Vanderbilt University School of Engineering

10/14/2026

The Wond’ry is sharpening its role as a university-wide hub for human-centered design, technical development, prototyping, and commercialization by developing a suite of innovation and design programs for Vanderbilt undergraduates, the broader university community, as well as for professionals and organizations.

Now officially known as “The Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Center for Innovation and Design,” and housed within the School of Engineering, the updated name reflects the center’s mission to connect education in design methodology with prototyping and technical development. It also serves as a key connection point and partner for resources like Vanderbilt Center for Entrepreneurship, as well as the regional and industry-focused startup ecosystems.

“Since opening a decade ago, the Wond’ry has always been a place for the Vanderbilt community to learn how to transform an idea into action — whether building a working prototype or developing a new business or operating model,” said Kevin Galloway, Evans Family Executive Director of the Wond’ry. “As we look to the next chapter of the Wond’ry, we’re tightening our focus even more on helping students, faculty, staff, organizational partners, and the surrounding Nashville community achieve innovation and design breakthroughs. Our ultimate aim is to provide the tools, the education, and the opportunities for those connected to the Wond’ry to make a meaningful impact.”

The sharpened focus is taking shape through a new undergraduate minor, an expanded deep-tech innovation program, a noncredit professional certificate, and customized innovation and change-management services for organizations.

Learn more: https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/2026/10/08/wondry-refines-its-mission-with-a-focus-on-turning-insight-into-impact/

10/13/2026

🔔 The Spring 2027 application deadline is on November 1st. If you've been considering Vanderbilt's fully online and async M.Eng. in Engineering Management program, now is the time to apply.

You can apply now using the link in our bio. https://apply.vanderbilt.edu/apply/

10/12/2026

The Vanderbilt Lab for Immersive AI Translation (VALIANT) brings together an interdisciplinary community focused on applying AI across fields to spark breakthrough innovation.

This past summer, VALIANT brought together nearly 300 members of the AI community for its annual AI Summer School, featuring lectures, research talks, hands-on workshops and opportunities to connect across disciplines.

"I treasure my time in the lab and the thrill of the eureka moment, but our community is fabric that holds VALIANT together. AI Summer School is central to our mission to create welcoming, collaborative spaces to learn, connect, and dare to grow."

Through research, education and collaboration, VALIANT is helping explore what’s possible when AI is used not just to make existing work faster, but to tackle questions and opportunities that were previously out of reach.

(Photos from VALIANT’s AI Summer School)

10/08/2026

Over a decade ago, School of Engineering Professor Sharon Weiss was selected as a member of the first cohort of Vanderbilt’s Chancellor Faculty Fellows, a distinction that supported her work at the forefront of nanoscale research and helped shape her leadership at Vanderbilt and beyond.

Today, Weiss directs the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE), her research home since early in her Vanderbilt career. Her research spans silicon photonics, biosensors and hybrid nanomaterials, with work that has led to breakthrough discoveries and potential applications in medical diagnostics and energy storage.

Research supported by the fellowship led to new insights into porous silicon and graphene-coated porous silicon, including a technique that could improve the stability of rapid diagnostic tests. The Weiss Lab group has submitted two patents based on this research and is currently participating in the national NSF I-Corps program to explore the technology’s translational potential.

The Chancellor Faculty Fellows program gave Weiss the opportunity to take research risks—and strengthened her confidence to take on leadership roles on campus and across her profession.

Read more Faculty Fellow success stories: https://ow.ly/z6QT50ZVZK2

10/07/2026

For Sukhrob Qadamboev, coming to Vanderbilt University was the realization of a goal that began years earlier — and an opportunity made possible through a growing collaboration between Vanderbilt and Uzbekistan.

Sukhrob is at Vanderbilt pursuing a master’s degree in chemical engineering. His studies are supported by the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation, a government-sponsored scholarship program in Uzbekistan. Sukhrob describes the highly competitive scholarship as an important investment in students who can gain knowledge and experience abroad and eventually use what they have learned to contribute to Uzbekistan’s development.

Since arriving in Nashville, Sukhrob says Vanderbilt has lived up to the hopes he had for the university. He has been particularly impressed by the resources available to students, both academically and in support of their well-being. Just as important has been the sense of belonging he has found on campus.

“I always feel welcome wherever I am on campus,” Sukhrob said.

Learn more:

For Sukhrob Qadamboev, coming to Vanderbilt University was the realization of a goal that began years earlier — and an opportunity made possible through a growing collaboration between Vanderbilt and Uzbekistan. Sukhrob, an aspiring chemical engineer from Uzbekistan, first learned about Vanderbilt...

10/06/2026

Vanderbilt, Finfrock family help lay foundation for West Palm Beach future.

Vanderbilt Engineering alumni Allen Finfrock, BE’90, and Laura Finfrock, BS’86, are helping shape the future of South Florida alongside their daughter, Sarah, a current Vanderbilt Engineering student. Through their family’s leadership at FINFROCK and support of Vanderbilt’s West Palm Beach campus, the Finfrocks are bringing together their Vanderbilt connection and deep roots in the region. As Laura says, “Vanderbilt students have a history of changing the world.” Read their story and learn more about their vision for the future.

More:

The Finfrocks have become deeply embedded in the South Florida region. The family’s organization, FINFROCK, simplifies and accelerates the process of building structures and has revolutionized the construction process across the state. But before the Finfrock family transformed the building indust...

10/02/2026

⏰ It's less than a week away!

Join us October 6 at 6pm CST for a prospective student webinar about Vanderbilt’s Online M.Eng. in Engineering Management.

Explore the program, learn more about the online and asynchronous Vanderbilt experience and get answers to your questions.

Register now: https://ow.ly/10Al50ZTxhU

10/02/2026

A few weeks ago, researchers, students, industry leaders and energy experts came together at the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate (VSEC) Symposium to share research, connect across disciplines and explore the future of energy.

From research presentations and poster sessions to conversations across fields, the symposium highlighted the importance of collaboration in addressing complex energy challenges.

📸 A look at the VSEC Symposium.
🔗 https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/09/11/vsec-brings-together-energy-leaders-to-tackle-power-at-every-scale/

10/01/2026

In a newly published study led by graduate student Victoria Vest and professor Leon Bellan, Vanderbilt researchers show how smooth muscle cells can spontaneously organize in the helical arrangement found in natural resistance vessels—marking a key step toward engineering microvasculature capable of regulating blood flow.

Resistance vessels play a critical role in controlling how much blood reaches the body’s organs and tissues. But recreating the cellular architecture that enables them to change diameter has remained a significant engineering challenge.

Learn more:

09/30/2026

Congratulations to Vanderbilt researcher Sankaran Mahadevan! He is the recipient of the Prognostics and Health Management Society’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding research contributions to the PHM community. Mahadevan is John R. Murray Sr. Professor of Engineering at Vanderbilt.

Over 40 years, he has pioneered the development of probabilistic methods for diagnosis, prognosis, and health management of multiple engineering systems such as aerospace vehicles, civil structures, manufacturing, and power grids, according to the citation. His research and teaching interests related to PHM are in uncertainty quantification, risk and reliability analysis, diagnosis and prognosis algorithms, machine learning, and decision-making under uncertainty. During the past two decades, he has led academic research on digital twin methodologies for aircraft, rotorcraft, ship structures, additive manufacturing, air transportation management, and power grid operations management, funded by NASA, FAA, NSF, U.S. Air Force, U. S. Army, U. S. Department of Energy, and NIST. His contributions have been highly cited.

“I have enjoyed interacting with distinguished colleagues in the PHM Society over many years, and to be recognized by them for this award is indeed a great honor,” said Mahadevan, who is also professor of civil and environmental engineering and mechanical engineering. “This society has almost equal participation from industry, government, and academia, thus the award is particularly meaningful as it indicates impact on all three fronts.”

Learn more: https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/2026/09/29/sankaran-mahadevan-receives-phm-society-2026-lifetime-achievement-award/