Jeff Storer, professor of the practice in Theater Studies, first produced “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play” on another planet.It was 2013, and Storer was directing Anne Washburn’s newly written play for Manbites Dog Theater. The tale, described by the author as a “pop culture narrative pushed past the fall of civilization,” is set in a near future where the world has been decimated by a global pandemic. Washburn’s characters use their memories of the TV show “The Simpsons” to create a new mythology, which they… read more » about “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play” Shines Bright Through Inspiration and Collaboration
Gathered on the top floor of the Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke Building on West Campus, members of Trinity College’s leadership recently saw how the modern and the historic are becoming intertwined in the building’s renewal. Hundreds of terra cotta tiles and sections of the original roof structure have been carefully removed to make way for a new penthouse that will house modern building systems. The Reuben-Cooke Renewal project brings new life to a historic structure that opened in 1931 during the first wave of construction of… read more » about A Look Inside the Renewal of Reuben-Cooke
Ivelin Georgiev, Ph.D., is a professor of pathology, microbiology, and immunology and of computer science at Vanderbilt University, and a faculty member of the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics. He received his B.S. from Eckerd College and his Ph.D. in computer science from Duke University, where his research focused on computational biology and the development of algorithms for modeling and analyzing biomolecular structures. From 2009 to 2015, he served as a staff scientist and co-head of the structural… read more » about Computer Science Alum Is Bringing CS and Biology Together
Calvin R. Howell, Professor of Physics, was awarded the 2025 Francis Slack Award at this year’s Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society (SESAPS) Annual Meeting. The award, presented by the American Physical Society (APS), honors "Excellence in Service to Physics in the Southeast.”Professor Howell’s research is in the area of experimental nuclear physics with emphasis on the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) description of low-energy nuclear phenomena, including structure properties of nucleons and… read more » about Calvin Howell Receives 2025 Francis Slack Award from the American Physical Society
Mike West, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Statistical Science, was the recipient of the 2025 Jerome Sacks Award for Cross-Disciplinary Research. The award was presented by the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) at the Joint Statistics Meetings held in Nashville, TN. This prestigious award recognizes “sustained, high-quality cross-disciplinary research involving the statistical sciences.”The award is especially meaningful at Duke, where both Jerry Sacks and Mike West left a lasting mark on the Department… read more » about Mike West Wins 2025 Jerome Sacks Award for Cross-Disciplinary Research
The Duke community will honor all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces at its annual Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m., Nov. 11, at Duke University Chapel.The ceremony, which is hosted by Duke Human Resources, will feature a presentation of the colors by a joint color guard from Duke’s ROTC units, the national anthem sung by the Duke University Chorale and remarks by Duke University President Vincent E. Price, Duke Vice President of Human Resources Antwan Lofton and Duke University Chapel Dean Luke A. Powery.Maj. Ryan… read more » about Join Duke in Honoring Service Members at its Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11
Ranthony Clark once dreamed of playing basketball at Duke. But life happened, her ambitions shifted, and in 2024, Clark came to Duke not as an athlete but as an Assistant Research Professor of Mathematics.Still, the echoes of her former aspirations dogged her as she settled into life in Durham. She thought about the first time she met Duke women’s basketball head coach Kara Lawson as a teenager when she attended a summer basketball camp at the University of Tennessee while Lawson played there.And that led her to reflect on… read more » about Courtside in Cameron, A Duke Professor Finds Community
At many elite colleges, the career conveyor belt is moving the most ambitious students in three directions. At Harvard, consulting, finance and technology have become the most desired paths for up to 63% of graduates, a recent university survey found.The so-called Bermuda Triangle of Talent has become a funnel directing many students and, increasingly, more men than women.While the top majors for women at the best universities include biology, academia, social science and general business, other subjects are attracting more… read more » about Duke Students Carve a Luxury Career Path That Industry Execs Follow
Across the far right, a paranoid prophecy has been taking hold: the belief that globalist elites want to take meat off the menu and replace it with insects. The charge has been spouted in one version or another by provocateurs like Tucker Carlson, Mike Cernovich, and Jordan Peterson, and repeated by countless accounts on social media.The claim has found its way into the sloganeering of major right-wing political parties around the world, from the Conservative Party of Canada to Lega in Italy, and the Law and Justice party… read more » about Gabriel Rosenberg: The Myth of the Carnivore Caveman
Duke biology graduate student Brendan Lam studies the vision of harvestmen, a type of arachnid that looks like a spider. People may be scared of spiders, but Lam says: “Spiders do much more good than harm.”Their tiny yet powerful optics may inspire new kinds of miniature cameras; other benefits offer a reminder that the creatures we fear most often help us see the world more clearly. read more » about Check This Out: Spidey Super Powers
Jehanne Gheith (John West/Trinity Communications) Looking back, Jehanne Gheith is heartened by the strides Russian language study has made since her undergraduate days. She still remembers a moment from early in her language studies when an in-class conversation prompt asked: Tell me about your factory.“Thankfully, we’re moving past outdated, overly rigid methods of language instruction,” she says. “The focus now is on meeting students where they are and making the… read more » about Pulling Back the Curtain on Russian Language Learning
Mary Osborne isn’t afraid of AI in the classroom — quite the contrary. The lecturing fellow in Linguistics teaches the two cornerstone classes of Duke’s interdepartmental major (IDM) in Linguistics and Computer Science. She worked with Edna Andrews, Nancy & Jeffrey Marcus Professor of Linguistics & Cultural Anthropology, to shape the major, aiming to connect the theory and insights of linguistics with the problem-solving and innovation found in computer science. Launched in 2020, this is one of only… read more » about CS + Linguistics Major Gives Students a Front-Row Seat to the Future of AI
October is Space Month. At Duke University, space research is more than just science — it's a bold journey across disciplines. This is the fifth in a series of stories featuring innovators, dreamers, and students shaping the future exploration and regulatino of the cosmos.In the early days of space exploration, satellites were rare. Each launch was a feat of engineering and ambition, sending machines far above the Earth into orbits where they could drift undisturbed.These high-altitude paths offered vast expanses of space,… read more » about Don’t Look Up, Space is Filled With Junk
In an underground facility beneath Duke's campus – the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) – researchers are testing a new approach to radiation therapy that could transform how brain tumors are treated. Termed FLASH radiation therapy, this technique delivers the same total dose of radiation as traditional radiation therapy, but in ultra-fast bursts.A recent Duke-led study published in October in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, "Investigating the FLASH Effect in a Rat… read more » about FLASH Forward: Duke Researchers Explore Ultra-High Dose Rate FLASH Radiation Therapy for Brain Tumors
I walked into Penn Pavilion with the plan to stop by one or two tables for a quick chat. I left hours later with a bag full of free goodies and a newfound understanding of what being a student at Duke can look like.The seemingly endless aisles of tables featuring academic departments, certificate programs and student resources felt like a maze of different opportunities and possibilities. Each table was decorated to be its own vibrant universe. While I may have stopped by a few tables for their bowls full of treats or the… read more » about A First-Year Student’s Perspective on the Majors Fair
On November 9, strains of music from across North Africa, West Africa and the Middle East will fill Baldwin Auditorium as the Duke Chorale hosts Tunisia88 Alumni Choir in a joint concert celebrating peace and freedom.This is Tunisia88 Alumni Choir’s first tour in the United States, and the performance at Duke is the final stop before they return home. “This collaboration was suggested by Duke alumna Veronica Bulgari, who is friends with the leader of Tunisia88,” said Allan Friedman, director of the Duke… read more » about Music Crossing Borders: The Duke Chorale and Tunisia88 In Concert
In an up-close and personal event, Duke Conversations turned the Ruby Lounge in the Rubenstein Arts Center into a dining room for its “Meet the Deans” event on Tuesday, September 30. The event featured senior leadership from across the undergraduate schools, including Deborah Reisinger, Dean of Undergraduate Education for Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Manoj Mohanan, Interim Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, Jerome “Jerry” Lynch, Vinik Dean of Engineering for the Pratt School of Engineering, Lori Snyder… read more » about In Conversation with Duke’s Top Undergraduate Leaders
As Halloween creeps closer, Duke students have more than just costumes and candy to look forward to — Trinity has a cauldron of classes brewed for spooky‑season scholars. If you’re ready to trade your pumpkin spice latte for something a little more spooky, gather your study group coven and prepare to summon your inner ghoul, because these classes prove that learning at Duke can be delightfully haunting. read more » about Spooky Season 101: Courses to Get You in the Mood for Halloween
In his role as North Carolina’s secretary for health and human services, Kody Kinsley would often plead his case for health care equity.But not with those words.Instead, Kinsley would often use a compelling anecdote or factoid – like pointing out that Black women are twice as likely to die during childbirth than white women. He knew technocratic language was off-putting to some audiences – which he couldn’t afford given his position as a Democratic appointee working with a majority-Republican state legislature.“Certain… read more » about All Beliefs Welcome
Two years ago, Courtney Lewis launched the university’s first-ever Native American studies research program: Research for Indigenous Studies and Engagement in the United States (or RISE-US). An enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, the Crandall Family Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology has established herself as a rising star in Native American studies, as well as a dynamic program builder. She is also a self-described “Indige-geek” who is seriously into American Indian comic books.… read more » about Going Graphic: Six Questions with Duke Professor Courtney Lewis on Her Superpowered Library Exhibit
An orchestra of medical professionals in Durham, North Carolina, used YPCCC’s research to transform a musical concert into a call for climate action. read more » about Harnessing the Power of Music and Public Opinion to Inspire Climate Engagement
Is the new Trump-backed congressional map proposed by the GOP-led North Carolina legislature a partisan gerrymander? Would election results under the map shift depending on the will of the people? Those are questions Duke math professor Jonathan Mattingly sought to answer in a new analysis published Sunday. read more » about New NC Map Would ‘Lock In’ Another Republican District, Duke Math Professor Says
Dr. Marla Frederick received her B.A. from Spelman College before pursuing a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology at Duke. After graduating from Duke, she completed postdocs at Princeton University and the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). She also served on faculty at the University of Cincinnati, Harvard University, and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Dr. Frederick is currently Dean of Harvard Divinity School. She is the first woman and only the second African American to serve in that role. Dr.… read more » about Alumna Marla Frederick's Journey From Duke to Harvard Divinity
Jennifer Knust says she studies the history of Christianity through its material remains. A Professor of Religious Studies at Duke University, she works closely with early Christian manuscripts—objects that, as she explained, “carry with them and bear the traces of all those engagements” from the people who handled, copied, or preserved them. For Knust, these manuscripts are not only sources of text but records of human practice. “The media that carry the texts that come to us as ancient religious texts are usually… read more » about Jennifer Knust on The New Testament Apparatus as a War Machine
On September 26, a group of Duke faculty representing several disciplines gathered in person for the first meeting of the new “Teaching in the Age of AI” Faculty Learning Community (FLC), led by Jennifer Ahern-Dodson, Associate Professor of the Practice in the Thompson Writing Program, and supported by CARADITE. Attendees exchanged introductions and reflected on their attitudes toward generative AI — a mix of excitement and caution — and their motivations for joining this new venture. read more » about Teaching in the Age of AI: A New Faculty Learning Community Takes Root at Duke
Eve Vavagiakis constructs cameras — not the kind that capture everyday moments on Earth, but ones designed to image the earliest light in the universe. Some of these instruments are installed at the Simons Observatory, 17,000 feet above sea level in the Atacama Desert, Chile. At that altitude, scientists often need supplementary oxygen to breathe. read more » about Capturing the Big Bang’s Afterglow
A new study by faculty from Duke’s Department of Economics in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences reveals that American consumers ultimately paid more than the tariff cost on European wines during a 2019–21 trade dispute. The research highlights how tariffs ripple through complex supply chains and can raise prices at the checkout counter for a wide variety of products above and beyond the initial levy, insights that are of particular interest given the increased use of tariffs by the U.S. government during 2025… read more » about Study Reveals U.S. Consumers Paid More Than the Tariff Cost on European Wines
If you think economics is just about supply and demand, Christopher Walker, new Assistant Professor of Economics, would like you to flip a coin and make a random guess about whether it will be heads or tails. Then, flip it again, but this time, update your guess based upon the 50-50 odds that it will land a certain way.That’s incorporating Bayesian thinking, and Walker’s research on using new information to guide our predictions of future outcomes is changing the way economists ask their biggest questions about competition… read more » about Shaking Up Market Thinking
Anushka Kumar is in Spain this semester, studying abroad and soaking in the experience.“It's been really cool to be in a totally different place and see how they teach — the structure of classes — and the academic and social culture,” says Kumar. “Traveling is just an experience I’ve always really wanted.” Kumar, a junior, is one of the many students taking full advantage of the many opportunities Duke offers — around the world and also here in Durham. read more » about Connecting Classrooms and Communities: Duke Student’s Internship Advances Mental Health Education
A new series explores how Duke faculty are crossing disciplinary boundaries to address global challenges — from climate justice to space debris. read more » about Intersections at Duke: Bridging Disciplines, Solving Problems