In Sarah Balakrishnan’s class, history research looks a little different. Students work in teams to investigate unsolved historical questions, weighing conflicting evidence and uncovering new clues as they piece together the past. (Courtesy of Balakrishnan) Balakrishnan, the Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of History, wanted students to approach the past the way historians do: by piecing together clues and building an explanation from the evidence.The course, called “… read more about Escape Into the Past with This Trinity History Class »
Three doctoral students Jules Anderson, Katja Riegler, and Shiqi Xu were awarded the DAAD Graduate Scholarship, chosen from more than 600 applicants to conduct research in Germany for one year. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the world’s largest organization supporting global academic exchange, providing more than 100,000 scholarships and grants annually to advance graduate study and research in Germany. Anderson, Riegler, and Xu will spend the next academic year… read more about Three Trinity Graduate Students Named DAAD Scholars for Study in Germany »
The Declaration of Independence proclaimed powerful ideals about liberty, equality and the right of people to govern themselves — and the meanings of these notions has been debated, interpreted and tested ever since. As Duke celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the milestone offers a chance to look beyond 1776 and revisit the ideas that helped shape the nation. The following Trinity College courses explore the intellectual roots, global revolutions… read more about 1776 in the Classroom: Exploring the Ideas Behind the Declaration of Independence »
Thavolia Glymph, Peabody Family Distinguished Professor of History, has been elected to the American Philosophical Society (APS), one of the nation’s oldest academic societies. A historian of U.S. slavery, the Civil War, and emancipation, Glymph’s scholarship examines power, gender and violence in slaveholding households, and the transformations brought by the end of slavery. Founded in 1743, the American Philosophical Society was established by leaders including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas… read more about Thavolia Glymph Elected to the American Philosophical Society »
“People don’t develop political ideologies in a vacuum,” said Hunt Family Assistant Professor of History Cecilia Márquez. “As a historian, I always look to the past to understand how we got here.” The question of how history shapes the political present is at the center of Márquez’s newest research project, which has been awarded a prestigious Carnegie Fellowship. The fellowship will support her work examining the historical roots of Latino participation in right-wing and far-right political movements in the United… read more about Cecilia Márquez Awarded Carnegie Fellowship »
Three Duke University faculty have been named 2026 American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)’s fellows: Mélanie Lamotte, assistant professor of History; Cecilia Márquez, the Hunt Family Assistant Professor of History and Yun Emily Wang, assistant professor of Music. Lamotte, Márquez and Wang are joined by 62 fellows representing a wide range of institutions, disciplines and career stages, including many early-career and non-tenure-track scholars. Each fellowship provides up to $60,000 for six to 12 months of full-… read more about Three Duke Faculty Awarded ACLS Fellowships »
When James Chappel, Gilhuly Family Associate Professor of History, thinks about failure, he doesn’t point to one dramatic moment. Instead, he describes something more common: the steady stream of rejection that comes with almost any career. “I know a lot of people,” said James Chappel. “Nobody I know succeeds in every area. It’s not possible.” “In grad school, I kept a spreadsheet of jobs I was applying to,” he said. “Everything I applied to, I put in a spreadsheet, and when I didn’… read more about Freedom to Fail: James Chappel »
Karina Lu is a senior from Seattle, Washington majoring in History with a concentration in Law & Governance and a minor in French. During her time at Duke, she competed in the American Moot Court Association Nationals, was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, received a Fulbright Scholarship, and published research with the Duke Center for Firearms Law and the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law. Her senior thesis, “Embodying the Revolution: Female SentDown Youth on the Yunnan Frontier, 1969–1980,” explores… read more about Karina Lu '26: Learning to Think Across Disciplines »
Simon Miles has been named by Duke University as a Bass Chair in recognition of his excellence in undergraduate teaching and research.Miles will be the Kevin D. Gorter Associate Professor of Public Policy, effective July 1 for a five-year term. He will become a lifetime member of the Bass Society of Fellows. Bass Chair recipients, including Miles, were honored at a Duke University reception for Bass Chairs on April 15. The Bass program, established through a gift to Duke in 1996 from Anne T. and Richard M.… read more about Simon Miles Selected by University as Bass Chair »
When Andrew Guthrie first toured Duke, one thing immediately stood out: the sea of tents outside Cameron Stadium. “I saw K-Ville,” he says, laughing, “and I thought that looked like the most fun thing ever.”That moment nudged the Atlanta native toward seeing Duke as an actual place where he could belong — but the appeal went beyond the spectacle of basketball season. Music also played a huge role in his decision to become a Blue Devil. Before stepping foot on campus, Guthrie had reached out to Harry Davidson,… read more about Andrew Guthrie '26: From Courtside to the Courtroom »
On Wednesday, April 8th, Professor of History Thomas Robisheaux, approaching retirement, reflected on his long and storied career with Duke University as an undergraduate student, a faculty member, and a leader within the alumni association.Filled with anecdotes, observations, and insights covering the state of higher education, the life of a teacher, and a love of historical research, Professor Robisheaux reminded his audience why he has been such a treasured colleague and beloved professor for more than 4 decades.We are… read more about Tom Robisheaux Reflects on a Life in (Duke) History »
Historian Kelly Lytle Hernández, the 2025–26 Nannerl Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professor at Duke and UNC–Chapel Hill, will return to Duke’s campus on April 16 to deliver her final public lecture, “Half a Loaf: Reform and the Whites Only Immigration Régime, 1965–2025.” The event, organized by the Duke Department of History in partnership with the Duke Center for Documentary Studies, will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Nasher Museum of Art, with a reception to follow. The event is free, but registration is required.… read more about Kelly Lytle Hernández Concludes Yearlong Inquiry into U.S. Immigration History »
As Americans struggle with how to effectively confront an autocratic leader and his billionaire backers as they brazenly dismantle democracy and the rule of law, they might well look to a southern state where an unlikely movement managed to defeat the extreme-right agenda of a governor who followed a similar path.History doesn’t always repeat itself, but it often rhymes, as the aphorism goes. Consider this:A newly-elected executive appoints a powerful donor and plutocrat to dismantle government root and branch, mounts broad… read more about Nancy MacLean Reflects on The Impact of Moral Mondays »
Duke Libraries is pleased to announce its partnership with History doctoral candidate Jobie Hill on her newly funded project, Bearing Witness to Enslaved Women and Their Future Issue and Increase in the Massie Family’s 18th– and 19th-Century Reproductive Labor Systems (Bearing Witness). Hill is the recipient of a Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) award through its Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices program.Bearing Witness is one of sixteen projects that received funding through the… read more about Duke Grad Student Awarded Grant to Digitize Historic Slavery Records »
As Americans struggle with how to effectively confront an autocratic leader and his billionaire backers as they brazenly dismantle democracy and the rule of law, they might well look to a southern state where an unlikely movement managed to defeat the extreme-right agenda of a governor who followed a similar path.History doesn’t always repeat itself, but it often rhymes, as the aphorism goes. Consider this:A newly-elected executive appoints a powerful donor and plutocrat to dismantle government root and branch, mounts broad… read more about Nancy MacLean Reflects on The Impact of Moral Mondays »
Duke Libraries is pleased to announce its partnership with History doctoral candidate Jobie Hill on her newly funded project, Bearing Witness to Enslaved Women and Their Future Issue and Increase in the Massie Family’s 18th– and 19th-Century Reproductive Labor Systems (Bearing Witness). Hill is the recipient of a Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) award through its Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices program.Bearing Witness is one of sixteen projects that received funding through the… read more about Duke Grad Student Awarded Grant to Digitize Historic Slavery Records »
Simon Partner, an APSI core faculty member and professor of history at Duke, is the winner of the third Modern Japan History Association book prize for his 2024 publication, “Koume's World: The Life and Work of a Samurai Woman Before and After the Meiji Restoration.”The Modern Japan History Association is a professional association of scholars interested in modern Japan and Japanese history whose mission is to support the creation and dissemination of knowledge about modern Japan and its history by encouraging collaboration… read more about Simon Partner Wins Modern Japan History Association Book Prize, Launches Substack »
Jobie Hill, a Ph.D. student in Duke’s Department of History, was announced as a 2025 recipient of a prestigious Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Grant for her project Bearing Witness to Enslaved Women and Their Future Issue and Increase in the Massie Family’s 18th- and 19th-Century Reproductive Labor Systems (Bearing Witness). The project was one of only sixteen digitization projects that received funding through the Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard… read more about Duke Graduate Student Jobie Hill Awarded CLIR Grant to Fund Digitization Project »
On opening night of Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930–31 at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) visitors leaned in close, tracing faces in black-and-white photographs captured nearly a century ago. Presented by CDS in partnership with The Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, the exhibition has welcomed hundreds into the streets of Bombay — today’s Mumbai — and India’s Civil Disobedience Movement, where ordinary citizens transformed the city into a center of anticolonial resistance.As the exhibition nears… read more about Doc: Doc — Sumathi Ramaswamy and Avrati Bhatnagar on Collaboration and Curating the Photography of Civil Disobedience »
On opening night of Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930–31 at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) visitors leaned in close, tracing faces in black-and-white photographs captured nearly a century ago. Presented by CDS in partnership with The Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, the exhibition has welcomed hundreds into the streets of Bombay — today’s Mumbai — and India’s Civil Disobedience Movement, where ordinary citizens transformed the city into a center of anticolonial resistance. read more about Sumathi Ramaswamy and Avrati Bhatnagar on Collaboration and Curating the Photography of Civil Disobedience »
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 »
Jenna Arafeh, a second-year History student at Duke University, has been awarded the 2025 Dante Prize by the Dante Society of America for her essay, “The Lone Star’s Resurrection: Abel Tesfaye’s Reimagining of the Commedia in Modern Sound.” The prestigious honor, awarded annually since 1887, recognizes the best undergraduate essay on Dante and remains one of the most distinguished literary prizes in the humanities. Arafeh wrote her winning essay in Spring 2025 as a student in Martin Eisner’s class, Dante's Divine… read more about Jenna Arafeh Wins 2025 Dante Prize »
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 »
The study of modern empires can take many forms. On a crisp autumn afternoon when students in the gateway seminar Empires in Historical Perspective entered the exhibit Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930-31, they were not there for a typical class lecture. Instead, they encountered a gallery lined with sepia-toned photographs that became text and teacher in a live inquiry about how visual images inform the study of colonialism. “Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930-31”… read more about Seeing Empire: Undergraduate Historians Visit the “Disobedient Subjects: Bombay” Exhibit »
Since 2020, Philip Stern has led three Bass Connections projects, ranging from an exploration into early modern mapping to a deep dive into the possible futures of space settlement research. His approach emphasizes giving students ownership of their learning while creating fertile ground for both innovative research and unexpected career pathways. Stern shared his perspective on leading teams with Kelly Harrison (Senior Academic Program Coordinator, Bass Connections) during an interview in Fall 2025. read more about Faculty Perspective: Philip J. Stern »
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 »
