Trinity Communications
One of the most important jazz composers in American history. A mentor and outspoken advocate for scholars of race. The preeminent physiologist of the second half of the 20thcentury. A pioneering model for women.
For more than a century, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has been home to renowned anddiscipline-definingacademics. The research and scholarshipforegroundedby thesethoughtleaders influenced their respective fieldsand created new subfields in areasfrom math and physics to sociology and literature. They fostered lasting legacies of academic excellence thatelevated the reputation ofDukeUniversity far beyond its regional roots.
Hear from a new generation of faculty leaders—andcelebratedscholars in their own right—who have been mentored, influencedand encouraged by these titans of their fields, andwhoare following their paths and forging new onesinto Duke’s second century.
A Journey Through the Musical World of Mary Lou Williams
Written by Anthony M. Kelley, Professor of the Practice of Music
This is a story of inspirational mentorship and the impact of Duke history on cultural life. It’s also a story of one of the most important musical compositions by one of the most important jazz composers in America’s history. Keep reading.
By Studying Extreme Environments, Knut Schmidt-Nielsen Reoriented Biology
Written by H. Frederik Nijhout, John Franklin Crowell Distinguished Professor of Biology
Schmidt-Nielsen is probably best known for his discovery of how camels survive in the desert,walking in full sun without drinking for weeks. Keep reading.
Liz Clark Turned Early Christianity History Into an Entirely Different Field
Written by Jennifer Knust, Professor of Religious Studies
Clark committed herself to an orderly disruption of a moribund status quo and transformed the history of early Christianity into an entirely different field of study.Keep reading.
"Though I never knew her well, I knew of her — everyone did. She was a mentor to my mentor, and her scholarship has challenged me, again and again, to think in more disciplined, critical and expansive ways."
Jennifer Knust, Professor of Religious Studies onElizabeth A. Clark
John Aldrich's Visionary and Contrarian Analysis of American Politics
Written by Herbert Kitschelt, George V. Allen Distinguished Professor of International Relations
Aldrich’s scholarship has been visionary, anticipating developments in American politics that have come to full realization only recently. Keep reading.
The Images of a Legendary Female Mathematician
Written by Cynthia Rudin, Earl D. McLean, Jr. Professor of Computer Science
Daubechies invented a really elegant way of storing the important information within images while preserving edges and allowing compression. Keep reading.
Ned Jones Changed the Way We Understand Social Stigma
Written by Maureen Craig, Associate Research Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience
Jones explained how some people come to be seen as “normal” and others as “deviant." Keep reading.
Anyone who has seen this math cannot help but be stunned by its elegance, and the derivation boosted Ingrid into legendary status among the mathematical world as well as among electrical engineers.
Cynthia Rudin, Earl D. McLean, Jr. Professor of Computer Science on IngridDaubechies
From Cells to Crops, Philip Benfey Found Keys to Success in the Hidden Half of Plants
Written by Lucia Strader, Professor of Biology
At Duke, Benfey's influence is apparent in his drive to bridge the gap between basic sciences and translation, and in his commitment to apply basic science discoveries to real-world challenges. Keep reading.
How Eduardo Bonilla-Silva Changed Our Understanding of Racism
Written byHedwig Lee, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Sociology
Bonilla-Silva makes clear: “Systematic racism is not about ‘the racists,’ but about the racism.”Keep reading.
Casting New Eyes Onto Queer Theory Through Eve Sedgwick’s White Glasses
Written by Kimberly Kay Lamm, Associate Professor of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies and Art, Art History and Visual Studies
For Sedgwick, queer theory was much more than an academic field devoted to thinking about gay and lesbian sexualities. Keep reading.
"Bonilla-Silva supports the work of scholars of color and scholarship in race and racism that is often pushed to the margins and delegitimated in academia. He has been a mentor and outspoken advocate for countless scholars of race even when doing so has negatively impacted his own career and well-being."
Hedwig Lee, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Sociology on Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
From LA Hotels to Economic Theory, Fredric Jameson’s Multifaceted Analysis of the Present
Written by Michael Hardt, Professor of Literature
We do live in a new era, Jameson maintained, but it is not characterized by the free play of meanings or instability of truth that postmodernists imagined. Keep reading.
Henry Newson Leaves a Legacy of Innovation and Institution Building
Written byHaiyan Gao, Henry W. Newson Distinguished Professor of Physics
Newson was a leader and an institution builder who left a lasting impact on nuclear physics and the nuclear physics community. Keep reading.
75 Years After Publishing His Magnum Opus, John Hope Franklin Is Still an Inspiration
Written by Adriane Lentz-Smith, Associate Professor of History
One could not understand what America was and is, Franklin asserted, without knowing African American history. Keep reading.
