News

Dr. Richard J. Powell (Art) is the Blue Devil of the Week. Dr. Powell is a scholar and art historian, who has become a respected voice on American art. Dr. Powell explores the forces that shaped the lives of artists and the society that experienced their works. In this interview, he discusses how he has “always approached art and art history not just as a narrow set of facts about artists, their lives and an analysis of their works, but also their historical, cultural and social contexts,” Read the full… read more about Meet Dr. Richard J. Powell: Opening Our Eyes to the Full Picture »

Dr. Lee Baker (Cul Ant) was one of the scholars that was interviewed in the in the first chapter of the claiming a space documentary of the renowned author of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston, whose groundbreaking anthropological work would challenge assumptions of race, gender, and cultural superiority. In the PBS documentary, Dr. Baker said that from the beginning, Zora’s experience was shaped by her world view, and what it showed again is that black lives matter. Click to watch read more about Dr. Lee Baker featured in Zora Neale Hurston Documentary »

Dr. Patrick Smith (Divinity) current research, writing, publications, and public speaking are in the areas of moral philosophy, bioethics, the intersection of religious social ethics and health inequities, and the ethics of end-of-life care. Fellows from all ACC institutions will participate in three on-site sessions designed to build awareness and effectiveness in the context of academic leadership. The sessions also provide opportunities to engage with peers across the ACC and discuss issues and… read more about Dr. Patrick Smith to serve as fellow in the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Leaders Network »

Dr. Sarah Gaither (Psych&Neuro) will join her colleague Dr. Tamar Kushnir to lead a program focused on increasing children’s sense of belonging in STEM. This project team will work with the Museum of Life and Science in Durham to design and implement a pilot study centered on creating a structured and encouraging experience for young children visiting the museum. Read more here read more about Dr. Sarah Gaither to lead new Bass Connections program on Belonging in STEM »

Wiley's 2023 Martin Luther King (MLK) day podcast featuring Wiley partner Lukman Azeez and Dr. H. Timothy Lovelace (Law) celebrates the enduring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."  Click to listen, reflect, and be inspired! read more about Dr. H. Timothy Lovelace Featured on Wiley’s Reflections on The Enduring Power Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Political Vision (Podcast) »

Congratulations to Prof. Candis Watts Smith (Poli Sci) as she becomes the interim vice provost for undergraduate education. For the next 18-month term, she will provide strategic vision and leadership for the many facets of Duke’s undergraduate educational experience and will lead the Office of Undergraduate Education and its initiatives to support student success, foster intellectual community, and facilitate experiential education for undergraduates. Click to read more.  read more about Dr. Candis Watts Smith Appointed Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education »

President Vincent Price has appointed a committee to conduct a national search for Duke University’s next Provost. The search committee, which includes members such as Dr. Keisha Cutright (Fuqua), Carmichael Roberts (Board of Trustees) and Kim Hewitt (OIE), is accepting nominations and applications for the position. Candidate nominations, applications,  and comments about the position should be sent via email to DukeProvost@SpencerStuart.com  All… read more about Search Committee Announced for New Provost »

Hosted by Dr. Charmaine Royal, Robert O. Keohone Professor of African & African American Studies and director of the Duke Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation, Gail Christopher and her daughter Heather McGhee engaged with students, administrators, staff and faculty, culminating in a public Katz Women, Ethics, and Leadership Lecture on “Racial Healing, Hope, and the ‘Solidarity Dividend. The event was tied with Dr. Royal’s UNIV 101: Let’s Talk About Race, a university-wide course that was piloted last… read more about Dr. Charmaine Royal (AAAS): Seeking ‘The Solidarity Dividend’ Of Racial Healing »

Profs. Candis Watts (Pol Sci) and Iyun Harrison (Dance) shared their informative thoughts, alongside other researchers on why failing at research is not a bad thing. According to Prof. Watts, she said that “we feel overwhelmed by the expectation that we have to be successful every time, but research by design means that, sometimes, we would not get the outcome we desire, and that’s okay”.  Prof Harrison said, “perhaps in the initial idea, you cannot find evidence for it, then you have… read more about Profs. Candis Watts and Iyun Harrison: What is a successful Research? »

Dr. Sarah E. Gaither an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, she shared on episode #38 of “Master in Psychology” her research experience on multiracial identities. Dr. Gaither also offered advice to those interested in joining her department and advised that they should have a research experience, which inevitably gives them an edge. Click to learn and Listen to the podcast here   read more about Dr Sarah Gaither shares her research on ”Master’s in Psychology” podcast »

The Department of Medicine (DOM) announces that Dr. Julius M. Wilder, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the division of Gastroenterology, chair of the DOM Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism Committee, and co-director of the Duke CTSE Community Engaged Research Initiative, will be the featured speaker at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Grand Rounds.  The theme of his presentation will be: Health Equity, Social Justice, and Duke Health. It will be held on Friday, January 13, 2023.… read more about Dr. Julius Wilder features in the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Medicine Grand Rounds »

Professor Tsitsi Jaji (English) was once a piano student at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Over the years, she has accompanied a well-known tenor and composed music for an African modern dance troupe. She is also known for her literary scholarship and creative works like Beating the Graves and Mother Tongues – poetry collections that reflect on family relations, diaspora, powerful women, first words, and love and language. Now she is using a new Mellon Fellowship to return to her roots and… read more about Meet Professor Tsitsi Jaji (English): Connecting Black Poetry And Music Into Dialogue  »

In an art career spanning a quarter-century, Duke professor Beverly McIver (Art), has always pushed boundaries and reaped rewards for the effort. Her first retrospective, which opens in Winston-Salem Dec. 8, showcases the power and versatility of her art as well as her support for the creativity of her students and mentors. Watch her interview here. Mclver read more about Meet Professor Beverly McIver: Celebrating a Career in the Arts »

Congratulations to Professor Jay Pearson as he will become the first Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Dr. Pearson is an Associate Professor whose research, teaching, and advocacy address how policy-sponsored, structurally rooted social inequality influences health inequities. Dr. Pearson will lead Sanford’s work as a community that embraces all its members and educates leaders prepared to engage policy problems with a keen understanding of… read more about Dr. Jay Pearson appointed as the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Sanford »

Professors Kerry L. Haynie (Poli Sci), and Adriane Lentz-Smith (History) were received by Duke communications for a special media briefing following the conclusion of the North Carolina midterm elections. The election had provoked mixed reactions upon the results. Together with colleagues, they discussed the strength of the electoral procedure, policies regarding the Republican party leadership, and the role abortion and other hot-button issues played in the election results.… read more about Drs. Kerry L. Haynie and Adriane Lentz-Smith offer takeaways from the Midterm elections »

Noted Historian, Prof. Robin D.G. Kelley joined Professor Neal (AAAS) to discuss political organizing in the South and the 20th anniversary edition of his book 'Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination'. The book was written based on the events that led to the exoneration of the cops that killed Amadou Diallo. However, based on the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020, Prof. Kelley revisited the book based on new revolutionary fervor of the youths and multiracial activists, charting the way forward for… read more about Professor Mark Anthony Neal (AAAS) receives Robin Kelley in the 13th season of ”Left of Black” »

Three law professors whose expertise and scholarship are at the forefront of race and the law provide answers in this special two-part series of the Duke Law Podcast: Professor Trina Jones, the Jerome M. Culp Professor of Law at Duke Law School and director of the Center on Race, Law, and Policy at Duke Law, Professor H. Timothy Lovelace, the John Hope Franklin Research Scholar and Professor of Law at Duke Law School are joined by Professor Osamudia James, a Professor of Law at UNC.… read more about What is critical race theory, and why is it under attack?  »

Dr. Douglas A. Jones Jr. (Theater Studies) delivered a prestigious Langford Lecture on his research into the history and legacy of Black minstrel performers - "sophisticated cultural workers" who made a lasting impact on literature, comedy, music and more. Named after former Duke University Provost and Divinity School Dean Thomas Langford, the lectureship was established in 2000 to honor Langford’s commitment to the highest university values of scholarship, teaching, collegiality, and promotion of faculty… read more about Dr. Douglas A. Jones Jr. delivered the prestigious Langford Lecture  »

African scholars Dr. Felwine Sarr (Romance) and Dorcy Rugamba seek to answer this question with the musical theatre performance Freedom, I’ll have lived your dream until the very last day. The theme, “Life that desires to be life. Life that persists and soars. How do we free those who are already free?” is the final question of their  performance (in French with English subtitles) that happened at the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) Florence Gould Hall Theater on… read more about Prof. Felwine Sarr: How Do We Free Those Who Are Already Free? »

The tgiFHI series from the Franklin Humanities Institute (FHI) is a weekly series that gives Duke faculty in the humanities, interpretive social sciences and arts the opportunity to present their current research to their departmental and interdepartmental colleagues, students, and other interlocutors in their field. In this interview for the “Meet Your Humanities Faculty”, Professor Douglas Jones, new Associate Professor of Theater Studies discusses his current research interests and practice… read more about Professor Douglas Jones interviewed in the “Meet Your Humanities Faculty” series »

Following “Gone Missing”, Professor Karla FC Holloway (English, AAAS) publishes her new book in the “in Harlem” series named: A Death and Abduction in Harlem. Centered on post-WWI Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance, these two black mysteries reflect how race and class impact the response to death and abduction in the lives of Black families. Learn more about Prof Holloway’s books on Our Time Press https://ourtimepress.com/a-death-and-abduction-in-harlem/  Order your copy of Prof… read more about New Book by Prof. Karla Holloway: A Death and Abduction in Harlem »

At the most recent offering from Black in Blue: The Duke Sports & Race Project, Dawn Staley, University of South Carolina women's basketball coach talks with Chair of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies Professor Jennifer Nash, about race in coaching, coaching philosophies, and Brittney Griner. Read about her discussion with Prof. Jennifer Nash Dawn Staley on Race, Equality and Advocating for Change | Trinity College of Arts & Sciences (duke.edu read more about Dawn Staley Discusses Race, Equality and Advocating for Change »

Three Duke University Professors Jasmine Cobb (AAAS), Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards (SOM) Ashleigh Shelby Rosette (Fuqua) have discussed their findings on the racial discrimination that black women face at the workplace for wearing natural hairstyles. Read more about their research and their findings on CNN    read more about Black Female Professors discuss on CNN their research on Black Women with natural hair »

Professor Veronica Root Martinez is one of the nation’s foremost academic experts on corporate compliance and the role of monitors. Her scholarship focuses on professional and organizational ethics, compliance, monitorships, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Prof. Martinez comes to Duke Law from Notre Dame Law School, where she was the Robert & Marion Short Scholar and professor of law and the inaugural director of the school’s Program on Ethics, Compliance & Inclusion.  Learn more… read more about Professor Veronica Root Martinez Joins Duke Law »

Dr. Jennifer C. Nash (Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies) earned her PhD in African American Studies at Harvard University and her JD at Harvard Law School. She is the author of The Black Body in Ecstasy: Reading Race, Reading Pornography (awarded the Alan Bray Memorial Book Prize by the GL/Q Caucus of the Modern Language Association) and Black Feminism Reimagined (awarded the Gloria Anzaldúa Book Prize by the National Women’s Studies Association. Learn more about her work here https://… read more about Meet Professor Jennifer Nash »

Warm congratulations to Professors Jasmine Cobb (AAAS), Aaron Kyle (Pratt), Hedwig Lee (Sociology), Veronica Martinez (Law), Paul Magwene (Biology), Christ Richmond (Pratt) among others who got promoted to the rank of full professor at Duke University. This milestone is the culmination of a rigorous and thorough review by the faculty’s peers inside and outside Duke and by the academic leaders at the department/division, school, and campus levels. Learn more about them and their work on… read more about Congratulations to Black faculty Promoted to Full Professor at Duke University »

Drs. Nicki Washington (Computer Science and GSFS), Shaundra Daily (Computer Engineering and Computer Science) and Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, (Sociology) were awarded $1.25M from the National Science Foundation to develop a new program to support postdoctoral fellows in Computer Science education. During their two-year fellowships, three AiiCE fellows (Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education, pronounced ace) will conduct research on methods and… read more about Three Black Professors receive $1.25 Million to develop New Identity-Inclusive Postdoc Program »

In response to the first university-wide climate survey, the Education Subcommittee of the Racial Equity Advisory Council (REAC) began working on what will become the University’s first searchable dashboard of educational engagement opportunities. The pilot will help inform the creation in 2023 of the searchable dashboard of trainings and curriculum from across Duke. Once the dashboard is complete, schools, departments, and units will be able to add offerings, and community members can search for topics. Learn more about… read more about Mapping Duke’s Racial Equity Resources »

The Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture announced Stacia Solomon as its interim director. Stacy Solomon, an associate director of the Career Center at Duke University has over two decades of experience advocating for historically underrepresented students. Solomon will step into the part-time role until May 2023. Read more about her role today.https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2022/11/mary-lou-williams-center-for-black-culture-interim-director read more about Stacia Solomon Announced as the Interim Director of Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture announces Interim Director »