Dr. Opeyemi Olabisi, MD, PhD brought his expertise to UNC Kidney Center's and discussed his research in “Why Do So Many African Americans Have Kidney Disease? Lessons Learned from Patient-derived Cells About Pathomechanism of APOL1,” on November 11th. read more about Dr. Olabisi joined UNC Kidney Center's Nephrology Grand Rounds »
Scientist Dr. Kafui Dzirasa has recently started an initiative to connect with Black academics in STEM with one another. His new website, Black in STEM, allows black academics from around the country and beyond to input their information to foster connection and collaboration on a national scale. Dr. Dzirasa has been a trailblazer in recent months for speaking on the need for biomedical research to confront the legacy and impact of structural racism. View his website here. read more about Dr. Dzirasa releases new initiative to connect Black academics in STEM on a national scale »
Dr. Tyson Brown (Sociology), Dr. Rachel Kranton (Economics), Dr. Donald Taylor (Public Policy), and Dr. Duncan Thomas (International Studies) are collaborating on an important research project to understand how members of our Duke community are coping with the stresses in our lives, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. This confidential survey will take 10-15 minutes, asking both students, faculty, and staff about their experiences over the course of this past year. If you are interested in participating, more… read more about Project ROUSE: Faculty led team releases Duke survey on COVID and Wellness »
Among four new interdisciplinary faculty-led teams, Dr. Sarah Gaither, Dr. Makeba Wilbourn and others have been awarded seed grants of up to $40,000 by All Babies and Children Thrive (ABC Thrive). Their team, Race, Gesture, Learning and Teaching Effectiveness, will identify which gesture types are the most common and most effective for enhancing Black and white children’s learning outcomes. These findings will be used to develop a series of instructional videos for teachers on the effective use of gesturing… read more about Dr. Gaither and Dr. Wilbourn among faculty awarded ABC grants for new educational research teams »
We’d like to continue our welcome of new Black faculty at Duke by highlighting Dr. Dorlan Kimbrough (Medicine). Dorlan Kimbrough is an Assistant Professor of Neurology. Before joining Duke, he taught at Harvard Medical School in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His expertise includes Multiple Sclerosis, Transverse Myelitis, and Neuromyelitis Optica. For Dorlan Kimbrough, MD, neurology is both an intellectual challenge and a moral calling, or in his words, “a puzzle that matters.” Learn more on his work, passions, and… read more about Faculty Spotlight: Dorlan Kimbrough, MD »
In October, Dr. Jarvis McInnis (English) co-organized the first installment of the virtual "2020 Global Plantation Symposium" series. It was hosted by Princeton University, with ongoing plans for Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia and Duke University in Durham, NC to hold the later sessions. The conference delved deeply into representations of plantations and their implications. Deborah Thomas, an Anthropology Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, served as the Keynote speaker, and a… read more about Dr. McInnis co-organizes thought-provoking symposium on plantations »
Learning about belief systems and ideas about healing in Uganda helped Duke global neurosurgeon Tony Fuller improve epilepsy care there. He, along with other Duke medical scientists from the Duke Global Health Institute, have expanded Uganda's neurological care on a wholistic — whole country — level. He visits Uganda as often as 12 times a year, his work ranging from partnering with the health ministry there and the major power company to ensure that lights stay on during neurosurgical procedures and blood can be… read more about A Holistic Approach to Neurological Care in Uganda »
Brittany J. Green, a Duke PhD student in Music Composition, says her short work “Connected" was inspired by paradoxical feelings of isolation and mediated connectedness that many have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. She performs her piece for Castle of our Skins, a concert and educational series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music, in their 12th installment of their Black Composer Miniature Challenge (#BCMC) virtual world premieres! Read more here and view her performance here… read more about PhD student Brittany Green shares her feelings through music in her short work "Connected" »
The Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) is one of the largest communities of underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students, research faculty, and program directs come together to present research, enhance professional development skills, explore graduate schools, network, and mentor. At this year's conference, Dr. Gustavo Silva and Dr. Sherilynn Black will be speaking about their research and experience at the following events. … read more about Dr Silva and Dr. Black speak on their research and experience at ABRCMS 2020 »
Scientist Dr. Kafui Dzirasa recently spoke at Incopix's DECODE Summit 2020 on November 9th. Dr. Dzirasa has been a trailblazer in recent months for speaking on the need for biomedical research to confront the legacy and impact of structural racism. At this conference he shared his research and reflected on efforts to make neuroscience accessible to all. In case you missed it, a video recording will be later released on their website. read more about Dr. Dzirasa speaks about "Translating Neuroscience" at Incopix's DECODE Summit »
President Trump has vowed to challenge the election results, which have declared Joe Biden as the president-elect. The legal challenges began well before Election Day with lawsuits over mail-in voting and which ballots were “legally” cast. Guy-Uriel Charles, professor of law at Duke and co-director of the Center of Law, Race and Politics, appeared on PBS NewsHour discusses what the president must prove to win in court. (Interview follows short ad.) Read more here at Duke Today and watch the discussion here. read more about Why President Trump's Lawsuits Face 'An Uphill Battle' »
Jesse McCoy, Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law, speaks to CNBC and NC Health News about fears of a coming eviction crisis amidst the COVID-19 crisis despite Governor Cooper's rental assistance program. Read more here and here. read more about Advocates worry about a coming eviction crisis as COVID-19 continues to worsen »
Chemtai Mungo, MD, MPH, Fogarty Global Health Fellow and OB-GYN was joined by Megan Huchko, MD, MPH, director, Duke Center for Global Reproductive Health and Nikki Mahendru, Neuroscience Major with minors in Global Health & Economics at the Center for Global Women’s Health Technologies’ October 20 panel “Impact of Race and Socioeconomic Status in Women’s Health and Gynecology.” The panel was moderated by Ashley Deans and Alexandria Da Ponte. Amidst the discussion, Dr. Mungo called attention to… read more about Trust in gynecology: the impact of race & socioeconomic status in women’s health talk »
As part of Duke’s anti-racism efforts, Provost Sally Kornbluth, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and The Graduate School, is offering three funding opportunities to support faculty and graduate students in research and development around topics of race, racism, racial equity, bias, inclusion and systemic inequalities. The three opportunities, with links to more information and deadlines, are: Faculty research: Reckoning with Race, Racism, and the History of the… read more about A Trio of Funding Opportunities to Address Race, Racism, and Systematic Inequalities »
Using a case study and sharing a wealth of research findings, Sherilynn Black and Kimberly Hewitt led an online workshop for nearly 100 Duke faculty members on October 22. “Your Role as Faculty in Confronting Racism and Fostering an Equitable Climate” helped participants understand the ways race influences their work and interactions with others and introduced strategies that can lead to more equitable practices. A group of faculty remained on the call after… read more about How Duke Faculty Can Help Create an Equitable Research and Learning Environment »
More than 100 faculty, staff and students paused amid the relentless pace of the fall semester to gather and reflect on finding purpose, the Duke academic experience and the challenge of systemic racism as part of an annual event hosted by Service-Learning. “The Fierce Urgency of Now” – its title a reference to a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. – featured more than an hour of frank discussion, frequently punctuated by student voices and featuring Dean of Students John Blackshear and Martin Smith,… read more about Deans Blackshear and Smith Talk Anti-racism, Finding Purpose and Life's Unexpected Paths »
Among 5 books on politics and public policy from Duke professors, DukeToday features "Citizens by Degree" by Public Policy Professor Deondra Rose and "Can We All Get Along" by Professor Paula D. McClain with coauthor Jessica D. Johnson Carew. Dive more into these great reads here. read more about Amidst election season, DukeToday features books on politics and public policy »
As part of its event series tgiFHI, the Franklin Humanities Institute is conducting interviews with its faculty speakers. In this edited and condensed interview, Dr. Cobb describes the enduring questions of what Black freedom means across time and visual media, the history of violence relating to Afro-textured hair and racial capitalism, and the weirdest (and grossest) thing she found in the archives. Read more here and check out Dr. Cobb's virtual tgiFHI talk titled Tactility and the Texture of Racial… read more about Meet Humanities Faculty Member, Jasmine Nichole Cobb »
In the wake of protests against police brutality and racial inequality the call for anti-racist action has rippled across the country. Duke neuroscientist Dr. Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD, has addressed this in his own field. In a series of articles published in Cell magazine, he discussed his experiences as a Black neuroscientist striving for success, the need to confront the impact of structural racism on biomedical research, and the benefits of inclusion and diversity in scientific research. This past month he has… read more about Dr. Kafui Dzirasa on racism, inequality, and justice in biomedical research »
The Duke men's basketball program has unveiled plans for the Mako Medical Duke Classic Honoring Dr. Onye E. Akwari, a co-hosted multi-team event (MTE) with Howard University set for December. Dr. Akwari was a beloved Duke surgery professor who mentored many Duke basketball players. Read more here. read more about Mako Medical Duke Classic set to honor the late Dr. Onye Akwari »
When she visits Duke classrooms virtually, Trinity Dean Valerie Ashby comes prepared (with props!) to engage with students. Her drop-ins let her check on student progress and wellness during an accelerated and challenging semester. Read more on her work to stay connected even virtually! read more about Dean Ashby Drop-ins Classrooms to Build Connections with Students, Tackle Challenging Topics »
The moment has finally arrived for the United States biomedical research enterprise to directly confront structural racism in scientific funding, according to Duke neuroscientist Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD, K. Ranga Rama Krishnan Association Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dzirasa’s opinion piece that appears in the journal Cell this week is the fourth in a series on systemic racism, with the other pieces appearing in Cell, The Hill, and Neuron. Read more… read more about Duke neuroscientist Dr. Kafui Dzirasa publishes anti-racism op-ed series »
The question of whether and how to compensate descendants of people formerly enslaved in the United States has hung over the country since the end of the Civil War. It’s getting new traction in the 2020 election. Duke Professor Deondra Rose interviews Professor William "Sandy" Darity about his Reparations Planning Committee that flesh out the details of how a reparations program would work and details it in the season finale of the Ways & Means podcast. Listen here. This season of Ways & Means is… read more about Professor Darity speaks about the racial wealth gap and reparations on the Ways & Means podcast »
Duke Health team members recently gathered in a virtual town hall to hear a progress report on Moments to Movement (M2M), Duke Health's collective stand against systemic racism and social injustice. “After the killing of George Floyd, we heard the call for action, both around the world and among our own people,” said A. Eugene Washington, MD, chancellor for health affairs at Duke University and president and CEO of the Duke University Health System (DUHS). Read more here. read more about Duke Health Leaders Share Plans for Advancing Racial, Social, and Health Equity »
Law professor and co-director of the Center on Law, Race, and Politics, Guy-uriel Charles writing for NBC News about the need to pass laws that protect voting rather than relying on judicial decisions. read more about Texas legal battles highlight how the 2020 election is being fought in the courts »
Does being a Black artist necessitate being 'woke' and thus influencing the work that they produce? Cartoonist Keith Knight, who has attained newfound success with the new Hulu original series, "Woke," joined Dr. Mark Anthony Neal to discuss the show and how life has changed for him as an artist. Left of Black is a web series featuring interviews with Black Studies scholars created and hosted by James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African and African American Studies Mark Anthony Neal and produced by the Duke… read more about Prof. Mark Anthony Neal discusses WOKE with cartoonist Keith Knight on Left of Black's Season 11 Premiere »
Duke Dance Program Professor Ava LaVonne Vinesett is one of only 20 choreographers selected to participate in the North Carolina Dance Festival (NCDF). Traditionally a touring festival that brings modern and contemporary choreographies to audiences across the state, this year NCDF will be a virtual celebration of its 30th season. Read more at Duke Dance. read more about Duke Dance's Ava Vinesett Captures Single Moments for the NC Festival of Dance »
Dr. Nicki Washington received an 2020 Award for Inclusion Research for her upcoming project "Measuring the Cultural Competence of Computing Students and Faculty Nationwide to Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion." The Award for Inclusion Research program is a global program that supports academic research in computing and technology addressing the needs of underrepresented populations organized by Google. Learn more here. read more about Nicki Washington receives 2020 Award for Inclusion Research from Google »
The Rubenstein Arts Center has transformed to meet the challenges of the pandemic. The Ruby was a PPE production site this summer and now is home to safe (in-person and hybrid) art practice teaching. The Ruby remains closed to the public to protect the health of our community. Read more here. read more about The Ruby, Reconfigured »
Brie Starks, Quinton Smith and Chandra Guinn work to preserve and share Black culture and history at Duke at the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture. Read more here at Duke Today. Left to right: Brie Starks, Quinton Smith and Chandra Guinn. Photo courtesy of the Mary Lou Williams Center. read more about Department Spotlight: Preserving and Celebrating Black Culture »