Each year, fall brings the familiar, back-to-school feeling. Comforting and exhilarating, it is a sense of continuity, renewal and possibility. For the academic community, it is a time to return and to begin.
At Vanderbilt, this new academic year finds us stronger than ever.
United by shared values and bold ambitions, we celebrate the launch of our new College of Connected Computing. Nationally, we are exploring the possibilities of campus locations in New York City and West Palm Beach. At home, we're partnering with the city and others to expand Nashville's innovation ecosystem. We are also reaffirming our commitment to transformative education at every level, and this year we welcome our inaugural class of public school students in the Nashville Vanderbilt Scholars Program.
Our opportunities seem boundless. In a season for higher education often defined by limitation, conflict and doubt, our university is expanding, connecting and breaking new ground. We are advocating for the essential societal value of research universities at the national level and leading a movement of transformation from within. Through initiatives like Dialogue Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security, we are continuing to champion the fundamental values that define our nation.
This deep commitment to growth is inherent to Vanderbilt. You'll find it reflected on every page of this magazine.
In James Patterson and Patrick Leddin's Disrupt Everything, they explore the power of finding opportunity in times of chaos and uncertainty. In our story featuring students in Vanderbilt's Next Steps program, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and School for Science and Math, we see a drive for discovery and growth that spans an entire community. In this issue's research highlights-from the game-changing work of junior faculty supported by our Innovation Catalyst Fund, to the promising careers of alumni built from the hands-on research experience they had as students-we see a university that dreams big and fosters bold, lifelong pursuits.
Alumni readers already know and cherish these qualities of Vanderbilt. My hope is that you will join us in telling our story. Spread the word about great things happening at Vanderbilt. Stay connected to our work and to one another's, and share with us your own big ideas.
Autumn at Vanderbilt is a glorious time. Classrooms are buzzing. Commodores are cheering. The leaves of trees lining our beautiful campus are blazing with autumnal color. Even these ancient arbors offer us a powerful example. Standing firmly rooted, they embrace change. Like all in our Vanderbilt community, they dare to grow.
-Daniel Diermeier, chancellor
