellence. 

Volunteering

Volunteers are vital to the success of AVBA. These opportunities allow for engagement with fellow alumni, current students and the broader Vanderbilt community. Thank you for your consideration!

  • AVBA Mentor - The AVBA Mentoring program is a meaningful volunteer opportunity for Vanderbilt alumni to engage with current students. Mentors are asked to connect with their mentees monthly throughout the program. To learn more, and sign up please visit our mentorship page.
  • AVBA Community Agent - Community Agents play an important role in connecting with classmates and university, panning and encouraging attendance at events and driving support of Vanderbilt during key campaigns. Vanderbilt staff makes volunteering easy by providing you with everything you need like templates for outreach, contact information for classmates, etc. It's a great way to stay involved and connected with other alumni. If you are interested in getting involved, please complete the Volunteer Interest Form.
  • AVBA Leadership - The AVBA Board is made up of a President and chairs of the standing committees. The chairs create goals and lead the volunteers on their committee. See the members of the AVBA Board listed below and reach out to Myria Carpenter if you have any questions.

Leadership

  • Myria Carpenter, BS'97

    Myria Carpenter, BS'97

    President

    • Bowie, MD
  • Beth Copperidge, BA'09

    Beth Copperidge, BA'09

    University Initiatives Co-Chair

    • Hendersonville, TN
  • Jami Cox, BA'18

    Jami Cox, BA'18

    Scholarship and Philanthropy Co-Chair

    • Chicago, IL
  • Rodney Williams, BS'01, MEd'02

    Rodney Williams, BS'01, MEd'02

    Scholarship and Philanthropy Co-Chair

    • Atlanta, GA
  • Jesse Giles, BA’03

    Jesse Giles, BA’03

    Programming Co-Chair

    • Teaneck, NJ
  • Chris Gilmore, JD’11

    Chris Gilmore, JD’11

    Programming Co-Chair

    • Atlanta, GA
  • Angela Savage, BA’94, MBA’99

    Angela Savage, BA’94, MBA’99

    Outreach and Communications Chair

    • Fayetteville, GA
AVBA +Diermeier
AVBA award

Fiscal Year 2023-2024 AVBA Board Received the 2024 Vanderbilt Way Award

This 2024 Vanderbilt Way Award honored the fiscal year 2023-2024 board members of the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni—Myria Carpenter, BS’97; Chiedza Chauruka, BE’18; Bethany Copperidge, BA’09; Danielle Lewis, MEd’18; Doug Murrell, BS’95; Chris Nickson, BS’08; and Rodney Williams, BS’01, MEd’02, for their outstanding recent volunteer service and embodiment of Vanderbilt’s motto, Crescere Aude, Latin for “dare to grow”. 

As AVBA celebrated its 40th anniversary and history of pioneering programs and initiatives, the fiscal year 2023-2024 AVBA board members continued to grow AVBA programming with new avenues for intersectional conversations and student connection. The Vanderbilt Way award recognizes these members for “always growing together to fulfill our highest potential, in service to society and our vibrant global Vanderbilt community”. 

Create a Page in the AVBA Digital Book

See what your fellow AVBA Commodores are up to in the AVBA virtual yearbook ! Create your page, upload a photo and browse the profiles of friends.

Connect on Social Media

Share VU memories on social media and get information on current events.

VUconnect

Add the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni to your VUconnect profile. You can select the AVBA group when you are updating your information.

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