News
Vanderbilt preserves history through the salvaged remains of the Bicentennial Oak
Jun. 29, 2023—The Bicentennial Oak, the only tree on Vanderbilt’s campus known to predate the founding of the university, fell in November due to age-related decay. Estimated to be about 250 years old, the bur oak was one of the most recognizable trees on campus, and it served as a landmark near Garland Hall for generations of Vanderbilt...
New study in ‘Nature Water’ demonstrates a vastly more sustainable, cost-effective method to desalinate industrial wastewater
Jun. 22, 2023—Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that has developed a cutting-edge method that seeks to make the removal of salt from hypersaline industrial wastewater far more energy-efficient and cost-effective. While desalination through reverse osmosis has made tremendous strides—allowing for salt removal from seawater for less than a penny per gallon—it still falls short in...
Philips and Vanderbilt University Medical Center unite to define roadmap for decarbonizing radiology
Jun. 16, 2023—From the VUMC Reporter Amsterdam-based Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have announced a collaboration that aims to reduce the health system’s carbon footprint while determining a blueprint to guide industry efforts. The project is with VUMC’s Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, where efforts will focus on...
Vanderbilt to deploy first all-electric multi-vehicle shuttle fleet at a university in Tennessee
May. 19, 2023—Vanderbilt University announced on May 18 that it will deploy the first all-electric multi-vehicle shuttle fleet at a university in Tennessee. The new fleet will provide eco-friendly vehicles for VandyRide, a nighttime shuttle service for Vanderbilt students, by the start of the fall 2023 semester. “We are thrilled to be the first university in Tennessee...
Vanderbilt part of coalition awarded $1M engine development award to advance sustainable manufacturing and supply chain innovation
May. 19, 2023—Vanderbilt University, in partnership with other institutions across Tennessee and Kentucky, has been awarded $1 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program. The team’s proposal, “Advancing carbon-centric circular economy technologies for advanced manufacturing solutions (KY, TN),” is led by a coalition named Generate Advanced Manufacturing Excellence for Change (GAME...
Vanderbilt joins NSF-funded coalition to shape the future of mobility in Tennessee
May. 19, 2023—Vanderbilt University will serve as a core partner in a statewide coalition to help shape the future of mobility and usher in a new era of economic prosperity in Tennessee. The effort is being funded by the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program. The $1 million Advancing Technology-Enabled Mobility Solutions (ATEMS-TN) Regional Innovation Engines Development award will support the creation...
Vanderbilt senior Savannah Childress pursues passion to eliminate food injustice and promote sustainability through Immersion Vanderbilt
May. 17, 2023—Vanderbilt University wasn’t on Savannah Childress’ radar when the Columbus, Ohio, native started to consider which college to attend several years ago. She’d heard of the school in Tennessee and knew of its great reputation for academics, but initially Childress thought she would play sports in college—an idea that kept her focused on considering athletics...
Vanderbilt celebrates Bike to Work Day, offers Bike Month updates
May. 15, 2023—May is National Bike Month, and Vanderbilt has several activities and resources planned to showcase the many benefits of bicycling. Bike to Work Day The Vanderbilt community is encouraged to bike to campus on Friday, May 19. The Transportation and Mobility team and the Nashville Department of Transportation will be at the corner of 21st Avenue...
Sustainability, mobility and transportation efforts highlighted in FutureVU FY2022 Progress Report
May. 5, 2023—Vanderbilt University made significant progress toward its FutureVU goals in fiscal year 2022, as outlined in the annual progress report. FutureVU is a high-level, holistic framework for the development of campus’s built and exterior environments. That framework gives direction to campus projects and considers core themes such as community enhancement, connectivity, inclusion, accessibility and sustainability. Highlights from...
New Sesquicentennial Oak Tree joins Vanderbilt’s green canopy
Apr. 26, 2023—As Vanderbilt University dares to grow while observing its Sesquicentennial this year, the campus welcomes a new tree to mark the occasion. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and members of the Vanderbilt community gathered for a small ceremony on April 24 to commemorate the planting of the Sesquicentennial Oak Tree, which is located near Garland Hall and Buttrick Hall. The tree planting follows the recent loss of the Bicentennial Oak,...
LIVING LABORATORY
Apr. 26, 2023—Educational as well as beautiful, Vanderbilt’s arboretum is 150 years in the making In March of 1873, Bishop Holland McTyeire convinced Cornelius Vanderbilt to contribute an initial $500,000 to found Vanderbilt University. By May, McTyeire had negotiated the purchase of several tracts of farmland on a small hill west of Nashville to become the campus....
Vanderbilt to further offset carbon footprint by investing in solar energy projects through Clearloop
Apr. 19, 2023—Vanderbilt University will further offset its carbon footprint by investing in the development of solar energy projects that will expand access to clean energy in the Southeast. A new, multiyear collaboration with Clearloop, a Silicon Ranch company, builds on Vanderbilt’s commitment to powering its campus entirely through renewable energy and maintaining carbon neutrality. Vanderbilt’s investment...
Vanderbilt University joins Silicon Ranch, NES and TVA to ‘flip the switch’ on Vanderbilt I Solar Farm
Apr. 14, 2023—Vanderbilt University joined Silicon Ranch Corp., Nashville Electric Service and Tennessee Valley Authority on April 11 to “flip the switch” on the Vanderbilt I Solar Farm, a 35-megawatt solar facility in Bedford County, Tennessee. The solar facility is a significant step by Vanderbilt toward the ambitious goal it announced in 2019 to power its campus entirely through...
MYVU Vanderbilt University Campus Dining celebrates Earth Week with Menus of Change
Apr. 14, 2023—Vanderbilt University Campus Dining is proud to celebrate Earth Week by offering a special week of menu items that represent various principles of the Menus of Change, a groundbreaking initiative created by The Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that aims to support healthier, more sustainable and more delicious food choices. It is...
Vanderbilt receives $1 million in funding for electric vehicle research
Apr. 11, 2023—Michael Vandenbergh, co-director of the Energy, Environment, and Land Use Program at Vanderbilt Law School and director of the Vanderbilt Climate Change Research Network, and Tina Hartert, MD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center will lead two research projects that aim to identify the barriers to and potential health benefits of adoption of electric vehicles in...