Here we recognize and celebrate Duke colleagues who recently achieved promotion and tenure. Earning promotion and tenure after a rigorous review process by peers and leaders inside and outside Duke is a testament to the caliber of each individual faculty member and the impact of their research, teaching and mentoring, and their reputation among their peers. It is also, in a way, an invitation to be a partner in shaping the future of Duke and its mission, playing a role in advancing its academic excellence and making it… read more about Duke Awards Tenure to Faculty Members on the Campus Side »
New faculty members contribute to the depth and dynamism of our academic community. Please join us in welcoming these new faculty who have chosen to make Duke their academic home. Browse the list of new faculty below (if we’ve missed anyone, please let us know) and learn more about their backgrounds and areas of expertise. Law School Crystal Grant, Clinical Professor, 7/1/21 start date (see related article) Jesse McCoy, Clinical Professor, 7/1/21 start date Thomas Wilson Williams, Clinical Professor, 7/1/21 start… read more about Meet Duke’s New Faculty! »
The Dance Program at Duke University is proud to welcome Iyun Ashani Harrison as an associate professor for the ballet practice. He will also serve as director for undergraduate studies. A graduate of The Julliard School, Harrison received his M.F.A. from Hollins University in Virginia and is a doctoral candidate in education at Marymount University. He is the founder and executive director of Ballet Ashani and has performed with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico of New York, Ailey II,… read more about Duke Dance Program Announces New Faculty Appointment: Iyun Harrison »
Deng Madut, M.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Primary appointment: School of Medicine Madut, a 2019 graduate of DGHI’s Master of Science in Global Health program, participated in the Global Health Pathway program through the Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health. He is currently a clinical associate in the Duke Division of Infectious Diseases. He completed his medical training at Texas Tech School of Medicine and his internal medicine residency at Duke. As part of the global health… read more about DGHI Welcomes New Professors: Deng Madut, M.D. »
The Hart Leadership Program is excited to announce that Student U ‘s Executive Director and Durham education leader Alexandra Zagbayou is set to join us as a Hart Associate Professor of the Practice in January of 2022. Alexandra graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2010 from its innovative leadership program known as APPLES. Having fled political persecution from the Ivory Coast with her family at the young age of 10, APPLES was an important incubator for Alexandra’s ongoing leadership… read more about DURHAM EDUCATION LEADER, ALEXANDRA ZAGBAYOU, TO JOIN HART LEADERSHIP PROGRAM »
Five individuals on TIME Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2021 have a Duke connection—two trustees, a faculty member, an alumna and a soon-to-be honorary degree recipient. A member of the Duke faculty is highlighted on the TIME list as a “Pioneer.” Felwine Sarr, the Anne-Marie Bryan Distinguished Professor of Romance Studies, joined the faculty in 2020. A native of Senegal and an internationally known public intellectual, Sarr has research interests that span from economics to… read more about Dr. Felwine Sarr: TIME Magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2021 »
On Democracy Works episode 87 Dr. Candis Watts Smith and Rebecca Kreitzer unpack the politics of abortion and its implications for democracy, from court decisions to public opinion and campaign messaging. Listen to the podcast episode, titled Abortion is not always a clash of absolutes, here. read more about Candis Watts Smith on Democracy Works »
Black Americans are more likely to experience kidney failure and less likely to receive a transplant from a living donor than non-Black people. That racial disparity is a concern, said Dr. Lisa McElroy, MD, a transplant surgeon at Duke Health, because having a living donor can get you off dialysis sooner and help you improve your health and quality of life faster. Why the discrepancy between Black and non-Black patients? A lot has to do with a lack of information about the benefits of living donation and concerns about… read more about Dr. Lisa McElroy: Living Kidney Donations Help Black People with Kidney Disease Get Transplanted Faster »
This year’s University Medals will honor the distinguished service of two former chairs of the Duke University Board of Trustees and an influential leader at Duke and in Durham. The highest honor presented by the university, the awards will be presented in conjunction with Founders’ Weekend September 24-26. “The University Medal is reserved for those who make transformational contributions to the Duke community,” said President Vincent E. Price. “It is fitting, then, that we this year recognize MaryAnn Black, Pete… read more about MaryAnn Black among three to receive university medals »
Watch Gina-Gail Fletcher at the 2021 Cato Summit on Financial Regulation on a panel discussing Retail Trading and Market Structure. View here. read more about Gina-Gail Fletcher: Fair Shares: Retail Investors and the Future of Equities Markets »
Applications are open for a Program Director, Computer Science at Duke university. The job entails providing administrative support for the Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education (AiiCE), to include managing/coordinating financial development and administration, special programs (including speaker programs), publications, special conferences/meetings, and other events to ensure fulfillment of the program objectives. Learn more and apply here. read more about Call for Applications: Program Director, Computer Science »
The Sanford School of Public Policy is seeking to hire an economist at the senior level with a preference for candidates who can be hired at the full professor rank. The search is open to an economist with expertise in the broad area of the economics of inequality. We welcome applications from researchers from all fields in economics, including stratification economics. Applicants are encouraged whose research is devoted to inequality across social groups, especially at the intersection of race, ethnicity, and… read more about Call for Applications: Professor in Public Policy and Economics »
Each year, the Steering Committee of the Africa Initiative provides funding for small projects or working groups for the coming academic year. These grants have traditionally been in the range of $2,000 - $6,000 and are awarded to Duke faculty working in arts and humanities, environmental and life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, social sciences or multidisciplinary areas. Please learn more here. Funding requests should be sent to Meredith Watkins (mw390@duke.edu(link sends e-mail)) no… read more about Call for Grant Proposals: Duke Africa Initiative Faculty Opportunities »
The Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) has announced the Sherman A. James Diverse and Inclusive Epidemiology Award, named for the Sanford School’s Professor Emeritus Sherman James. The award will recognize research, teaching or service by an individual that expands the scope of the field to under-represented or disadvantaged populations or researchers and that has facilitated greater diversity and inclusiveness. A core criteria for the award is interdisciplinary contributions or leadership to diversity and… read more about Nominations Open: Award Named in Honor of Sanford Professor Emeritus »
Story+ is a 6-week summer program that immerses interdisciplinary teams of students, faculty, and staff in arts and humanities research and public storytelling. We invite proposals from Duke faculty, archivists, artists, and other campus and community members for the Summer 2022 edition of Story+. We anticipate we’ll gather again full-time fully in-person for Story+ Summer 2022. In order to provide options for our diverse student population, though, we are interested in accommodating… read more about Call for Proposals: Story+ Projects (Summer 2022) »
During the decade-long economic recovery following the Great Recession, Black households lost much more wealth than white families, regardless of class or profession, according to new research from Duke University’s Samuel DuBois Cook Center for Social Equity. “One of the important contributions of this study is our conscious effort not to treat everyone who engages in paid labor as members of the working class,” says co-author William A. Darity Jr., founding director of the Cook Center and the Samuel DuBois Cook… read more about RACE, NOT JOB, PREDICTS ECONOMIC OUTCOMES FOR BLACK HOUSEHOLDS »
Read Dr. William Darity and A. Kirsten Mullen in the NPO: Nonprofit Quarterly here. This article is excerpted from Resurrecting the Promise of 40 Acres: The Imperative of Reparations for Black Americans (Roosevelt Institute, June 4, 2020), with permission. It appears in the Summer 2021 edition of the Nonprofit Quarterly, “The World We Want: In Search of New Economic Paradigms.” read more about Resurrecting the Promise of 40 Acres: The Imperative of Reparations for Black Americans »
'DiversifyIT' brings new colleagues into fight against racism. Dispirited by images of police violence against Black Americans, Steve Rich, like others at Duke, wanted to do something to fight systemic racism, but he didn't know where to start. An IT analyst with Duke's Office of Information Technology (OIT), Rich occasionally participated in events organized by DiversifyIT, a staff-led OIT initiative to create a more inclusive climate across Duke's IT spaces. And since last summer, when DiversifyIT… read more about EXPANDING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE »
Debra Clark Jones has been named Associate Vice President for Community Health for the Duke University Health System (DUHS). This role, reporting jointly to Dr. A. Eugene Washington and Stelfanie Williams, is a significant milestone toward forging purposeful partnerships with our neighbors in Durham and the region in a unified and coordinated way. Learn more here. read more about DEBRA CLARK JONES NAMED ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH FOR DUKE HEALTH »
Staff and faculty hired during the pandemic reflect Duke's priorities and future. Learn more here. read more about WELCOME TO DUKE AMIDST COVID-19 »
Kanecia Zimmerman and colleague Danny Benjamin stress the importance of vaccinations for staff, faculty, student, and family safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval last week of the Pfizer-BioNTech two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for adults is excellent news for every family heading back to school this fall. Approval will now offer more assurance to unvaccinated adults who were uncomfortable with emergency use authorization of the vaccine and encourage them to move forward in protecting themselves,… read more about Dr. Kanecia Zimmerman: COVID Is Not an Insignificant Risk to Children »
The National Science Foundation has announced the creation of an artificial intelligence research center at Duke. It is one of 11 new NSF institutes focused on AI. The AI Institute for Edge Computing Leveraging Next-generation Networks—Athena for short—will be supported through a $20 million grant and five-year development plan from NSF and the Department of Homeland Security. The initiative is positioned to reshape the design, service, and operation of mobile systems. Athena will support a group of… read more about National Science Foundation launches artificial intelligence center at Duke »
The Rev. Luke Powery, who has served since 2012 as Dean of Duke Chapel, has been reappointed to a third five-year term following the completion of a university review, President Vincent E. Price said this week. “I am delighted to announce Luke Powery’s reappointment as Dean of the Chapel,” Price said. “Reverend Powery’s steadfast leadership has fostered an inclusive faith community on our campus, one that enables students, faculty, staff, and visitors to explore a wide diversity of spiritual practice. I am grateful for his… read more about POWERY TO SERVE THIRD TERM AS DEAN OF DUKE CHAPEL »
Duke authors examine education issues pertinent to students, teachers and parents. Read STAY PREPPED: 10 STEPS FOR SUCCEEDING IN COLLEGE BY NICKI WASHINGTON and THE BROKEN COMPASS BY KEITH ROBINSON AND ANGEL L. HARRIS! See the rest of the books here. read more about SIX DUKE-PENNED BOOKS TO PREP FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL »
Program looks to help train the next cohort of faculty leaders at the university. Sociology and health policy scholar Tyson Brown has been named the inaugural Presidential Fellow by Duke President Vincent E. Price. The one-year, part-time fellowship is designed to prepare promising mid-career faculty members for future leadership roles and to engage them in the administration of the university. Brown is associate professor of sociology and director of the Center on Health & Society. His… read more about TYSON BROWN NAMED FIRST PRESIDENTIAL FELLOW AT DUKE »
An excerpt of Dr. Jennifer Nash's new book Birthing Black Mothers appeared in The Cut. Read here. read more about The Real Reason Black Mothers Are Being Pushed to Breastfeed »
Growing up on a farm in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, Jay Pearson knew he wanted to do something different with his life. His grandfather was a tenant farmer, and he had come from a long line of farmers before that. For the first 11 years of his life, Pearson and his family lived in his grandfather’s tenant farm house. After that, they moved into a trailer park. His family never had any savings. “In terms of wealth and income, I grew up in abject poverty,” says Pearson. “I’m the first person in my direct… read more about America’s Racial Wealth Gap: Jay Pearson Tries to Build Wealth for the Next Generation »
In June 2021, the Duke University School of Medicine released its Moments to Movement strategic plan, “Dismantling Racism and Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Medicine.” This plan reflects the work of four constituent-based committees, with input from across the School of Medicine community and support from an oversight committee. Underlying these efforts is a vision of enduring change, whereby our efforts, actions, and decisions will create both the structural and cultural change required to… read more about Moments to Movement Strategic Plan »
Makeba Parramore Wilbourn, Associate Professor of the Practice of Psychology and Neuroscience, has received Duke's Advisor of the Year Award. Academic Advising at Duke has upwards of 300 volunteer advisors working with first and second year students. Each year, based on feedback provided by students’ major declaration survey, advisees share their experiences working with advisors. Based on the student survey feedback two Advisors of the Year are selected: one faculty member and one… read more about Makeba Parramore Wilbourn named Advisor of the Year »
Dr. Candis Smith joins Duke's Political Science department for the 2021-2022 school year. Professor Smith's expertise highlights race and ethnicity's role in shaping the American political landscape. Watch a recently published TedX where she discussed the three myths about racism that keep the US from progressing here. Additionally, find her quoted in The Fulcrum on legislation banning critical race theory in schools here. read more about In the News with new professor Dr. Candis Smith »