Welcome to Elevate, a monthly newsletter from the Office for Culture, Engagement, and Impact. Elevate is distributed to faculty, staff, and students in the Duke University School of Medicine. In this issue, we highlight a Financial Leadership Series aimed at empowering physical therapy and occupational therapy students at Duke. We also share recent news stories, resources, and coming events.

When Tiffany Adams, PT, DPT, MBA, PhD, was a physical therapy student, navigating loans, budgeting, and managing debt felt like stumbling in the dark. The same was true for Tomeico Faison, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, during her time as an occupational therapy student. Both came from families where financial literacy wasn’t commonplace, making the process of funding their education anything but intuitive.

Now as leaders within health professions programs at Duke, the two decided to change that narrative for today’s students. Nearly five years ago, they partnered to create the Duke OTD & DPT Financial Leadership Series, an initiative designed to empower future health professionals with the knowledge and strategies they never had.

Following a university-wide process to collect input from the community, the Office for Institutional Equity shared the final version of Duke’s Inclusive Excellence principles, a set of standards to guide Duke’s efforts to build an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students, faculty, and staff. Vice President for Institutional Equity Kim Hewitt discusses the principles and how culture and belonging are evolving across the institution.

The Duke Collaborative to Advance Clinical Health Equity (CACHE) is now accepting proposals for projects that leverage CACHE resources to identify, address, and eliminate disparities in health care. Letters of intent are due January 22.

In November, Duke Children’s and Duke Pediatrics proudly partnered with the Durham Museum of Life and Science to host this year’s Teddy Bear Hospital — an interactive, family-centered event designed to help children learn about health care in a fun, engaging, and comforting environment. The event highlighted Duke Pediatrics’ commitment to community engagement, education, and creating welcoming experiences for children and families.

33rd Annual Duke SNMA MLK Banquet
January 17
Trent Semans Center Great Hall

Join the Duke University Chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) for this event, which celebrates the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and showcases SNMA’s commitment to service, advocacy, and community.

MaryAnn Black Distinguished Health Equity Symposium 2026
February 5 • 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Durham Convention Center
301 W. Morgan St., Durham, NC

Join Duke Cancer Institute Community Outreach and Engagement for this symposium honoring the legacy of MaryAnn Black. Featuring keynote speaker Mel Mann, the longest-living Gleevec (TKI) survivor whose advocacy helped expand the national bone marrow registry.

2026 Women’s Health Research Symposium
February 6 • 8 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
Trent Semans Center Great Hall

Faculty, fellows, postdocs, students, and staff from any discipline are invited to attend this symposium organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program. The 10th annual event, a scientific meeting on all aspects of women's health, will feature scholar presentations, roundtable lunch discussions, and two panels.

2026 Samuel DuBois Cook Awards
February 9 • 5 p.m.
Penn Pavilion

Each year, the Samuel DuBois Cook Society honors Duke staff, administrators, faculty, and students and local community members whose work, research, and service reflect Dr. Cook’s social activism and leadership. Members of the Duke and surrounding community are invited to attend.

January Holidays and Observances

January 1: New Year's Day

January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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