Jensen Seminar Series | Undergraduate Alumni Panel

Come and engage with distinguished graduates of the Duke Sociology Undergraduate Program, ranked #13 nationally by US News and World Report. The speakers will represent various career paths. Each speaker will spend a few minutes discussing their experiences and trajectories, followed by a lively 45 minute Q&A. A short reception will follow.

Prior to the panel there is an opportunity for students to meet in small groups with each of our panelists from 10:45 - 11:45am in the Reuben-Cooke building. To sign up for one or more of these groups click here.

Our Speakers:

Keith Gill
Commissioner of the Sunbelt Conference

Keith Gill has been the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference since 2019. Prior to working at the Sun Belt, he worked at the Atlantic 10 Conference and was Director of Athletics at the University of Richmond and American University. He has also held positions in the athletics departments at the University of Oklahoma and Vanderbilt University. He started his career as an intern at the NCAA where he worked for almost ten years in various compliance and governance roles. Keith is the proud son of Bill and Carrie Gill. He is also a graduate of Duke University where he played football.

Kristi Jacobson
Emmy-winning Documentary Filmmaker & Founder of Catalyst Films

Kristi Jacobson is an Emmy-winning New York-based documentary filmmaker known for her authentic, cinematic and powerful portraits that entertain, enlighten and provoke audiences. Her films have premiered at festivals around the world, including Sundance, Tribeca, IDFA, HotDocs, screened in theaters worldwide and on platforms including Netflix, HBO, Hulu, PBS, ESPN, ABC and CBS. Her 2017 film SOLITARY, an unflinching exploration of life inside one of America's supermax prisons, was nominated for two Emmys, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Investigative Documentary as well as a nomination for Independent Spirit’s Truer Than Fiction Award and Cinema Eye’s Best Broadcast Nonfiction Film. A PLACE AT THE TABLE (Participant Media/ Magnolia Pictures), called “one of the most important...and gripping non-fiction films to debut in some time” by Indiewire, premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival before its theatrical release in over 35 U.S. cities. The film examines the shocking paradox of hunger in the wealthiest nation on earth through the personal stories of three American families who face food insecurity daily. The film won the International Documentary Association Pare Lorentz Award, and was nominated for Best Feature Documentary by the Producers Guild of America. In 2021 Kristi directed HOMEFRONT (HBO//Max), produced in partnership with Sesame Workshop, was NAACP Image Award-nominated and an Alfred I. DuPont Columbia Journalism finalist. In 2023 Kristi directed NO ACCIDENT an HBO Original Documentary, winner of the Excellence in Directing Award at the Woodstock Film Festival and nominated for a 2024 Emmy Award for Best Current Affairs Documentary. Earlier films include the critically acclaimed TOOTS, named National Board of Review Top 5 Documentary and NY Times Critics’ Pick and her debut film AMERICAN STANDOFF (HBO) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Aminah Thompson
Durham County Clerk of Superior Court 

Aminah Thompson serves as Durham County Clerk of the Superior Court. She is the first woman and first Black person to serve in this capacity. Thompson has 16 years of judicial service as a county magistrate, presiding over civil and criminal cases. Her efforts to provide equitable access to public services include leadership roles with the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the Durham People’s Alliance, and LIFE Skills Foundation.

Randy Garcia
Senior Leadership Giving Officer at Duke University

Randy Garcia T’01 joined the Duke Annual Fund September 2011 and is the Senior Leadership Giving Officer. Randy previously served in the U.S. Army for 23 years as a Special Forces Green Beret, Infantry, and Civil Affairs Officer traveling throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and completing two tours in Iraq. In May 1999, Randy was selected by the U.S. Army to complete his degree requirement and he attended Duke under the Continuing Studies program and graduated in 2001 with a BA in Sociology and a Markets and Management Certificate. In 2004, Randy began volunteering with the Duke Alumni Admission Advisory Committee program and served as the Fayetteville, NC Chapter Chair from 2007-2011. He is a recipient of the 2011 Forever Duke Award for his work with AAAC.  He currently is serving on the on Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Finance Council and Chair, Immaculata Catholic School Parent Advisory Committee.  Randy lives in Durham with his wife Ellen, daughter Anastasia, and two sons, Ryan, and Rudy.