In 2022-2023, a Bass Connections team is working to address the shortages of labor, funds and infrastructure in neurosurgical settings around the world. Using the World Health Organization’s health system building blocks - from research and technology to service delivery - team members are assessing the big-picture challenges facing these countries’ overloaded neurosurgeons.

As a junior undergraduate, Kaylin Tsukayama - like many college students - wasn’t sure what direction she wanted to take in her career. She was a neuroscience major and had already spent nearly three years studying the subject and working in labs; yet, she was starting to question whether she wanted to continue in a natural science field.

In 2013, the first Bass Connections research teams embarked on ambitious projects to tackle real-world challenges ranging from gender inequality in STEM education to children’s mental health to climate policy in the U.S. to rural poverty. Since then, the program has supported nearly 500 interdisciplinary teams and brought together more than 4,000 faculty, students and staff to conduct cutting-edge research spanning dozens of disciplinary fields and world regions.

A 2022-2023 Bass Connections team is digging into the richness of dirt and fungi to inform the development of a unique art project called “Soil and Spirit.”

While stepping into a new era with the Duke Climate Commitment, Duke also looks back on a long state history of environmental justice advocacy and the injustices that necessitate it.

The application for the 2023 Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is live! The program will be held in person at Duke the week of June 12-16. Please spread the word about the applications that are due on April 15: https://duke.is/8w8yv

The 2021-2022 school year marked a series of welcome returns for the 1,200 students, faculty, staff and community partners who participated in Bass Connections. Our 61 year-long project teams resumed their in-person work on campus, many teams participated in their first fieldwork since 2019 and we were once again able gather together in Penn Pavilion to celebrate the year through our annual Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase.

These 10 seniors are among the nearly 600 Duke undergraduates who participate in Bass Connections each year. For some students, taking part in collaborative, interdisciplinary research confirmed and deepened their interests; for others, the experience opened up entirely new paths. Many students found ways to take their research further through honors theses and other opportunities.

Aislinn McLaughlin (Master of Environmental Management) is the winner of the 2022 Bass Connections Award for Outstanding Mentorship. This annual award recognizes the crucial leadership and mentorship roles that graduate students and postdocs play on Bass Connections teams.

These three students joined Bass Connections teams that took on challenges facing our planet, from climate change to plastic pollution to habitat loss.

Join us virtually for this week-long celebration of research including an exciting array of faculty lectures and panel discussions; graduate student, trainee, and postdoctoral fellow flash talks; and special guest speakers presenting the Robert J.

DukeEngage independent project participant Naman Parikh ’24 was chosen as the first-ever Chelsea Decaminada Memorial DukeEngage Fellow, which recognizes a passion for international service and doing good in the world. The fellowship was established by the Decaminada family in memory of their daughter, Chelsea ’15, who was part of the 2013 DukeEngage-Kolkata (India) program.

The Duke University Energy Initiative has unveiled its newest cohort of Energy Data Analytics Ph.D.

Join us on Wednesday, October 21^st at 3:30 p.m. as professor Jeremy Bowers and his Washington Post colleague, Lenny Bronner, discuss the data behind their 2020 election coverage. You can view the Washington Post’s Election website here. 

A podcast devoted to exploring the tech industry, the products and policy decisions that shape it, and its impact on our everyday lives.

The Duke Initiative for Science & Society (“Science & Society”) fosters research, education, communication, democratic deliberation, and policy engagement on the ethical progress of science and technology in society. Science & Society takes an interdisciplinary approach, with a focus on applied ethics and policy, to advance the responsible use of science and technology for humanity.

Which masks are most effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19? Duke researchers performed a study that examined and ranked 14 different types of masks.

On October 30, 2019, the Duke Women's Forum hosted a panel titled "Duke Women STEAMing Ahead: A View from the Front Lines of Technological Innovation." The panel of business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs spoke about what it takes to defy industry stereotypes and trailblaze in the tech industry, the skills needed to thrive in the 2.0 Economy, and what we can do to ensure that the next generation of women follows their lead.

The Duke University Energy Initiative has appointed Dr. Eric Rohlfing as an executive in residence.

Rohlfing--spouse of Dr. Celeste Rohlfing (T'79) and parent of Meg (T'09) and Anne (T'12 & M'16)--will join Duke this fall after a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where his roles included directing the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

YAY! Registration now OPEN for Duke U Energy Conf & Alumni Breakfast!

TIME TO SAVE YOUR SEAT FOR THIS NOV. 7 EVENT! 

Guinness World Records has now confirmed that a team of Duke University undergraduates have designed and built the most fuel-efficient vehicle prototype in history: a hydrogen fuel cell car that gets the equivalent of 14,573 miles per gallon. Duke Electric Vehicles (DEV’s) record-breaking run took place on Saturday, July 21 at Galot Motorsports in Benson, North Carolina.

AAAS has an exciting full-time opportunity for a Manager of Scientific Outreach within their SciLine Department in the Washington, DC office.

Responsibilities will include: