We asked some of our rock star alumni to tell us, in their own words, just how Duke prepared them for their success. These are their very personal essays.
MADE FOR THIS
33 stories in this collection
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Alumni
A Turning Point
Deb LiuDeb Liu
Technology Executive
B.S.E.’98 Civil Engineering
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Alumni
Nothing Can Overwhelm Me
Michael SorrellMichael Sorrell
President of Paul Quinn College
M.P.P.’90 Public Policy Studies; J.D.’94 Law
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Alumni
Seeds of a Career
Jane Anderson TerleskyJane Anderson Terlesky
Film and television actress as Jayne Brook
’82 Drama
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Alumni
The Perfect Fit
Ted KaufmanTed Kaufman
Former U.S. senator from Delaware
Presidential Citizens Medal recipient
B.S.E.’60 Mechanical Engineering
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Alumni
Determination and Teamwork
Luisa VegaLuisa Vega
Founder and CEO, Psych Health Associates
M.S.N.'13 Nursing; D.N.P.'14 Doctor of Nursing Practice
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Alumni
A Sense of Belonging
Melissa BernsteinMelissa Bernstein
Co-founder of Melissa & Doug toy company
Duke trustee
’87 Public Policy Studies
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Alumni
On a Great Team
Scott RosenfeldScott Rosenfeld
Professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine
Team doctor for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
’97 Psychology -
Alumni
Breaking Barriers
Ibtihaj MuhammadIbtihaj Muhammad
U.S. Olympic medalist in fencing
Children's book author
’07 International Comparative Studies -
Alumni
Safe Haven and Sanctuary
Lisa BordersLisa Borders
Business executive
Former president of the WNBA
Duke trustee
’79 French -
Alumni
Critical Life Skills
Deborah Lee JamesDeborah Lee James
Business and government executive
Former U.S. secretary of the Air Force
’79 Comparative Studies -
Alumni
Linking Science and Policy
Chad NelsenChad Nelsen
CEO of Surfrider Foundation
M.E.M.’96 Coastal Environmental Management -
Alumni
It's a Family
Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Moore Capito
U.S. Senator from West Virginia
1970, Zoology
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Alumni
Improvement and Innovation
Joseph TurekJoseph Turek
Duke chief of pediatric cardiac surgery
M.B.A.’20 -
Alumni
Working Harder and Smarter
Carmichael RobertsCarmichael Roberts
Co-founder and managing partner of Material Impact
Duke trustee
’90 Chemistry; Ph.D.’95 Chemistry -
Alumni
With You for Life
Tarang AminTarang Amin
Chairman and CEO of e.l.f. Beauty
’87 Public Policy Studies
M.B.A.’91 -
Alumni
Confidence and Hope
Adam SilverAdam Silver
Commissioner of the NBA
Chair of Duke Board of Trustees
’84 Political Science -
Alumni
Finding True North
Danny WerfelDanny Werfel
Business executive
Former IRS commissioner
M.P.P.’97 Public Policy Studies -
Alumni
The Fight for Change
Cameron OglesbyCameron Oglesby
Environmental justice advocate
Senior officer at Climate United
’21 Environmental Science and Policy
M.P.P.’23 Public Policy Studies
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Alumni
Learning By Listening
Tim CookTim Cook
CEO Apple
Duke trustee
M.B.A.’88 Management -
Alumni
The Foundation for Everything
Scott PetersScott Peters
U.S. representative from California
’80 Political Science
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Alumni
A Domino in the Chain
Leslie Olonyi BosireLeslie Olonyi Bosire
Environmental and natural resources lawyer
LL.M.’20 Law
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Alumni
Meaningful Change
Taylor PriceTaylor Price
Senior manager, global sustainability, AptarGroup Inc.
M.E.M.’18 Environmental Economics and Policy -
Alumni
A Vast New World
Anne CC LeeAnne CC Lee
Global maternal child health researcher
Levinger Family Professor of Pediatrics at Brown University
B.S.E.’96 Biomedical Engineering
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Alumni
Terry Sanford's Legacy
Dan BlueDan Blue
North Carolina state senator
J.D.’73 Law -
Alumni
A Brilliant Pond
Kelli LuginbuhlKelli Luginbuhl
Co-founder and CEO of Isolere Bio Inc.
M.S.E.’14 Biomedical Engineering
Ph.D.’17 Biomedical Engineering
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Alumni
The Value of Teamwork
Rob CaliffRob Califf
Cardiologist, professor and former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
’73 Psychology
M.D.’78 -
Alumni
A Passion for Service
Angela AlsobrooksAngela Alsobrooks
U.S. senator from Maryland
’93 Public Policy Studies -
Alumni
Inflection Points
Annabeth GishAnnabeth Gish
Film and television actress
’93 English -
Alumni
Entrepreneurial Vision
John AntonelliJohn Antonelli
Co-founder of Real social sports platform
’23 Computer Science -
Alumni
Duke Made Me
Jay BilasJay Bilas
ESPN basketball analyst
Former Duke basketball star and assistant coach
’86 Political Science
J.D.’92 Law -
Alumni
Open to the Unexpected
Valerie HillingsValerie Hillings
Director of the North Carolina Museum of Art
’93 Art and Art History -
Alumni
It Is People
Yoav LurieYoav Lurie
SaaS entrepreneur
Founder Simple Energy (now Uplight)
’05, Public Policy Studies -
Alumni
Inspiring a Late Bloomer
William KaelinWilliam Kaelin Recipient of 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Sidney Farber Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School ’79 Mathematics and Chemistry M.D.’83