Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
Talent is evenly distributed — opportunity is not. It is this shared belief that has united Duke University, the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, and the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON). Through this new partnership, more than 200 talented scholars from low-income high schools will have the opportunity to experience a course taught by a Duke University professor next spring. “At Duke, we believe deeply in the transformative power of education to change lives and strengthen communities.… read more about New Partnership between Duke, National Education Opportunity Network to Bring College Courses to Low-Income High Schools »
Colder weather means it’s time to curl up with a book. New readings from Duke authors include everything from a mystery and a middle-grade novel to books on privacy, hip-hop and fast fashion. Below is a roundup of some of the most recent and upcoming published titles. 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 for quick download. Most can also be purchased through the… read more about Books for When There’s a Chill in the Air »
In 2022, Marcus Johnson paused his Duke education after the Miami Marlins drafted him to play professional baseball. In August 2025, Johnson returned to Durham for a semester to complete his remaining graduation requirements, including a senior research project. Driven by curiosity about his own experiences as an athlete, Johnson chose to study how and why children’s socioeconomic status shapes their ability to participate and succeed in organized sports.Johnson contributed to decades of scholarship showing that parental… read more about Marcus Johnson Finds Privileged Kids More Likely to Play Sports »
Gathered on the top floor of the Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke Building on West Campus, members of Trinity College’s leadership recently saw how the modern and the historic are becoming intertwined in the building’s renewal. Hundreds of terra cotta tiles and sections of the original roof structure have been carefully removed to make way for a new penthouse that will house modern building systems. The Reuben-Cooke Renewal project brings new life to a historic structure that opened in 1931 during the first wave of construction of… read more about A Look Inside the Renewal of Reuben-Cooke »
Students interacted with faculty, staff and other students from different programs in every corner of Duke. (Trinity Communications) From the moment I entered Penn Pavilion, I was welcomed by enthusiastic professors and friendly Trinity Ambassadors who generously shared their insights and patiently answered my many questions. Their warmth set the tone for an encouraging and intellectually vibrant experience. As I moved through the fair, I made a conscious effort to visit tables I… read more about More Than Choosing a Major: A First-Year’s Reflection on Majors Fair »
Duke Sociology undergraduate student, Sophia Yassinger, featured in Forbes article. Download Sophia Yassinger Featured in Forbes Article (pdf - 1.16 MB) read more about Sociology Undergraduate Student in Forbes »
In his role as North Carolina’s secretary for health and human services, Kody Kinsley would often plead his case for health care equity.But not with those words.Instead, Kinsley would often use a compelling anecdote or factoid – like pointing out that Black women are twice as likely to die during childbirth than white women. He knew technocratic language was off-putting to some audiences – which he couldn’t afford given his position as a Democratic appointee working with a majority-Republican state legislature.“Certain… read more about All Beliefs Welcome »
In an up-close and personal event, Duke Conversations turned the Ruby Lounge in the Rubenstein Arts Center into a dining room for its “Meet the Deans” event on Tuesday, September 30. The event featured senior leadership from across the undergraduate schools, including Deborah Reisinger, Dean of Undergraduate Education for Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Manoj Mohanan, Interim Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, Jerome “Jerry” Lynch, Vinik Dean of Engineering for the Pratt School of Engineering, Lori Snyder… read more about In Conversation with Duke’s Top Undergraduate Leaders »
290.01: Power and Society Professor Mary Hovsepian TuTh 1:25 PM - 2:40 PMExploration of power as people's or groups' ability to impose their will on others, even against resistance. Interrogates the basis, forms, and relations of power through a sociological lens. Analyzes interconnections between power and social, economic, and political inequalities. Critically explores how power operates in states, corporations, and other institutions at the national and international levels. Considers options and… read more about New Courses for Spring 2026 »
On September 26, a group of Duke faculty representing several disciplines gathered in person for the first meeting of the new “Teaching in the Age of AI” Faculty Learning Community (FLC), led by Jennifer Ahern-Dodson, Associate Professor of the Practice in the Thompson Writing Program, and supported by CARADITE. Attendees exchanged introductions and reflected on their attitudes toward generative AI — a mix of excitement and caution — and their motivations for joining this new venture. read more about Teaching in the Age of AI: A New Faculty Learning Community Takes Root at Duke »
Umang Dhingra, a psychology and sociology major, was selected for a Jacqueline Morris Fellowship Award for Research on Child and Family Policy from the Center for Child and Family Policy. The fellowship comes with a $1,000 stipend to support her research work. read more about Umang Dhingra Selected for Jacqueline Morris Fellowship Award »
“I study what makes or breaks science,” said Daniel Scott Smith, assistant professor of Sociology. Smith studies the social foundations of science, focusing on peer review — the evaluation process of a scientific paper before it's accepted for publication in a journal. Is this research new? Is it accurate? Does it make a valuable contribution to the literature? Does it generate new ideas and open new paths of research? These are all questions one might ask when evaluating new science for… read more about Daniel Scott Smith Studies the Scientific Peer Review Process »
“I come from a household background that is not very typical in China: My mom earns much more income than my dad, which is the opposite of the conventional cultural norms,” said Wenhao Jiang. The new assistant professor of Sociology now studies inequality, mostly along the lines of gender, in the U.S. labor market. Jiang’s research focuses on the devaluation of jobs that have become more feminized (i.e., increasingly performed by women), and on the cultural mechanisms at play. “When there's an increasing… read more about Wenhao Jiang Studies the Devaluation of “Women’s Jobs” »
Pamlico County in eastern North Carolina has no hospital, no urgent care, and no medical specialists. To investigate ways to improve health access in this rural area, sociology and global health major Grace Wang worked with the Pamlico County Health Department during summer 2025. Wang helped design and implement a survey to collect data on the effectiveness and sustainability of telehealth services. She also interviewed patients to better understand how rural community members handle… read more about Grace Wang Studies Healthcare Access in Rural North Carolina »
Tyson Brown, a professor of sociology and associate professor in medicine, has been appointed director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University effective July 1, Provost Alec D. Gallimore announced.Brown succeeds the Cook Center’s founding director, William A. (“Sandy”) Darity Jr., the Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and professor of African & African American studies and economics.Established in 2015, the Cook Center is a scholarly collaborative that studies the… read more about Tyson Brown Named Director of Cook Center »
The richness of Duke’s intellectual communities and its deep commitment to interdisciplinarity are major draws for top scholars who are leaders in their fields. To help recruit these academic stars, Duke leveraged the university-wide institutes, initiatives and centers (UICs) to create the Provost’s School-UIC Joint Hiring Program and to offer starting support from UICs. Donors’ generous gifts helped make these programs possible.Duke was able to recruit more than 40 faculty members through these mechanisms between 2006 and… read more about Nine Reasons Stellar Interdisciplinary Faculty Choose Duke »
The Office of the Provost and The Graduate School have selected three proposals to establish new Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Collaboratives (IGECs). Made possible by a generous grant from The Duke Endowment, these IGECs will launch in Fall 2026 and offer graduate students unique opportunities to tackle complex societal challenges alongside peers and faculty from across campus.Through seminars, working groups and projects, students will receive applied training and gain exposure to emerging issues at the… read more about Equipping Graduate Students to Tackle Emerging Challenges »
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences recently celebrated the achievements of three 2025 Ph.D. graduates selected as the first recipients of the Trinity Distinguished Dissertation Award. Nominated by their programs and representing each of Trinity’s three divisions — Natural Sciences, Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences — the recipients demonstrated remarkable academic excellence in their fields. This award honors not only their dissertation work but also their contributions to fostering a positive and enriching graduate… read more about Trinity Recognizes Excellence in Ph.D. Research »
The following is a partial list of national, university, school and departmental awards presented to the members of the Class of 2025. In some awards where there are multiple winners, only members of the Class of 2025 are included. read more about Department Honors and Laurels for the Class of 2025 »
Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the international sociology honor society, began in 1920 to “acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship in the study of sociology.” In 1967, AKD became a certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies. Over the past 100 years, universities have established almost 700 AKD chapters. We welcome and honor the newest inductees to Duke’s chapterAlexa CarrEugene ChoMargaret ColeJaqueline GoveaAriel HekierKia MarshallHillary OkpeseyiElle PiperAudrey… read more about Duke Sociology Welcomes the 2025 AKD Inductees »
Viktoria Wulff-Andersen is a graduating senior with a major in Political Science, minor in Sociology and a certificate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She has served as a Trinity Ambassador for Political Science. Trinity Ambassadors are student volunteers, nominated by their departments, to serve in this unique and important role.We asked a few of the ambassadors from the Class of 2025 to share their favorite memories from Duke. The below interview has been slightly edited for clarity.What was one of the most… read more about Notes From the Class of 2025: Learning Through "Life Stories" »
The Winfred Quinton Holton Prize committee, consisting of Dr. Sam Miglarese, Dr. Tori Lodewick, and Dr. Susan R. Wynn, selected Kelly Araujo's paper, Power Behind Bars: Exploring Social Hierarchies in Men’s Prisons with Educational Programs, as the winner of this year's award. Kelly is a Public Policy and Sociology major, with a minor in education. Kelly's project earned Top Honors, the highest award category, and as a result, she will receive $1,000 in recognition of her innovative research. read more about Kelly Araujo Wins Winfred Quinton Holton Prize for Educational Research »