Dear Sanford Alumni and Friends,

I’m honored to send warm February greetings on behalf of the vibrant intellectual community at the Sanford School of Public Policy. While every year as a faculty member at Sanford is special, this year holds a particular place in my heart because it marks not only Duke University’s centennial year, but also my 10th year as a member of this wonderful community.   

Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of working with thousands of Duke students as they work to acquire an interdisciplinary set of tools to solve problems and help make the world a better place. In the classroom, our students have engaged in deep conversations about concepts like policy feedback—the idea that public policies have the capacity to shape politics—that provide valuable tools for understanding the nuances of policymaking and policy outcomes.

Click Here to Read More

Deondra Rose

Kevin D. Gorter Associate Professor of Public Policy, Political Science, and History 

2023-24 Duke University Presidential Fellow 

Director, Polis: Center for Politics 

Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 

Terry Sanford is one of North Carolina and Duke’s most influential, servant-minded figures, known for his outrageous ambition and belief in service-learning. He dedicated his life to ethical leadership and public life, qualities that form the core of the Duke Sanford's mission. In honor of Duke’s Centennial and the Sanford School’s namesake, we are inviting Duke alumni from all over the world to join us in committing to 100 hours of public service. 

We invite our alumni to come together around a public service mission and service- learning opportunity of your choosing to commit your time and resources to addressing this opportunity, and to reflect on how you, as an engaged citizen, can show leadership in moving your community forward. Collectively, we will serve 100 hours, whether you set aside 30 minutes or 3 hours, your time will help us reach our goal!

Alumni Engagement 101 - Why? How?

Feb. 13, 6:00 - 8:00 PM EST - Washington, D.C.

Are you a recent Duke Public Policy graduate? Do you miss Duke and your Duke friends? Do you wish you had more social and professional connections in D.C.?  We invite you to meet and mingle with other recent grads, along with Duke Public Policy alumni in D.C. who serve as regional leaders and engage as Duke volunteers. Join us (there will be door prizes and food!) as we share space to network amongst local alumni in the region and learn about exciting opportunities at Sanford. 

Click Here to Register

Sanford Alumni and Student Mixer 

Feb. 27, 6:00 - 7:30 PM EST - Duke Campus

Calling all Duke Alumni located in the Triangle who work in the government or non-profit related sectors.  Please join us for an alumni-student networking reception. We hope this will be a chance for you to see some old friends, as well as help students learn from alumni working in the policy space. 

This event is co-hosted by Sanford Career Services and the Sanford Development and Alumni Relations office.

Click Here to Register 

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent – Virtual Book Discussion

March 6, 7:00 – 8:00 PM EST – Zoom

We invite our alumni to read along to Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents and join us for a discussion facilitated by Cassandra Boyd, Sanford’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Why did we select this book? Wilkerson will be on campus giving a lecture and this is a way to bring a bit of campus to our alumni everywhere.

Grab your copy today and happy reading!

Click Here to Join Us

Professor Frank Bruni at the NY Times 

April 18, 6:30 – 8:30 PM EST, New York City 

Registration and details to come.

D.C. Summer Social 

May 15, 5:30 – 7:30 PM EST, Washington D.C.

Registration and details to come.

A Business Breakfast with Ronnie Chatterji 

Feb. 7, 7:30 - 9:00 AM EST – Duke in D.C.

The Duke DC Professional Development Committee invites alumni and current parents to a conversation with Ronnie Chatterji, Fuqua and Sanford Professor of Business and Public Policy and former White House CHIPS coordinator for President Biden. 

Discussions will include issues at the intersection of academia, public policy and business, while investigating the most important forces shaping our economy and society. Click Here to Register

Empowering Eaters: Access, Affordability, Healthy Choices

March 3, 12:30 - 4:00 PM EST - Livestream

Food Tank, in partnership with Duke Sanford's World Food Policy Center, will hold a Summit to discuss the Strategy’s implementation, specifically through empowering eaters with access, affordability and healthy choices.   

Click Here to Register

Frank Emory PPS'79 

EVP, Chief Legal Officer

Novant Health, Inc.

First elected to Duke student body president in 1977, Frank has utilized the lessons he learned from his meetings with President Sanford and his public policy studies to build a career of leadership and service. Frank is executive vice president and chief legal officer for Novant Health, which includes a network of over 30,000 employees and serves over four million patients annually. In this role, he oversees legal and government relations, risk management, corporate audits, and compliance. As a leader, he is reminded daily of the example he saw from his parents and his meetings with President Terry Sanford.

Click here to read more about Frank's journey as an alum

As Sanford alums, you can be confident that your school is making the world a better place. Today, the Sanford School stands as one of Duke's defining aspects of the university’s century of excellence. This report unfolds the narrative of the past five years, showcasing dozens of impactful examples—a testament to over 50 years of shaping public policy for the better. Read the Full Report

Hats Off To Duke Sanford Public Policy!

Imagine This: Over 92% of contributions to the Sanford Annual Fund directly fuel the ambitions and goals of our students by providing financial aid, scholarships, and internships. Now is your chance to make a difference and showcase your generosity during our Winter Campaign!

Don't miss out on this special opportunity! From Feb. 27th to 29th, 2024, make a gift and receive an exclusive Sanford beanie as a tip of the hat of our gratitude for your incredible support!

 Click Here to Support Today!

On January 9, Duke launched our Centennial celebration. We are marking the occasion by featuring photos of public policy alumni – THEN as Duke students and NOW as engaged alum. Our second featured Alumni is Vanessa Agudelo PPS’ 19, currently a member of the Sanford Board of Visitors, J.D. Candidate at Harvard Law School, and Volunteer Legal Intern at U.S. Department of Justice. 

Duke alum, we want to feature you! Email our alumni team at maggie.stroud@duke.edu to learn more and share your photos!

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?

Duke Continuing Studies - Climate and Sustainability Summer Institute 

As the effects of climate change are felt across the globe, the time is now for enacting sustainable, climate-smart policies and solutions. This course is designed for motivated, early to mid-career professionals in careers related to policy who are interested in building a stronger foundation of knowledge in climate and sustainability. 

Click Here to Learn More and Apply 

Thank you to our amazing alumni volunteers who served in January.

Aaron Cohen MPP'19 - Abe Katz MPP'18 - Alan Medina MIDP'22

 Anne Bacon MPP’95 - Ari Panzer MPP'23 - Austen Edwards MPP'16

Bethany Old MIDP'22 - Celine Villongco MPP'16 - Chris Schwinden MPP'11

Cihang Yuan MPP'17 - Daniel Adams MPP'21 - Diana Campos MIDP'22

Elizabeth Paul MPP’23 - Emily Haji PPS'00 - Erin Moffitt MPP'19

Freddy Serrano-Jimenez MPP'22 - Gonzalo Meneses MIDP'23 - Jacquie Ayala MPP'21

Janie McDermott MPP'21 - Jeffrey Clark MPP'06 - Jen DeNeal MPP'13

Jess Wilkinson MPP’19 - Jide Olutoke MPP'23 - Julie Snyder MPP'20

Katie Dukes MPP’21 - Lee Foster MPP'21 - Leonardo Rueda Gil MIDP'23

Liam Miranda MPP'21 - Lindsay Robinson MPP’15 - Lusine Stepanyan MIDP'20

Marie Veyrier MIDP'15 - Mary Grace Stoneking MPP’21 - Max Irvine MPP'15

Melissa Roark MPP'19 - Meril Pothen MPP'20 - Monica Wassell MPP'95

Nada Hussein MPP’22 - Nasr Ibrahim MIDP'23 - Neil Harrington MPP'22

Ola Hossni MIDP'21 - Richard Gittings MPP’19 - Sabrina Davis MPP'20

Sally Hodges-Copple MPP’21 - Sarah Brotman MPP'23 - Will Shipman MPP'22

Sarhang Hama Saeed MIDP '07 - Yori Hook MPP'23 - Zach Sanna MPP'22

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 and strengthen the Duke network while giving back.  

Sanford School Alumni & Giving 

Copyright (C) 2024 SSPP Duke, all rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are a member of the Sanford community.

Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy
201 Science Drive
Durham, NC, 27708, United States