An internationally renowned political scientist, management scholar and visionary leader, Diermeier is Vanderbilt’s ninth chancellor.
Vanderbilt named Diermeier chancellor in late 2019 after an extensive search by the Board of Trust. In May 2024, the Board of Trust extended Diermeier’s contract until 2035 “as a demonstration of our confidence in Chancellor Diermeier’s leadership and to support the realization of his long-term vision for the university.
Upon stepping into his role in July 2020, Diermeier immediately committed to safely and successfully bringing students back to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, making Vanderbilt one of a very small number of the nation’s best universities to do so. Today, in the spirit of Vanderbilt’s motto, Crescere aude, or “dare to grow,” Diermeier leads an ambitious program of expansion and improvement, driving efforts to create a culture of radical collaboration and personal growth and to increase Vanderbilt’s presence and reputation both nationally and globally. During a time of unprecedented criticism of higher education, and with society facing urgent and even existential challenges, Chancellor Diermeier has been nationally recognized as a leader in free expression and civil discourse on college campuses and has eloquently made the case for the social value of universities and their unique role as engines of innovation, exemplars of civil discourse and educators of tomorrow’s leaders.
Since Diermeier was named chancellor, Vanderbilt has become a destination for the most promising students and faculty, attracting a record number of admissions applications, posting its highest percentage of admitted students attending and expanding financial aid through Opportunity Vanderbilt. It has topped the $1 billion mark in external research funding and set a university record for licensing revenue—surpassing traditional innovation leaders Stanford and MIT. Vanderbilt’s endowment has grown from $6.9 billion to more than $10 billion since Diermeier’s arrival and, in 2023, Vanderbilt launched a record $3.2 billion fundraising campaign, including Vandy United, a $300 million effort to re-imagine Vanderbilt athletics.
