Off the Top...

Duke’s Commitment to Community Engagement Earns National Recognition

Duke’s longstanding commitment to community engagement has once again been nationally recognized, with the university earning the 2026 Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement--its third time receiving the honor. From first‑year engineering students collaborating with Durham partners to Bass Connections teams working year‑round with local nonprofits, community partnership is woven into Duke’s academic and campus culture through faculty, staff and students. The renewed classification highlights Duke’s strategic goal to “Partner With Purpose” and strengthen relationships that improve health and well‑being across Durham and North Carolina.

Engagement Earns Recognition

Federally Funded Research at Duke...

Duke Researchers Find a New Weakness in Cancer Cells

Duke researchers have identified a new weak point in cancer cells that could lead to more effective treatments. The team found that cancer cells become especially vulnerable during the brief moments when they shift into new states that help them spread or resist therapy. Targeting cells during this transitional window could help stop tumors before they grow or metastasize, potentially improving outcomes for patients whose cancers are hard to treat. The discovery also opens opportunities to refine existing therapies and explore similar vulnerabilities across many cancer types.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

New Weakness

More from Duke...

Hello from Milan: Duke Olympian Checks In

Duke undergraduate Eunice Lee is back on the world stage for her second Winter Olympics, but this time she’s experiencing the Games in full. After competing in Beijing under strict pandemic restrictions, Lee said she is now able to enjoy the energy of Milan: cheering on teammates, meeting fellow athletes and preparing to race in the women’s 3,000‑meter relay in short-track speed skating. Lee said that being part of Team USA has given her the chance to see her training pay off and to witness her teammates’ performances up close. Lee is taking a short break from her Duke studies to focus on the Olympics, returning to campus as a sophomore after the Games.

Hello from Milan

Duke Alum Receives Oscar Nomination for Documentary

Duke alumnus Ryan White has been nominated for an Academy Award for Come See Me in the Good Light, a documentary that follows poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley through love, creativity and the challenges of an incurable cancer diagnosis. The film premiered at Sundance and has since earned multiple festival honors. White traces his filmmaking roots to Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies, where early mentorship and hands‑on experiences shaped his approach to storytelling. Since graduating, he has built a career directing documentaries for major platforms including Netflix, HBO and Apple.

Oscar Nom

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