On North Carolina’s low-lying coast, where trunks of dead trees rise silver and bare from dark waters, a team of storytellers trace how the past continues to shape the future. Through the Bass Connections project, Ghost (Forest) Stories: Unearthing History and Climate Change, they bring together science, history and art to reveal how centuries of human activity have transformed the Albemarle–Pamlico Peninsula, while uncovering what it all means in an era of rising sea levels and intensifying hurricanes… read more about Ghost (Forest) Stories: Uncovering the Past to Understand a Changing Coast »
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 »
The History Department and Professors Balakrishnan and Leroy recently welcomed Dr. Ebony Jones, Associate Professor of History at North Carolina State University, to the Atlantic Worlds Workshop on October 20, 2025 to discuss a chapter from her upcoming book, Slavery’s Dangerous Characters: Punishment and Black Mobile Existence in Jamaica’s Atlantic World. In the workshop, Jones offered a detailed overview of her manuscript, tracing its intellectual origins to her graduate studies under Jennifer Morgan, where… read more about Dr. Ebony Jones and “Geographies of Punishment” »
Durham, NC – Duke Center for Documentary Studies (CDS), in collaboration with the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts in New Delhi, presents Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930–31, an exhibition of 55 photographs that transport viewers to the heart of India’s Civil Disobedience Movement against British colonial rule.The opening reception on Thursday, October 30, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at CDS, features remarks by curators Avrati Bhatnagar, instructor of history and international comparative studies at… read more about “Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930–31” Opens at CDS on October 30 »
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 »
The History Department at Duke University was honored to host Dr. Mary Hicks, Associate Professor of History at the University of Chicago, as the featured guest of the Atlantic Worlds Workshop on Monday, September 29, 2025. Co-facilitated by Dr. Sarah Balakrishnan and Dr. Justin Leroy, the workshop brought together faculty and interdisciplinary graduate students for an engaging discussion of Dr. Hicks’ work-in-progress, “Gifts or Peças: The Commodification of African Women in the 15th and 16th Century Portuguese-… read more about Commodities, Kinship, Enslavement, and the Making of the Atlantic World »
Alika Bourgette, assistant professor of History, is a native Hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli) with genealogical ties to the Waiʻanae Coast. Having spent his entire life between Hawaii, California and Washington state, Bourgette's move to Durham marks his first experience living on the East Coast. Bourgette’s research focuses on twentieth century Native Hawaiian history and the long struggle for land and water justice along the urbanized Honolulu waterfront. When he was younger, Bourgette would travel back and forth… read more about The Long Struggle: Alika Bourgette Studies Native Hawaiian History »
The History Department had the honor of welcoming one of Duke’s very own alum, Dr. Jennifer Morgan – Silver Professor and Professor of Social & Cultural Analysis & History at New York University, and recipient of a 2024 MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship Grant – as a guest speaker for the “Atlantic Worlds Workshop” on Monday, September 15, 2025. This workshop, which was co-facilitated by Dr. Balakrishnan and Dr. Leroy, invited students and faculty across all disciplines to engage in stimulating discussions… read more about Naming the Nameless: Addressing Archival Silences »
Faculty member Tamika Nunley has won the Journal of Women's History Article Prize for 2025 for her work, “The Intellectual World of Phillis Wheatley and the Politics of Genius” which appeared in the journal's Spring 2024 issue (Volume 36, Number 1). The William & Sue Gross Professor of History and Bass Chair, Nunley is a celebrated historian of African American women’s history and the history of slavery. Her award-winning article examines the life and work of enslaved African American poet Phillis Wheatley and her… read more about Tamika Nunley Wins 2025 Journal of Women's History Article Prize »
UCLA historian Kelly Lytle Hernández joins Duke and UNC as the 2025–26 Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professor. On February 9, she will speak at CDS on race, reform and U.S. Immigration between 1952 and 1965.Kelly Lytle Hernández grew up in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands during the 1980s and ’90s — a period marked by the rapid expansion of immigration law enforcement. Border Patrol was a major part of everyday life, she says, prompting her to ask many questions about race and policing.“I wanted to know why Latinos,… read more about CDS to Host Visiting Keohane Professor Exploring Race, Policing and the Roots of U.S. Immigration »
Thavolia Glymph, Peabody Family Distinguished Professor of History, was honored with the Distinguished Service to Labor and Working-Class History Award from the Labor and Working-Class History Association (LAWCHA) at its annual meeting in June. She is also the recipient of the 2025 Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award from the Samuel DuBois Cook Society at Duke University. Glymph has served as President of the American Historical Association (2024), President of the Southern Historical Association (2019-2020… read more about Thavolia Glymph Wins 2025 Distinguished Service to Labor and Working-Class History Award »
Assistant Professor of History Mélanie Lamotte has been awarded the French Colonial Historical Society’s 2025 Best Article Prize for “Beyond the Atlantic: Unifying Racial Policies across the Early French Empire,” which appeared in the William & Mary Quarterly Vol. 81, no. 1 (Jan. 2024): 3-36. In the citation for the award, the French Colonial Historical Society notes that Lamotte’s article “ambitiously bridges the stories and historiographies of France’s colonies in North America and the Caribbean with those in the… read more about Mélanie Lamotte Wins French Colonial Historical Society’s Best Article Prize »
A Duke patch accompanied astronaut Anna Menon to space on the Polaris Dawn mission. (Photo courtesy of Menon) The Duke SPACE Initiative (Science and Policy to Advance Cosmic Exploration) celebrated its successful launch on September 8, 2025, with an event combining ongoing research, views from space and the most traveled Duke memento in history. Directed by Dan Scolnic and Michael Troxel, the Duke SPACE initiative unites hard science with policy-making… read more about Astronaut Alum Kicks Off Duke SPACE Initiative »
Five Duke scholars have been selected for fellowships in the 2025-26 “Institute for Faculty Voice and Collaborative Leadership,” organized by the Ivy+ Faculty Advancement Network. Nominated by their deans, they will join a cohort of faculty members from other Ivy+ institutions to develop and apply new approaches to strengthen their leadership strategies in the current academic landscape. read more about Two Trinity Faculty Chosen for Ivy+ Institute on Leadership in the Current Academic Landscape »
The Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has launched the SPACE Initiative at Duke (Science & Policy to Advance Cosmic Exploration), a universitywide endeavor dedicated to advancing our understanding of the cosmos through interdisciplinary collaboration. All are invited to its celebratory kick-off event to be held on Sept. 8 at 4 p.m., at Penn Pavilion. The event will combine a poster presentation, a reception and a keynote talk by Duke alumna, astronaut and former Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Launches SPACE Initiative »
Professor Kisha Daniels and Duke undergraduate student Selena Collins’ collaborative service-learning course, Critical Pedagogy of Hip Hop, connects Duke students and Durham Public School middle and high schoolers. Working in partnership with public school educators, Duke students create engaging learning environments that celebrate language, critical thinking and social justice through hip hop music. Rooted in relationship-building and student empowerment, the course work confirms how community-based, collaborative… read more about Finding the Flow: Hip Hop Pedagogy and Transformative Student Engagement »
As a student in Duke's Graduate Liberal Studies (GLS) program, Kalei Porter ('25) joined a unique multidisciplinary community with rich academic and artistic resources. Porter used the flexibility of her GLS degree to study History and the environment, while working as a dance teacher and performer. As the 2025 Season of the American Dance Festival came to a close, Porter reflected on a recent dance performance… read more about Reimagining 'Rite of Spring': Duke Alumna Reflects on Dance History Through KT Dance Collective Performance »
Karin Shapiro, associate professor of the practice in African and African American Studies and History, is now an award-winning filmmaker. Her powerful documentary, A Road Out, just earned Best Historical Film at the Toronto International Women Film Festival. Uncovering a surprising connection between rural South Africa and the American South, the film traces how community health models that were developed during the 1940s and early 1950s helped lay the groundwork for public health efforts in the United States… read more about Award-Winning Film Traces Global Roots of Southern Healthcare »
We're extremely pleased to congratulate our esteemed alumna, Blair Kelley, on this extraordinary appointment. Dr. Kelley received both her M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Duke University, where she also earned graduate certificates in African and African American Studies and Women’s Studies.A nationally recognized public historian, Kelley’s work amplifies the histories of Black people, chronicling the everyday impact of their activism. Before joining the NHC, she served as the Joel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor… read more about National Humanities Center Announces Dr. Blair L. M. Kelley as New President »
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 »
Eight faculty in Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences have been honored with named professorships, effective July 1.These endowed positions recognize leadership and commitment to excellence in scholarship and research. Their recipients are outstanding teachers, mentors and researchers whose contributions are invaluable to the College of Arts & Sciences, as well as their students and colleagues.“Trinity is defined by the strength of its faculty, and we are extraordinarily fortunate to count these… read more about Eight Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Honored With Named Professorships »
The Office for Faculty Advancement has awarded seed grants to six new projects led by Duke faculty members. The theme for this grant cycle is “Deepening Engagement and Improving the Faculty Experience.”Faculty were invited to propose creative approaches to strengthening faculty communities and relationships; innovative initiatives to improve the culture in departments, centers and schools; and new faculty groups that deepen engagement on topics relevant to the faculty experience.The seed grant program will provide financial… read more about Trinity Faculty Join New Projects to Deepen Engagement and Improve the Faculty Experience »
Nancy MacLean, a Duke professor of history and public policy, studies the past, but these days she should also get credit for predicting the future. MacLean’s 2017 book, “Democracy in Chains,” explored how Libertarian billionaire Charles Koch and others sought to free capitalism from regulation by creating systems that would enable a wealthy minority to rule. MacLean showed how that strategy evolved around right-wing ideas put forth by the Nobel Prize-winning political economist James McGill Buchanan, a figure The… read more about Duke Professor’s 2017 Book Predicted Trump’s Extreme Policies. Now She Has Hope. »
It seems counterintuitive, but it can be a wonderful feeling to realize that you’re wrong.Duke philosophy and neuroscience professor Felipe De Brigard didn’t feel great at first when he realized that some claims in the paper that helped establish his career 15 years previous were wrong. But then he had a chance to discuss his errors publicly at a large conference. He was followed in his talk by other scientists, including John O’Keefe, a Nobel Laureate who, like De Brigard, studies the hippocampus in the brain.“John ended… read more about When I Was Wrong: Faculty Lessons From Their Mistakes »
Ten exceptional faculty members received the prestigious Bass Chairs, marking their induction into the Bass Society of Fellows. This honor recognizes their contributions to undergraduate teaching and research.The newly named chairs were celebrated during a reception at the Washington Duke Inn, where President Vincent Price, Provost Alec Gallimore and Vice Provost Candis Watts Smith offered remarks. They reflected on the qualities that define Bass Fellows, congratulated the new chairs, and expressed gratitude to the Bass… read more about Six Trinity Faculty Named 2025 Bass Chairs »
While March is celebrated as Women’s History Month, 2025 also marks a milestone: the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations World Conference on Women, held in June 1975 in Mexico City. The first in a series of four U.N. women’s conferences — which included Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in 1985 and Beijing in 1995 — the 1975 conference is considered by scholars to have been “a watershed moment.” Yet, few know about it. Professor of History Jocelyn Olcott wrote the book — or one of the books — on this landmark event… read more about Revisiting a Landmark in Global Feminism: Jocelyn Olcott Discusses the 50th Anniversary of the U.N. International Women’s Year Conference »
“Transformative ideas,” explained keynote speaker Roosevelt Montás, “are ideas that have the power to transform the world and transform you.”Hundreds of Duke students and faculty were listening and engaging. The first evening of the Transformative Ideas and POLIS Symposium kicked off in style last Thursday evening with a “Spring in the 20s” ball. Think suits, long dresses and live jazz.“We wanted to inspire our students and bring people together to reflect back and think forward at Duke’s centennial. Live jazz seemed to… read more about Transformative Ideas and Polis Programs Bring Serious Fun »
DUS James Chappel recently announced the winners of two of the History Department's undergraduate prizes: the Kaiwar Prize, in its second year, and the Historical Fiction Prize, in its first year. Each of the winners receives $250 and is eligible for publication in Historia Nova, the Duke Historical Review.The 2025 Kaiwar Prize is awarded to Thang Lian, for his paper entitled “Disentangling Empires: The Colonial Entanglements Between the Treaty of Ryswick, Spain, France, and Maroon… read more about Undergraduate Prizewinners Named »
On February 6, 2025, Duke History welcomed New York Times Opinion Columnist Jamelle Bouie to campus. After making a guest appearance in Dr. Reeve Huston's History of American Democracy class (HIST 120), Bouie spoke to an appreciative audience of approximately 400 at the Reynolds Industries Theater in the Bryan Center at 6pm. Looking both forward and back, Mr. Bouie mused on where America might be headed under the presidency of Donald Trump, and how our national history might help us to understand the current… read more about Jamelle Bouie Considers the Future and Looks to the Past »
