Off the Top...

2025 Student Commencement Speakers: Different Backgrounds, One Special Day

This week, Duke announced the undergraduate and graduate student commencement speakers for the Class of 2025: Danica Bajaj and Lucas Vaughan. The two students will share their diverse and inspiring stories in their speeches, with Bajaj, a first-generation Indian-American and Robertson Scholar, reflecting on building community and hope after the pandemic, highlighting her work in student life and public health. Vaughan, a former rodeo rider and Army special operations veteran, will speak on finding belonging and purpose at Duke while studying national security and cyber policy.

Commencement Speakers

Federally Funded Research at Duke...

How Public Supported Studies Bring This Researcher and Patient Closer to a Cure for Alzheimer’s

Federal funding is critical to the work of the Duke & UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, enabling scientists like Dr. Heather Whitson to track patients and those at genetic risk in search of early interventions and potential cures. Backed by the National Institutes of Health, the center’s research is part of a nationwide network, collecting long-term data that would be impossible without sustained investment. Patients like Mary Beth Humphrey, who carries a high genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, see this work as a vital bridge to future treatments.

The work of this center was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Working for a Cure

The Duke Mouse Brain Atlas Promises to Accelerate Studies of Neurological Disorders

A new tool developed by a team of Duke research could significantly enhance research into neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s. The new Duke Mouse Brain Atlas offers a groundbreaking, ultra-detailed 3D map of the mouse brain that will provide an accurate, shared reference of brain structures—from large regions down to individual cells—the atlas allows scientists to more precisely measure brain changes and compare findings across studies. Its open-access format makes it a powerful tool for both advanced researchers and educators. This resource is already being used to track neurodegeneration and study the effects of toxic exposures, accelerating progress toward better treatments and understanding of brain disorders.

This study was supported with funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Neurological Disorder Studies

More from Duke...

Duke Athletics Returns the Support to the Durham Community

Duke student-athletes wrapped up their academic year by giving back to the Durham community during a week of service in April. Partnering with local organizations like the Emily K Center, Duke Campus Farm and the Ronald McDonald House, volunteers supported cancer patients, tutored youth, tended gardens, and led sports activities. The initiative is part of Duke Athletics’ ongoing “Days of Service” campaign, aimed at deepening ties with the local community.

Athletics Gives Back

Two Duke Faculty Elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Two Duke faculty members, William Darity, Jr. and Jonathan Mattingly, have been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, joining nearly 250 distinguished leaders across disciplines. Darity, a prominent scholar of inequality and director of Duke’s Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, is known for his work on inequality by race, class and ethnicity, stratification economics, schooling and the racial achievement gap. Mattingly, a mathematics professor, is recognized for his research on randomness in natural and social systems, including his influential work on gerrymandering. Their election underscores Duke’s continued impact on scholarship, policy, and public service.

AAAS Electees

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