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 »
AJED is proud to continue the biology department’s 39-year tradition of supporting Durham’s Share Your Holiday program. This initiative provides holiday gifts to low-income families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.Started by Anne Lacey, former Director of Graduate Studies Assistant, this effort reflects the generosity of our community. Over the years, Biology has raised over $2,000 annually, helping more than 870 people.🎁 How to Donate 💵Cash/Check: Place in an envelope marked Share Your Holiday and… read more about Biology Continues 39-Year Tradition with Share Your Holiday »
In today’s edition of “Landing a faculty position”, Ling Loh from the Career Development subcommittee interviews Anyi Mazo-Vargas from Duke University. read more about Landing a Faculty Position: Anyi Mazo-Vargas »
Every year, the research intelligence company Clarivate publishes a list of Highly Cited Researchers. These researchers have multiple publications which rank in the top 1% by citation in their fields and are further selected for exemplifying excellence and integrity in their work.The Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list was recently released, and 29 Duke scholars were featured on the list of 6,868 researchers. These leading researchers hail from across Duke University, Duke Health and Duke-NUS Medical School… read more about Trinity Scholars Featured in the Highly Cited Researchers 2025 List »
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 »
Duke biology graduate student Brendan Lam studies the vision of harvestmen, a type of arachnid that looks like a spider. People may be scared of spiders, but Lam says: “Spiders do much more good than harm.”Their tiny yet powerful optics may inspire new kinds of miniature cameras; other benefits offer a reminder that the creatures we fear most often help us see the world more clearly. read more about Check This Out: Spidey Super Powers »
Class of 2027 students Megan Bonne, Sally Maroa, and Kimmy Parboosingh have received the Voyager Scholarship for Public Service. Created by the Obamas and Airbnb's Brian Chesky, this two-year scholarship for juniors supports young leaders who are committed to careers in public service. read more about Three Trinity Students Receive the Voyager Scholarship »
On July 25, 2025, the Trent Seman building was alive with energy as over 120 student researchers from 11 programs shared the results of their summer work. The Summer Research Showcase brought together students from Duke and from institutions nationwide, each presenting posters on projects that spanned the sciences, engineering, social sciences, and health policy. read more about Research That Saves Lives – and Changes Them »
The American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) has long harbored secrets. For centuries, Indigenous peoples in eastern North America have brewed “magic water” by boiling bark from the twiggy shrub and using it to treat all manner of maladies, from sore muscles to skin tumors. Diviners have also shaved down the forked branches and pointed them at the ground, arms outstretched, to locate water underground. And in the fall, when most other plants are beginning to go dormant to store energy for spring, the American… read more about Biology’s Sheila Patek and Justin Jorge Show How Witch Hazels Take Flight »
It’s a scene fit for a nature documentary: In the frigid ocean surrounding Antarctica, the water boils over as seabirds dive from above and marine animals like seals and whales rise from the depths to all feast on krill.But zoom out and this flurry of activity is just a tiny speck in a desolate seascape. Scientists have been puzzled by how these various species are all able to find the same food source at the same time.“It’s hard to get across just how forbidding this environment is,” said Sönke Johnsen, a professor of… read more about Teamwork in Antarctica: Seabirds Forage Better When Relying on Other Species »
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula of North Carolina—Early last month, on the opening day of bow hunting season here on a swath of swampy state land, a team of researchers slipped bright orange safety vests over their waders so as not to be mistaken for deer. “We’re hunting too,” said Spencer Rhea, an ecologist at Duke University. “Hunting for trees.”Rhea and his colleagues had gathered to investigate “ghost forests”—otherworldly stands of bleached dead trees drowned by flooding or poisoned by saltwater that… read more about AI Reveals Vast ‘Ghost Forests’ Along U.S. Coast »
Approximately 100 students attended the Academic Resource Center’s (ARC) Peer Education Symposium on Friday, September 5. This event, hosted in the Biological Sciences building, showcased a wide variety of Duke leadership professionals who instructed students working in peer education and support roles on ways to enhance their supportive and pedagogical skills. The student participants attended four fifty-minute sessions of their choice, allowing them to focus on the subjects best suited to their specific peer education… read more about Peer Education Symposium Trains over 100 Students »
After surviving a moderate drought, Arabidopsis develops stronger resistance to pathogens, offering insights for developing stress-resilient plants. Plants, firmly rooted in the soil, face numerous challenges, whether it is battling pathogens or coping with the pressures of a warming climate and drought. This has sparked significant interest among farmers and researchers in understanding how plants adapt to drought conditions. read more about Lucia Strader Discusses How Plants Boost Their Immune System to Recover from Drought »
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 »
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 »
The Monitoring and Restoring Gene Flow in the Increasingly Fragmented Ecosystems of the Anthropocene Special Feature brings together research from across the speciation genomics and conservation biology communities to address the pressing challenges of anthropogenic habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss. Uniting insights from evolutionary theory, developing genomic technologies, and applied conservation action, the authors in this collection examine how gene flow can be effectively monitored, maintained, and restored… read more about Monitoring and Restoring Gene Flow »
Fresh from the Outer Banks, sun-kissed, slightly sore yet fully inspired, Torry Bend is eager to continue the work started at Duke’s Marine Lab this summer. The professor of the practice in Theater Studies spent six weeks in Beaufort, North Carolina, directing Arts+ Resilience Through Puppetry and exploring the art form’s roles in teaching climate sustainability and community building. They came. They saw. They built a leviathan. The Arts+ team (from… read more about When Puppetry and Environmental Resiliency Go Hand-in-Hand »
Abigail Pickens decided on Duke because of the strong interdisciplinary opportunities that allow her to major in both Biology and Music at the same level of scholarship. Entering her final year, the senior has consistently been able to immerse herself in scientific research while continuing to develop her musical talents.Pickens traces her affinity for science to her high school AP Biology class, where she developed a love for research that followed her to Duke. From her first year on campus, she has been involved with… read more about Molecular Melodies »
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (July 16, 2025) — A report released today by a coalition of North Carolina institutions outlines a plan to establish an agricultural technology (agtech) innovation corridor across 42 counties in North Carolina, with a vision of connecting the state’s technology, research and agricultural sectors in ways that broaden how farmers participate in and benefit from agtech innovation.The corridor would connect small farms to the state’s technology and… read more about Experts Propose Plan to Establish 42-County AgTech Innovation Corridor in North Carolina »
Duke faculty member Jean-Philippe Gibert is the Joanne W. Markman and A. Morris Williams Jr. Associate Professor of Biology and a Simons Foundation Early Career Fellow in Microbial Ecology and Evolution. He and his lab study how climate change affects living things and the way organisms depend on others to survive and reproduce.We caught up with Gibert to ask a few questions about his research. Below are excerpts from the conversation. read more about Food Webs, Climate Change and One Equation to Rule Them All »
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 »
On Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9, the department of Biology and Duke’s Research Greenhouse hosted its annual plant giveaway and donation event.As in past years, the “Plants for Cans” fundraiser collected canned food to benefit Urban Ministry of Durham, which supports local low-income families and the unhoused in the City of Durham. Some of the plants offered in the giveaway included: tomatoes, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, eggplants, dill, basil, oregano, snapdragons, marigolds, zinnias and cosmos… read more about Duke Biology Celebrates Annual "Cans for Plants" Fundraiser »
The following is a partial list of national, university, school and departmental awards presented to the members of the Class of 2025. In some awards where there are multiple winners, only members of the Class of 2025 are included. read more about Department Honors and Laurels for the Class of 2025 »
Department of Statistical Science Chair Amy Herring has been named Dean of Natural Sciences and Professor of Political Science Kerry Haynie has been appointed to a second term as Dean of Social Sciences, Dean Gary Bennett announced Tuesday. In sharing the announcement, Bennett also expressed his gratitude to Susan Alberts, Robert F. Durden Distinguished Professor of Biology, for her several impactful years as Dean of Natural Sciences. Bennett noted that in returning full time to her research, “Susan is… read more about Herring, Haynie to Lead Natural Sciences, Social Sciences Divisions; Alberts to Return to Research »
“Get off my lawn!” Funny as a meme but maybe scary in real life, this short sentence is synonymous with an elderly man shouting at kids whose bikes have gotten too close to a well-manicured front yard. But it could just as well represent a female bird, aggressively chasing whatever intruder gets too close to her nest. Not any female bird, though. An international team of researchers led by Sara Lipshutz, assistant professor of Biology at Duke University, found that female birds who can only… read more about Many Paths to an Angry Bird: Uncovering the Roots of Aggressiveness in Female Cavity-Nesting Birds »
The Duke Campus Farm typically sees more visitors than usual on Fridays, when it holds Community Work Days and welcomes students, faculty, and community members to help run tasks and learn more about its sustainable agriculture practices.However, this particular Friday, April 11, was a bit special. Instead of us volunteers driving wheelbarrows back and forth, mulching or weeding, several members of the Vilgalys Lab at Duke instructed participants on how to grow our own mushrooms.The process begins with inoculation: placing… read more about Growing Your Own Mushrooms Is Easier Than You Think, Thanks to Workshops at the Duke Campus Farm »
Duke biology professor Fred Nijhout has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences.Nijhout, the John Franklin Crowell Distinguished Professor of Biology, has been a member of the Duke faculty since 1977. His scholarship focuses on developmental physiology and understanding how complex traits arise through, and are affected by, the interaction of genetic and environmental factors.Much of his research has focused on how butterflies and other insects develop from a larva to a winged adult — how… read more about Biologist Fred Nijhout Elected to National Academy of Sciences »
Anna Tornatore is a graduating senior with majors in Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology. She has served as a Trinity Ambassador for Evolutionary Anthropology. Trinity Ambassadors are student volunteers, nominated by their departments, to serve in this unique and important role.We asked a few of the ambassadors from the Class of 2025 to share their favorite memories from Duke. The below interview has been slightly edited for clarity. What was one of the most impactful classes you took during your time at Duke… read more about Notes From the Class of 2025: Celebrating Differences and the Power of Relentless Aspiration »
Billy Cao, a Trinity senior graduating in 2025 with majors in Literature and Biology, has always been interested in the interaction between the humanities and sciences. However, he realized that when people think about that interaction, the humanities usually get short shrift. Through classes in global culture and theory, Cao was inspired to examine the ways in which the humanities can play a central role in our understanding of scientific inquiry.Antonio Viego’s Literature class, Introduction to Psychoanalytic Theory… read more about What Can Literature Tell Us About Science? »
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 »