Duke professors Blake S. Wilson B.S.E. ’74, Ph.D.’15 and Leonard White will be honored for their contributions to advancing research in the fields of hearing loss and brain development, respectively. The awards will be presented by President Vincent E. Price and the Duke Alumni Association during Founders’ Weekend Sept. 26-28. Wilson will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Duke Alumni Association’s highest honor given to alumni who have made outstanding contributions in service to Duke and toward the betterment… read more » about Alumni to Honor Two Faculty for Research, Teaching Advancements During Founders' Weekend
From the challenges of ministry with those with dementia diseases to the challenges of sea level rise and Dan Ariely’s tour through the decision-making thicket to the story of Billy Graham, a wide range of topics is examined in recent and forthcoming books by Duke faculty and staff. Below, we offer a roundup of titles worthy of attention. 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… read more » about Books By Duke Authors for Summer and Beyond
The early 1990s were heady times for Duke physicists Al Goshaw and Mark Kruse. They belonged to one of two rival teams racing to discover an ephemeral building block of nature called the top quark. The final missing piece in a puzzle, the top quark was the last undiscovered quark of the six predicted to exist by scientific theory. “This was one of the major discoveries in our field,” said Goshaw, James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Physics. In 1995, the two 450-person teams working on a machine near Chicago called the… read more » about Duke Physicists Share Prize for Discovery of the Top Quark
Four faculty members will receive the United States government’s highest honor recognizing their early career research accomplishments and their promise for leadership in science and technology. The White House announced Tuesday the winners of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), presented to outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent research careers. The award is overseen by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in coordination with… read more » about White House Honors Four Faculty for Early Career Research Accomplishments
Ingrid Daubechies, the James B. Duke Professor of Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke and one of the world’s leading mathematicians, received an honorary degree from Harvard University at its commencement ceremony May 30. Daubechies was one of nine honorary degree recipients; others included German Chancellor Angela Merkel; Lonnie G. Bunch III, the newly named director of the Smithsonian Institute; former Harvard President and noted historian Drew Faust; and New Yorker editor and author David Remnick… read more » about Harvard Presents Ingrid Daubechies With Honorary Degree
Duke University awarded 21 distinguished professorships to members of its faculty May 2 at the annual University Distinguished Professors dinner. They are: -- Atila Abdulkadiroğlu, Garonzik Family Professor of Economics -- Jeremy S. Begbie, Thomas A. Langford Research Professor of Theology -- Emily S. Bernhardt, James B. Duke Professor of Biology -- L. Ebony Boulware, Eleanor Easley Professor of Medicine -- L. Catherine Brinson, Sharon… read more » about Duke Adds 21 Faculty to Distinguished Faculty Rank
Three Duke scientists representing the Pratt School of Engineering and Trinity College of Arts & Sciences’ Department of Chemistry have been recognized by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the organization announced May 7. The society grants awards and prizes annually in recognition of originality and impact in research, or for each winner’s contribution to the chemical sciences industry or education. They also acknowledge the importance of teamwork across the chemical sciences, as well as the abilities of individuals to… read more » about Duke Scientists Receive Royal Society of Chemistry Awards
Duke professors Susan Alberts and Sue Jinks-Robertson have been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which is widely considered one of the highest honors a scientist can receive. They are among 100 newly elected members and 25 foreign associates who are recognized for their achievements in original research -- 40 percent of whom are women, the most ever elected in any one year to date. Alberts studies how animal behavior evolved in mammals, with a focus on the social behavior, demography and genetics of… read more » about Two Duke Faculty Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Assistant Professor of the Practice of Mathematics Tori Akin has been named one of the most innovative professors of 2019 by the education and training services company Arist for her approach to math education. Akin was one of six faculty selected from among nearly 100 nominees from universities including Harvard, Stanford and Brown. “Math isn’t an innate ability, becoming good takes struggling through complications and working hard,” Akin said. Rather than teaching math in a traditional ‘lecture’ format, she has students… read more » about Duke Math’s Tori Akin Named One of 2019’s Most Innovative Professors
Ten faculty members and advisers receiving Undergraduate Teaching, Leadership & Diversity Awards from the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences were honored at a reception April 11 in Perkins Library. The awards are given annually by the dean’s office in recognition of exceptionally strong teachers working across the college. This year, Trinity’s Arts & Sciences Council led the nomination and selection process for several categories. One notable exception, the alumni teaching award, was decided by a committee of… read more » about Trinity Awards Honor 10 for Innovative Teaching, Advising & Leadership
Gennifer Weisenfeld, professor of art history and visual studies, has been appointed to a second, three-year term as dean of the humanities for Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. “Gennifer has been an excellent leader and a powerful advocate for the arts and humanities at Duke,” said Valerie Ashby, dean of Trinity College, following the April 1 announcement. “She has built meaningful partnerships across the university, thoughtfully engaging her chairs and other academic leaders, and she secured funding for an… read more » about Weisenfeld Reappointed as Dean of the Humanities for Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Here’s summer reading to educate and entertain: A new look at the continuing influence of ancient Roman political thought; a deep look at the clergy health crisis; and the story of how an African-American architect came to design the new campuses for Duke University. These and other books (plus one film) are new this summer from Duke authors. A half-dozen of these books are written by new Duke Kunshan University faculty members. Many of the books, including new editions of previous titles, can be found on the "Duke… read more » about Books by Duke Authors to Fill Your Summer Tote Bag
William Johnson has one of those very scholarly looking offices where important, weighty tomes make the bookshelf sag. But Johnson, who studies the culture and history of ancient Greece and Rome, is examining a very basic question about many of those aged books: How did the authors get anyone to read them? “We have all this stuff from antiquity,” he says. “How did it come to the public notice? How did people get published? What exactly does “publishing” mean in an ancient context?” Johnson, the current chair of classical… read more » about What I'm Working On: Social Media in Ancient Greece