Ahead of the launch of Trinity’s new curriculum, the Department of Sociology is aligning its course offerings with the evolving needs of today’s Duke students. Department faculty have been examining their course offerings with a keen eye toward incorporating innovative teaching practices that blend practical skills with experiential learning and real-world applications. Undergraduate students have been directly involved in many of the implemented improvements, providing faculty with input and ideas.“Duke is… read more about Breathing Fresh Innovation into Sociology Courses »
How do we foster collaboration in a divided world? Duke faculty are exploring innovative ways to bridge gaps — through sociology, international youth camps and cultural partnerships in Durham. (Design by Shaun King/Trinity Communications) In an increasingly divided world, the need for civil discourse and strategies to bridge perspectives has become a central topic of discussion — not only at Duke but worldwide. At Duke, several current initiatives aim at fostering inclusive… read more about Fostering Connections Across Differences: Three Faculty Explore Unlikely Collaborations »
On May 1, Duke will become the new editorial home of Demography, the flagship journal of the Population Association of America, for the next three years. Co-editors leading Demography are Hedy Lee, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Sociology; M. Giovanna Merli,Professor of Public Policy, Sociology and Global Health; and Marcos Rangel, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics. A multidisciplinary team of Duke faculty, along with faculty from other top-tier research institutions, will serve as Deputy… read more about Duke Becomes New Home for "Demography" Journal »
John Levi Martin once remarked that “if one were to take a picture of some well-populated area from a low-orbiting satellite, and marked a spot wherever there was a car, one would be able to figure out rather well where the roads were, and where cars were allowed to go.”A new study by Nicolas Restrepo Ochoa (UC Davis) and Turgut Keskintürk (Duke University) takes this idea a step further, arguing that just as traffic patterns reveal roads, the movement of people’s beliefs over time can reveal the structure of culture itself… read more about New Study from Ochoa and Keskintürk: Measuring Movement in Cultural Landscapes »
Sociology and biology double major Eugene Cho is a semi-finalist for the prestigious 2025/26 Fulbright Scholarship. If selected as a finalist, Cho will live and work in Uganda, collaborating with healthcare professionals and community members to identify and remove structural barriers to high quality healthcare. Host country committees are reviewing semi-finalists’ applications and will notify selected candidates this spring.As a sociology major, Cho studies healthcare systems and communal disparities in accessibility… read more about Eugene Cho Fulbright Semi-Finalist »
Three Duke alumni and a senior have been named Schwarzman Scholars, a program that funds one year of graduate study in Beijing.From an initial pool of nearly 5,000 applicants, they are among approximately 150 Scholars chosen from around the world.Anya Button, Yutao Gong, Hope Jackson, and Jie (Vincent) Liu will develop international leadership skills through the fully funded one-year master’s degree program in global affairs, designed to enable future leaders of the 21st century to engage with China.Scholars are selected… read more about Three Duke Alumni and One Senior Named Schwarzman Scholars for Graduate Study in China »
In a world where conversations about race and gender are more urgent and polarized than ever, Dr. Jessi Streib’s new book, Is it Racist? Is it Sexist? promises to be a beacon of clarity and introspection. Co-authored with sociologist Betsy Leondar-Wright, the book delves into the complexities of how Americans—particularly white Americans—interpret and navigate issues of racism and sexism. The book was born out of a turbulent political moment: the 2016 election of Donald Trump. Dr. Streib recalls, “At that… read more about Is it Racist? Is it Sexist? Unpacking Bias and Bridging America's Deep Divides »
SOCIOL 290: Human-AI Co-EvolutionProfessor Chris BailWF 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.Through readings in sociology, computer science, psychology, and related fields, this class explores how AI and society change in response to and relationship with each other. We will explore how future AI agents in health systems, media networks, international corporations, and global financial markets can evolve productively with appropriate security guardrails. Rooted in a deep understanding of human culture and social psychology, we will evaluate… read more about New Course for Spring 2025: Human-AI Co-Evolution »
Duke University sociology major Umang Dhingra earned third place in the prestigious Undergraduate Paper Competition at the 2024 Mid-South Sociological Association (MSSA) Conference. Umang’s paper, “Protecting the American Family: Preserving Familial Intimacy and Cohesiveness during Parental Incarceration,” sheds light on the disruptive impact of parental incarceration on family structures, especially its long-term effects on children’s academic, social, and emotional development… read more about Umang Dhingra’s Paper on Parental Incarceration Wins Award »
On October 22, hundreds of sophomores perused the tables in Penn Pavilion, learning about academic opportunities from faculty, students, and department staff. Students who stopped by the sociology table picked up swag and tips on how to reach their educational and professional goals through sociology course work. Thank you to sociology student ambassadors (Bella Birch, Juan Gomez, Eugene Cho, and Zack Finacchio), professors (Chris Wildeman, Mark Chaves, Jenifer Hamil, Tony Cheng, and Martin Ruef), and staff (… read more about Sociology Faculty and Student Ambassadors Shine at 2024 Majors Fair »
During the summer of 2024, Duke sociology junior and Air Force ROTC cadet Margaret Cole served as an intern with the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Her experience working closely with lawmakers, veterans, and legislative staff deepened her understanding of policy-making and showcased her dedication to bridging the gap between military and civilian communities.With a scholarship from the DeJoy-Woś Family Foundation and Fund for American Studies, Cole conducted policy research, analyzed voter… read more about Sociology in Service: Margaret Cole's Journey from Classroom to Capitol Hill »
In honor of Duke’s Centennial anniversary, the Department of Sociology recently hosted a panel discussion bringing together a powerhouse lineup of experts from various industries, each offering their unique perspectives on career growth and networking. The panelists were all alumni of the department: Randy Garcia, Senior Leadership Giving Officer at Duke; Keith Gill, Commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference; Kristi Jacobson, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker; and Aminah Thompson, Clerk of Superior Court for Durham County.The… read more about Real Talk, Real Connections, Real Success: Sociology Hosts Alumni Panel on Networking and Authenticity »
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has launched an initiative to spur innovative research on the co-evolution of artificial intelligence and human behavior: the Society-Centered AI Initiative at Duke.Directed by Chris Bail, professor of Sociology, Political Science and Public Policy, the Society-Centered AI Initiative at Duke is a collaborative effort aimed at fostering interdisciplinary research exploring the myriad ways in which AI will influence human behavior — and how social factors will… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Launches Society-Centered AI Initiative »
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Sociology, has been awarded a Pitt Professorship of American History and Institutions at Cambridge University, England, for the 2024-2025 academic year. The Pitt Professorship was established in 1944 with the goal of bringing US-based historians and sociologists to teach at Cambridge’s American History program. Each academic year, a new Pitt Professor is selected from the most distinguished scholars of American history and sociology in the country.… read more about Bonilla-Silva Awarded Pitts Professorship of American History and Institutions at Cambridge University »
Duke class of 2026 students Luna Abadia, Dylan Cawley and Henry Stephens IV have received the Voyager Scholarship. Also referred to as the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, the program offers funding and leadership training to students committed to serving their communities.From Portland, Ore., Luna Abadia is a public policy major interested in emerging tech policy, political economics and climate mobility. She has served as an intern for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East… read more about Three Duke Students Awarded the Voyager Scholarship »
Four Duke Sociology and Markets & Management Studies faculty were identified as the Top 5% of all undergraduate instructors teaching in the Social Sciences in Spring 2024: Jenifer Hamil-Luker, Lisa Keister, Ed Tiryakian, and George Grody. The achievement is based on receiving a top 5% rating in at least two of the following three categories: Overall Quality of Course, Overall Quality of Instructor, and/or Intellectual Stimulation of Course. read more about Four Faculty Named in Top 5% of Undergraduate Instructors »
Tony Cheng, Jean Philippe Gibert and Masayuki Onishi received NSF Early Career Awards this spring. (Photos courtesy of John West/Trinity Communications, Gibert and Onishi) Three Trinity faculty are among the recipients of the 2024 National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Awards. Tony Cheng, assistant professor of Sociology, Jean Philippe Gibert, assistant professor of Biology, and Masayuki Onishi, also an assistant professor of Biology, are this year’s awardees.… read more about Three Trinity Faculty Receive NSF Early Career Award »
Access to financial services, such as bank accounts, credit, cryptocurrency, and insurance, allows people to save, invest, and manage resources, leading to improved income levels and reduced poverty. Financial inclusion, however, varies greatly across the globe. To better understand the relationship between financial inclusion and economic inequalities across and within well-developed, developing, and under-developed countries, Farris Khan worked on an independent study with Professor Hamil-Luker over the summer of… read more about Faris Khan Studies Global Disparities in Financial Inclusion »