A platform to foster faculty advancement and inclusion through community building, mentorship, networking, and multidisciplinary research
The Black Think Tank (BTT) was formed via a Duke University 2017 Faculty Advancement Seed Grant sponsored by the Provost Office for Faculty Advancement. The BTT was created as a medium for providing a supportive environment for Black faculty at Duke University. The initiative focuses on faculty advancement through four main aspects of career development:
- Providing mentorship
- Offering networking
- Fostering research
- Building a supportive community
Inclusion and retention of minority faculty are among Duke’s top priorities as addressed in the new strategic plan, “Together Duke – Advancing Excellence Through Community.” Our initiative embodies many of the broad goals defined in this plan: Invest in Duke faculty; Provide a transformative education experience; and Create a supportive environment for research, learning, and academic communities.
The Black Think Tank is Black-led program — in the For Us By Us model — that hopes to close some of these gaps by strengthening and developing our faculty body, which will ultimately advance the entire Duke community. Importantly, a main goal of this platform is to stimulate creative thinking in a multidisciplinary way and to be a catalyst for new research programs. We will connect our members to reach across departments and schools, and pursue initiatives that bring new components to their portfolio, which is fully aligned with our goals as faculty and scholars at Duke.
Our Mission
The Black Think Tank at Duke aims to foster an inclusive academic community to support hiring, retention, promotion, and advancement of Black faculty by creating a platform that provides resources, enhances scholarly prominence, fosters connection with Black students and staff, and offers opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration.
BTT In the News
- Duke Today: FOSTERING THE ADVANCEMENT OF BLACK FACULTY
Duke’s ‘Black Think Tank’ gives faculty a forum to build connections
- Duke Today: JUNIOR FACULTY, STUDENTS, LAUNCH 'BLACK THINK TANK'
Networking effort part of building 'inclusive excellence' at Duke