What do soldiers & NFL or hockey players have in common? Traumatic brain injuries! An Engineering/Neuroscience Vanderbilt team is leading the way in simulating battlefield blast exposures to reduce impact on soldiers, thanks to the Pathfinder program engineering.vanderbilt.edu/2025/02/14/282…

Only 15% of autistic adults secure long-term, meaningful work while 85% are unemployed or underemployment ($100 billion of lost economic productivity annually). The Vanderbilt Frist Center aims to rectify this even when Trump is cutting their funding tennessean.com/story/opinion/…

Brussels is undergoing multiple renovations & I am glad that they are keeping the facades of the old building when they renovate the building's interiors. I attach 3 photos of a major renovation project in the heart of Brussels, less than 5 minutes from the famed Grand Place.

The most well-known Belgian, Manneken-Pis, a young boy relieving himself located in the center of Brussels, is a huge touristic attraction. His museum showcases hundreds of outfits given by many countries. Here I am in front of the store where he is dressed as Mickey and Elvis!

PHILIPPE FAUCHET WINE/BEER ADVICE VAULT An amazing sparkling wine from Belgium you cannot (yet) find in the US. Rufus is at least on par with the best Californian sparkling wines. When I was growing up in Belgium, we said "buy beer from Belgium & wine from France." Climate change

We were in Brussels, Belgium, last week- one week without a raindrop!! Great food at Bouilloin Brussels thanks to their March restaurant week.

Brussels is the capital of the European Union but also a fantastic place to enjoy great food and architecture. The pics are the Gallerie St Hubert, the Drug Opera restaurant & the Atomium (1958 anyone??)

It's very hard to get a bad meal in Brussels, especially if you are from Belgium & know what tourist traps to avoid. These pics were taken at the Rugbyman 2, a great seafood restaurant in the heart of Brussels. And the food and waitstaff were great!!

Vanderbilt's women's tennis team is on a tear!! Two wins against SEC teams make this team amazing. vanderbilthustler.com/2025/03/31/wom…

Elon Musk's disgusting spending was resoundingly rejected by Wisconsin voters. Of course $1M for him is like $1 for most of us. I respect his business acumen but despise his foray into government and politics

Vanderbilt University School of Engineering made me the newest member of their Circle of Friends. Thanks to all who supported this nomination- it really feels good to be recognized for the successes we achieved together during my 11 years as the dean. engineering.vanderbilt.edu/2025/04/09/sch…

PHILIPPE FAUCHET WINE/BEER ADVICE VAULT Sweet dessert wines including Sauternes, Tokaj & Ice Wines, can be exceptional. Add to this list Klein Constantia Vin de Constance from South Africa. Incredibly smooth, with just the right amount of sweetness. It's not cheap but worth it!

We went to Barcelona & enjoyed a great wine/food dinner (with major thunderstorms afterwards- stuck in the restaurant for a while!). The pics show the seafood paella, Harvey, the wine manager, serving the paella, and a fantastic, yet cheap wine from Spain called Le Naturel

PHILIPPE FAUCHET WINE/BEER ADVICE VAULT This Carmenere red wine was a winner- but really who thought about the very appealing yet funky label? We drank it at Barcelona Wine Bar near Vanderbilt University & we enjoyed it! Very inexpensive if you can find it at your liquor store

Congratulations to my daughter, recently promoted US Marines Captain Angele Fauchet, who is going to Okinawa for 3 years. We met in Washington DC where we shared a celebratory drink and a dinner at La Chaumiere, an excellent, traditional French restaurant in Georgetown

This week, I enjoyed a visit with my new (nearly 5 month-old) grand-daughter Noelle and her parents, my son JP and his wife Emily. Noelle is a darling who enjoys being held and entertained, at their home or at the beach!

PHILIPPE FAUCHET WINE/BEER ADVICE VAULT Brut Champagne and Wine Bar, a small hole in the wall in Alexandria serves one of the best champagnes I have drunk. This Blanc de Noir (100% Pinot) from Gonet-Medeville is exceptional & sells for $40-50. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WINE AND BAR

TRUMP=LIAR As the AP reports, after he was elected president, Donald Trump spoke with certainty about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine in the first 24 hours of his new administration and finding lasting peace from the devastating 18-month conflict in Gaza. apnews.com/article/trump-…

Engineering Senior Design Projects require more than just the students’ specific engineering expertise. Read what our students designed and built in Costa Rica! engineering.vanderbilt.edu/2025/04/22/van…

Yesterday I turned 70 !! And this Sunday morning I enjoyed my first brunch in that decade- can you identify what I was eating and drinking?