NEW FACULTY—Beyond the resume: Get to know some of our newest faculty members

Vanderbilt is the academic home to more than 1,800 faculty members who lead impactful interdisciplinary research, teaching and mentoring across 11 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, and centers and institutes.

These faculty also lead meaningful and interesting lives outside of their work! Get to know some of Vanderbilt's newest faculty beyond their resumes.

Joshua Fairbanks, associate professor of the practice of finance, Owen Graduate School of Management (Submitted photo)

Joshua Fairbanks, faculty director, MS Finance program, associate professor of the practice of finance
Owen Graduate School of Management
Academic focus: Financial modeling, corporate finance and fixed income analysis

Beyond the resume: "Before academia, I spent time as an assistant golf professional and even passed the PGA's Playing Ability Test. That experience taught me discipline, resilience and the importance of staying composed under pressure. I strive to incorporate these skills in the classroom and in leadership roles," Fairbanks said.

Krishna Mudumbi, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology,
School of Medicine Basic Sciences (Submitted photo)

Krishna Mudumbi, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology
School of Medicine Basic Sciences
Academic focus: Cell receptor activation kinetics and downstream signaling kinetics

Beyond the resume: "I am an avid lover of board games and music. You can often either find me playing board games with friends and family or tinkering around with my guitar," Mudumbi said.

Jila Niknejad, senior lecturer in mathematics, College of Arts and Science (Vanderbilt University)

Jila Niknejad, senior lecturer in mathematics
College of Arts and Science
Academic focus: Set-theoretic topology and math education

Beyond the resume: "I have two kids. One is an NSF Fellow and a Ph.D. student, and the other is a sophomore in college. They are both studying engineering," Niknejad said.

Su Cho, assistant professor of English, College of Arts and Science (Submitted photo)

Su Cho, assistant professor of English
College of Arts and Science
Academic focus: Poetry and essay writing focused on immigration, language and lore

Beyond the resume: "I played a lot of volleyball growing up and played club in college. Now, I mostly try to kayak," she said.

Jeff Gordon, assistant professor of law, Vanderbilt Law School (Vanderbilt University)

Jeff Gordon, assistant professor of law
Vanderbilt Law School
Academic focus: Tax law, federal budget law, energy law, law, industrial policy

Beyond the resume: "I'm an avid tennis and squash player, and newly getting into padel … and looking for people to play any of these sports with in Nashville," Gordon said.

Shannon Hayes, senior lecturer in philosophy, College of Arts and Science (Vanderbilt University)

Shannon Hayes, senior lecturer in philosophy
College of Arts and Science
Academic focus: Continental philosophy, aesthetics and critical phenomenology

Beyond the resume: "My encounters with phenomenology as an undergraduate transformed my understanding of what philosophy could be; it showed me that philosophical inquiry could engage with the aesthetic and bodily dimensions of lived experience rather than just abstract concepts. This insight shapes how I approach teaching," Hayes said.

Mengshan Ye, assistant professor of chemistry,
College of Arts and Science (Vanderbilt University)

Mengshan Ye, assistant professor of chemistry
College of Arts and Science
Academic focus: Bioinorganic and physical inorganic chemistry

Beyond the resume: "A good chemist is also a big fan of Lego," Ye said.

Jeffrey Bellin, professor of law, Vanderbilt Law School (Submitted photo)

Jeffrey Bellin, professor of law
Vanderbilt Law School
Academic focus: Criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, law and technology

Beyond the resume: "I'm basically addicted to boba tea," Bellin said.

Vanderbilt's newly hired faculty join Provost C. Cybele Raver at new faculty orientation in August 2025. (Vanderbilt University)

• Get to know more of the 2025 class of new faculty
• Read why some of our newest faculty chose Vanderbilt
• Learn more about faculty support and opportunities through the Office of the Provost
• Get to know some of the faculty hired in the 2024-25 academic year