Forever Duke

Today we are remembering Gerald Wilson, who guided thousands of Duke students as an advisor, dean and professor for over six decades at the university. Wilson sadly passed away on September 12.

Duke Flags Lowered: Gerald Wilson, Teacher and Advisor to Thousands Over Six Decades, Dies | Duke Today Duke Flags Lowered: Gerald Wilson, Teacher and Advisor to Thousands Over Six Decades, Dies Image Gerald Wilson's six decades of teaching and advising at Duke shape the lives of thousands of students Caption Close Image Gerald Wilson's six decades of teaching and advising at Duke shape the lives of t...

Congratulations to Paul W. Downs '04, the co-creator of "Hacks," on his Emmy win!

"Hacks" took home the award for outstanding comedy series last night at the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Learn more about Downs' journey from Duke to Hollywood from ⤵️

Paul W. Downs Hacks His Way Into Hollywood Success Paul W. Downs '04 walked off the job as a waiter at New York’s iconic Tavern on the Green restaurant, striding midshift into Central Park in his lime green tux jacket. It wasn’t the fashion violation of his de rigueur uniform that led him out the door. “They had this training program where I h...

💙😈 All we do is win! 🏆

Dan Brooks A.M.’96 is the winningest coach in women’s Division I golf history, having led Duke Women's Golf to seven national championships.

🏌️‍♂️ Read more about Duke's "Swing King" from ⤵️

Swing King To succeed in golf, you need great technique, a steady hand, and a calm mind. Anyone who’s ever swung a club can tell you that combination is difficult to achieve, and nearly impossible to keep consistent. Now think about teaching five or six golfers to do that every year for four decades, and you...

🍽️ Get ready to sink your teeth into this Forever Learning Institute course spanning the many facets of our relationships with food.

Delve into the world of genetically-modified produce and learn about the triumphs and challenges of plant-based science, including how crops are evolving into heartier and healthier plants—and what that means for our overall wellness today.

Don't miss this free, virtual session on 9/17!

Learn more and register ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21wMDMp

On the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, juniors Ranjan Jindal, VP of Keohane Quad, Tara Singh, president of Keohane Quad, and Austin Brown, communications coordinator for Keohane Quad lay a wreath at Duke’s 9/11 Memorial plaque near the grove of six trees planted behind Keohane Quad to commemorate and remember the six Duke alumni who died during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.

A.Todd Rancke '81
Mishael Morgan Taylor '81
John Robinson "Rob" Lenoir '84
Peter Keith Ortale '87
Christopher Todd Pitman '93
Frederick Charles Rommel III M.D. '94

You know, it never fails. You plan a group trip, and there's always that one friend who balks, flakes or bails. But not this year! This year, we’re helping you get all your buddies to come back for Duke's Centennial Homecoming!

Check out the 5 best ways to get your most noncommittal friend to attend Homecoming Weekend 2024!

Register today via our website: https://brnw.ch/21wMx2v

A new collaborative language course at Duke will help boost community among international postdocs, visiting scholars and family members by providing opportunities to further their experiences with U.S. culture and the nuances of English language.

Read more ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21wMuzy

| Duke University Graduate School

"In a 2023 study, a group of macaques, a type of monkey, were given a preliminary HIV vaccine. It was one of many studies in the Duke Human Vaccine Institute's 19-year quest for a vaccine for the virus that causes AIDS. Kevin Saunders’ team felt good about their results. Once they looked closer, this turned to excitement. At the atomic level, their precisely designed antibody was blocking HIV from binding to the primates’ cells (and, as the team would later see, human cells). That level of precision was a feat. It was like something out of a movie."

Read more from ⤵️

Lifesaving Research It was like something out of science fiction.

💙 For a patient with a failing heart, a heart transplant can feel like a miracle.

Now, a $1.5 million legacy gift from an anonymous family will help support Duke Health heart transplant patients.

Read more ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21wMrzy

🏰 Gothic architecture.
🔬 Groundbreaking research.
🏀 Games that have gone down in history.
🤔 As our university celebrates its centennial year, what says “Duke” to you?

Join the Forever Learning Institute and Duke experts as we peel back the pages of history to examine Duke’s storied legacy.

The first free, virtual session (Constructing the Gothic Wonderland) is next week!

Find out more ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21wMpR3

Whether you've just moved to a new city or haven't moved in years, our Welcome to the City parties are a great chance to meet Blue Devils near you!

You can also learn about fun Centennial events happening soon in your region. What a great time to be !

We can't wait to see you there! 💙😈

Find a party near you ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21wMnVK

📸 Have you taken a photo at our Centennial photobooth yet? Homecoming weekend might be a great opportunity!

We're so glad that Max Perkins ’04 and his grandfather, former DA Board president Richard Maxwell B.S.E.’55, P’78, P’81, P’82, GP’04, GP’06 took the time to snap this picture! That's a lot of Blue Devil spirit in one photo! 💙😈

A historic $8 million gift from Duke alumna Bettye Martin Musham will advance Duke University School of Nursing's mission by developing community-based educational programs, transforming health care delivery and reducing health inequities.

Musham’s gift, via her estate, allots $5 million to endow the William and Bettye Martin Musham Professorship and $3 million to endow the William and Bettye Martin Musham Fund. The bequest will be transformational to the school, cementing the creation of a DUSON learning and research center that places nurses at the core of transforming health care.

Read more ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21wMjE2

"Because of Duke, I have gained amazing sisters and mentors across the world!" - Yolande Pokam Tchuisseu M.S.'19

Full circle moment!

The Duke Alumni Board of Directors Executive Committee lucked out -- their meeting coincided with move-in weekend at Duke, so they joined President Vincent Price and other university leaders to greet first-year students and help move them into their residence halls.

We're so glad they were on hand to welcome our newest Blue Devils to campus!

📸 left to right: Max Perkins '04, Adonica Black '11, President Price, Associate Vice President and Chief Engagement Officer Laura Heilenday '06, M.B.A.'12, Patricia Baker-Simon '86, Nyssa Kourakos '90, Grace Chang '97, Andy Dillon '96

... including in Rwanda!

Duke Track and Cross Country assistant coach Sean-Patrick Oswald '11 shares: "With my full-time job for a pharmaceutical company, I had the opportunity to volunteer in Rwanda and took a weekend trip to Volcanoes National Park to visit mountain gorillas in the wild. It required a nearly 12 km hike in the jungle to see them, but we visited 'The Mutobo Family,' which was a group of 15 mountain gorillas. Somehow we managed to get within 5 feet of them and observed them eat and play for a hour (the national park maximum time to interact with the gorillas). Certainly the experience of a lifetime!"

Use your traditional IRA to make an immediate, tax-free impact at Duke University with a qualified charitable distribution.

This giving technique offers tax savings while supporting the Duke people, places, and programs you care about most.

Download our guide to learn how ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21wM8Wk

Here's hoping all of our Blue Devils had a great FDOC (First Day of Classes)!

Don't you wish you could do it all over again? 💙😈

🐶 Happy ! 🐾

We love seeing your sweet pups spending time on campus and showing off their Blue Devil spirit!

📸: and on IG

🚀 Blue Devil in space!

Anna Menon M.S.'10 is a member of the crew on Polaris Dawn, which is scheduled to embark on its mission to space this week.

spoke to her over the summer as she prepared for this monumental experience. ⤵️

Ready for Liftoff When biomedical engineer Anna Menon MS ’10 takes her first flight into space, she hopes to make the highest Earth orbit ever flown. But she’s already flying mighty high, as she prepares to fulfill a childhood dream.

Listen to “Duets,” a new podcast by Duke Trinity College of Arts & Sciences that explores the human side of research collaborations between Duke University faculty and undergraduate students.

From bioinorganic chemistry and the importance of curiosity in democracy, to the power of storytelling and racial biases in ballet, there’s something for everyone.

🎧 Listen now: https://brnw.ch/21wM31R

Then and Now: The Duke cheerleading team has some of the most coveted seats in the house during games, right on the court. Team members do rigorous flips, stunts and jumps at games in the name of school spirit, and they carry this pride year-round as representatives for the program.

📣 Were you a cheerleader for Duke? Let us know in the comments!

Duke Cheerleading - Duke Centennial The Duke cheerleading team has some of the most coveted seats in the house during games, right on the court.

"With the rise of influencer culture and social media celebrity, it’s no surprise that college students are trying their hand at cultivating an online personality. In the case of several Duke students, with thousands of subscribers and millions of views, they have already celebrated a great deal of success in their self-made social media careers."

📱 Read more about Duke's social media stars from ⤵️

Social Stars A group of ambitious Blue Devils is not waiting for graduation to make big entrepreneurial moves. With the rise of influencer culture and social media celebrity, it’s no surprise that college students are trying their hand at cultivating an online personality. In the case of several Duke students,...

🚶‍♀️ When was the last time you took a stroll through campus?

The new Campus History Tour, which launched this month on the Duke Explore app, offers three separate tours of Duke — West Campus (10 stops), East Campus (8 stops), and Athletics (4 stops).

Each stop or location provides a brief description, audio narration, photos and links so you can learn more while exploring!

Find information on downloading the app here ⤵️

Duke Campus History Tour - Duke Centennial The new Duke Campus History Tour app was developed and launched in August 2024 as part of Duke’s Centennial Celebration – to provide a deeper understanding of Duke’s history for students, families, alumni, faculty, staff, and visitors to campus. The self-guided experience offers three separate...

🎉 We cannot wait to welcome you back to campus for Centennial Homecoming!

This year’s schedule includes familiar traditions as well as the chance to be a part of once-in-a-century celebrations!

Highlights of the weekend include:

🏛️ Dedication of the George and George-Frank Wall Center for Student Life
🎶 Centennial Founders’ Day Celebration & Concert
🏆 Duke Alumni Awards
🏈 Forever Duke Homecoming Tailgate & Duke Football vs. UNC

And so much more!

Find the full schedule and register today ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21wLXrF

🧳 Today is move-in day for most of our first-year undergraduate students!

No matter the year, this is always an exciting and memorable experience!

What do you remember about the day you moved into your new home at Duke? The luggage? The weather? Let us know!

LAST CHANCE! Register for the Forever Learning Lessons in Leadership professional development event before space runs out! This half-day experience on September 27 will allow you to connect with Duke Faculty, fellow alumni, and more.

Registration closes on Monday! Register now! https://brnw.ch/21wLTai