As a corner of Africa heats up, new research by Chris Drea shows how the future of the species rests with powerful matriarchs making tough choices for survival. read more » about Why Alpha Females Reign Supreme in Meerkat World
Shaundra Daily was recognized for her contributions to computing education, and Nicki Washington was recognized for contributions to broadening participation in computing. read more » about Nicki Washington and Shaundra Daily Named Distinguished Members of Association for Computing Machinery
An interdisciplinary team of Duke faculty is among the international recipients of a new grant from the Schmidt Sciences Humanities and Artificial Intelligence Virtual Institute (HAVI), a program designed to bridge the gap between AI technology and humanistic inquiry. Led by Martin Fischer, Research Professor of Chemistry and Physics; Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin, Assistant Professor of Mathematics from Bar-Ilan University (formerly of Duke); and John K. Delaney, from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the project… read more » about Duke Researchers Awarded Grant to Reveal Hidden Histories of Artworks Through AI and Imaging
The 2025–2026 academic year marks the fifteenth anniversary of The Goodner Equity Project (ECON 472S).What began as an experiment between Emma Rasiel, Richard Y. Li. Professor of the Practice of Economics, and hedge fund manager and Duke alumnus Blake Goodner (T ’96) has become one of the most distinctive learning experiences in the Department of Economics.The course grew out of the Duke Financial Economics Center (DFE), founded in 2010 under Rasiel’s direction to give undergraduates structured opportunities to apply… read more » about Investing in Duke’s Future: The Goodner Equity Project Turns 15
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more » about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives
On a sunny day in late November, Thompson Writing Program faculty, Writing Studio consultants and friends gathered in the Classroom Building as five students presented their hard work. This was the culmination of Writing 255, Literacy Writing and Tutoring, a class that teaches composition studies, literacy studies and writing center theory. The course also focuses on training Writing Studio consultants, who work with Duke students and assist them with any and all stages of the writing process, from papers to… read more » about Sharing the Write Stuff: Writing 255 Students Present on Writing Center Strategies
Young performers from the community — roughly 70 singers from Durham School of the Arts and 25 student musicians from the Duke String School — joined in at Duke Chapel for Duke’s annual holiday concert, known as the Holiday Chorale.The concert on Dec. 2 featured uplifting choral selections from around the world, all centered on themes of life, peace and light for a holiday spirit.In keeping with tradition, the event also supported a local nonprofit. For the past few years the Chorale community has… read more » about Duke Chorale Concert Features Young Singers From Durham
Talent is evenly distributed — opportunity is not. It is this shared belief that has united Duke University, the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, and the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON). Through this new partnership, more than 200 talented scholars from low-income high schools will have the opportunity to experience a course taught by a Duke University professor next spring. “At Duke, we believe deeply in the transformative power of education to change lives and strengthen communities.… read more » about New Partnership between Duke, National Education Opportunity Network to Bring College Courses to Low-Income High Schools
Positive mentors are the reason I am pursuing graduate school today. As an undergraduate at Virginia Tech, I was eager to get involved in research but unsure where to begin. I hesitantly reached out to one of my professors about joining his lab, and to my surprise, he enthusiastically welcomed me as a mentee. Since that first experience, every interaction I’ve had with science professionals has reflected that same intentionality and excitement. It has been refreshing and motivating to encounter such genuine… read more » about Three Qualities of Exceptional Mentors
Jenna Arafeh, a second-year History student at Duke University, has been awarded the 2025 Dante Prize by the Dante Society of America for her essay, “The Lone Star’s Resurrection: Abel Tesfaye’s Reimagining of the Commedia in Modern Sound.” The prestigious honor, awarded annually since 1887, recognizes the best undergraduate essay on Dante and remains one of the most distinguished literary prizes in the humanities. Arafeh wrote her winning essay in Spring 2025 as a student in Martin Eisner’s class, Dante's Divine… read more » about Jenna Arafeh Wins 2025 Dante Prize
Federal Reserve officials are widely expected to reduce the central bank’s target short-term interest rate at their Dec. 9-10 policy meeting, though a new survey of former Fed officials and staff points to doubt about whether an interest rate cut is the right decision. Many of the former officials surveyed said the U.S. central bank should keep interest rates steady for now, according to the survey conducted Dec. 1-5. Among the 32 former Federal Reserve governors, regional Fed bank presidents and staff who responded to… read more » about New Survey of Former Federal Reserve Insiders Shows Doubt about Looming Interest Rate Decision
Founded in 2023, the Duke Business of Retail Society (DBRS) fills a crucial white space in the wide range of pre-professional organizations available at Duke, creating opportunities for students to explore creative interests and career paths within the retail and consumer goods industries. Founders and co-presidents Sophia Yassinger, Class of 2027, and Nina Venter, Class of 2026, are the reason for the society’s vibrant success, evidenced by a recent feature in Forbes Magazine. We sat down with Yassinger and… read more » about From Classrooms to Couture: Two Duke Students Build a Path Toward Creative Industries
Program II has launched a bold initiative that puts students directly into the worlds they hope to change. The inaugural cohort of Annenberg Fellows for Interdisciplinary Learning and Engagement (AFIRE) represents the start of a dynamic program open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Powered by a generous gift from the Annenberg Foundation, AFIRE provides funding for internships and research opportunities that enrich and expand on a student’s individually crafted academic track. “Program II has long been known for… read more » about Program II Annenberg Fellows Are Fueling the Future
The Modern Language Association of America is awarding its 28th annual Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Publication Award for a Manuscript in Italian Literary Studies to Kate Driscoll, assistant professor of Romance Studies. Her manuscript, "Tasso and Women Readers: Literary Hospitality in Early Modern Italy," will be published by Cambridge University Press.The award is one of 23 that will be presented on January 9, 2026 during the association’s annual convention, to be held in Toronto. The members of the selection committee were… read more » about Kate Driscoll Receives Scaglione Publication Award for a Manuscript in Italian Literary Studies
In 2018, Hannah Salomons began a research journey that would span five years, several cities and more than 100 puppies training to be service animals.A project that began in her first year as a Ph.D. student evolved into one of the most detailed longitudinal studies ever conducted on puppy cognition.The goal? To understand how puppies develop thinking skills such as memory, impulse control, and the ability to interpret human gestures. She also is looking to uncover clues about how these skills evolved, and whether early… read more » about Inside the Minds of Puppies: How Do They Develop Their Thinking Skills?
What do cooking dumplings and meeting a former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have in common?Both are memorable experiences first-year students had this fall, thanks to Trinity College’s Arts & Sciences Curriculum.Finding your footing in a new place can be challenging, but the Arts & Sciences Curriculum’s First-Year Experience helps students make meaningful connections from the moment they arrive on campus.All first-year students in Trinity College participate in the First-Year Experience through… read more » about Building Connections Through the First-Year Experience
Duke University has received $18 million in philanthropic support in the form of a challenge fund to bolster DukeLIFE, a critical resource for first-generation and low-income undergraduates.The collective gift represents the vision of lead donors Fred Sutherland ’73 and Barbara Sutherland ’75, both alumni and parents of two Duke graduates, and The Duke Endowment. The Sutherlands contributed $8 million, and The Duke Endowment contributed $10 million.These new commitments make up a challenge fund that the lead donors hope… read more » about Duke Receives Historic Collective Gift to Support First-Generation, Low-Income Students in Perpetuity
Gennifer Weisenfeld doesn’t just research — she excavates. "The Fine Art of Persuasion: Corporate Advertising Design, Nation, and Empire in Modern Japan" was released by Duke University Press in February 2025. Her latest book, “The Fine Art of Persuasion: Corporate Advertising Design, Nation, and Empire in Modern Japan,” is the result of a 20-year odyssey sifting through the glossy, persuasive and often underappreciated world of modern Japanese corporate advertising. From the… read more » about Gennifer Weisenfeld Explores Corporate Advertising in Modern Japan
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed structural biology by predicting the shapes of many proteins more accurately than previous computational methods. For decades, scientists have relied on protein structure models to understand how they function in the body. AI and computational approaches fall short when proteins aren’t rigid but shift and bend as they work. That was the main finding from a new study by a team of researchers from Duke and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), led by… read more » about Predicting Protein Flexibility: When AI Falls Short, Duke-led Team Forges Ahead
Colder weather means it’s time to curl up with a book. New readings from Duke authors include everything from a mystery and a middle-grade novel to books on privacy, hip-hop and fast fashion. Below is a roundup of some of the most recent and upcoming published titles. Many of the books, including new editions of previous titles, can be found on the “Duke Authors” display shelves near the circulation desk in Perkins Library. Some are available as e-books for quick download. Most can also be purchased through the… read more » about Books for When There’s a Chill in the Air
Every December, Duke Chapel comes alive with song, community and a shared spirit of generosity. The Duke University Chorale’s annual holiday concert — fondly known as the Holiday Chorale — is far more than a seasonal tradition. It’s an evening of music with a mission: to bring people together in service to others. The Duke University Chorale is the primary choral group of the Department of Music at Duke. Each year, their annual Holiday concert fills Duke Chapel with audience members… read more » about In Service to Others: Duke Chorale’s Holiday Tradition of Giving Back
On November 20, the Times Higher Education’s 2026 Interdisciplinary Science Rankings placed Duke at No. 6 out of 911 institutions in 94 countries. MIT was first, followed by Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, Duke and then Georgia Tech.Over the past half century, Duke University has steadily built an ecosystem that links people and ideas. Interdisciplinarity flourishes across campus, encouraging ambitious research, facilitating policy influence and preparing graduates to work… read more » about Duke Recognized Among Top Universities in the World for Interdisciplinary Science
“If one doesn't know how to handle failure, he cannot really enjoy the successes.” Jian Pei, Arthur S. Pearse Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, often tells his students that failure isn’t a reason to quit; it’s a chance to understand problems more deeply — and he would know. When he began his Ph.D., his first research project focused on solving a problem that others typically approached using what he describes as a “breadth-first search method:” starting with as many leads as possible and expands… read more » about Freedom to Fail: From Rejection to Breakthroughs
“You have to know your strengths, and you have to go where those strengths are really valued.”For most people, getting fired is a pretty big fail. For Kisha Daniels, assistant professor of the practice in the Program in Education, it was no exception. Daniels knew from an early age that she wanted to be an educator, and began her career working in public schools before earning her doctorate. Before coming to Duke, she spent more than a decade at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), where she trained future… read more » about Freedom to Fail: Knowing When to Walk Away
"Part of my job is to help students be resilient in the face of failure. You only gain resilience from such experiences.”When Gary Bennett, now Dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, was a graduate student training in clinical psychology, he was learning to balance two demanding roles: how to conduct a research program, as most Ph.D. students do, and gain experience in clinical work. The clinical side of the training required learning how to sit with people, hold space for them, guide, counsel and deliver… read more » about Freedom to Fail: How A Dean’s Lesson Shaped His Leadership
The study of modern empires can take many forms. On a crisp autumn afternoon when students in the gateway seminar Empires in Historical Perspective entered the exhibit Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930-31, they were not there for a typical class lecture. Instead, they encountered a gallery lined with sepia-toned photographs that became text and teacher in a live inquiry about how visual images inform the study of colonialism. “Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930-31”… read more » about Seeing Empire: Undergraduate Historians Visit the “Disobedient Subjects: Bombay” Exhibit
In recognition of his outstanding scholarly achievement, Peter S. Arcidiacono was invested as a member of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters at an annual ceremony on November 12 in Washington, DC.Arcidiacono is the William Henry Glasson Distinguished Professor of Economics. He specializes in applied microeconomics, applied economics and labor economics, with particular focus on education and discrimination. His work, which has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver… read more » about Economics Scholar Honored by American Academy of Sciences and Letters
What makes a good book? This was one of the impossible questions Annette Joseph-Gabriel, the John Spencer Bassett Associate Professor of Romance Studies, had to answer as a judge for the 76th National Book Awards for Translated Literature. We asked her to share some of the insights she gathered from this experience, and how she recommends one should dive into the world of translated literature. Spoiler alert: her advice is “Run, don’t walk.”This interview was lightly edited for clarity and length.… read more » about What Makes a Good Book? Annette Joseph-Gabriel Shares Her Insights on Being a Judge for 2025’s National Book Award
Since 2020, Philip Stern has led three Bass Connections projects, ranging from an exploration into early modern mapping to a deep dive into the possible futures of space settlement research. His approach emphasizes giving students ownership of their learning while creating fertile ground for both innovative research and unexpected career pathways. Stern shared his perspective on leading teams with Kelly Harrison (Senior Academic Program Coordinator, Bass Connections) during an interview in Fall 2025. read more » about Faculty Perspective: Philip J. Stern
Duke University alumnus William Lieber is among the 32 recipients selected in 2025 for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, chosen from more than 800 applicants across the U.S. The Rhodes Scholarship was created in 1902 and has long been considered one of the most prestigious prizes in academia. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential and a commitment to service. “Through his scholarship, professional activities, and engagement in the community, Will Lieber… read more » about Trinity Alumnus Wins Rhodes Scholarship