Nicholas Zeppos marks 100 days as Vanderbilt Chancellor
Posted 6/9/2008
Chancellor Zeppos sat in with band Soul Incision during The Party.
He’s delivered a news-packed Faculty Assembly address, appointed his replacement as provost, sent the class of 2008 off with inspiring words, welcomed a rock star to campus and even played a little guitar before a cheering crowd.
In his first official address to his faculty colleagues as chancellor, Zeppos announced his intention that no Vanderbilt undergraduate will leave the university in debt, beginning with the class entering Vanderbilt in the fall of 2009. “It is the right thing to do, and it will benefit us all by making our university stronger and better,” he said to the enthusiastic applause from those gathered for the Spring Faculty Assembly. With the first phase of the new residential colleges project, The Commons, ready to open in the fall, Zeppos announced planning for the second phase is beginning. Among the other initiatives he disclosed were a new Academic Venture Fund and plans for a Vanderbilt Institute for Advanced Studies.
Zeppos made the first major appointment of his administration in May when he named College of Arts and Science Dean Richard McCarty as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Just before the school year ended, he approved the launch this fall of the K.C. Potter Center, a full-time and fully staffed office to support the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
Not long after taking the helm of the university March 1, Zeppos headed to Washington and made his debut on Capitol Hill as Vanderbilt’s chancellor, making the rounds visiting with Tennessee legislators about the university’s federal priorities, including increased research funding.
In the area of athletics, he has seen work begin on a $50 million facilities upgrade that includes Vanderbilt Stadium, Memorial Gymnasium, Hawkins Field and the McGugin Center.
In May, the new chancellor delivered his first Commencement address, exhorting the 3,215 graduates to “hold fast and tight to your experiences of empathy, of joy in work that is a shared passion, and of fairness and cooperation as the life experiences that lead to true happiness and ultimate fulfillment.”
The day before, he had presented activist and lead singer for the Boomtown Rats Bob Geldof the Nichols-Chancellor Medal during Senior Day.
Zeppos helped to kick off the three-day Commencement activities during The Party when he helped rock the crowd on electric guitar to “Wooly Bully” and “Gloria” along with the band Soul Incision.
With Dean Frank Wcislo having moved into his house at The Commons just last week, next up for Zeppos -- along with the rest of the campus – will be to gear up for the new first-year student living and learning program.
As for how he’ll spend his 100th full day in office today, Zeppos says, “I’ll reflect for a moment on how fortunate I am to be chancellor of this great university, and then I’ll get right back to work on furthering our mission.”
Contact: Missy Pankake, (615) 322-NEWS
Missy.pankake@vanderbilt.edu
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