Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

05/26/2026

Congratulations, little graduates!

https://www.facebook.com/WSMVTV/posts/pfbid0GsDBmCjPnFAMAQzs47kRZijLwvZN4dt1H2SdkgaQnmxNW49zpoqDTVRyCTcF1Hrml

05/21/2026

We’d like to wish congratulations and best wishes to VKC member Keith Meador on his retirement! Meador is the Ann Geddes Stahlman Professor of Medical Ethics and director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society and will retire July 1 after 16 years of leadership that shaped the ethical foundation of care at .

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Meador has integrated ethics into the daily life of clinical departments at Vanderbilt Health. Under his direction, the center expanded its reach across specialties, establishing programs in surgical ethics, pediatric ethics and maternal-child health.

05/18/2026

The Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities is accepting applications for its 2026-2027 Partners in Policymaking® course! Partners is a FREE leadership and advocacy training program. Over eight months, Partners scholars build the knowledge and skills to ask - and answer - big questions like:

-- What does a good life look like for me, my family and other people with developmental disabilities?
-- What needs to change for that vision to become reality?
-- How can I take action and help create that change?

Partners in Policymaking is designed for Tennessee residents who are:
-- Adults with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities.
-- Parents, adult siblings and other family members of individuals with developmental disabilities.

Learn more and apply here: https://www.tn.gov/cdd/apply

Learn more about Partners in Policymaking through this video: https://youtu.be/Xbb3lcA5dBQ?si=XHQDvj2wcvY2jTdG

1 like. "Partners in Policymaking Celebrates 30 Years in TN (ASL version)"

05/14/2026

From the latest issue of VKC Notables: Members of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center continue to earn national and international recognition for their innovative scholarship, leadership, and dedication to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families through research, policy, and practice.

Not subscribed to Notables yet? Visit https://vkc.vumc.org/subscribe/ to sign up!

ARTICLE LINK: https://notables.vkcsites.org/2026/04/vanderbilt-kennedy-center-members-honored-with-prestigious-national-and-international-awards/

Members of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center continue to earn national and international recognition for their innovative scholarship, leadership, and dedication to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families through research, policy, and practice....Read more

05/12/2026

From the latest issue of VKC Notables: VKC member Justine Hoch, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Psychology and Human Development. Dr. Hoch studies infants’ sense of exploration through the lens of motor development because new motor skills offer infants new opportunities to interact with their environment and new ways to learn. In the interview below, Hoch shares how she became interested in disabilities research, describes her current research projects, and highlights how becoming a member of the VKC enhances the work she does.

Not subscribed to Notables yet? Visit https://vkc.vumc.org/subscribe/ to sign up!

ARTICLE LINK: https://notables.vkcsites.org/2026/04/leading-the-vanguard-justine-hoch/

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) member Justine Hoch, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Psychology and Human Development. Dr. Hoch studies infants’ sense of exploration through the lens of motor development because new motor skills offer infants...Read more

05/07/2026

From the latest issue of VKC Notables: The VKC has launched its new Navigating Adult Services webpages, an online resource designed to help Tennesseans with disabilities, their families, and professionals better understand and access the broad landscape of adult disability services across the state.

Not subscribed to Notables yet? Visit https://vkc.vumc.org/subscribe/ to sign up!

ARTICLE LINK: https://notables.vkcsites.org/2026/04/new-navigating-adult-services-webpages-now-live-on-the-vanderbilt-kennedy-center-website/

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) has launched its new Navigating Adult Services webpages, an online resource designed to help Tennesseans with disabilities, their families, and professionals better understand and access the broad landscape of adult disability...Read more

05/05/2026

From the latest issue of VKC Notables: The American Educational Research Association has named Vanderbilt Kennedy Center associate director Laurie Cutting, Ph.D., a 2026 AERA Fellow, an honor recognizing the nation’s top researchers in education and learning.

Not subscribed to Notables yet? Visit https://vkc.vumc.org/subscribe/ to sign up!

ARTICLE LINK: https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/03/09/vanderbilt-peabody-professor-selected-for-prestigious-education-association-fellows-program-qa-with-laurie-cutting/

The American Educational Research Association has named Vanderbilt University’s Laurie Cutting, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Special Education, a 2026 AERA Fellow, an honor recognizing the nation’s top researchers in education and learning. She and the c...

04/30/2026

Congratulations to VKC members Melissa Duff and Troy Hackett, two of Vanderbilt University's 19 newest endowed chairs!

The distinguished faculty members representing a wide range of fields were presented with medallions that symbolize attaining their positions and will become part of their official academic regalia. The cohort spans various research areas, from computer-supported learning to cardiovascular nursing to criminal law to structural biology and nucleotides. Chair holders contribute their expertise to real-world challenges, including developing practical sensing devices for a broad class of medical conditions, solutions to societal problems that require changes across complex systems, and sustainable and resilient civil infrastructure facing natural and man-made hazards.

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On March 24, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver honored scholars from across Vanderbilt at an endowed chair investiture ceremony.

04/29/2026

Registration for Tennessee Disability MegaConference is officially open: https://secure.ngpvan.com/VaVykYwcakqGJQhN2mLMOw2

04/28/2026

Six Vanderbilt University faculty members, four of whom have primary appointments in the School of Medicine, have been elected honorary fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for their contributions to advancing scientific knowledge and its applications. Congratulations to VKC members Ege Kavalali and Bennett Landman!

ARTICLE LINK:

Six Vanderbilt University faculty members have been elected honorary fellows of the AAAS for their scientific contributions.

04/27/2026

TODAY, APR. 27, AT NOON!
Frist Center for Autism and Innovation Salon Lunch and Learn Series: Frist Center for Autism and Innovation March Salon Lunch and Learn Series: "The Educational Experiences of Autistic Girls"

Register here: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7193