At the 2026 Fall Staff Assembly, Vanderbilt University recognized Sarah Ross, Senior Program Manager at the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE) and the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Graduate Program, with the Student Impact Award.
Sarah was honored for mentoring, advocating for, and guiding graduate students in STEM聽fields for three decades. Her impact extends far beyond administrative support, from helping students navigate financial challenges and imposter syndrome to rallying the Vanderbilt community around a graduate student whose home a tornado destroyed.
Chancellor Daniel Diermeier presented the awards on Nov. 2 at Langford Auditorium, honoring staff whose contributions span community outreach, research, operations, student support, and institutional progress. 鈥淭hese colleagues come from different parts of Vanderbilt, and they contribute in very different ways,鈥� Diermeier said. 鈥淲hat they share is a commitment to excellence, to one another, and to the larger purpose of this university.鈥�
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