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• Undergraduate Research

Like an internship in your major, undergraduate research is an in-depth experience that complements your coursework and helps you try on career ideas. You learn the methods and practice of scholarly research and focus on making an original intellectual or creative contribution to a discipline—in anything from art history to economics to biology. Your contribution may be large, such as a new discovery or a game changing way of thinking in that discipline. Or it may be more modest, such as an extension of existing ideas and descriptions that broaden our knowledge or deepen the practice of the field.

• An undergraduate research experience is open to any student who is qualified and chooses to pursue one.
• Research opportunities are available in all disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

Earn Academic Credit for Research

One path for conducting research for academic credit is through Research Independent Study. Courses entitled Research Independent Study are individual research courses in a field of special interest under the supervision of a faculty member. The central goal is a substantive paper or written report containing significant analysis and interpretation of a previously approved topic. Such research independent study courses bear a Research (R) code and satisfy general education research requirements.

Research Independent Study Guidelines & Policy

Get Started at the Undergraduate Research Support Office

Check out different undergraduate research programs and opportunities at the Undergraduate Research Support Office. URS works to connects students from all majors to research opportunities across campus, and select opportunities at other universities. Your research support comes from many sources, from federally-funded student research programs to endowments and alumni gifts. You can conduct research during the academic year or during the summer. 

Undergraduate Research Support Office

Earn Graduation with Distinction Through Your Research

If you're interested in research, consider earning academic honors through Graduation with Distinction. This program recognizes students who demonstrate academic excellence through the successful completion of a substantive written project evaluated by a committee of three faculty members. Traditionally, such work will be in your major, but all academic departments and programs offering a major, including Program II, participate in this program.

Graduation with Distinction Guidelines & Policy

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Research & independent study.

Biology majors are encouraged to engage in research in areas of their interest.

Research at Duke is organized by Principal Investigators (PIs), faculty scientists who receive grants, direct labs, mentor post-docs, graduate students and undergraduates. There are over 500 active PIs in the biological and biomedical sciences at Duke, a Tier 1 research institution, and you may choose from mentors across Duke, including faculty in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, the Medical School, the Pratt School of Engineering and the Nicholas School for the Environment.

There are several ways to get involved in research at Duke:

• Volunteer, Paid & Work-Study Positions are excellent starting points for getting into a lab. Contact PIs directly, use the new MUSER resource, look for announcements on Dukelist , and sign up for the biomajors listserve to receive announcements including postings for research positions. NOTE: No credit can be awarded for paid work.
• Independent study provides research experience and academic credit for laboratory, field work, or theoretical research. Independent study projects may be done with any faculty in the biological sciences, at other institutions and even during study abroad.
• You may want to pursue Graduation with Distinction , which requires an honors thesis as part of your independent study project.
• Summer Research Programs (commonly called Research Experiences for Undergraduates), either here at Duke or elsewhere. These programs are typically competitive, with applications due in January or February. For listings of programs, visit the Duke Undergraduate Research Support Office : Information on grants, assistantships, undergraduate research links, summer programs and more.
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We encourage students to engage in undergraduate research, and will support Global Culture and Theory students and undergraduates pursuing other majors as well. Undergraduate research is a mentored experience, and you will work closely with a faculty member. More than half of all undergraduates at Duke engage in some form of undergraduate research.

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Research Awards & Recognition

The Bascom Headen Palmer Literary Prize is awarded annually to recognize the best senior honors thesis in literary study each spring. The prize was established in honor of Judge Bascom Headen Palmer's who graduated from Trinity College in 1875 and won the Hesperian Literary Society's Medal of that year. Each year a Global Culture and Theory major is nominated for this prestigious award.

Research Funding

The  Edward H. Benenson Awards in the Arts : These awards range from $600 to $4500 with an average award size of $1800 and are granted annually through the generosity of Duke alumnus and trustee Edward H. Benenson. Funds are awarded for fees, equipment, supplies, travel, production and other educational expenses for projects in art, music, drama, dance, creative writing, and film/video proposed by undergraduates and graduating seniors of Trinity College and the School of Engineering. Information regarding application forms and instructions can be found  here .

To find funding for undergraduate research, visit  Undergraduate Research Support (URS) program . 

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Undergraduate research.

Summer research opportunities offered by the Physics Department are an excellent introduction to scientific research. Most Physics majors do research during their time at Duke, and many do senior thesis to graduate with distinction . Students are encouraged to contact potential faculty research advisors , to inquire about possible projects. A good time to do this is early in the spring of sophomore year, but earlier or later can work out as well.

The Physics department offers a limited number of research awards to enable students to participate in research over the summer.

In addition to the individual Physics research groups, research opportunities are available in the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory and the Free-Electron Laser Laboratory. These facilities are located behind the Physics Building.

Research opportunities can also be found with scientists with physics backgrounds working outside the Physics Department, such as the Engineering School, the Medical School, and the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Neuroscience, and Psychology. It is also possible to find research opportunities at UNC, at NC State, at other colleges and universities, at private and government laboratories, and at colleges and labs outside the US.

The following is a representative list of possible summer opportunities for research away from the Duke campus.

• NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Physics: Application deadlines: late February through Mid March
• NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Other Fields: Application deadlines: late February through Mid March
• SPS Internships (Society of Physics Students): Application deadline: February 1
• Summer Internships at Fermilab: Application deadlines: early January through early April
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• High Energy Density Physics Program at Lawrence Livermore National Lab: Application deadline: mid January
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Undergraduate Research

There are several ways students can become involved in research while still an undergraduate at Duke. After these programs, students can continue their research as a senior research project to earn  Graduation with Distinction .

Math+ (formerly DOmath) is an eight-week collaborative summer research program in mathematics, open to all Duke undergraduates. The program consists of groups of 2-4 undergraduate students working together on a single project. Each project is led by a faculty mentor assisted by a graduate student.

PRUV Fellow Program

PRUV provides financial support for six weeks of summer research with a faculty mentor in the Duke Mathematics Department. PRUV fellows, usually in the summer after their junior year, receive a stipend and live on campus with other students in the program.

Data+ is a ten-week summer research experience open to Duke undergraduates of all majors who are interested in exploring new data-driven approaches to interdisciplinary challenges. Students join small project teams, working alongside other teams in a communal environment. They learn how to marshal, analyze, and visualize data while gaining broad exposure to the modern world of data science.

Seminar Courses

We offer seminar courses that offer the opportunity to begin a research project within a small class setting and earn course credit. These include MATH 305S, Number Theory; MATH 323S, Geometry; MATH 361S, Mathematical Numerical Analysis; MATH 451S, Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations; and MATH 476S, Mathematical Modeling.

Independent Study

Students can pursue a research project with a faculty mentor and earn course credit in a Research Independent Study .  Often such an independent study continues research begun in one of the above programs.  Examples of recent projects include "Neural Coding in the Barn Owl", "Higher Genus Modular Forms", "Computing and Kidneys", "Yang-Mills flow on 4-manifolds", "Image Processing for Art Investigation", and "Random Unitary Transformations"..

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

Students are encouraged to participate in the many summer REU programs held at a variety of schools around the country.

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Undergraduate Research Support Office

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Getting started with research and not sure where to begin? The Undergraduate Research Support office promotes undergraduate research at Duke through workshops, the annual Visible Thinking Symposium, funding independent research, assistantships and conferences and by providing support for summer research programs. See the complete list of URS programs and check out the How to Begin page to get started!

Research Opportunities for Undergraduate Students

Learn more about research opportunities for undergraduate students in the list of projects below.

Breast Cancer Research Directors: Jeffrey Marks, PhD , and  E. Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH

Cardiothoracic Surgery Translational Research Laboratory Directors: Carmelo Milano, MD , and  Dawn Bowles, MD

Center for Applied Therapeutics Director: Herbert Kim Lyerly, MD

Center for Applied Therapeutics - Immune Therapy of Cancer Director: Joshua C. Snyder, PhD

Computational Modeling Research Laboratory Director: Dennis O. Frank-Ito, PhD

Congenital Heart Surgery Research Laboratory Director: Joseph Turek, MD

Duke Transplant Center Jean Kwun, PhD

Immune Management Laboratory Director: Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD

Immune Responses and Virology Laboratory Director:  Georgia Tomaras, PhD

Immunology, Inflammation and Immunotherapy Laboratory Smita Nair, PhD

Melanoma Research Program Georgia Beasley, MD

Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Director:  Linda Cendales, MD

Breast Research Director:  Jennifer Plichta, MD

Center for Applied Therapeutics Director:  Herbert Kim Lyerly, MD

Center for Applied Therapeutics - Cancer Heterogeneity and Complexity Director:  Qing Cheng, PhD

Congenital Heart Surgery Research Laboratory Director:  Joseph Turek, MD

Duke Kidney Stone Center Director:  Michael Lipkin, MD

Global Surgery Director:  Henry Rice, MD

Melanoma Research Program Georgia Beasley, MD Paul Mosca, MD

Patient Safety Center Director:  Paul Mosca, MD

Surgical Education and Activities Laboratory Director:  Ranjan Sudan, MD

Thoracic Oncology Research Program Director:  Thomas D'Amico, MD

Vascular Surgery Research Program Director:  Cynthia Shortell, MD

Surgical Education and Activities Laboratory Director:  Ranjan Sudan, MD

Duke Clinical Research Institute Urology Director:  Charles Scales, MD

Endocrine Surgery Health Services Research   Director:  Randall P. Scheri, MD

Pediatric Global Surgery Research Director:  Tamara N. Fitzgerald, MD, PhD

Pediatric Urology Clinical and Health Services Research Lab Director:  Jonathan C. Routh, MD

Surgical Oncology Health Services Research Director:  Dan Blazer III, MD

Thoracic Oncology Health Services Research Director:  Betty Tong, MD

Vascular Surgery Health Services Research Director:  Cynthia Shortell, MD

See an Interesting Project?

Fill out the survey below to get started.

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Duke Undergraduate Research Society

Administered jointly by the URS Office and the Duke Undergraduate Research Society , the Research Ambassadors are an experienced group of juniors and seniors serving as peer advisors for underclassmen looking to get involved in research at Duke. Ambassadors provide that special student perspective and inside advice on getting started, finding a mentor, making the most of a research experience, and finding support for research.

Looking for help from a Research Ambassador?

• Click here for Ambassador profiles and request form

Want to be a Research Ambassador? Here's what's involved:

• Semester-long commitment
• Training session (mandatory)
• Kick-Off event: Research Ambassadors/Mentees "Meet & Greet" (mandatory)
• Represent URS Office & DURS at a minimum of one info event (Majors fair, Blue Devil Days, etc.)
• Develop one-on-one relationships with your underclassmen mentees

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Research Ambassador. This application is now closed. For questions or more information, email [email protected] .

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Undergraduate research.

Students working with Thompson Writing Program faculty have produced cutting-edge scholarship, including publications and presentations in both print and online forms.

The TWP encourages you to publish your research, be it in Deliberations , Duke's journal of first year writing, or through one of the following opportunities:

• Duke University is home to many  Undergraduate Publications . Here, you can find opportunities to publish undergraduate research in economics, literature, public affairs, volunteering experience, fine arts photography, etc.
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Student spotlight: cordelia hume, may 20, 2024.

by Mimi Jenness

This week's student spotlight featured Cordelia Hume, a Carolina native who grew up in Mebane, NC, a town only about an hour from Duke University. Growing up in a small town, Hume values universities with ample research opportunities and resources for students. A diverse school with many community outreach programs is also high on Hume’s list. She was not entirely sure how she would combine her diverse interests into a vision for her future, but she was confident that an education at Duke would help her achieve that.

Cordelia Hume is a B.N. Duke Scholar , a scholarship named in honor of Benjamin N. Duke , which recognizes students who excel academically, engage their communities, and aspire to become leaders at Duke and beyond. Majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Biology and Chemistry , Hume is part of the 2024 Graduation with Distinction cohort. Her thesis, titled “Investigating a potential mechanism for the progression of Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood: Age-dependent Na+/K+-ATPase activity and behavioral symptoms in Mashl+/- (Atp1a3Mashl/+) mice,” was successfully defended on April 19th, 2024. Her research project investigates a potential mechanism behind the progressive nature of the neurological disease Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood in the Mikati Lab. Hume joined the Mikati Lab due to her interest in translational research related to epilepsy. She has been with the Mikati lab since 2022.

When asked why she chose to major in Neuroscience, Hume shared that she has always been interested in how the world works and how different people think about the world. However, what escalated a budding curiosity in biology to an interest in neuroscience was her personal experience with brain surgery in high school. Neuroscience 101 in her freshman year at Duke cemented her love for the field. After graduation, Hume will be working as a researcher for two years in the Post Baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) at the National Institute of Health (NIH), specifically at the National Institute for Mental Health . Post Baccalaureate IRTA is a highly competitive program open to recently graduated college students in healthcare and STEM fields. After completing the program, Hume plans to apply to medical and/or graduate school.

While not in academic mode, Hume enjoys unwinding by spending time with friends, running, hiking, cooking, and knitting or crocheting. As an individual who understands the importance of harmonious community, Hume is actively engaged in giving back to her community. Hume is passionate about equitable gender representation in education and climate justice, which is reflected through her volunteer work. She advises the Triangle Nonprofit Volunteer and Leadership Center Student Action Board of Durham , a group of high school students who plan and lead service projects. She also volunteers at the Duke Arts and Health Department in Duke University Hospital as a patient guide and advocate. Her passion for giving back does not stop at the surrounding communities but stretches across continents, to Africa. Hume leads the Duke WISER club, a club that supports a high school for girls in Muruhu Bay, Kenya. WISER stands for Duke the Women’s Institute for Secondary Education and Research, a community development organization focusing on the social empowerment of underprivileged girls through education and health.

On Sunday, May 12th, 2024, Cordelia Hume joined her fellow 2024 graduates on stage to celebrate their successful completion of their bachelor’s degrees. When asked to share wisdom for the incoming freshman class, Hume stressed the importance of being organized and following your true passions, not just what you think you’re expected to be doing. It’s important to be open-minded, flexible, and adaptable because sometimes you won’t have all the information to make a decision or the circumstances are out of your control. As long as you have some idea of a goal in mind to work towards and don’t put off your required classes until your last semester, you will succeed.

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Data, Research and Development Coordinator

Durham, NC, US, 27710

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Occ Summary

This position will coordinate the prospect and data management of a major and annual gifts fundraising program to develop and build support from alumni, parents, faculty, students, and friends.  The position requires a person to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously, to work comfortably with data sets and databases, and to have strong attention to detail. 

Data and Prospect Management

• Support major and annual gifts fundraising teams regarding data needs, including setting parameters for and pulling various lists, and responding to related data-issues and questions.
• Coordinate the process for entering moves, donor contacts, and solicitations for gift officers, including entering moves and solicitations into Duke’s alumni and donor database (DADD) and partnering with the appropriate teams within Duke Alumni Engagement & Development (DAED) when necessary (Alumni & Development Systems, Business Intelligence, etc.). 
• Create, maintain, and utilize tracking systems to assure efficient and well-coordinated efforts.
• Maintain $50,000+ solicitation list to correctly reflect status of all Duke Law School (DLS) solicitations and reconcile with DADD at least quarterly.
• Coordinate with individual gift officers to provide monthly and quarterly reports of gift officer metrics and progress towards goals, including trips, visits, moves, attempted contacts, solicitations, portfolio penetration, pledge status, lapsed donors, etc.
• Prepare quarterly and annual reports on fundraising activity, including progress reports on DLS’s campaign fundraising goals or other reports as requested.
• Support use of DADD and Tableau by gift officers, work closely with Business Intelligence (BI) to improve functionality, and explore new ways to utilize the tools for the benefit of the office. 
• Bring data issues to the attention of DAED as needed and work together to find solutions. Submit requests for changes to the system so that data needs can be more efficiently met with more accurate results.

Prospect Research

• Design and produce a variety of giving and capacity reports to facilitate triage of contacts for gift officers. 
• Identify prospects with the capacity and inclination to support DLS at a greater level and discuss next steps with appropriate gift officer. Implement data analytics projects to develop strong prospect pipeline.
• Prepare bios and/or briefings on DLS major gift prospects for gift officers and, when necessary, the Dean.
• Meet periodically with DAED data colleagues to gain a better sense of University timeline, lists, and processes as related to Law ADO. Understand University prospect and portfolio management protocol and policies and apply and/or adjust those as appropriate in Law ADO.

Administrative

• Organize periodic “huddles” in support of gift officers and help plan agendas for prospect management meetings and gift strategy meetings with the Dean.
• Review on a daily basis prospect activity reports, contact reports, call lists, and itineraries, looking for opportunities and/or action items for DLS. Alert the appropriate gift officers and develop a process for ensuring appropriate follow-up. 
• Build trip call lists in coordination with gift officers and assist with trip preparation as it relates to prospect research, bios, strategy development, and materials preparation.  Distribute itineraries, maintain contact with traveler while on the road, and provide back-up administrative support for trips as necessary.
• Prepare for and participate in staffing of major DLS events such as Leadership Weekend, Alumni/Reunion Weekend, Commencement, and other events as requested.

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education/Training: 

Work requires communication, analytical and organizational skills normally acquired through completion of a bachelor’s degree program. 

Preferred:  Training and interest in data management generally, and DADD, Enquire, Tableau specifically.

Experience: 

Work requires one year of experience in fundraising, alumni affairs, public relations, student activities, program administration or a related field. 

Preferred:  Experience with databases and data management, and strong attention to detail is important.

Two years of experience.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Nearest Major Market: Durham Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Duke is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.

Learning Coding Basics by Building PB&Js

Adam Davidson recently led an outreach program that taught fourth grade students the fundamentals of coding through defining each step needed to build a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Teaching a robot to make a PB&J might not seem like typical elementary school curriculum, but that’s exactly what local fourth graders learned in a recent outreach event through Duke Engineering.

The event was held at Duke last spring for fourth-grade students attending the Duke School in Durham. The students were introduced to coding and algorithms by writing explicit step-by-step instructions for a robot on how to make a PB&J that could be consumed or packaged. The students wrote pseudocode, which is a detailed description of what they wanted the robot to do. The activity challenged the students to think critically about each step of the PB&J creation process as well as the solutions to the obstacles they encountered along the way.

Adam Davidson , senior laboratory administrator for the ECE undergraduate laboratory educational program at Duke Engineering, played the part of the robot and teacher for fourth graders taking part in the event. According to Davidson, there is little difference in teaching fourth graders and college students engineering material—it all comes down to solving one problem at a time.

“You may be able to identify 20 different problems, and maybe you don’t know exactly why they’re happening, but every problem inherently has a solution, and every solution inherently has a problem,” Davidson said. “When I worked with the fourth graders, I didn’t let them go back to solving any of the problems until we got all of them down.”

For these students, problem-solving meant creating their pseudocode by writing out explicitly what they wanted the robot to do. Some instructions were successful, and others, such as the robot squeezing the jelly container onto the bread for 10 full seconds, ended up putting the whole task in a real jam (that is, too much jelly).

With each problem came an opportunity for students to enhance their teamwork and brainstorming skills. They had to identify what went wrong and a feasible solution to fix it. That is a philosophy Davidson also uses with Duke undergraduate students in ECE 110: Fundamentals of Electrical and Computer Engineering .

You may be able to identify 20 different problems, and maybe you don’t know exactly why they’re happening, but every problem inherently has a solution, and every solution inherently has a problem. Adam Davidson Senior Laboratory Administrator for Duke ECE LinkedIn Logo

“When I work with the students in ECE 110, we work with robots and we work with a lot of code,” Davidson said. “Their tasks have these inherent problems, and some of it is that they don’t understand what the code does, so I work with them just like I do the fourth graders on the basic question of, ‘What do you want the robot to do?’”

Coming from a STEM education background in Durham Public Schools and Guilford County Schools, Davidson has honed his educational philosophy, which is that calm and collected relationships are key to tackling one problem at a time.

In his time in Durham Public Schools, Davidson noticed uncertainties about Duke’s commitment to local schools and worried about his impending career change to higher education. However, approaching his third year at Duke, Davidson has found that he has never been happier and can now see Duke’s commitment to enriching the local educational community.

“It was hard because you see this great university that wants to help and do things, but there’s always an underlying worry that if they come and help, they’re only going to do it for however long a grant lasts. So, I was a little worried when I left a job I loved,” Davidson said. “But I have never been happier than I am now with the work that I do, because it’s the same kind of work where I’m helping to build something and create a lasting program.”

Learning to Code

Related news.

Middle School Hackathon Helps Fuel Interest in Engineering and Design

The Outreach Design Education program’s recent hackathon helped engage students from Lowe’s Grove Middle School with the world of engineering and offered hands-on opportunities to tackle real world problems.

RTNN Wins 2024 Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award

Duke’s Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF) is an integral part of RTNN and its outreach efforts

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Lindsey Harding Receives Inaugural Alumni Award

May 20, 2024.

Elizabeth Richardson, Trinity Communications

The Department of Sociology has awarded Lindsay Harding , head coach of the NBA G League team Stockton Kings , the inaugural Gary and Pela Gereffi Outstanding Alumni Award. Harding received the award at Sociology’s graduation ceremony on May 12th, where she also delivered the departmental commencement address. 

The Department of Sociology established the award this year to recognize outstanding undergraduate alumni. The award, which will be given annually at the department’s commencement ceremony, is named after emeriti professors Gary Gereffi , and his wife, Pela, in honor of the nearly 40 years of dedication and commitment they gave to the Duke community. 

Lindsay Harding graduated from Duke in 2007 with a degree in Sociology and a certificate in Markets and Management . A member of the Duke women’s basketball team, she was the #1 draft pick for the WNBA in 2007.     As an athlete, Harding played professionally for the Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury.    

In April, Harding was named the 2023-24 NBA G League Coach of the Year , making history as not only the first head coach of the Stockton Kings to win the award, but also the first woman and woman of color to receive this accolade. 

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Effie harrington, ph.d. candidate, receives 2024 stephen horne excellence in teaching award, may 22, 2024.

Quantá Holden | Duke English | Digital Communication Specialist

We are pleased to announce that Effie Harrington is the 2024 recipient of the Stephen Horne Award for Excellence in Teaching. Harrington was nominated by five students in her Spring ’24 “Inventing Childhood” course. 

One of the students stated in their nomination:

"Effie Harrington is an outstanding teacher and inspiring mentor. I looked forward to her creative, engaging lectures and the detailed feedback she provided on writing assignments, which helped me refine my ideas and become a better writer. Her classroom environment is relaxed but intellectually challenging: She supports and encourages her students while pushing them to engage more critically. Her passion for literature and teaching is evident, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from her!"

Another student wrote:

“She was one of the best professors I have had at Duke. Effie always went out of her way to meet with us, and she provided excellent feedback on every assignment. She was indeed a one-of-a-kind professor with an incredible passion for teaching that rubbed off on the students.”

These compliments came from students in Harrington’s English 290 Special Topics in 18th and 19th Century course. The syllabus for “Inventing Childhood” contains Harrington’s vision for the course to guide its members through the pioneering literature around childhood to help them think critically about questions like, “What is ‘childlike,’ and is it desirable?”  The Brothers Grimm Fairytales , originally titled German Popular Stories (1823), Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1843), and Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) are some of the pieces the class read and discussed during the semester. It is clear from the students’ comments that Harrington’s teaching is outstanding.   

The Stephen Horne Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented annually to a graduate student instructor in the English Department who demonstrates outstanding commitment and excellence in the classroom. Instructors are nominated by their students, and the final selection is made by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the DGS Advisory Committee. This award was established in memory of Stephen Horne, a 1991-97 graduate student in English who displayed an inspiring passion for teaching that was evident to his students, friends, and mentors.  

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School of Medicine Celebrates 2024 Faculty Award Recipients

Duke University School of Medicine is proud to acknowledge the faculty members who were selected as recipients of this year’s School of Medicine faculty awards. These are just a few of the awards and recognitions afforded to our community members and we want to congratulate them on these well-deserved honors. Congratulations to the following 2024 Duke School of Medicine Award recipients!

Excellence in Professionalism Award

The Excellence in Professionalism Award recognizes faculty members who exemplify professionalism and personify Duke’s guiding principles of respect, trustworthiness, diversity, teamwork, and learning.

• Andrew Alspaugh , MD, Professor of Medicine
• Melanie Bonner , PhD, Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
• Adrian Hernandez , MD, Professor of Medicine  
• Kanecia Zimmerman , MD, PhD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics

Gordon G. Hammes Faculty Teaching Award

The Gordon G. Hammes Faculty Teaching Award is intended to recognize continuing excellence in teaching and mentoring and exemplary commitment to the education of graduate students within Basic Science Departments and Graduate Training Programs in the School of Medicine.

• Laura Hale , MD, PhD, Professor of Pathology

Leonard Palumbo Jr., MD Faculty Achievement Award  

The Leonard Palumbo Jr., MD Faculty Achievement Award recognizes members of the School of Medicine faculty who display dedication to compassionate patient care and excellence in the teaching and mentoring of young physicians. The award was created in memory of Dr. Palumbo through an endowment gift by his brother, E. Arthur Palumbo (Trinity College ’49). 

• Annemarie Thompson , MD, Professor of Anesthesiology
• Aimee Zaas , MD, MHS, Professor of Medicine

Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, is designed to recognize compassion and sensitivity in the delivery of health care. This award is presented to faculty members who demonstrate outstanding compassion in the delivery of care; respect for patients, their families, and health care colleagues; and demonstrated clinical excellence.

• Seth Cohen , MD, MPH, Professor of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences
• Kristin Schroeder , MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Master Clinician/Teacher Awards

The Master Clinician/Teacher Award honors faculty for accomplishment and service in the area of teaching in the School of Medicine or Medical Center. Nominees shall have made an extraordinary commitment to teaching and students.

• Anita Kelsey , MD, MBA, Professor of Medicine
• Matilda Nicholas , MD, PhD, Professor of Dermatology
• Theodore Pappas , MD, Professor of Surgery
• Madhav Swaminathan , MBBS, Professor of Anesthesiology

Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Award

The Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to diversity and inclusion within the School of Medicine community. Nominees should exemplify excellence, innovation, and leadership in helping to create a more diverse and inclusive environment. 

• Kenyon Railey , MD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health

Research Mentoring Awards

The Research Mentoring Awards recognize faculty members in the School of Medicine for excellence in research mentoring. Excellence can be demonstrated in many ways, such as by the accomplishments of individual mentees, by programs implemented by the mentor, or by exceptional creativity in mentoring.

Career Mentoring Award in Basic and  Translational Science

• David Madden , PhD, Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Career Mentoring Award in Clinical Research 

• F. Joseph McClernon , PhD, Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Early Career Mentoring Award in Basic  and Translational Science

• Christopher Holley , MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine

Early Career Mentoring Award in Clinical Research

• Rushina Cholera , MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
• Neha Pagidipati , MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine

Mentoring Excellence Award in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

• Rory Goodwin, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery

Ruth and A. Morris Williams Faculty Research Prize

The Ruth and A. Morris Williams Faculty Research Prize was established to advance research opportunities for early career faculty members and is awarded for research excellence demonstrated at Duke. The  2023 Williams Prize  will recognize outstanding contributions in   basic science research .

• Opeyemi Olabisi , MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine

Interprofessional Education Excellence Awards

The Interprofessional Education Excellence Awards, established by Duke AHEAD (Academy for Health Professions Education and Academic Development) honors members who have demonstrated commitment, enthusiasm, competence, and innovation in promoting Interprofessional education in teaching, scholarly work, and/or clinical education. 

• The DOC-Durham Tech Mobile Lab -  The DOC-Durham Tech Mobile Lab is a partnership that enables monthly home visits to complicated patients who are limited in their ability to come to clinic. Learner-created, learner-led & learner-centered, it was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way of continuing to care for patients outside the clinic, while providing an invaluable learning experience for all involved.

Whitehead Scholars Program

The Whitehead Scholars Program, supported through a gift from the Whitehead Charitable Foundation, helps attract and nurture the most promising biomedical researchers to the faculty at Duke University School of Medicine.

• Stephen Harward , MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
• Adrianna San Roman , PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
• Rohit Singh , PhD, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Cell Biology  

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Congratulations, mss class of 2024, may 17, 2024.

The faculty and staff of the Department of Statistical Science offers heartfelt congratulations to the MSS Class of 2024! Members of this graduating class are part of an incredibly accomplished group. Eight students will be entering prestigious Ph.D. programs at Duke, Johns Hopkins, and UPenn, among others, and most received multiple Ph.D. admissions offers.  Other members of the class are stepping into a myriad of industry roles, including data scientists, engineers, and analysts at companies like American Express, Deutsche Bank, and Aetna/CVS Health. We wish them continued success in their professional careers, or in continuing their academic journey.

We’d also like to recognize our thesis, portfolio, and TA winners:

Zhengyu “Ryan” Tang – BEST Award winner (thesis) Yicheng Shen – BEST Award Honorable Mention (thesis)

2024 Portfolio Awardees Junghwa Jang Yunhong Bao Yinyihong Liu

Honorable Mentions Bei Yu Kwong Yu Chong Yize (Howard) Jin William Tirone

Master’s TA of the Year Yicheng Shen

Honorable Mentions Christopher Oswald William Tirone

Congratulations to all award recipients and the honorable mentions for their outstanding work and achievements!  

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