VUSM Faculty Focus

The annual Pumpkinfest is on Saturday, October 30, 2021, from 10:00am to 6:00pm in downtown Franklin. The street festival attracts over 65,000 attendees and features costume contests, children’s activities, food and drink vendors, artisans, and live entertainment. Admission is free.

Click here for details!

The Nashville Jewish Film Festival is happening now! NJFF is a first-class Festival dedicated to the exploration and understanding of contemporary Jewish life throughout the world. Through the screening of both feature films and documentaries at the Belcourt Theater over an 8 day period the NJFF attracts an audience of over a 1000 people.

Click here for details!

Join the Nashville Scene on November 6-7, 2021, for our two-day craft fair extravaganza and shop from 70+ curated artisan vendors showing off their homemade goods. Shop home decor, clothing, pet products, CBD and more all in one spot! Plus, enjoy live music, craft beer + cocktails, activities, photo booth fun and more.

Click here for details!

November 19 – 22, 2021!

Tour the Trace now in its second year is destined to become a premier national and international road cycling event attracting athletes and teams from all over the world.

Athletes can expect a fast and scenic event held in late fall providing unpredictable weather and beautiful fall foliage.

Click here for more information!

Explore the haunted side of history during our Hermitage Ghost Tours!

After dark this fall, embark on a distinctly spooky voyage at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage as you explore the mansion, grounds and cemetery by lantern light. Along the way, guides present stories of strange encounters such as the ghosts of the Battle of New Orleans and Jackson’s infamous meeting with Tennessee’s Bell Witch. Beware of eerie encounters, possibly even with President Jackson himself.

Get your Tickets for our Ghost Tours on October 28-31.

Ghost Tours are available October 28-October 31 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. from the Andrew Jackson Center breezeway. Please arrive early. Tours will start right on time, and we don’t want any souls left behind. Tours also include a discounted tasting for guests ages 21+ from our Natchez Hills Winery tasting room.

*Available for every ticket holder 21 years of age and older.

Run Music City is Back on November 20, 2021!

This unique event is jampacked with authentic Nashville music at every turn. Prepare to be immersed in music culture from the expo to the finish line when you join us for the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville. Experience a legendary tour of Music City filled with iconic landmarks such as Broadway, Music Row, The Gulch, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and more.

Click here for more information!

Vanderbilt’s Martin Were, MD, MS, and Patricia Sengstack, DNP, RN-BC, are two of 11 fellows who were elected to the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI). William Stead, MD, is one of four senior fellows who were named Distinguished Fellows of ACMI.

The ACMI is an honorary college of more than 400 elected fellows from the U.S. and abroad who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field of medical informatics and who have met rigorous scholarly scrutiny by their peers.

Click here to read more!

Shari Barkin, MD, MSHS, chief of the Division of General Pediatrics and William K. Warren Foundation Professor of Pediatrics, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the organization announced Oct. 18.

Operating under the 1863 Congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) are private, nonprofit institutions that work outside of government to provide objective advice on matters of science, technology and health. The NAM elects 90 regular members and 10 international members annually, and membership reflects the height of professional achievement and commitment to service.

Click here to read more!

The producers of the Nashville Christmas Parade announced that a new Nashville Holiday Music Special will premiere on Saturday, Dec. 4. The program, which will take the place of the in-person parade this year, will benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

The one-hour broadcast is set to feature a star-studded lineup of performances and celebrity appearances from artists performing at iconic Nashville locations, including the Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry and Skyway Studios. The special will also honor Nashville’s health care heroes.

Click here to read more!

Reminder: FLUla-2-Uza makes getting your flu immunization easy and convenient

Between accessible locations on Nashville’s campus, Vanderbilt Health Clinics, and programs that allow flu vaccines to come directly to your department, FLUla-2-Uza is a great way to receive your vaccine by Dec. 1^.

Click here to learn more about Flu vaccine options!

Just two more weeks to Go for the Gold! And this year it is easy to navigate, quick to complete, and mobile friendly! You can earn up to $240 Reward for completing all 3 Steps! Deadline is October 31.

At Tuesday’s Levi Watkins Jr. MD Lecture, George C. Hill, PhD, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and Levi Watkins Jr. MD Professor Emeritus, delivered the keynote address, “Dr. Levi Watkins and Mr. Vivien Thomas: Memories and Lessons Learned from Two Outstanding Lives of Service.”

Click here to read more about the Levi Watkins Jr. MD Lecture!

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical will be at the Nashville Children’s Theatre from October 22-31, 2021. The book is by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki. Based on the novel by Rick Riodan, this is a “rockin’ musical” that’s great for ages 8+ and runs approximately two hours. Tickets are $17 for children and $23 for adults.

Click here for more information!

From Halloween parties to haunted houses, Halloween in Nashville is one of the best holidays to celebrate in Music City. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, you’re bound to have some spooky fun at one of these in-person celebrations. This year Halloween falls on Sunday, October 31, 2021, so many events will take place over the weekend!

Click here for more information!

Experience Nashville in a whole new way: in the tree tops. The Adventure Park at Nashville is a tree-top climbing and zip line experience. It’s the largest of its kind in Nashville with 12 trails color-coded by difficulty levels and approximately 156 treetop platforms connected by bridges, rope courses, ladders, 16 zip lines, and more. There’s even an Adventure Playground for children 3-6 years old. And when you’re done climbing, they also have axe throwing! This is a fun thing to do for kids, teens, adults, and groups of all ages and abilities. Here’s what you need to know.

In his latest video message to the people of VUMC, Dr. Jeff Balser, president and CEO, discusses successful progress with workforce COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters for patients and employees, an upcoming “check-in“ survey, and ongoing efforts to make VUMC’s environment as safe as possible for everyone. 

As the nation grapples with how to support children through the COVID-19 pandemic, Meg Rush, MD, MMHC, spoke to several members of Congress recently and painted a vivid picture of the toll the virus has taken on children in Tennessee and at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Rush, President of Children’s Hospital, testified Sept. 22 in a hearing, “Putting Kids First: Addressing COVID-19’s Impacts on Children,” along with Lee Savio Beers, MD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others.

Click here to read more!

The Nashville Predators will begin their 24th NHL season presented by Fifth Third Bank with a four-game homestand starting Oct. 14 against the League’s newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken.

Following a shortened 56-game regular season in 2020-21, in which Nashville only played teams from a realigned Central Division, the 2021-22 campaign will see the Predators return to an 82-game schedule, headlined by 40 contests at Bridgestone Arena and a 2022 NHL Stadium Series™ tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nissan Stadium on Feb. 26. Game start times will be announced at a later date.

There are a lot of awesome family-friendly fall activities in Nashville. Whether you have kids or not, everyone needs to visit a pumpkin patch, walk through a corn maze, or jump on a hayride! Luckily for Nashvillians, there are plenty of nearby farms.

Click here for the top farms or areas to visit, whether you just want pumpkins to carve or need a day full of fun for the whole family.

Artober Nashville is a month-long art celebration from October 1-31, 2021, taking place throughout Music City. Guests can expect hundreds of events including visual and performing arts, theatre, dance, music, craft, film, and more! Admission is free.

Click here for more information!

This is the first museum exhibition in the United States to focus on medieval art made in the northern Italian city of Bologna. Home to the oldest university in Europe, Bologna fostered a unique artistic culture at the end of the Middle Ages. With its large population of sophisticated readers, the city became the preeminent center of manuscript production south of the Alps and it helped bring about a revolution in the medieval book trade. Manuscripts circulated in a thriving market of scribes, illuminators, booksellers, and customers operating mostly outside traditional monastic scriptoria. The university initially specialized in law, and many law books were illuminated in Bologna with brightly colored scenes. University professors enjoyed high social status and were buried in impressive stone tombs carved with classroom scenes.

The nearly 70 objects in the exhibition span from the mid-1200s to 1400, from the first great flowering of manuscript illumination in Bologna to the beginnings of the construction and decoration of the ambitious Basilica of San Petronio in the city’s Piazza Maggiore.

Click here to learn more about #bolognaAtTheFrist and other new exhibitions!

Celebrate the autumnal season at Cheekwood! We’re set to celebrate all things fall during Cheekwood Harvest, part of our year-round lineup of signature seasonal festivals. The changing of the leaves are one of many garden highlights you’ll find as oaks, maples, dogwoods, and other trees greet you with their fall colors. You’ll find activities and experiences designed to appeal to kids, adults and families alike, making this six-week celebration the perfect time for a peaceful solo stroll, a crisp fall family day, or an afternoon date.

All tickets include access to Cheekwood Harvest September 18 – October 31.

Click here to learn more!

OZ Arts is thrilled to announce a full season of dynamic programming with projects that embody creative experimentation and explore urgent themes, including racial justice and climate change. The high-impact lineup features legendary Hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris; the ingenious, Berlin-based theater collective Gob Squad; a highly-anticipated collaboration led by Nashville composer Dave Ragland; Cuba’s internationally renowned Malpaso Dance Company; and much more.

Click here to learn more!

Boo at the Zoo at the Nashville Zoo begins on Friday, October 15, 2021, and takes place on 14 select dates through Saturday, October 30, 2021, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. The nights feature carnival games, bounce houses, a corn pit, a hayride, trick-or-treating, animal shows, science shows, and more. Tickets are $20 on Fridays through Sundays and $18 on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Children under age 2 are FREE.

Click here for dates and more information!

Click here to learn the latest updates from Vanderbilt University Student Health Center.

Click here to review the Vanderbilt University family-life resources.

Click here to review the Vanderbilt University Medical Center family life and household resource page.

Through Vanderbilt’s institutional membership, all faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars have access to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD), which provides professional development, training, and mentoring. 

NCFDD resources are broadly applicable across academic disciplines and include a range of topics such as time management, overcoming academic perfectionism, how to develop a daily writing plan, how to write grant proposals, and more.

These resources offer concrete guidance that could increase your productivity and your sense of well-being.

The Office of Faculty Affairs designed Online Faculty Programming with the intent to provide Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) faculty members with the resources, tools, and knowledge in a virtual format. The Office of Faculty Affairs acknowledges that the demands of working in the academic medical profession are abundant and we encourage our faculty members to seek faculty development programming at their convenience. 

Click here to access VUSM Faculty Affairs Online Programming! VUNetID needed!

The Literature Resource page is designed to provide a comprehensive list of publications and tools to assist faculty members in furthering their professional development. Below you will find publications related to the following topics: (a) Assessment (b) Diversity and Inclusion, (c) Leadership, (d) Medical Education (e) Mentoring, (f) Professionalism, and (g) Wellness.