From the EW:
SPOILERS:
Question: Vampire Diaries scoop, pretty please with a Smurf on top? —Randi
Ausiello: New-blood alert! The show is casting the potentially recurring role of Vanessa, a very attractive, smart, young grad student who assists Damon and Alaric with their werewolf research at Alaric’s alma mater, Duke University.

The EW has a little Vampire Diaries scoop on Damon and guest star Melinda Clarke.

Check it all out here.

Here is an excerpt: (SPOILERS)

Executive producer Kevin Williamson tells me that Matt’s trashtastic mother, Kelly, will blow into Mystic Falls and waste no time digging her cougar claws into Ian Somerhalder’s Damon.

“If I didn’t have Kelly and Damon hook up there would be no God,” declares Williamson with a laugh. “What’s the point of doing TV if you’re not going to put those two characters together? That’s going to be a fun relationship to explore.”

Sounds scandalous!!!
Can’t Wait!!!