Category: Campus

Trinity Scholarships Awarded to First-Year Students from NC

Trinity Scholarships Awarded to First-Year Students from NC

DURHAM, N.C. — Five incoming first-year students from North Carolina have been awarded the Trinity Scholarship.

The Trinity Scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, room, board and mandatory fees for four years of undergraduate education. The scholarships also provide recipients with access to funding for domestic and international experiences, including opportunities for independent research both in the summer and during the academic year. The full value of each scholarship is estimated to be more than $315,000 over four years.

The scholarships were established by Duke alumni to honor the university's origins as Trinity College in Randolph County. There are numerous Trinity Scholarships, each funded by different donors. New scholars are named when current scholars graduate.

The Class of 2024 recipients are:

  • Elizabeth Boger from High Point, North Carolina, a graduate of High Point Central High School, will receive the John C. and Martha B. Slane Trinity Scholarship
     
  • Emily Leung from High Point, North Carolina, a graduate of St. Mary’s School in Raleigh, North Carolina, will receive the Doris Stroupe Slane Trinity Scholarship
     
  • Noah Harris from Morganton, North Carolina, a graduate of Freedom High School, will receive the Susan F. Beischer, George D. Beischer, and Frances Hill Fox Trinity Scholarship
     
  • Catherine Price from Greensboro, North Carolina, a graduate of Northern Guilford High School, will receive the Cassell/Saperstein Trinity Scholarship
     
  • Mia Woodruff from Midway, North Carolina, a graduate of Oak Grove High School, will receive the David L. Maynard Family Trinity Scholarship

For more information about the incoming class of Trinity Scholars, visit the scholarship’s website at https://www.ousf.duke.edu/page/Trin. 

 

New Guidelines Seek to Advance Value-Based Payment Reform in Health Care

DURHAM, N.C. – New guidelines provide the U.S. health system with a roadmap for shifting faster toward a system that rewards providers based on patient health outcomes rather than the number of services provided.

The Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and West Health issued the two strategic roadmaps last week with recommendations for advancing the value-based payment reform.

Instead of paying for each individual service provided, value-based payment models use arrangements like small upfront payments for each patient or a lump-sum payment for a particular treatment (i.e., the birth of a child or a knee replacement) — allowing providers more flexibility to determine the best way to provide care to a patient.

Organizations can receive additional payments for achieving certain outcomes or improving quality, and can share the savings they achieve.

“Many health systems leading the response to COVID-19 are succeeding in part because of their participation in payment models that have allowed them to build the infrastructure and capabilities necessary to deliver patient-centered, high-value care,” said Mark McClellan, director of Duke-Margolis, who previously served as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Identifying and disseminating best practices from these organizations is crucial for ensuring that our health care system can act effectively, both at this critical time and in the future.”

Implementing value-based care and payment models has become a cornerstone for reform efforts seeking to lower skyrocketing health care costs and improve the quality of care. However, widespread adoption of value-based payment models has been slower than expected; most care is still driven by fee-for-service payment, and existing programs have produced only modest cost savings.

The roadmaps from Duke-Margolis and West Health will serve as the centerpiece of a three-year education, training and research initiative aimed at accelerating the shift from volume- to value-driven care, both nationwide and through state-specific efforts.

The initiative also will target research on issues like COVID-19, applying insights from key payment and delivery reforms to help improve the health system’s response.       

The state and national roadmaps provide guidance on implementing value-based payment models through the reduction or elimination of low-value care, improved patient engagement and alignment of payment reforms across multiple providers.

The guidelines also address how new models can expand access to payment reform for specialty care providers and to improve treatment of seriously ill patients.

The effort’s ultimate goal is to reduce hurdles to the expansion of reasonably priced, high-quality care.
“Despite significant progress and interest in value-based payment reform, policy and procedural barriers remain at both the state and national levels,” said Timothy A. Lash, president of the West Health Policy Center and chief strategy officer of the nonprofit West Health, a family of organizations focused on lowering health care costs to enable seniors to successfully age in place.

“Our three-year initiative with Duke-Margolis will help address these barriers and provide a way forward that could lead to better health for millions of people and a significant reduction in the cost of care.”

Click here to download “A Roadmap to Accelerate National Value-Based Payment Reform: Filling in the Missing Pieces” and “A Roadmap for Effective State Leadership in Value-Based Payment Reform.”

Thinking Nationally, Acting Locally: Duke Community Speaks Out About Racism in Society and at Home

Thinking Nationally, Acting Locally: Duke Community Speaks Out About Racism in Society and at Home

The university flag was lowered Thursday to honor George Floyd. In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by Minneapolis police, it was a week in which many Duke faculty, staff and students went into their communities to raise voices and seek solutions to deep issues of institutional racism in this country.

In addition, even as many people continue to work and study remotely, members of the university community also came together to work on what can be done on those same issues at Duke.

The activity came with the encouragement of President Vincent E. Price, who at the beginning of the week sent a message acknowledging the pain many felt in the aftermath of Floyd's death. In a message to the Duke community, Price encouraged the community to help Duke "continue the work of addressing generations of racism and injustice, of seeking ways to approach one another with respect, and of building communities that are truly safe, supportive and inclusive for all."

Likewise, A. Eugene Washington, M.D., chancellor for health affairs, shared how the killing felt personal to him. "Like many of you, I am feeling vulnerable and afraid for my community, my colleagues, my friends, and my family. As a black man, these events hit particularly close to home."

From virtual town halls and other online forums to reaching out in support of co-workers to development of anti-bias programs for the campus, individuals across the university looked to go beyond statements and find specific ways to enact change.

Nadine Barrett, an assistant professor of community and family medicine, contacted university officials about lowering the flag to honor George Floyd and to arrange a virtual campus gathering to participate in the NAACP’s national moment of silence in Floyd’s honor.

More than 650 faculty, staff and students from both the campus and the health system participated in the moment of silence. (All flags will be lowered again on Saturday at the request of Gov. Roy Cooper to honor Floyd, who was a North Carolina native.)

Student groups also got involved: The Black Student Association posted in the Chronicle a comprehensive statement referencing both national and campus issues and telling black students at Duke that there was a welcoming community for them on campus. “You are cherished greatly, and our community would be nothing without each and every one of you,” the statement said.

A selection of statements made by university units and leaders can be found on Duke Today.

Several schools held or planned open forums to discuss issues of race and bias:

  • Sanford held a series of community conversations this week led by three faculty of its Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.
  • Fuqua will hold on June 9 a Thought Leader Lunch on Now What Can We Do? (Race)
  • Nursing had a large turnout for its monthly community diversity meeting. Dean Marion Broome described the conversation as “difficult, challenging, raw and so sad” and added that she would not be able to capture in words “the tears, frustration, questioning, angst and pain shared on Friday.” But she also said the meeting offered hope that it was “the beginning of renewed attention to how we live in community.”
  • Law and other units have similar events scheduled in the coming weeks.

Other efforts looked to provide support to African-American members of the university community and others who were deeply affected by Floyd’s killing. Using the expertise of their public policy faculty, the Sanford School posted a website of educational resources for discussions about race and bias.

Likewise, Vice Provosts Mary Pat McMahon and Gary Bennett wrote students to share wellness and support resources and outlined further actions to address racism on campus.

These new steps include revising the student harassment policy with more concrete response protocols that address incidents of hate and bias by the Fall 2020 semester; developing anti-racist and anti-bias programs and resources for faculty and their academic units; and adding new anti-bias programming for orientation.

And the Office of Institutional Equity posted a list of resources addressing different facets and dimensions of structural racism and inequities. The website takes resources both from Duke and from across the country that explore historical, economic, legal and social issues of racism and other biases.

In a prelude to the resources, OIE Vice President Kim Hewitt and Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement Abbas Benmamoun wrote that as a university, Duke has a responsibility to share the knowledge that can help society move forward, even on long-standing systematic issues such as racism.

They added that the most difficult times also sometimes provide the energy to work toward a solution: “As a Duke community with its own difficult history of racism and discrimination, particularly towards black people, the path towards racial equity is one that has included progress and challenges, but we are hopeful that the galvanizing spirit of this tragic moment and our collective community's talents and energy will merge to create a trajectory towards a better tomorrow.”

Karsh International Scholarships Awarded to Incoming Duke Students

Karsh International Scholarships Awarded to Incoming Duke Students

DURHAM, N.C. — Four rising first-year students have been awarded the Karsh International Scholarship to pursue their undergraduate studies at Duke University.

The Karsh International Scholarship is awarded to intellectually and civically engaged international students who promote interdisciplinary inquiry, academic research and scholarship in the service of society.

The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, room, board and mandatory fees for four years of undergraduate education. Karsh International Scholars also have access to funding for domestic and international experiences, including opportunities for independent research both in the summer and during the academic year.  Based on estimated tuition rates over a four-year period, the scholarship is worth over $315,000.

The Class of 2024 scholarship recipients are:

Chika Dueke-Eze of Enugu, Nigeria, a graduate of King’s College, Lagos, Nigeria
Chika Dueke-Eze
 

Arran Fearn of Nercwys, Flintshire, Wales, a graduate of Eton College, Windsor, England, United Kingdom
Arran Fearn
 

Henrietta Rye of Afrancho, Ashanti Region, Ghana, a graduate of Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School, Kumasi, Ghana
Henrietta Rye
 

Nathaniel Wullar of Wegbe Kpalime, Ghana, a graduate of Presbyterian Boys Senior High School in Ghana

Nathaniel Wullar
 

For more information about the Karsh International Scholarship, visit https://www.ousf.duke.edu/page/Karsh.

 

11 Incoming Students Awarded A.B. Duke Scholarships

11 Incoming Students Awarded A.B. Duke Scholarships

DURHAM, N.C. — Eleven high school seniors have been awarded the Angier B. Duke Memorial Scholarship to pursue their undergraduate studies at Duke University.

The scholarship aims to foster intellectual leadership and is awarded to students who show outstanding promise.

The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, room, board and mandatory fees for four years of undergraduate education. In addition, A.B. Duke scholars have access to funding for domestic and international experiences, including opportunities for independent research both in the summer and during the academic year.

The full value of each scholarship is estimated at more than $315,000 over four years.

The awards stem from the Angier B. Duke Memorial Inc., which Duke University co-founder Benjamin Newton Duke established in 1925 in memory of his son, Angier Buchanan Duke.

The class of 2024 recipients are:

Elizabeth Berenguer of Hialeah, Florida, a graduate of Jose Marti Math and Science Technology 6-12 AcademyElizabeth Berenguer

Andres Cordoba of Ames, Iowa, a graduate of Ames High SchoolAndres Cordoba

Beatriz De Oliveira of San Diego, California, a graduate of Torrey Pines High SchoolBeatriz De Oliveria

Katherine Heath of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a graduate of Bloomfield Hills High SchoolKatherine Heath

Katherine Holo of Bellevue, Washington, a graduate of Interlake High SchoolKatherine Holo

Amber Miranda of Dallas, Texas, a graduate of the School for the Talented and GiftedAmber Miranda

Sophie Munro of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, a graduate of Palos Verdes High SchoolSophie Munro

Sasamon Omoma of Acworth, Georgia, a graduate of Kennesaw Mountain High SchoolSasamon Omoma

Madeline Rubin of Roslyn Heights, New York, a graduate Roslyn High SchoolMadeline Rubin

Herbert Wang of Hinsdale, Illinois, a graduate of Hinsdale Central High SchoolHerbert Wang

Emily Zhao of Germantown, Maryland, a graduate of Richard Montgomery High SchoolEmily Zhao

 

For more information about the A.B. Duke Memorial Scholarship, visit https://www.ousf.duke.edu/page/ABDuke.
 

 

 

Benjamin N. Duke Scholarships Awarded to Incoming Students from NC

Benjamin N. Duke Scholarships Awarded to Incoming Students from NC

DURHAM, N.C. — Five incoming first-year students from North Carolina have been awarded the Benjamin N. Duke Memorial Scholarship at Duke University.

The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, room, board and mandatory fees for four years of undergraduate education. In addition, B.N. Duke scholars have access to funding for domestic and international experiences, including opportunities for independent research both in the summer and during the academic year. The full value of each scholarship is estimated at more than $315,000 over four years.

The award is given to students from the Carolinas who have demonstrated high academic achievement, a commitment to community service and potential for leadership.

The scholarships were established by The Duke Endowment to honor Benjamin Newton Duke, a member of the Duke family and noted philanthropist.

The Class of 2024 recipients are:

  • Nicole Bolton from Gastonia, North Carolina, a graduate of Forestview High School
     
  • Cordelia Hume from Durham, North Carolina, a graduate of Woods Charter School
     
  • Oum Lahade from Morrisville, North Carolina, a graduate of Research Triangle High School
     
  • Rashad Rahman from Fayetteville, North Carolina, a graduate of Terry Sanford High School
     
  • McKenna Vernon from Durham, North Carolina, a graduate of the Durham School of the Arts.

For more information about the incoming class of B.N. Duke Scholars, visit the scholarship's website at https://www.ousf.duke.edu/page/BNDuke.

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18 Duke Scholarships Awarded to First in Families to Attend College

Eighteen rising first-year students have been awarded the David M. Rubenstein Scholarship to pursue their undergraduate studies at Duke University.

The Rubenstein Scholarship recognizes the outstanding academic achievement and vision of students who are the first in their families to attend college.

The scholarships cover the full cost of tuition, room, board and mandatory fees for four years of undergraduate education at Duke. In addition, Rubenstein Scholars have access to generous funding for domestic and international experiences, including opportunities for independent research both in the summer and during the academic year.  

Based on estimated tuition rates over a four-year period, the scholarship is worth over $315,000.

The Class of 2024 scholarship recipients are:

  • Nathaniel Asia from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a graduate of Northeast High School
     
  • Brianna Cellini from Hillsborough, North Carolina, a graduate of Cedar Ridge High School
     
  • Janice Chen from Jamison, Pennsylvania, a graduate of Central Bucks High School East
     
  • Mackenzie Culp from Pfafftown, North Carolina, a graduate of Salem Academy
     
  • Dagny Edison from Indian Land, South Carolina, a graduate of Indian Land High School
     
  • Melia Fox from Round Rock, Texas, a graduate of Round Rock High School
     
  • Charla Gentry from Duncan, South Carolina, a graduate of James F. Byrnes High School
     
  • Connor Gregg from Omaha, Nebraska, a graduate of Creighton Preparatory School
     
  • Sawyer Grovogel from Green Bay, Wisconsin, a graduate of West De Pere High School
     
  • Emily Hughes from Bergenfield, New Jersey, a graduate of Bergen County Career Academies
     
  • Colin Kaeo from McKinney, Texas, a graduate of  McKinney Boyd High School
     
  • Harmony McMullen from Casselberry, Florida, a graduate of Winter Springs High School
     
  • Alicia Medina from Lake Havasu City, Arizona, a graduate of Lake Havasu High School
     
  • Muhib Methani from Spring, Texas, a graduate of Colleyville Heritage High School
     
  • Sofia Morales-Calderon from Durham, North Carolina, a graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
     
  • Sara Oike from Temecula, California, a graduate of Western Center Academy
     
  • Hector Ontiveros from Thomasville, North Carolina, a graduate of Ledford High School
     
  • Jose Santillan from Thomasville, North Carolina, a graduate of Ledford High School.
     

Duke Responds to National Protests

President Vincent Price and other university leaders spoke this weekend about the protests arising across the country, condemning racial injustice and saying the university would take action and "continue the work of addressing generations of racism and injustice."

Price sent a message Saturday to the university community saying that the death of George Floyd involving four Minneapolis police officers “has drawn national attention to fundamental and systematic disparities of justice in our nation.”

“Every day, throughout our country, African American and other marginalized communities have their safety and dignity threatened—in their places of work, in public spaces, and in their homes and neighborhoods,” Price said. “This ongoing history of structural and sustained racism is a fundamental and deeply distressing injustice, here as elsewhere.”

But words alone will not bring change and Price committed the university to continuing its research and teaching on social justice issues and, on campus, seeking “ways to approach one another with respect, and of building communities that are truly safe, supportive, and inclusive for all.”

Read the full text of the message on Duke Today.

Leaders across the university shared the message of building a more equitable country and community within their own schools and units, particularly during the difficult moment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two medical leaders connected the racial inequities behind the protests to the need to overcome those inequities found in the health care system.

School of Medicine Dean Dr. Mary Klotman wrote the divisions sowed by racial injustice are “heartbreaking and painful to witness, especially for members of our African American community who are understandably feeling unsafe and vulnerable.”

“We reject the unacceptable acts that reflect deep injustices and disparities and we pledge to bring the power of our research, education and health care missions to expose and correct the underlying forces at the root of these injustices,” Klotman wrote.  Read the full text on the School of Medicine website.

Likewise, in an email to the School of Nursing community, Brigit Carter, associate dean for diversity and inclusion in the School of Nursing, encouraged the community to use their feelings to take action. “I challenge you not to let this become normal in your everyday life. It is not normal to see a black man die on television at the hands of a white law enforcement officer. It is not normal to see a black man out for a jog having to fight for his life at the hands of two white men that feel they have the right to take his life.”

Other leaders encouraged their communities to believe that they can help bring about change. In an email, Law School Dean Kerry Abrams emphasized the work that needs to be done to overcome structural racism.

“In our anger, frustration, and sadness over this callous loss of life, we must recommit ourselves to what we do best: ask hard and probing questions, conduct reasoned and thoughtful dialogue, and prepare our students for leadership in the face of injustice,” Abrams wrote. Read the full text on the Law School website.

Likewise, Sanford School Dean Judith Kelley acknowledged her frustration at the endless cycle of incidents social injustice, which she said seems “like a broken record” that can’t be stopped. But she added that Sanford is poised to present a different trajectory for society. “As a school of public policy, we have the opportunity to educate and create knowledge to set a better course for society,” Kelley wrote. Read the full statement on the Sanford website.

Both Abrams and Kelley announced that their schools will hold a school-wide discussion of these issues in the coming days. Others, such as Graduate School Dean Paula McClain, are connecting with students and faculty to support people who are struggling with the events.  In a community message to the Graduate School, McClain wrote the university needs to do a better job addressing issues of hate and bias. "Can we do better this time?" McClain wrote. "Can we, as a major educational institution, find a path that might lead to a better, fuller understanding of the country, of the world, and of each other? For the sake of our community, and the most vulnerable members in it, we must try."

In athletics, football coach David Cutcliffe posted a Twitter message speaking to racial injustice, and Vice President Kevin White posted a statement expressing repugnance at the recent deaths of African Americans in racial incidents. He challenged the university community to commit to building relationships built on respect with people of all backgrounds. “We have a collective responsibility to be leaders in our own capacity to invoke change and amplify our society's ability to live well within the guardrails that define both dignity and humanity,” White said.

Update from President Price on Academic Plans for Fall 2020

Update from President Price on Academic Plans for Fall 2020

The 2020-21 academic year will be one like no other in Duke’s history – one that begins early, ends early, includes a hybrid academic program of virtual and in-person instruction and reimagines residential and classroom life.

But President Vincent Price announced Friday that the Duke plans to “enable as many of our students who are able and who choose to participate in an on-campus experience for the fall semester to do so, but only if it can be done safely.”  

The presumption of students on campus is subject to change, Price said in separate emails to parents, students, faculty, and staff, depending on the advice of medical and public health experts and other variables, including local regulations. A final decision on the semester and the details involved in any plan will be made by the end of June.

The fall semester will begin Aug. 17 and will run through Thanksgiving without a fall break.  Likewise, the spring semester will begin a week late on Jan. 19 and run through April 26 without a spring break.

“All Duke courses will be offered in one of three formats: in-person instruction conducted in classrooms on the Duke campus, fully online courses that take advantage of the best pedagogy and technology available for remote education, and hybrid courses that involve some combination of in-person and online instruction,” Price said.

All campus classes will be taught in in-person and online modes, so students who either cannot or choose not to come to campus can have access to “a full curriculum of courses and make progress toward their degrees.” Price said the university will use lessons learned about remote learning during this past semester to support students’ “continued learning and engagement in campus life while remote.”

But even under current plans to return students to Durham, campus life will look very different, he said. Spaces from classrooms to residential areas to dining halls will be reconfigured to encourage social distancing.

All members of the university community will be expected to enter into a Duke Compact that acknowledges their responsibility for protecting the collective health of the community. These practices most likely will include physical distancing and wearing of masks in classrooms and public spaces, COVID testing of residential students before the start of the semester, daily app-based health checks for students and reimagining student activities.

Price said there are challenges ahead, but that Duke would thrive “because our people—students, faculty, staff, families and friends—are thoughtful, collaborative, creative, adaptable, and committed to excellence. We will get through it because we are Duke.”

Read the full text of President Price’s message to students and parents here.