The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently announced the election of 120 members and 25 international members "in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research."Two Duke faculty join the ranks of this prestigious organization:Robert Calderbank is Charles S. Sydnor Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and professor of mathematics at Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. He is also a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Pratt School of… read more » about Robert Calderbank Elected to The National Academy of Sciences
Duke philosopher David Wong is among 252 leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research and science elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the oldest learned societies in the United States.Wong is the Susan Fox Beischer and George D. Beischer Trinity College Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and an affiliate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society. He is a leading expert researching questions of morality on the personal and… read more » about Duke Philosopher Elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences
A recent essay by award-winning science writer Emily Anthes titled "In Defense of Dumb Dogs: Your pet is (probably) not a genius, and that’s OK" has generated countless emails, texts, and in-person comments.In a 2013 interview in Scientific American, dog expert Dr. Brian Hare, co-author of The Genius of Dogs with Vanessa Wood and founder of the Duke Canine Cognition Center, was asked, “What is the biggest misconception people have about the dog mind?” His answer: “That there are ‘smart’ dogs and ‘dumb’ dogs.... There’s… read more » about Duke Canine Researchers Stress the Importance of Being Dog Literate and Dog Smart
April 21 (Reuters) - Kevin Warsh would like to see the Federal Reserve slash its vast bond holdings, but has yet to flesh out just how he would do that if confirmed to be the next head of the U.S. central bank, a matter likely to come up in his confirmation hearing on Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee.Meanwhile, in the absence of specifics from Warsh, an effort is underway both in and outside the Fed to provide some intellectual heft for that goal.The academic work largely agrees that if the central bank wants a… read more » about Ellen Meade on a Framework for Smaller Fed Balance Sheet
Jungsang Kim, the Schiciano Family Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and professor of Physics at Duke University, has received the Changjo Medal of the Order of Science and Technology Merit, the highest class of South Korea’s premier national honor for scientists and engineers.Kim is one of two recipients selected this year for the award, which recognizes contributions to science and technology with national and global impact. The Changjo Medal, whose name translates to “creation,” is the top of… read more » about Physics Professor Jungsang Kim Receives South Korea’s Top Science and Technology Honor
Trump expects lower interest rates. How Warsh navigates their relationship could shape what he can actually deliver.Wall Street and Washington will be watching Kevin Warsh on Tuesday for any sign he has an understanding with President Trump to cut interest rates if installed as chair of the Federal Reserve. Trump will be watching for any sign he doesn’t.The high-wire act starts before Warsh even has the job. Warsh secured the nomination by convincing Trump he shares the president’s view that the Fed should be cutting rates… read more » about Duke Economist Discusses Relationship Between Trump and Kevin Warsh
Yasa Baig, ’22, has been awarded a PD Soros Fellowship in support of a Ph.D. in bioengineering at Stanford, joining 20 other Duke recipients of the award. Born in India and raised in Massachusetts, Baig earned a B.S. in physics and computer science at Duke where he was a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship and was an A.B. Duke Scholar. As a Marshall Scholar, Baig went on to complete a master’s degree in physics and another in mathematics at the University of Cambridge. At Stanford, Baig… read more » about Trinity Alumnus Yasa Baig Wins Soros Fellowship for Graduate Study
The Office for Faculty Advancement has awarded seed grants to seven new projects led by Duke faculty members. The theme for this grant cycle is “Building Community and Strengthening Networks to Improve the Faculty Experience.”Faculty were invited to propose innovative initiatives to build community, creative approaches to address specific mentorship needs, and novel approaches to improve the faculty experience.The seed grant program will provide financial support for these projects through April 2027. Project leaders… read more » about Trinity Faculty Awarded Seed Grants by Duke Office of Faculty Advancement
Simon Miles has been named by Duke University as a Bass Chair in recognition of his excellence in undergraduate teaching and research.Miles will be the Kevin D. Gorter Associate Professor of Public Policy, effective July 1 for a five-year term. He will become a lifetime member of the Bass Society of Fellows. Bass Chair recipients, including Miles, were honored at a Duke University reception for Bass Chairs on April 15. The Bass program, established through a gift to Duke in 1996 from Anne T. and Richard M.… read more » about Simon Miles Selected by University as Bass Chair
The CUNY Graduate Center has announced the winners of its 2026 Alumni Awards recognizing graduates whose distinguished work spans research, education, public service, health and the arts. Ryan Donovan, assistant professor of Theater Studies, is one of the seven awardees. Together, this year’s honorees embody the Graduate Center’s commitment to research for the public good. Their work has shaped fields, informed practice, expanded access to knowledge and care, and strengthened institutions in New York and around the… read more » about Ryan Donovan Receives CUNY Alumni Award
Meta’s Superintelligence Labs launched its first generative AI model, called Muse Spark, earlier this week. It is currently available through the Meta AI app, but the company plans to integrate Muse Spark across all of its platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—in the coming weeks.Handing over this kind of data to any AI tool is a risky decision, even if users are able to generate personalized advice. “Usage of these models can be really tricky,” says Monica Agrawal, an assistant professor at Duke University… read more » about Duke's Monica Agrawal Cautions Against Sharing Health Data With AI
Master’s student Sarah Soucek (Experimental and Documentary Arts) is the winner of the 2026 Bass Connections Award for Outstanding Mentorship. This annual award recognizes the crucial leadership and mentorship roles that graduate/professional students and postdocs play on Bass Connections teams.About Sarah SoucekSoucek is a graduate student focusing on experimental and documentary arts. Her work explores how the relationship between interviewer and interviewee shapes the way stories are told. In her role as a team… read more » about Trinity MFA Student Sarah Soucek Wins Award for Outstanding Mentorship
Eight honorees, including two Trinity College of Arts & Sciences students, received Climate Commitment Leadership Awards at the annual Duke Climate Commitment Celebration event Thursday, April 9.The awards recognize students, staff, and faculty who demonstrate leadership in climate and sustainability efforts in support of Duke’s Climate Commitment and who embody its vision. This year’s group came from across Duke, demonstrating how the Climate Commitment is being advanced through education, research, community… read more » about Two Trinity Students Honored at Climate Commitment Awards
For years, two sets of chimpanzees lived as one in Uganda’s Kibale National Park — grooming, interacting and patrolling their territory in a cohesive community.Then suddenly, one set charged the other, touching off yearslong bloodshed that researchers are comparing to a human civil war.“It was just chaos,” said John Mitani, a professor emeritus in anthropology at the University of Michigan who had been following the chimpanzees for two decades when the violence began in 2015. “They started to scream, shout, chase each other… read more » about Duke Professor Emerita Observed Violent Split Among Ngogo Chimpanzees
On the last full day of his life, Basie, a large gregarious male chimpanzee, woke up at dawn in a tree nest he’d fashioned from branches and leaves, surrounded by other chimps also dozing in nests, as he’d done nearly every day for 36 years in the forest. After an ordinary day of swinging between trees and snacking on ripe figs, danger appeared. A patrol group of about 13 adult chimps from the opposing faction arrived as daylight began to fade. Three adults surrounded Basie, who jumped from a tree. Then 10 chimps… read more » about Duke Primatologist Anne Pusey Emphasizes How Chimpanzee Societies Crumble
The world’s largest-known group of chimpanzees recently burst into a lethal conflict. Much like in a civil war, the group fractured into two. Then one faction began killing their former group mates on the other side, researchers write today in the journal Science. It’s an exceedingly rare event: scientists estimate that chimpanzee communities split, on average, every 500 years.The paper is “a tour de force,” said Joseph Feldblum, an evolutionary anthropologist affiliated with Duke University, who was not involved… read more » about Joseph Feldblum Discusses the Two Hundred Chimpanzee War
Before zombies shambled about, ghoulishly feasting on the flesh of those too slow to flee, aliens from outer space ruled movie theaters, drive-ins and late Saturday night creature features on television.Even as Hollywood still drives how Americans envision little green men with big eyes and bigger heads, fiction soon could be separated from — or revealed as — fact if government agencies release secret files related to extraterrestrials and UFOs as called for in February by President Donald Trump.The science fiction genre… read more » about Priscilla Wald Discusses How Hollywood’s Narrative on UFOs and ETs reaches back decades
The giant squid is a rare ocean creature. So rare, that it’s often grouped with other mythological sea beasts, such as the Kraken, Cthulhu, and merfolk.But the giant squid is real.Although seldom seen, giant squid sightings do happen. And one fisherman from Japan has encountered not one, but two, of the massive marine invertebrates while on his boat. Below, check out the latest giant squid sighting, a haunting encounter.The footage comes from fisherman @yonemorikouta, but has been reposted on YouTube. The original video was… read more » about Duke Biologist Says Giant Squid, Rare Creatures are 'Something We Should Care About'
The 2 Live Crew: Remember them?Led by Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, the hip-hop group pioneered the Miami bass genre and Southern rap more generally in the 1980s and ’90s, as they rattled car trunks and scandalized censors with lyrics that implored women to pop that … well, you know.Fast-forward a few decades, and Campbell has returned to the spotlight — not for dropping an album with an edgy title like 1989’s Nasty As They Wanna Be, but for elevating a different sort of performance. A political one: He has plenty… read more » about Mark Anthony Neal Analyzes Luther Luke’s Transition From Hip-Hop to Political Candidate
Duke University has offered admission to 2,083 students to the Class of 2030. Those accepted through Duke’s Regular Decision process were notified beginning at 7 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.Duke received approximately 3,237 more applications than last year, bringing the total to 61,935 applicants.Duke admitted 847 students through Early Decision and QuestBridge in December bringing the total number of admits to 2,930 (4.7% of the total applicant pool). An additional 38 students admitted in previous… read more » about Duke Welcomes the Newest Members of the Class of 2030
On the third floor of the Allen Building, tucked into a corner room with a beautiful view of Abele Quad, you’ll find the office of Professor of English Victor Strandberg. Covering the walls of his office is an extensive, carefully curated collage of influential figures and moments from history, collected over his more than 90 years of life.Some images are from his 60-year tenure as an English professor at Duke University. Others represent personal points of interest. From images of the first moon landing to newspaper… read more » about After 60 years of stories, English Professor Victor Strandberg closes out his chapter at Duke
Duke University undergraduates Daniel Levin, Anushka Peer, Emily Song, and Caroline Zhang have been honored as Barry M. Goldwater Scholars. This prestigious award recognizes accomplished sophomore and junior researchers who plan to pursue careers in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics. Each Goldwater Scholar receives up to $7,500 annually toward the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board.“Congratulations to Duke’s newest Goldwater Scholars,” Provost Alec D. Gallimore said. “Duke is tremendously… read more » about Three Trinity Undergraduates Named 2026 Goldwater Scholars
Throughout a series of economic shocks that pushed up consumer prices in the past five years, Americans maintained faith that the Federal Reserve would eventually get inflation under control.They did not waver as inflation soared to a four-decade high in the aftermath of the pandemic, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended energy markets and as President Trump’s tariffs heaped higher costs on consumers. Surveys of consumer sentiment showed that Americans were angry about high prices and pessimistic about the economy. But… read more » about Duke Economist Ellen Meade Explains Why Inflation Expectations Still Matter
Duke University is known for its top-tier academics, cutting-edge research, and legendary basketball team, but if you ask students their favorite thing about Duke, a number of them will answer, “The puppies.” A group of Duke students have stepped up to keep the Duke Puppy Kindergarten open. Vanessa Woods, with the Duke Puppy Kindergarten, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how the students helped. read more » about Duke Professor Shares How Students Stepped In to Save Puppy Kindergarten
Duke student Jasper Svenson started exploring AI agents in the fall of 2025, focusing primarily on their real-world business applications. And with a background in restaurant-focused investment banking—as well as parents who spent their careers in the restaurant industry—he kept coming back to one space: the drive-thru.“After some conversations, I fell onto the drive-thru, which is a spot that I think is going to be very automated over time,” Svenson said.With that in mind, he brought on his classmate Carlos Penzini, a math… read more » about Duke Students Build Startup Bringing AI Personalization to Drive-Thrus
About two dozen members of The Blue Ridge Mycological Society follow a dirt path in rural Schuyler among towering trees and abundant plant life during early March, looking for an entry point to the kingdom of fungi. The group, founded in 2017 by Pat Mitchell, comprises outdoors enthusiasts engaged in better understanding how fungi proliferates in the Commonwealth and identifying unique species. It’s a social club with a unique quirk — and a taste for mushrooms.“The Blue Ridge area always has been sort of a famous hotspot… read more » about Duke Biologist Rytas Vilgalys Emphasizes Biodiversity of Fungi in Blue Ridge
DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — Mohsen Kadivar follows the war in Iran with a growing sense of déjà vu.A research professor of Islamic studies at Duke University, he has been living in exile from his native Iran for 18 years. A staunch critic of the regime in Tehran and an advocate for democratic reforms, Kadivar now believes the United States is undergoing a similar descent into authoritarian rule.Kadivar supported the 1979 revolution that ushered in the Islamic Republic, hoping it would bring about a more just society. Things didn’t… read more » about Iranian Duke Scholar: War Will Increase Religious Fundamentalism Around the World
Sophia Enriquez showed up at Alexandra Landeros’ new house ready to play son jarocho music.It was 2021. Landeros, a folk musician who had spent time in the storied music scene of Austin, Texas, had just moved to a new spot in Durham. Enriquez had just started work as an assistant professor at the Duke University Department of Music. When they sat on Landeros’ porch playing the traditional music from Veracruz, Mexico, Landeros knew she had found the kind of collaborator she had been seeking. For one, they both knew how to… read more » about Sophia Enriquez is Finding the Missing Notes
DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Duke University is known for its top-tier academics, cutting-edge research, and legendary basketball team, but if you ask students their favorite thing about Duke, a number of them will answer, “The puppies.” “I honestly think it’s the best part of my Duke experience,” said Clara Cornick, who volunteers with Duke Puppy Kindergarten. At Puppy Kindergarten, future service dogs play, learn, and socialize, gaining skills that will help them in their work. “They are much more confident than dogs… read more » about Duke University Professor Highlights Student Effort to Help Puppy Kindergarten
A new analysis has revealed that aerobic exercise raises total daily calorie burn far less than expected, especially when people diet at the same time.The finding recasts a basic assumption of weight loss: calories spent in a workout do not simply stack onto the body’s daily total. Across 14 trials, the missing calories surfaced in the gap between what workouts should have added and what the body actually spent.Working through those records at Duke University, Herman Pontzer found that aerobic exercise usually increased… read more » about Duke Professor Herman Pontzer Emphasizes That “Your Workout Isn’t Burning as Many Calories as You Think”