As the U.S. Senate considers a bill to expand voting rights – and dozens of individual states move the other direction in seeking to limit voting – an assumption underlying it all posits that voter expansion helps Democrats while restrictions helps Republicans. This is a fundamental mistake, a Duke political scientist said Tuesday. In fact, voters are far more complicated and nuanced, and the principles behind many of the new proposed voting laws may backfire, said Sunshine Hillygus, a scholar of American political… read more about New Voting Restrictions May 'Backfire,' Expert Says »
When he was an undergraduate political science student, Kerry Haynie was never taught about the 1921 Tulsa massacre. Nor was there much discussion about the role of race in the founding political documents of this country or much examination of how race influenced public services such as sewer lines and zoning. In one sense, a lot has changed. In 2021, Duke’s faculty includes a strong lineup of leading scholars who examine how race is embedded in issues that cross all the schools of the university. This fall, many of… read more about University Course Raises Race as a Central Element of Undergraduate Education »
Hosted virtually at Duke between May 17-20, this version of the annual Frontiers of Political Science conference scholars from all around the world debated some of the main issues affecting parties and party systems in Latin America. In most Latin American countries, parties are confronted with even more skepticism, cynicism and mistrust than parties in other regions of the world. As a consequence, political parties in much of Latin America have been highly fragile, volatile vehicles of political mobilization. This… read more about Frontiers in Political Science: Latin American Party Systems Conference »
This month, we present a collection of eight Duke-authored books covering a range of environmental topics including sea-level rise, species protection, renewable energy, and the ocean floor. These books, along with many others, are available at Duke University Libraries, the Gothic Bookshop or the Regulator Bookshop. Sea Level Rise by Orrin Pilkey "Sea Level Rise" lays out the consequences… read more about Eight Duke-Authored Books on the Environment »
A new Trinity College of Arts & Sciences program offering peer mentoring to Ph.D. students in their first, second or third year at Duke will begin hosting meetings this fall, and has selected the inaugural class of fellows to lead those groups. Designed as small, interdisciplinary mentoring groups each facilitated by a peer fellow, the program aims to help students flourish in their respective doctoral programs – providing a confidential space to navigate frustrations, offering a diversity of perspectives, encouraging… read more about Trinity Launches Peer Mentoring Program for Early-Stage PhD Students »
Our long-time colleague and friend, Bill Keech, passed away, surrounded by family. Our thoughts are with his wife, Sharon, his daughter Sarah, his son Dan, his daughter-in-law, Cindy, his three grandchildren, Cody, Tommy, and KC, and Bill’s many friends. He was a giant in our discipline, a remarkable intellect, and one of the kindest and generous people one could know. We will all miss him deeply. Georg Vanberg William Robertson Keech (“… read more about In Memory of Bill Keech »
The National Science Foundation presents the Alan Waterman Award, the government’s highest honor for an early career scientist or engineer, to only two researchers every year. This year, both winners are part of the Duke community. The award will be shared by Nicholas Carnes, the Creed C. Black Associate Professor of Public Policy and Political Science in the Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke alumna Melanie Wood, a mathematician at Harvard University. Both will receive a five-year $1 million research grant. Duke… read more about Duke Faculty Member, Alumna Win Nation's Highest Honor for Early-Career Scientists and Engineers »
Six members of the Class of 2022 have been named to the inaugural class of Nakayama Scholars. Juniors Sydney Albert, Carlee Goldberg, Erica Langan, Yi Xian “Lyndon” Lee, Ahn-Huy Nguyen, and Micalyn Struble were chosen for their stellar academics, leadership and demonstrated commitment to a career in public service. The Nakayama Public Service Scholarship is part of the university’s efforts to encourage students to use their Duke experience to engage with the large challenges facing communities around the world. The… read more about Six Students Named Inaugural Nakayama Public Service Scholars »
DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University junior Carlee Goldberg is among 62 students selected nationally as 2021 Truman Scholars. The scholarship is a memorial to President Harry S. Truman. Students from every state are selected based on their leadership potential, high academic achievement and a commitment to careers in public service and advocacy. The Truman Scholarship Foundation received 845 nominations from 328 colleges and universities. Each new Truman Scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training… read more about Duke University Junior Named a Truman Scholar »
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article mentioned Grace Musila as another hire resulting from this search, selected to join the English Department. Due to a series of unanticipated circumstances and ongoing responsibilities she has in her current role with the Department of African Literature at the University of Witwatersrand, Musila will not be joining Duke this fall. A respected scholar of the political economy, Eric Mvukiyehe, will join the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences… read more about Expert on Africa to Join Trinity Faculty »
Before Donald Trump’s surprise election in 2016, students in Ian MacMullen’s politics classes listened with a collective shrug when he talked about forms of government other than democracy. No longer. Faculty who teach about politics and public policy say four years of a chaotic, unorthodox presidency has exposed democracy’s fragility. Free speech, the Constitution, trust in government leaders, etc. all took a sucker punch under Trump. But in classrooms that challenge undergraduates to think critically about democracy,… read more about Teaching Democracy in a Moment of Political Crisis »
Before Donald Trump’s surprise election in 2016, students in Ian MacMullen’s politics classes listened with a collective shrug when he talked about forms of government other than democracy. No longer. Faculty who teach about politics and public policy say four years of a chaotic, unorthodox presidency has exposed democracy’s fragility. Free speech, the Constitution, trust in government leaders, etc. all took a sucker punch under Trump. But in classrooms that challenge undergraduates to think critically about democracy,… read more about Understanding Democracy's Frailties »