“Identity development is an extremely complex process that’s influenced by a variety of factors,” explains Dr. Sarah Gaither (Psych& Neuroscience) in the Guardian article titled, “Why discovering your ancestral roots can help you to truly feel like yourself.” Dr. Gaither’s research program investigates the attitudinal and behavioral effects stemming from exposure to racial and gender diversity to pinpoint pathways that foster more positive group relations for both adult and child… read more about Dr. Sarah Gaither quoted in Guardian Lifestyle article »
Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, (AAAS) writes a glowing tribute to Quincy Jones history as a Hollywood giant. While many are aware of Quincy Jones accomplishments in the music industry, Dr. Neal writes about Jones’ many movies and television scores, and the change that his life’s work has delivered for Black talent in Hollywood. The Oscar winner’s work can be witnessed in household staples such as Roots, The Color Purple, and The Wiz, which started Jones long-term collaboration with Michael Jackson… read more about Dr. Mark Anthony Neal on Quincy Jones’ impact in Hollywood »
Dr. Mbaye Lo, (Asian and Middle Eastern Studies), received the AAR Book Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion: Textual Studies, for their book I Cannot Write My Life: Islam, Arabic, and Slavery in Omar Ibn Said’s America. In this book, they weave fresh and accurate translations of eighteen surviving writings of Omar ibn Said (1770–1863), a Muslim scholar from West Africa who spent more than fifty years enslaved in the North Carolina. Read more about the award and get a copy of Dr. Lo's book… read more about Dr. Mbaye Lo receives 2024 AAR Book Award »
Dr. Joanne A.P. Wilson, (SOM emeritus professor) graduated with honors from UNC in 1969 and enrolled at Duke University School of Medicine the same year. After 37 years as a leader, educator, and clinical gastroenterologist, she retired last June. In October, at the Black Alumni reunion, she was honored as the recipient of the UNC Black Alumni Reunion’s James L. Lassiter, J. Kenneth Lee, Floyd B. McKissick Sr. and James R. Walker Trailblazer Award. Read more here read more about Dr. Joanne Wilson Honored with UNC Trailblazer Award »
Dr. Naiima Khahaifa’s (AAAS) research explores solidarities and tensions that emerge, particularly between Black incarcerated men and Black women correctional officers, and how care exists in spaces like prisons, which are often defined by violence and masculinity. This fall, Dr. Khahaifa will teach two courses offered for the first time at Duke: Carceral Geographies, which explains mass incarceration in the United States, and Black Geographies, which explores borders, boundaries and… read more about Dr. Naiima Khahaifa: Human bonds hidden behind prison walls »
From 3.5 mi years ago to the unknown future, Dr. Charles Musiba (Evolutionary Anthropology), wants to understand who humans are and how we got here. Dr. Musiba said we study anthropology — humans, ancient humans, our ape cousins — to understand ourselves. But the newly arrived full professor isn’t solely focused on our past — he also wants to understand how humans adapt to dramatic changes in climate, to help us prepare for our future. Read more. read more about Dr. Charles Musiba and how Tanzania holds clues to who humans are »
Sanford School of Public Policy introduces their new faculty member, Dr. Vicki Bogan who leads the Master of Public Policy Graduate Program. Her research interests are: household finance, inequality, and applied microeconomics centering on issues involving investment decision making behavior and financial markets. Dr. Bogan is new to Durham, coming from Cornell University's SC Johnson College of Business. In this video interview she answers 20… read more about 20 Questions with Sanford’s Dr. Vicki Bogan »
Prof. Mike Wiley, (Education & Ethics) , wrote a play that recounts an incident of racial violence through the story of a bus killing that happened in Durham, North Carolina, just a few blocks north of Duke University’s East Campus. According to Prof. Wiley, the play, “Changing Same: The Cold-Blooded Murder of Booker T. Spicely” can help audiences not only to understand history, but also to experience it, in all its emotional resonance. More read more about New Play by Prof. Mike Wiley Exposes Violence in Durham’s Jim Crow Era »
The web series Left of Black, on the verge of celebrating 15 years online, has been honored as a Gold Winner in the Online Film & Video category of the 20th Annual Davey Awards. The show’s host Dr. Mark Anthony Neal,(AAAS) said, “I really wanted to create a platform that ‘loved on’ Black Studies and the Black Arts. And that’s what Left of Black is all about .” Read more read more about Left of Black video series wins Gold »
The workshop moderated by Dr. Adriane Lentz-Smith, (History), with faculty leaders including Dr. Sherilynn Black (SoM & OFA), and Dr. Jay Pearson, (Sanford) who shared insights on navigating charged situations as they work to move their units toward a space of constructive engagement. The Leading an Academic Unit at Duke (LAUD) workshop series is designed for department chairs and other unit and program leaders across campus. Read more of their thoughts here read more about Guidance for Faculty Leaders on Engaging with Difficult Topics »
Dr. William Darity, Professor (Sanford) has been awarded the William Spriggs Memorial Award. He will receive the award at the 2024 Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management, (APPAM) Annual Fall Research Conference this November in National Harbor, Maryland. The William Spriggs Award was created to recognize other trailblazing academics and practitioners who have helped develop our understanding of racial discrimination in public policy, education, labor markets, academic disciplines, or… read more about Dr. William A. Darity Jr. named recipient of the William Spriggs Memorial Award »
Congratulations Dr. Schenita Randolph (Nursing) for landing a major NIH R01 grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. Dr. Randolph’s research addresses the root causes of sexual health inequities for Black male adolescents and women. This 5-year grant entitled “Cluster Randomized controlled trial of Using PrEP, Doing it for Ourselves [UPDOs] Protective Styles” will test the effectiveness and examine the implementation determinants of UPDOs, an e-Health intervention that strongly considers the… read more about Dr. Schenita D. Randolph receives NIH Grant to address HIV prevention among Black Women »
Dr. Paula McClain, a Professor of Political Science and Public Policy from Sanford has been named new Associate Editor for the “Social and Political Sciences” at the new journal of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS Nexus. As a new editor, Dr. McClain hopes to enhance the journal’s profile and encourage the BTT community to consider PNAS Nexus as a venue for their newest work. A sibling journal to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the flagship journal of the National… read more about Dr. Paula McClain Named New Associate Editor for PNAS Nexus »
Climate change has the potential to make fungi even more hazardous to our health, according to Dr. Asiya Gusa's (SoM) research. Her research focuses on how warming temperatures affect fungal infection, particularly from Cryptococcus. Her team found that higher temperatures increase the fungus’s mutation rate, helping it survive. With more drug-resistant fungi emerging because of climate change and aging populations, Dr. Gusa emphasizes the urgent need for… read more about Check this Out: Dr. Asiya Gusa and the Rise of Fungal Infections »
Dr. Garry S. Mitchell (Sanford) argues that the children and grandchildren of pioneering Black students are just now positioned to benefit from legacy admissions. “Rather than serving as an overdue correction of an unjust policy, the legacy ban comes too late to undo the generational benefits secured by privileged groups, while ensuring that marginalized families will never have the chance to reap similar advantages that could lead to generational mobility.” Chronicle More read more about Prof. Garry S. Mitchell featured in Chronicle on Legacy Admissions »
Dr. Michael P. Cary, Associate Professor and Elizabeth C. Clipp Term Chair of Nursing has been named one of eight faculty members that will take part in a new professional development program aimed at promoting constructive collaboration and empowering local change. Dr. Cary uses AI and machine learning to study health disparities, and his experience is uniquely suited to the Duke Faculty Academy that aims to create innovative projects on the impact of generative AI on faculty experience. Read announcement read more about Michael Cary, (Nursing) selected for Inaugural Cohort of the Duke Faculty Academy »
Dr. Jennifer Nash and The Department of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies invite applications from graduate students for a five-day Black Feminist Theory Summer Institute. This year, the institute will focus on interdisciplinary Black feminist scholarship that attends to uncertainty. Applications are due December 16, 2024. Check out the faculty line up and details about the application process here. read more about 4th Black Feminist Theory Summer Institute 2025 Announced »
Drs. Shaundra Daily (ECE & CompSci), Trina Jones (Law), Timothy Lovelace (Law), and Deondra Rose (Sanford), are serving in the new Provost and Presidential committee. The charge: to examine the state of academic freedom and responsibility, free expression and engagement at Duke. The committee will work throughout this academic year and expects to submit a report to the Academic Council, which will be shared with the provost and the president in the spring of 2025. Read more and reach out if you want to… read more about Drs. Daily, Jones, Lovelace, and Rose serve on new Provost and Presidential Committee for Academic Freedom »
Prof. Garry S. Mitchell, (Sanford) is an inequality scholar whose work operates at the intersection of sociology, history, and philosophy of education, focusing on the punishment-to-privilege spectrum within K-12 schools and its broader societal implications.. By combining empirical data with ethical analysis, Mitchell aims to shed light on how college preparatory school programs influence upward mobility and shape educational discourse. His work seeks to elevate our understanding of education,… read more about Professor Garry Mitchell, Examining the Paths of Education »
Assistant Professor of History, Dr. Mélanie Lamotte, first became interested in researching the Black experience as a teenager exploring her own genealogy. Tracing the maternal side of her family back seven generations, she identified an enslaved ancestor, Annerose, forced to work on a sugarcane plantation on the Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe during the late 18th century. Dr. Lamotte focused her research on race and colonialism and looks at French slavery through both… read more about Dr. Mélanie Lamotte Charts a New Course of Inquiry for French Slavery »
Moving from the sometimes-stereotypical macro to the deeply personal micro, Research Professor Dr. Tamika Nunley (History) broadens and enriches the scholarly conversation on the institution of slavery, African American women and gender in the early republic and American Civil War examining these dynamics through a lens focused on individual experiences. For Dr. Nunley, looking at the lives of everyday people is a powerful way to see how society operated in the past while understanding how the country, or a… read more about Dr. Tamika Nunley Invites Ordinary Voices to Historic Conversations »
The BTT congratulates Dr. Charles Muiruri, (SoM), on receiving the 2024 “Outstanding Leadership in Scientific Mentoring” Award for contributions to the day-to-day mentoring of young investigators. This award is sponsored by the Dean’s office from the Duke University School of Medicine and Infectious Disease Division and awarded by the IRTPA T32 Program. This award commits $5,000 in unrestricted funds to support scientific research.In partnership with the Duke School of Medicine and the Duke CFAR, the long-… read more about Dr. Charles Muiruri, awarded Outstanding Leadership in Scientific Mentoring Award »
Dr. Zakiyyah Iman Jackson (Literature), was selected to give a lunchtime talk in the Provost’s Langford Lecture series in the 2024/25 academic year. Her research explores the literary and aesthetic aspects of Western philosophical and scientific discourse and investigates the engagement of African diasporic literature, film, installation, digital, and visual art with the historical concerns, knowledge claims, and rhetoric of Western science and philosophy. Read more read more about Dr. Zakiyyah Iman Jackson named Thomas Langford Lectureship Awardee. »
Each year, the Nannerl Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professorship brings prominent scholars to UNC and Duke for one-year, during which they deliver a lecture series and engage students and faculty around areas of shared interest to both institutions. Dr. Ashon Crawley is a professor of religious studies and African American and African studies at the University of Virginia, and his research and teaching experiences range from Black studies, performance theory, sound studies, philosophy and theology to Black feminist and… read more about Meet Dr. Ashon T. Crawley, the 2024/25 Keohane Distinguished Professor »
With a Black feminist approach, one that highlights often-overlooked voices, Dr. Tracie Canada (CulAnth) exposes how race, gender, kinship, and care shape the lives of the young athletes who shoulder America's favorite game. In Tackling the Everyday (UC Press), Dr. Canada shows how college football particularly harms the young Black men who are overrepresented on gridirons across the country. Although coaches and universities constantly invoke the misleading "football family" narrative, this book describes… read more about Dr. Tracie Canada Publishes New Book on Black College Football Players »
Duke University honored the service of two long-time custodians by renaming the east campus union. George Wall, a formerly enslaved person, worked as a janitor Duke when it was still Trinity College, and his son George-Frank Wall, the oldest of 14 children, also worked as a custodian at Duke for more than 50 years. The Durham neighborhood Walltown is named in honor of George Wall, who purchased one of the first plots of land next to Duke's east campus in 1899. Read more here. read more about Wall family honored by re-naming East Union to “George and George-Frank Wall Center for Student Life” »
Meet many Black Faculty at Duke that have been highlighted as Centennial Trailblazers, who are leading us into the next century. These Trailblazers boast accomplishments such as: reigniting the long dormant national conversation on reparations, Presidential Early Career Awardees, creating a more equitable STEM education system, expanding the concept of diversity relevant to everyone, and significantly advancing the undergraduate experience at Duke. Learn more about their impact in Duke’s history here:Dr. Gary… read more about Duke Centennial: Black Faculty Trailblazers »
Dr. Jacquelyn McMillian-Bohler (SoN) has been selected for year-long Ivy+ Provost Leadership Fellowships to build skills in academic leadership. She will take part in the Institute on Inquiry, Equity and Leadership in the Academic Department, organized by the Ivy+ Faculty Advancement Network. Drs. Jennifer Nash (GS&F) and Jay Pearson (Sanford), 2023 Ivy+ Peers fellows, also offer their perspectives on the program and its… read more about Dr. McMillian-Bohler Embarks on a Leadership Journey With Ivy+ Peers »
In an article exploring disparities of diagnosis for pregnant Black women, Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Associate Director of Research for the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, makes a compelling case that past atrocities in medical research involving Black people continue to negatively affect the current population and the current beliefs among the medical establishment. Read the full article here. read more about Dr. Bentley-Edwards discusses the impact of “Racialized myths” on Black Women’s health »
After being seriously injured as a student activist, now Assistant Professor Dr. Eric Mvukiyehe (PoliSci), had to flee Mobutu’s regime and civil war in Congo and seek protection on a United Nations Camp. At Duke since 2021, his research focus on sub-state order and violence, spanning four main branches: peacekeeping interventions, public goods provisions, gender roles in the labor market and politics, and employment insecurity. Learn more about his journey here: read more about Flowers Beyond War: Meet Dr. Eric Mvukiyehe »