E! has an interview with Courtney Ford.
She will be guest starring this season on the show.
Below is some info on her character.
Get more scoop here.
SPOILERS
“I play Vanessa Monroe, a Duke University grad student who’s helping Alaric (Matt Davis), Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) with Isobel’s research. It’s a really nice arc.”