Top Grad Student

Engineering honors: Ellerbee in a laser optics lab. Les Todd

Audrey Ellerbee, a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, was named Graduate Student of the Year by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). She was honored at the organization’s tenth annual Golden Torch Awards ceremony in Columbus, Ohio, in March.

A graduate of Princeton University, Ellerbee has focused her research on optical coherence tomography, an imaging technique that uses infrared light to produce images of microscopic structures. Her research is supported by a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship, The Duke Endowment, a James B. Duke fellowship, and the University Scholars Program. She serves as president of the Duke Graduate and Professional Student Council and is a member of Duke’s Latin dance troupe.

NSBE executive director Carl B. Mack says the Golden Torch Awards celebrate outstanding achievement, “but, just as important, they recognize people who remember that they didn’t get where they are on their own. Our award winners know they have a responsibility to unlock doors for others who may one day walk across the stage.”