Ahead of the launch of Trinity’s new curriculum, the Department of Sociology is aligning its course offerings with the evolving needs of today’s Duke students. Department faculty have been examining their course offerings with a keen eye toward incorporating innovative teaching practices that blend practical skills with experiential learning and real-world applications. Undergraduate students have been directly involved in many of the implemented improvements, providing faculty with input and ideas.“Duke is… read more » about Breathing Fresh Innovation into Sociology Courses
“I try to recruit people who have experience with failing and know how to deal with it,” Johnsen said. “Because in biology, we fail so often. Plan A and plan B never work. If you’re super lucky, plan C will work, but usually we’re using plan D.”“I might be one of the only Duke faculty who dropped out of college,” says Sönke Johnsen. Johnsen didn’t just drop out of college. He also had a very unusual career trajectory. On his way to becoming a Biology professor at Duke, Johnsen was a kindergarten teacher, a carpenter,… read more » about Freedom to Fail: A Journey to Success, Courtesy of Failure
“When you fail, it's so easy to let it spiral into this judgment about you and your work and your value as a human. Sometimes we need to step back and recognize there are things beyond our control.” If there’s anyone qualified to talk about failure, it’s a Kafka scholar. That might be why Kata Gellen, associate professor of German Studies, is able to talk about her own failures with ease. One of her failures came in a particularly bitter flavor, though: rejection. After finishing a manuscript for… read more » about Freedom to Fail: Turning Rejection on Its Head
“If you haven't failed it means that you aren't trying hard enough.” When he was in graduate school, Charlie Becker had a recurring nightmare. He was at a conference, getting ready to present his first professional paper. As he walked up to the stage, he found that it was not a dingy seminar room, but a packed auditorium at Carnegie Hall. An emcee beckoned him forward and announced, "And now, Mr. Becker will play for us on the piano!" [spoiler alert: Charlie Becker does not play the piano or any other… read more » about Freedom to Fail: Applying Past Failures to the Present
DURHAM, N.C. -- One of the tiniest building blocks of the universe has a weigh-in problem, and Ashutosh Kotwal is determined to get to the bottom of it.For nearly 30 years, the Duke physicist has led a worldwide effort to hone in on the mass of a fundamental particle called the W boson.It’s the force-carrying particle that allows the Sun to burn and new elements to form, so it’s pretty important. Without it, the entire universe would be in the dark.But in recent years the W boson has been the source of a rift in the physics… read more » about Weighing in on a Puzzling Particle Heavyweight
All five university and community leaders honored at the annual Samuel DuBois Cook Society award ceremony Thursday night had the same message: When we embrace difference, we achieve excellence.Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper received the Cook Society’s Distinguished Service Award, given each year to a leader whose service reflects Cook’s social activism and leadership.“It has been said often that my cabinet and staff were by far the most diverse in state history,” Cooper said. “It has also been said that they were the… read more » about Cook Society Awards: Five Campus & Community Leaders Who Built a ‘Beloved Community’
Leadership takes energy. In Duke junior Tyler Ratcliffe’s case, leadership is in energy, the field that powers our world.“I’m an energy evangelist. Energy is the great challenge of our lifetime,” he said.Ratcliffe has led multiple efforts to showcase to his fellow students that there are more career options to contribute to climate and sustainability than they might expect.“The energy and climate ventures and entrepreneurship community at Duke is vibrant and growing, and I want more students to know about… read more » about Climate Pathfinders: Tyler Ratcliffe Brings the Energy
“One could argue that this started over 25 years ago.” That’s how Steffen Bass described his collaboration with Assistant Professor of Statistical Science Simon Mak. Twenty-five years ago, however, Mak wasn’t even in high school.But this isn’t the story of a teenage prodigy. This is the story of how new tools, developed by a junior scientist thinking outside the box, can shed light on old questions — even if the questions are hidden within something smaller than an atom. Steffen… read more » about From Nuclear Collisions to AI: How Machine Learning is Revolutionizing Nuclear Physics
Rebecca Wahls is Duke Theater Studies’ Artist-in-Residence for the 2024-2025 academic year.A director, writer and producer of film, theater and new media, Wahls holds an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a John Wells Fellow from 2020-2023. Her first feature film, “Him," is currently playing festivals across the U.S. This semester, Wahls is teaching Acting for the Camera and the first-year seminar Investigating Adaptation. She is also directing a new musical play, “GOOD,” which she wrote… read more » about Artist-in-Residence Rebecca Wahls Creates “GOOD”
The Museum of Durham History (MoDH) opened a new Duke student-curated component of its ongoing exhibit “100 Years of Duke” titled "Our History, Our Voice: Latinés at Duke.”The exhibit provides an in-depth look at the complexities of Latiné identity at Duke, shedding light on both the challenges faced by the community — ranging from discrimination to institutional inequities — as well as the remarkable contributions it has made to the university.“Our History, Our Voice” is a powerful reminder of the lasting… read more » about Museum of Durham History Unveils Exhibit on Latiné History at Duke
Last year, Maya Kronfeld had the satisfaction of seeing Nicole Zuraitis’ How Love Begins, on which she played keyboards, win a GRAMMY Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album.Fast forward to Sunday night and the 2025 GRAMMY Awards. Once again, an album featuring Kronfeld as keyboardist – Taylor Eigsti’s Plot Armor – won for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. The recording also features jazz icons Terence Blanchard, Lisa Fischer and many others. Participating in two GRAMMY-winning albums in as many years is… read more » about Literature Professor Has the Grammy Magic for Second Year in a Row
Seven Trinity College of Arts & Sciences faculty members have been awarded funding from the Undergraduate Program Enhancement Fund. Backed by Duke’s Provost’s Office, the fund supports innovative proposals that enhance undergraduate experiential learning.Owen Astrachan, Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, will design a course called AI, Algorithms, and APIs: Great Ideas of Computer Science (Redux). He envisions the course as an alternative introduction to the major, with the goal of making it the one course… read more » about Seven Trinity Faculty Awarded Funding to Enhance Undergraduate Programs
On July 1, Duke will become the new editorial home of Demography, the flagship journal of the Population Association of America, for the next three years. Co-editors leading Demography are Hedy Lee, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Sociology; M. Giovanna Merli, Professor of Public Policy, Sociology and Global Health; and Marcos Rangel, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics. A multidisciplinary team of Duke faculty, along with faculty from other top-tier research institutions, will serve as Deputy… read more » about Duke Becomes New Home for "Demography" Journal
How do we foster collaboration in a divided world? Duke faculty are exploring innovative ways to bridge gaps — through sociology, international youth camps and cultural partnerships in Durham. (Design by Shaun King/Trinity Communications) In an increasingly divided world, the need for civil discourse and strategies to bridge perspectives has become a central topic of discussion — not only at Duke but worldwide. At Duke, several current initiatives aim at fostering inclusive… read more » about Fostering Connections Across Differences: Three Faculty Explore Unlikely Collaborations
Three undergraduate faculty members received the inaugural Judith Deckers Prize for excellence in undergraduate education. This honor recognizes leaders in their fields who have substantial track records of positively affecting student learning and lives. The honorees were celebrated Thursday evening during a reception on Duke’s campus. Provost Alec Gallimore, and Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Candis Watts Smith each gave remarks, congratulating the prize winners and reflecting on their… read more » about Three Undergraduate Faculty Win Inaugural Judith Deckers Teaching Award
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