New website showcases discovery at Vanderbilt
The latest news about discoveries by Vanderbilt University researchers is now available on a new online news channel, Research News @ Vanderbilt.
“We have created this website to open the doors of our laboratories and lecture halls to a broad audience and share with them the excitement of discoveries being made every day at Vanderbilt,” said Beth Fortune, vice chancellor for Public Affairs.
“This website will help us further expand our mission of education beyond our campus and interest new audiences in science and research,” Fortune continued. “Notably, the site consolidates research stories from across the institution, showing the breadth and significance of research at Vanderbilt.”
The website merges two award-winning research magazines: the online Exploration, which reported on a wide range of scientific inquiry throughout the University; and Lens, published by Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The archives of both magazines can be searched online.
Research News @ Vanderbilt represents the next step for Vanderbilt's research communications.
It covers science and scholarship across the University in six categories: health and medicine; education and psychology; engineering and technology; law, business and politics; life, Earth and space; and society and culture.
Dynamic photography, video and illustrations help tell the stories of discovery. Users are encouraged to engage with the stories both by commenting on them and by sharing and discussing them on Facebook, Twitter and other digital platforms.
Recent stories have included the discovery of potential new drugs in caves, Vanderbilt's role in a new, global Alzheimer's research consortium, and how strong social support systems can help breast cancer patients.
In addition, the site includes stories about research that are written for other publications across campus, a calendar of research events and a blog written by Vanderbilt science writers.
The mission of Research News @ Vanderbilt is to make science more accessible to the general public, to engage the public in lively discussions about scientific research, and to raise awareness about the importance of public support of research.
“Ideally this website can serve as a virtual meeting room for people to not only learn about their areas of interest, but also to share their views and engage with one another and with Vanderbilt,” Fortune said.
The site is managed by the Vanderbilt News Service and VUMC News and Communications. It was created by University Web Communications. All units are within the Division of Public Affairs. The site's URL is http://news.vanderbilt.edu/research.
— Bill Snyder contributed to this story