Vanderbilt is a dynamic center of research, learning and growth - a private research university of 6,300 undergrads and 5,300 grad/professional students.

Higher Education

Vanderbilt University

Camilla  Stringfellow

Ruza is an experienced attorney who has held significant roles in higher education, federal government, and the private sector. She is recognized as an outstanding leader with a deep belief in the transformative power of higher education, and she holds a clear vision of how to navigate the complex and ever changing legal landscape that higher education institutions face. She maintains a strong commitment to the mission of the university, working relentlessly to protect and advance that mission.

Before she joined Vanderbilt University in 2015, Ruza served as Deputy Managing Counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where she oversaw development and support for a team of 150 attorneys and counseled senior OGC officials on significant legal issues and communications to the Office of the Secretary. Prior to serving as the Deputy she was the first client-based attorney advisor to the Department’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, advising on complex and novel civil rights and civil liberties issues. Prior to serving with the Department, Ruza was an associate attorney at Hogan Lovells (previously Hogan & Hartson) in the education practice group, which represented and advised public school districts and higher education institutions nationwide. In this role, she advised higher education clients on issues related to student financial aid, accreditation, academic freedom, conflicts of interest, campus safety, student privacy, and student discipline. Following her graduation from law school, she clerked for Judge James Robertson of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and for Judge Judith W. Rogers of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

As of February 2019, Ruza serves as Vanderbilt University’s Vice Chancellor, General Counsel, and University Secretary, leading the Office of the General Counsel, which includes the Office of Conflict of Interest and Commitment Management, and overseeing all of the university’s legal activities. Ruza works closely with the Office of the Chancellor, the chancellor’s leadership team, and the Board of Trust as she advises on key legal issues facing the Vanderbilt University community and higher education.

Ruza earned a bachelor of arts, summa cum laude, in economics and in law, jurisprudence and social thought from Amherst College, where she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She earned her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, where she was a senior editor of the Yale Law Journal and executive editor of the Yale Law and Policy Review.

Ruby Z. Shellaway

Emilie M. Townes is the Dean of the Divinity School at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university). Emilie is also the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society.

Emilie was previously the Dean and Carolyn Williams Beaird Professor of Christian Ethics at Union Theological Seminary from 1999-2005. From 1989-1999, they were a Professor of Christian Ethics and Black Church Ministries at Saint Paul School of Theology.

Emilie is a leading voice in womanist ethics and society, and their work has been instrumental in shaping the field of womanist theology. Emilie is the author of several books, including "Womanist Ethics and the Cultural Production of Evil" and "Womanist Ethics and the Healing Community."

Emilie M. Townes began their educational career at the University of Chicago, where they received their AB in Religion and the Humanities. Emilie then attended the University of Chicago - Divinity School, where they received their MA in Ministry and Ethics. After that, they attended Northwestern University - GSAS and received their PhD in Religion. Finally, they attended the University of Chicago - Divinity School again and received their DMin in Ministry and Ethics.

Some of their coworkers include Pam Jeffries - Dean of Vanderbilt School of Nursing, William Robinson - Vice Provost for Academic Advancement & Executive Director of the Provost's Office for Inclusive Excellence, and Lorenzo F. Candelaria - Dean of Blair School of Music. Emilie M. Townes reports to C. Cybele Raver, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Emilie M. Townes

John G. Geer

Jeffrey R. Balser is currently the Dean of the School of Medicine at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university). Jeffrey has previously served as the Chair of Anesthesiology at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) School of Medicine from January 2001 to December 2004.

Dr. Jeffrey R. Balser is a medical doctor and pharmacologist who earned their MD/PhD from [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) School of Medicine. Jeffrey completed their residency and fellowship in anesthesiology, cardiac anesthesiology and critical care medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Balser also holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Tulane University.

Some of their coworkers include William Robinson - Vice Provost for Academic Advancement & Executive Director of the Provost's Office for Inclusive Excellence, Lawrence J. Marnett - Dean of School of Medicine Basic Sciences, and Emilie M. Townes - Dean of the Divinity School. Their manager is C. Cybele Raver, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Jeffrey R. Balser

Nathan Green is currently the Vice Chancellor for Government and Community Relations at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university). Nathan has over fifteen years of experience as a lobbyist, working on behalf of both businesses and government entities. 

Before joining Vanderbilt, Nathan was a lobbyist with the Tennessee General Assembly, where they coordinated the lobbying team and efforts on behalf of Shelby County Government. Prior to that, Nathan was a partner at ROBINSONGREEN, LLC, representing many diverse business interests before Tennessee State Government.

Nathan has a deep understanding of the legislative process and how to effectively advocate for their clients. Nathan is a skilled communicator and negotiator, and has a proven track record of success in getting favorable outcomes for their clients.

Nathan Green reports to Daniel Diermeier, Chancellor. Some of their coworkers include Eric C. Kopstain - Vice Chancellor for Administration, Steven K. Ertel - Vice Chancellor for Communications & Marketing, and John M. Lutz - Vice Chancellor for IT & Interim Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations.

Nathan Green

Steven K. Ertel is the Vice Chancellor for Communications & Marketing at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university). Steven has over 20 years of experience in strategic communications, media relations, and marketing.

Steven began their career as a Public Relations Coordinator at IEEE in 1998. Steven then moved to Euro RSCG Middleberg, where they were an Account Executive from 1998 to 2001. In 2001, they became the Director of Media Relations at Environmental Defense. Steven held that position for three years before moving to [The Nature Conservancy](/org/the-nature-conservancy), where they served as the Director of Media Relations from 2004 to 2008. In 2008, Steven became the Vice President of Strategic Communications at the [World Wildlife Fund](/org/world-wildlife-fund), where they worked for nine years before joining [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) in 2017.

Steven K. Ertel's educational career began at [Rutgers University](/org/rutgers-university), where they majored in Communications and minored in Human Ecology. Steven also obtained a certificate in Social Strategies for Environmental Protection. Steven's fields of study included Communications, Environmental Science, and Social Work.

Their manager is Daniel Diermeier, Chancellor. They work with John M. Lutz - Vice Chancellor for IT & Interim Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations, Brett C. Sweet - Vice Chancellor for Finance & IT & CFO, and Candice Storey Lee - Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director.

Steven K. Ertel

C. Cybele Raver is the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university). C. previously served as Associate Professor at the University of Chicago and Assistant Professor at [Cornell University](/org/cornell-university).

Raver received their BA from [Bryn Mawr College](/org/bryn-mawr-college) and their PhD from Stanford University. C. has won numerous awards for their research, including the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship and the American Educational Research Association's Early Career Award.

C. Cybele Raver received their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology from [Yale University](/org/yale-university) and their Bachelor's degree in Visual and Environmental Studies, with a concentration in Psychology, from [Harvard University](/org/harvard).

Some individuals on their team include Lawrence J. Marnett - Dean of School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Camilla Persson Benbow - Dean of Peabody College, and M. Eric Johnson - Dean of Owen Graduate School of Management. C. Cybele Raver reports to Daniel Diermeier, Chancellor. They work with Brett C. Sweet - Vice Chancellor for Finance & IT & CFO, André L. Churchwell - Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, and Anders W. Hall - Vice Chancellor for Investments and Chief Investment Officer.

C. Cybele Raver

Elizabeth Hanson

Fran Spurrier

Daniel Glasser

Carrie Sennett

Sarah Kohn

Jeffrey J. Rothschild was elected a Trustee in 2014. He earned a B.A. degree in 1977 and M.S. in 1979 from Vanderbilt.

Mr. Rothschild served as vice president of infrastructure engineering at Facebook from 2005-2015. After earning his master's degree in computer science, he has been a co-founder of several technology and software companies including Veritas Software. Mr. Rothschild is engaged in early stage technology and impact investing.

As an alumnus, Mr. Rothschild serves on Vanderbilt's Technology Transfer and Enterprise Development Advisory Committee and has participated in Bay Area Vanderbilt University alumni activities. He and his wife, Marieke, have supported the College Halls initiative and scholarships in the College of Arts and Science and School of Engineering.

Jeffrey J. Rothschild

Bruce R. Evans was elected to the [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) Board of Trust in 2009 and became Chairman in 2017.

 He is a Senior Advisor to [Summit Partners](/org/summit-partners), a global alternative investment firm managing more than $15 billion in capital dedicated to growth equity, venture capital, fixed income and public equity opportunities.   Mr. Evans was Chairman of [Summit Partners](/org/summit-partners)' Board of Managers for seven years, from 2012 to 2019, and a member of the firm's Board and management leadership group for twenty years, after co-leading a successful leveraged buyout of Summit from its founders in 1999.  During his thirty-three year career as a venture capitalist, Mr. Evans has served as a director of more than 35 companies, including fourteen public companies. In addition, he was a member of the board of directors of the [National Venture Capital Association](/org/national-venture-capital-association) from 2009 to 2014 and was named to the Forbes Midas List from 2006 to 2009. He is currently a director of Analog Devices (NASDAQ: ADI), a designer and manufacturer of high performance semiconductor products, [Casa Systems](/org/casa-systems) (NASDAQ: CASA), a provider of next generation broadband communications infrastructure equipment, and two private companies.  His prior public company directorships include Fleetcor Technologies, a provider of fleet credit cards and other specialized payment products for businesses (NYSE: FLT);   and Pediatrix Medical Group, a comprehensive provider of neonatology services and other health solutions that was later renamed [Mednax](/org/mednax) (NYSE: MD).   Mr. Evans was also a member of the initial Board of Directors of the [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) Medical Center, after its 2016 spinoff from [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university). Prior to joining [Summit Partners](/org/summit-partners) in Boston in 1986, he sold mainframe computers for IBM in Louisville, Kentucky.

 Mr. Evans is a graduate of Huntington High School in Huntington, West Virginia and attended Vanderbilt as a recipient of a James W. Stewart, Jr. Honor Scholarship in Engineering. He graduated from the [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) School of Engineering with a BE in Mechanical Engineering and Economics in 1981. He also received an MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1986.  Mr. Evans resides in Boston with his wife and they are parents of several recent Vanderbilt graduates.

Bruce R. Evans

Porter Geer

Pam Jeffries

Lorenzo F. Candelaria

Esteemed child and adolescent psychologist C. André Christie-Mizell has been named vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university), effective Jan. 1, 2021, pending Board of Trust approval. The new vice provost role, which reflects the increased importance of graduate education at Vanderbilt, will enable direct connectivity with the academic deans and the Office of the Provost’s vice provost leadership team.

"Vanderbilt has a great opportunity to build our upon our strengths in graduate education," said Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. "As a globally renowned research institution, the Graduate School is central to our scholarly mission. I am delighted to welcome Professor Christie-Mizell into this new role as vice provost and dean."

Christie-Mizell, a professor of sociology who currently serves as dean for undergraduate education in the College of Arts and Science, was chosen after a nationwide search by a broad-based, diverse committee chaired by Susan R. Wente, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. He succeeds Bunmi Olatunji, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Psychology, who was named interim dean of the Graduate School on Sept. 1, 2020, and is also the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School.

 “Professor Christie-Mizell is a rigorous scholar and accomplished administrator whose strategic thinking and enthusiasm will prove invaluable as we continue elevating the graduate education experience at Vanderbilt,” Wente said. “I’m deeply grateful to Dean Olatunji for his steady leadership during the interim period, and his continued efforts on behalf of our graduate students. His dedication ensured that the Graduate School remained on its current upward trajectory during this challenging semester.”

 Wente said she also wanted to extend a special thank you to members of the search committee for their guidance. “The faculty and students on the search committee were dedicated and provided critical insights in filling this new vice provost role,” she added.

Christie-Mizell, who joined Vanderbilt’s Department of Sociology as a tenured associate professor in 2010, holds a Ph.D. in sociology and social psychology from Ohio State University and is a licensed family and child psychologist. His research focuses primarily on how family functioning, roles and identity shape the psychological well-being and health of everyone in the family unit. In addition to his teaching and research, he recently has co-led the Education Continuity Subcommittee as part of the University Continuity Working Group, which advises Vanderbilt leadership on how to continue operating safely and productively during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his new role as vice provost and dean, Christie-Mizell will serve as the chief administrator for all graduate programs within the university’s schools and colleges, and he will foster a collaborative support system across multiple departments, programs and central provost resources such as the Career Center, University Counseling Center and the Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness.

C. André Christie-Mizell

Lawrence J. Marnett

William H. Robinson is the Vice Provost for Academic Advancement and Executive Director of the Provost’s Office for Inclusive Excellence, and is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university). He also works to advance the Provost’s priorities focusing on faculty recruitment, retention, and development; student success; curriculum; and a culture of respect, dignity and care.

Robinson served on the Chancellor’s Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Community, and he was the recipient of a Chancellor’s Award for Research on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in 2016 for his work to broaden minorities’ participation in engineering, which has significantly informed the understanding of factors that often discourage Black scholars from pursuing academic careers.

Robinson joined the [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) faculty as an assistant professor after earning a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the [Georgia Institute of Technology](/org/georgia-institute-of-technology). He earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Robinson’s research explores the hardware and software tradeoffs to improve system performance, system reliability, and system security. He leads the Security and Fault Tolerance Research Group at Vanderbilt, whose mission is to design, model, verify and implement robust computing systems that positively benefit stakeholders with consumer, defense, industrial and medical applications. He also co-leads the Explorations in Diversifying Engineering Faculty Initiative (EDEFI) (pronounced “edify”). EDEFI investigates the institutional, technical, social, and cultural factors that affect the decision-making, career choices, and career satisfaction for doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty who have been marginalized by race and/or gender.

William Robinson

Chris Guthrie

Camilla Persson Benbow

M. Eric Johnson

Philippe M. Fauchet

Brett C. Sweet

John M. Lutz

Dr. André L. Churchwell is vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer for [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university). He is the inaugural Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D. Chair, chief diversity officer for [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) Medical Center and senior associate dean for diversity affairs in the [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) School of Medicine. Churchwell is a Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering.

Churchwell graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering magna cum laude in 1975. He won the Biomedical Engineering Student Program Award that same year. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1979 and later completed his internship, residency and cardiology fellowship at [Emory University](/org/emory-university) School of Medicine and affiliated hospitals in Atlanta. In addition, he was the first African American chief medical resident at Grady Memorial Hospital (1984–1985).

In 1986, while at Emory, he was also named Most Outstanding House Officer, made an honorary

Morehouse Medical School class member and he received a Harold Amos/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Minority Medical Faculty Development Award. With this award, working with his mentor, Don Giddens, Ph.D., Chair of Aeronautical Engineering at Georgia Tech, they studied coronary artery fluid mechanics and its role in atherogenesis.

While at Emory in 1987, Dr. Churchwell, along with Drs. Ajit Yoganathan, Robert Nerem, Donald Giddens, Robert Guyton, and Charles Hatcher, formed the core nucleus team from both Emory and Georgia Tech that led to the creation of the Emory-Georgia Tech Bioengineering Center. The result of these early efforts has led to many graduate and pool doctoral students of minority status in the field of biomedical engineering.

Churchwell received the J. Willis Hurst Award for Best Clinical Teacher in 1991 from Emory and in 2004 he was named the [Emory University](/org/emory-university) School of Medicine Resident Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award winner. For the past ten years he has been named one of the nation’s top cardiologists in “The Best Doctors in America.”

In 2005, he was named Walter R. Murray Jr. Distinguished Alumnus by the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni. The award recognizes lifetime achievements in personal, professional and community arenas.

In 2007, he was named the Associate Dean for Diversity in Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Faculty Affairs. Working with Dean Jeff Balser, Dr. Churchwell created a diversity plan that led to a rise in the percentage of underrepresented in medicine (URM) GME applicant pool from 9.5% in 2009 to 14% in 2017. With the diverse enrichment of the GME applicant pool, VUMC has experienced an increased % URM in its GME programs from 6.6% in 2008 to 11% in 2017. The actual impact of the success of our pipeline program is even more evident if you examine the salutary effect in the PGY1 or internship year–where in 2003 our % URM was only 7% and now, in 2019, it is 17%.

In 2010, he was awarded The Distinguished Alumnus Award of [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) School of Engineering; and in 2011, along with his physician brothers Kevin and Keith, he received the nationally recognized Trumpet Award for Medicine.

He serves on many medical school committees including the Admission and Promotion Committees. In 2011, he was named Dean of Diversity for Undergraduate Medical Education to add to his current role in the Dean’s office. Dr. Churchwell and his team, building on the work of prior Associate Deans for Diversity has maintained that 20-25% of the entering [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) Medical School class is of an underrepresented in medicine (URM) background. This effort has allowed us to sustain a diverse and rich learning environment where each student benefits from the experiences of students different from them by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographic site of origin, etc.

In 2012 and 2013, The [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) Organization of Black Graduate and Professional Students (OBGAPS) honored Dr. Churchwell with one of the organization’s first Distinguished Faculty Awards. He was also recognized with an American Registry Most Compassionate Doctor Award. From 2010-2013, he has been awarded the Professional Research Consultants’ Five-Star Excellence Award—Top 10% Nationally for “Excellent” Responses for Medical Specialty Services and Overall Quality. And in 2014, he was honored as one of the Top 15 Most Influential African American Medical Educators by Black Health Magazine.

Furthermore, he was elected in 2012 to serve as the southern representative for the Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) for the AAMC (American Association of Medical Colleges). As a member of the GDI, he was involved in creating a best practice manual for all diversity deans in medical schools to use as they build their programs. Since 2011, he has served on the Editorial Board of the Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology: A Journal of the Biomedical Engineering Society. In 2013, he helped create The Hurst-Logue-Wenger Cardiovascular Fellows Society (HLWCFS) of [Emory University](/org/emory-university) School of Medicine and was elected the first President of HLWCFS.  And recently, in 2014, he was named one of the “Top 15 Most Influential African-American Health Educators” by Black Health Magazine.

From 2013 to 2015, he served on the Biomedical Engineering Society (BME) Diversity Committee. He offered and utilized his near thirty year of experience in diversity and his academic connection to biomedical engineering research and education (MIDP Program and VUSE-BME Senior Design Class), to assist the committee in its efforts in diversity and inclusion. It was a satisfying and rewarding experience as he was able to meet like-minded experts with a commitment to work force diversity and the importance of a diverse class for broad and unique learning opportunities. In addition, he has served as an alumnus consultant for the Chair of Biomedical Engineering at VUSE for over five years. He also serves on the VUSE-BME Advisory Board that offers opinions, ideas, and recommendations to the BME Chair. He has served as a mentor for many minority BME undergraduates–offering them information on career path, specific research opportunities; and a host of other recommendations.

In 2015, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees for Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, where he serves as the Governance Committee Director and offering best practices on leadership and board diversity practices. In 2016, he was named to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) for his work in biomedical engineering education. And in 2017, he received the [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) Pioneer in Diversity Award.

In summary, the previous paragraphs document a career of over thirty years, dedicated to furthering diversity in all realms of the academy, from undergraduates, graduates, and professional schools. His efforts began as a member of the medical school faculty at [Emory University](/org/emory-university) School of Medicine serving as the initial Minority Affairs Director and a founding member of the Emory-Georgia Tech Bioengineering Center. These efforts have continued at Vanderbilt and working both in the School of Medicine and partnering with the Biomedical Engineering Department’s leadership

Churchwell lives in Brentwood, Tennessee, and is married to Doreatha Henderson Churchwell, a nurse educator at [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university) Medical Center. They have two children, Crystal A. Churchwell and André L. Churchwell, Jr.

André L. Churchwell

Eric C. Kopstain

Anders W. Hall

Nora Wingfield Tyson

An internationally renowned political scientist and management scholar, Daniel Diermeier is the ninth chancellor of [Vanderbilt University](/org/vanderbilt-university).

Diermeier is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Guggenheim Foundation and the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research. His teaching and research focus on formal political theory, political institutions, the interaction of business and politics, text analytics, behavioral models of politics, and crisis and reputation management. He has published four books and more than 100 research articles in academic journals, mostly in the fields of political science, economics and management, and in other areas ranging from linguistics, sociology and psychology to computer science, operations research and applied mathematics.

From 2016 until 2020, Diermeier served as provost of the University of Chicago, where he was also David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor in the Harris School of Public Policy and the College at University of Chicago’s Department of Political Science.

Through his career as a faculty member, Diermeier has combined excellence as a researcher and teacher with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Diermeier started his career as an assistant professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1994. [Northwestern University](/org/northwestern-university) recruited him to its Kellogg School of Management in 1997 to build its political economy program. He rose quickly through the ranks at Kellogg, receiving early promotion to professor just four years after earning his Ph.D.

In 2000, he was appointed IBM Professor of Regulation and Competitive Practice and, later, director of the Ford Motor Company Center for Global Citizenship at Kellogg. During his time at Northwestern, he also held appointments in economics, political science, linguistics and law. He won multiple teaching awards at Kellogg, including the L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award and the Alumni Professor of the Year Award, and he was a 2007 recipient of the Faculty Pioneer Award from the Aspen Institute, called the “Oscars of the business school world” by Financial Times.

He co‐founded the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems and served as the founding academic director of the CEO Perspectives program, one of the leading development programs for C‐level executives. He also served as chairman and co‐founder of the Northwestern Global Health Foundation, dedicated to developing low‐cost medical devices and 2012 winner of a Chicago Innovation Award in the Up-and-Comer category.

In 2014, after 17 years at Northwestern, Diermeier was appointed dean of the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He led the transformation of the Harris School into the third-ranked public policy school in the nation. He launched a strategy that doubled student enrollment while increasing selectivity, a successful fundraising effort that included funds for the new $80 million, LEED Platinum-certified Keller Center, a 50 percent growth in faculty and the recruitment of diverse students, faculty and staff.

Under Diermeier’s leadership, the Harris School became the home of the International Innovation Corps, the Place Lab and the Harris Policy Labs. In 2015, the Harris School created its Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board and developed bridge programs to increase the number of students from underrepresented minority groups. This program was able to attract significant philanthropic support and led to a notable increase in minority students at the Harris School.

In 2016, the University of Chicago named Diermeier provost, with responsibility for all academic and research programs across the university and oversight of the university’s budget. His initial priority as provost was to improve the University of Chicago’s financial performance without impeding its path toward greater eminence. He reorganized the Office of the Provost and engaged in a faculty‐led, multiyear diversity and inclusion initiative. The initiative included a campuswide climate survey and convened administrators from peer institutions to develop cross‐university initiatives to improve the faculty pipeline of underrepresented minorities and women in STEM areas. During his tenure, he appointed six female deans and three female vice provosts.

Diermeier led major expansions of the faculty in engineering and applied science, including the creation of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and a university‐wide expansion of computer science and data analytics that doubled the number of faculty in those disciplines. He also continued improvements in economics, policy, business, and urban studies as well as sustained investment in the humanities and social sciences.

During Diermeier’s tenure, the College at University of Chicago, home of the university’s undergraduate education, experienced significant growth while increasing selectivity and yield. The University of Chicago also significantly increased the diversity of its incoming classes with targeted programs for first-generation, African American and Hispanic students. Diermeier also focused on improving doctoral and non‐degree education, a process that started with a campuswide faculty‐student committee on graduate education.

As Diermeier led its academic functions, the University of Chicago increased its level of global engagement, culminating in the opening of the Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong, which won a 2019 Prix Versaille architecture and design award. The university also increased its level of engagement with the City of Chicago and local communities through various collaborative initiatives, including the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation and the Urban Labs, a faculty-led research center working with city governments to address challenges in areas such as crime, education, health, poverty, and energy and environment.

Diermeier has served as a board member for the University of Chicago Medical Center, Argonne National Laboratory, the Civic Consulting Alliance, CityBase, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the National Opinion Research Center, the Field Museum of Natural History and the management board of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Throughout his career, Diermeier has been an adviser to governments, nonprofits and leading companies including Abbott, Accenture, Allianz, the City of Chicago, the Government of Canada, Ernst & Young, Exelon, the FBI, Hyatt, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Metro Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, State Farm, UnitedHealth Group, and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

A first-generation college graduate, Diermeier earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Rochester. He also holds master’s degrees in political science from the University of Rochester and the University of Munich, and he earned a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Southern California.

Daniel Diermeier

Adolpho Birch was elected to the Vanderbilt Board of Trust in 2014. He received his undergraduate degree in 1988 from [Harvard University](/org/harvard) following which he earned a J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School in 1991.

Mr. Birch serves as Senior Vice President of Labor Policy & League Affairs for the National Football League, which is headquartered in New York, New York. Upon joining the NFL in 1997, his primary responsibility was the enforcement of the League's Collective Bargaining Agreement, which encompassed issues including player and Club contract and injury grievances, benefits matters and salary cap disputes. In his current capacity, he oversees the development, administration and enforcement of the League's critical policies respecting the integrity of the game, including those on substances of abuse, performance-enhancing drugs, gambling and criminal misconduct. Mr. Birch also has advanced the League's legislative and political interests, working with federal, state and local officials on key league issues such as youth concussion laws, the league's tax status and the FCC's blackout rule. He also previously directed the League's player development efforts, which comprise a number of programs designed to support player and employee off-field success, focusing on continuing education, financial education, career development and clinical assistance.

Prior to joining the NFL, Mr. Birch was in private practice in Houston, Texas, initially with Fulbright & Jaworski's Antitrust/Complex Litigation and Public Law group; and later with a boutique firm specializing in labor, insurance defense and municipal finance. Preceding his firm affiliations, he served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Thomas A. Wiseman, Jr., Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Mr. Birch attended Vanderbilt University Law School as a Patricia Roberts Harris Scholar, serving on the Editorial Board of the Vanderbilt Law Review and earning his juris doctorate in 1991. He did his undergraduate work at [Harvard University](/org/harvard), where he graduated with honors in Government and participated as a member of the junior varsity lacrosse and basketball teams, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and other student organizations.

Mr. Birch was raised in Nashville and is actively involved in a number of professional and philanthropic organizations including the Sports Lawyers Association (Board Member), Partnership for Clean Competition (Board of Governors), Why Not Sports? (Board Member), New York City Business of Sports High School (Advisory Board Member) and the National Bar Association. In October 2010, Mr. Birch was chosen as one of the top 100 leaders of the African- American community by The Root, a media collaboration between scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and the Washington Post.

Adolpho A. Birch III

Candice Storey Lee, a native of Madison, Alabama, and former student-athlete at Vanderbilt, is the vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director.

Lee is Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first African American woman to head an SEC athletics program. Lee has served as an integral leader at the university and in Athletics for almost 20 years, most recently serving as deputy director of the program, a role she was appointed to in 2016. She has also served as the department’s senior woman administrator since 2004.

In addition to her responsibilities of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the athletics department, she is also the sport administrator for the football and women’s basketball programs.

In 2019, Sports Business Journal named Lee to its “Power Players: College Sports” list, which recognizes individuals who have “distinguished themselves as some of the best thinkers, problem-solvers and dealmakers in college sports and they will play a distinctly important role in its future.” In 2018, [Adidas](/org/adidas) named Lee to its prestigious “NEXT UP” class, comprising “senior-level administrators, handpicked by some of the most respected athletic directors in the industry, who are believed to be ready to take the next step as athletic directors in their own right.”

Along with her roles as associate vice chancellor and deputy athletic director, Lee has served as the department’s senior woman administrator since 2004. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the athletics department and also serves as the sport administrator for the football and women’s basketball programs. Lee formerly served as a member of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee, is the former chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee and a former chair of the SEC Senior Woman Administrators.

In September 2019, Lee was named a 2019-20 fellow of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association’s Pressnell Executive Leadership Institute. She is a member of the 2012 Class of Leadership Nashville, the 2012 Vanderbilt Leadership Academy, the YWCA of Middle Tennessee Board of Directors and the SEC Executive Committee.

As a captain and four-year letter winner for Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball team, Lee graduated with a bachelor of science degree in human and organizational development in 2000. She also received her master’s degree in counseling from Vanderbilt in 2002, and in 2012, Lee earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt in higher education administration.

She is married to Sean Lee, who is the executive director of the Smyrna Housing Authority.

Vanderbilt University

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