"We are mourning the loss of a visionary leader who, 53 years ago, laid the cornerstone of our public policy program. Joel Fleishman’s unwavering commitment and pioneering spirit not only shaped our program and led to our Sanford School of Public Policy, but he also inspired countless students and faculty to excel and reach their outrageous ambitions. As we honor his legacy and memory, we pledge to continue the work he began with the deep commitment and care that Joel exhibited every day of his life."

- Interim Dean Manoj Mohanan

Learn More About This Visionary Leader and His Life

Civil Discourse and Democracy in Duke’s Second Century 

October 29, 6:30 – 9:00 PM GMT, The British Museum, London 

Duke Immerse is a semester-long program in which undergraduates enroll in a cluster of four courses designed by Duke faculty around a central theme. 

This semester, the Civil Discourse and Democracy program aims to provide an interdisciplinary experience for students seeking to deepen their understanding of how public debates shape – and are shaped by–policymakers, higher education, and the media. Alumni, parents, and friends of the Duke UK and Duke Europe communities are invited to meet the faculty - Sanford Faculty includes Professor Stephen Buckley and Professor Phil Napoli - and students for an evening of networking and engaging in this topic. 

Click Here To Register and To Learn More 

The 2024 Post-Election Panel: What Just Happened? 

November 7, Duke in DC Office and Virtual 

In-person: 6:30 - 8:30 PM EST 

Virtual: 7:15 - 8:30 PM EST 

We are partnering with DukeDC Women’s Forum, The Chronicle, and Duke Politics and Policy Network to host a dynamic bipartisan panel discussion with political experts addressing the key factors defining this presidential election – including the outcome of key congressional and gubernatorial races impacting the national political landscape. 

Moderator: Judy Woodruff WC'68, Senior Correspondent for PBS NewsHour. Panelists: Nia‐Malika Henderson T'96, Senior Political Analyst for CNN; Jon Hilsenrath T'89, P'20, Founder of Serpa Pinto Advisory and former correspondent for The Wall Street Journal; and Paul Teller T'93, Executive Director of Advancing American Freedom.

Click Here to Register and To Learn More 

#SanfordServes Celebrating 25 Years of the Center for Child and Family Policy

November 21, 6:00 – 8:00 PM EST, Duke Sanford 

In honor of Duke’s Centennial, Duke’s 100th class graduating in 2025, and the Sanford School’s namesake, Sanford Serves invites Duke alumni to come together around a public service mission as we celebrate the Center for Child and Family Policy (CCFP) 25th Anniversary!

We believe in planting seeds of change within our communities and with our alumni scattered around the world, and through this initiative, alumni can come together to fuel meaningful change and inspire civic engagement in our communities.

We will share a meal, hear from the Director of CCFP, Professor Jennifer Lansford, and serve together as we wrap at-home kits for The Diaper Bank of North Carolina. 

Click Here to Learn More and To Register

Rubenstein Distinguished Lecture: How to Know a Person: Bringing Humanity Back from the Brink 

October 29, 5:00 - 6:00 PM EST, Duke Penn Pavilion

Join us for our Sanford event featuring David Brooks. Based on his bestselling book, “How to Know a Person,” this talk is ultimately a guide to becoming a better person, living a more connected and fulfilling life, and repairing our torn social fabric. 

Click Here to Learn More and to Register

To celebrate the Duke Centennial, we are featuring photos of public policy alums THEN as Duke students and NOW as engaged alum. David Brackett and Margaret Brackett, both PPS’93 P’24 P’27 – THEN as students and NOW as alumni. David is a Partner at Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore and Margaret is a Lead Consultant with the Greenway Strategy Group. 

Margaret Hill Brackett PPS‘93 and David Brackett PPS‘93 "met over 30 years ago in their State and Local Public Policy pre-internship class and celebrated 26 years of marriage this year. 💙 They credit their professional successes to Sanford’s emphasis on analytical skills and succinct writing. Margaret and David are thrilled that both of their daughters have continued the family tradition of studying public policy at Duke." 

"We appreciated Sanford’s exceptional faculty and unique opportunities for students to gain practical policy experience. Sanford is even better now. We have been especially excited to see the expanded interdisciplinary possibilities for students, across fields like Global Health and Cyber-Policy.”

Duke alum, we want to feature you! Email our alumni team to learn more and share your photos to learn more and share your photos!

Sheldon Johnson MPP'15

Executive Director at

Partners Achieving Community Transformation

Johnson’s latest project exemplifies his focus on sustainability and equity. In collaboration with various partners, he is leading a pilot project to install residential solar panels in underserved neighborhoods in Central Ohio. This initiative is part of a broader effort by the Central Ohio Green Bank to pull down federal funding for green infrastructure. “The Biden administration said, if you're going to pull down these dollars, you’ve got to show us that you're doing equity work... that this is happening in Brown and Black communities,” Johnson explains.

Click Here to Learn More About Sheldon's Journey

Each month, we want to share updates from our alumni.

Do you have a new job? Receive a promotion or an award?

Celebrating a wedding, birth, or other milestone?

Thank you to our amazing alumni who recently volunteered!

Abby Snyder MPP'19 - Alfarisi Muslim MIDP'20 - Alison Goetsch MPP'09

Amanda Ayers MPP'19 - Arturo Reyes PPS'18 - Brandon Busteed PPS'99

Brittany Gabriel MPP'24 - Christian Lara MIDP'19 - Diah Handayani MIDP'18

Dwinanda Ardhi Swasono MIDP'19 - Emma Tessier MPP'14

Ferianto Wardani MIDP'24 - James Toscano PPS'21 - Kevin O'Niel MPP'24

Nina Thomas-Diggs MPP'14 - Rhea Ninan MPP'22 - Ryan Nugraha MIDP'18

Sebastian Borda PPS'20 - Vivian Kan MPP'15 - Widy Setiawan MIDP'23

Your participation brings invaluable knowledge and experience to the table for fellow alumni and current students, and we greatly appreciate your efforts. As a Duke alum, your unique experiences and talents have the power to make a difference in the lives of others. Consider lending your support as a volunteer to strengthen the Duke network while giving back.  

Sanford School Alumni & Giving 

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