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 »
Each year, Duke University awards Benenson Awards in the Arts, which provide funding for arts-centered projects proposed by undergraduates, including graduating seniors. This year, the Student Arts Award Committee awarded prizes to fifteen students for creative projects spanning film, theater, creative writing, music, dance, and visual art. read more about Announcing the 2025 Benenson Award Winners »
In the latest edition of New in Duke Blue, Antwan Lofton, Vice President of Duke Human Resources, interviews Mohamed Noor, Executive Vice Provost for Duke University.Noor discusses his love for biology as a child, where he thinks Duke can continue to improve in order to live out its academic mission, and what led him to seek out a faculty position at Duke in 2005.“I was invited to serve on a PhD students committee here,” Noor said. “Honestly, it was the graduate students that drew me here... I thought wow, these graduate… read more about New in Duke Blue: A Conversation with Mohamed Noor »
DURHAM, N.C. – In miniature test tubes in biologist Ryan Baugh’s lab at Duke, thousands of tiny wriggling worms – each one a fraction the size of an eyelash – munch on their dinner of bacteria broth.The worms’ soupy meal is laced with a hidden ingredient, invisible so-called “forever chemicals” found in America’s drinking water, our food and farmlands, even lurking in our bodies.It’s a chemical safety test, said Duke postdoctoral fellow Tess Leuthner. The garden- and compost-dwelling worm is helping researchers such as… read more about ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Everywhere. Most of Their Health Effects Are Unknown »
In this series of four stories, we are highlighting students whose “Why I Learn Languages” essays have been selected as winners of the Trinity Language Council’s 2024 Best Essay competition. Sarah Gorbatov is a junior majoring in Biology and Russian, with a minor in Computer Science, who reconnected with her native Russian through her time at Duke. Read and let Gorbatov tell you, in her own words, how learning languages gave her the tools to reconcile a language of hurt with a language of love. … read more about In Their Own Words: From Hurt to Love, with Nothing Lost in Translation »
Six Duke faculty have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).Fellowship in AAAS is considered one of the most distinct honors in the scientific community.The 2024 fellows class consists of 471 scientists, engineers and innovators across 24 AAAS disciplinary sections who are being recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. “This year’s class of fellows are the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities,” said Sudip… read more about Five Trinity Faculty Named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science »
Sarah Marion is a Ph.D. candidate in Biology, expected to complete her program in 2025. She received a B.A. in Biology from Brown University in 2012.Prior to beginning her Ph.D. program, Marion held several positions at Duke, including a college advisor in mentoring undergraduate students, a laboratory instructor, a teaching lab manager, and a research associate in evolutionary genetics research. In these roles, she was known for her characteristic enthusiasm and making personal connections to support students in… read more about Biologist Sarah Marion Receives Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring »
Duke University has awarded distinguished professorships to 31 faculty members and will recognize them in a ceremony at the Washington Duke Inn on May 14.“I am very proud to recognize these outstanding faculty colleagues with distinguished professorships,” said President Vincent E. Price. “Through their extraordinary scholarship and teaching, they are advancing solutions, inventions and cures that will uplift humankind and make a lasting difference in the world.”Distinguished professorships honor faculty who are well-… read more about Six Trinity Faculty Members Among Duke's New Distinguished Professors »
Established when Germany was still divided by a wall, Duke in Berlin has provided students with a truly immersive study abroad experience for nearly 40 years. Administered by the Global Education Office (GEO) and sponsored by German Studies, the program is available during both fall and spring semesters as well as the summer — with options to stay in the city anywhere from one semester to a year. Together with the team at GEO, Andrea Larson, Duke in Berlin’s academic director, ensures students are well-prepared… read more about When Berlin Is Your Classroom »
Duke is equipping students to respect differing viewpoints in a variety of ways. This Duke Today series examines the decline in civil discourse and Duke’s efforts to improve campus dialogue.A few years back, Norman Wirzba was pondering how best to get 150 Duke students to have civil, respectful class discussions about climate change, a charged topic that prompts myriad opinions.His solution: food.He and co-organizer Emily Bernhardt knew mealtime conversations land differently than classroom conversations. Your guard is down… read more about Putting Climate Talk on Low Heat »
Bruce Nicklas, Arthur S. Pearse Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology, passed away during the week of February 19, 2025. A trailblazer in cell biology, Nicklas dedicated his career to unraveling the mysteries of chromosome movement. This earned him international recognition for his groundbreaking research on the mechanisms through which cells divide Nicklas joined Duke in 1965 and served as chair of the Zoology Department from 1983 to 1986, before Zoology and Botany merged into what is now Duke's Biology… read more about Duke Remembers Bruce Nicklas »
“I try to recruit people who have experience with failing and know how to deal with it,” Johnsen said. “Because in biology, we fail so often. Plan A and plan B never work. If you’re super lucky, plan C will work, but usually we’re using plan D.”“I might be one of the only Duke faculty who dropped out of college,” says Sönke Johnsen. Johnsen didn’t just drop out of college. He also had a very unusual career trajectory. On his way to becoming a Biology professor at Duke, Johnsen was a kindergarten teacher, a carpenter,… read more about Freedom to Fail: A Journey to Success, Courtesy of Failure »
DURHAM, N.C. -- A few things come to mind when we imagine the “alpha male” type. They’re the ones calling the shots, who get all the girls. But there’s a downside to being a strong and powerful alpha stud -- at least if you’re a baboon.Studies show that despite their high rank, the No. 1 males in baboon society are also some of the most stressed out, as measured by their high levels of glucocorticoids, the hormones involved in the ‘fight-or-flight’ response.But the leaders’ stress burden comes from a surprising source. New… read more about Being a Ladies’ Man Comes at a Price for Alpha Male Baboons »
Charmaine Royal, the Robert O. Keohane Professor of African & African American Studies, Biology, Global Health and Family Medicine & Community Health was recently selected as one of The Hastings Center 2024 Fellows. The Hastings Center fellows are a distinguished group of around 300 experts whose work has shaped scholarship and public understanding of ethical challenges in health, healthcare, science and technology. These prestigious fellowships reflect influence in advancing ethical scholarship, policy and… read more about Charmaine Royal Named 2024 Hastings Center Fellow »
DURHAM, N.C. -- Since the first fiber optic cables rolled out in the 1970s, they’ve become a major part of everything from medical devices to high-speed internet and cable TV. But as it turns out, one group of marine mollusks was way ahead of us.A new study reveals that clams called heart cockles -– so-named because of their heart-shaped shells -- have unique structures in their shells that act like fiber optic cables to convey specific wavelengths of light into the bivalves’ tissues.Researchers from Duke University and… read more about To Build Better Fiber Optic Cables, Ask a Clam »
