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We’re pleased to announce the appointment of Robyn Meeks as the next Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of the Duke Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) program. Dr. Meeks, an economist whose research lies at the intersection of environmental economics and development economics, will begin her two-year appointment on July 1, 2026. The Mark and Lynne Florian Associate Professor of Public Policy also serves on the Faculty Advisory Committee for the @nichinstitute and is a faculty associate with the James E. Rogers Energy Access Project and a faculty affiliate with the Duke Center for International Development (DCID). Interim Dean Manoj Mohanan shared, “We are thrilled to have Robyn step into MIDP leadership. Her scholarship and deep understanding of the economics and policy development around the world will be incredibly valuable as we begin a new chapter in the MIDP program.” Dr. Meeks will succeed Dr. Cory Krupp who has served as DGS since 2021 and has taught and advised in the MIDP program since joining Duke in 1998.
For Robert Ganzert MPP ’27, Sanford’s Policy 360 podcast episode with former dean Judith Kelley and Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the former president of the World Bank, helped him find his academic direction before starting the Master of Public Policy program. “The conversation opened my perspective to development,” he says. “I promised myself: if I receive my acceptance to Sanford, I will concentrate in international development. And so that I did.” Now, in his first-year in the MPP program, he’s moved from listening to the podcast as a fan to helping prepare the episodes as a volunteer. “Actively participating in the preparation of each podcast has advanced my expertise in topics I would have not otherwise explored,” he says. “I’ve had the opportunity to explore clean energy mobilization, the impacts of A.I. on our environment, as well as the future our digital security on social media.” His favorite episode? “Workers: A Non-compete Clause Should Give You Pause” with his professor Matt Johnson. “The conversation, led by Interim Dean Manoj Mohanan, highlighted the economic mobility impacts behind non-compete agreements. Should non-competes be enforced? Do non-competes affect some workers more than others? There were many questions I wanted to unravel in this discussion. “The learning was complementary. In our class, Microeconomics and Public Policy Making, we had explored various inequalities and considerations that concern economic mobility. We studied reservation options, next best alternatives, and bargaining power. My efforts on this episode were companionate and timely to my economics studies. I was able to exemplify my learning to a current, real-world example, while discussing insights with the research’s author.”
Congratulations to Kaitlyn Ostrom-Rosson on being named a 2026 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellow by the Center for a New American Security! @cnasdc Kaitlyn, a student in Duke Sanford’s Master of National Security Policy (MNSP) program, will join a cohort of emerging leaders for CNAS’ year-long fellowship program that combines mentorship, policy engagement and leadership development, with a focus on strengthening the national security community and advancing innovative thinking in the field. Kaitlyn currently leads a cyber forensics team embedded with IRS-Criminal Investigation, supporting complex investigations into financial crimes and cyber threats. Her previous roles include work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, giving her extensive experience across inter-agency environments and national security missions.
The Laidlaw Scholars Research and Leadership Program is a prestigious 24-month leadership development sequence for undergraduates, focused on cultivating ethical leaders across disciplines and sectors. As part of their program experience, Laidlaw Scholars Kate Westlake T’28, Lizeth Rocha Rocha T’27 and Tyler Rogers T’28 spent six weeks last summer in Capetown, South Africa, engaging in a research project led by Prof. Admay. Swipe to learn about their experience 👈
Did you know the Duke Hart Leadership Program has its own library? Located in Sanford Building 116, the Hart Leadership Library features a curated collection spanning leadership, sustainability, elections, current politics, and more. As the new year gets underway, it’s the perfect time to set (or reset) your reading goals. To help you get started, check out these book recommendations from Hart staff and faculty.
As an ER physician and one of the country’s leading health equity advocates, Dr. Uché Blackstock has a deep and hands-on understanding of how systemic racism is affecting the health of BIPOC communities across the country. From well-documented research that shows how clinicians of all races underestimate Black patients’ pain to the consequences that substandard housing can have on health, Dr. Blackstock opens her audience’s eyes to the social determinants of health and why we cannot reform healthcare without addressing systemic racism. Join us for the Sanford Distinguished Lecture “Healthcare and Systemic Racism: Where and Why They Intersect”: 🗓️ Thursday, Feb. 19 🕠 5:30-6:30 p.m. 🏫 Duke Sanford Fleishman Commons 🎟️ https://duke.is/distinguishedlectures
Duke sophomore Sofia Dib-Gomez was shocked when she found out the ballot she cast in the 2024 election was challenged – particularly because she was part of an active research group at the Sanford School of Public Policy focused on democracy and elections, the Student Voting Rights Lab. Started by Professor Gunther Peck, the lab provides opportunities for students to participate in individual and group research projects investigating barriers to youth voting as well as solutions to those challenges. As a part of the lab, Duke students partnered with peers at @nccueagle to uncover and document the targeting of youth voters. Their research showed Black voters in North Carolina are more than twice as likely as whites be challenged, and youth voters are even more targeted, with 18- to 25-year-olds 3.4 times more likely than voters over 65 to have their votes challenged. In Durham County, youth voters are nearly seven times more likely than elderly voters to find their ballots challenged. In the 2024 election, 792 Duke voters found their ballots challenged by the Jefferson Griffin campaign. (Griffin was running for North Carolina Supreme Court and challenged over 60,000 voters’ ballots including Sofia’s, claiming her voter registration was incomplete.) 792 votes is more than a fifth of the total undergraduate population that voted in N.C. in 2024. “My participation in the lab has truly made my Sanford experience,” Sofia says. “Without the lab, I would still have my passion for registering voters and making voting more accessible on campus, but I wouldn’t have found an outlet to explore this passion academically and professionally. I believe that it is imperative for Sanford to continue offering projects related to democracy, like the voting rights lab. In North Carolina, where the voting space and laws are constantly changing, this lab is a crucial entity that is committed to protecting students’ voting rights in a climate that doesn’t always prioritize them.” This is public policy.
Our Master of Public Affairs (MPA) students concluded this semester’s Durham residency with a bipartisan fireside chat featuring former EPA Administrators Michael Regan and Andrew Wheeler. Moderated by Duke Vice President and Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability Toddi Steelman, the event gave students rare, direct access to two leaders who have managed the highest levels of environmental policymaking from opposing political perspectives. It also served as the latest installment in “Bridging the Divide,” an event series sponsored by the Civil Discourse Project at @dukepolis.
What makes creating policy in a democracy challenging? We asked Congressman David Price, who helped start Duke’s public policy program and represented North Carolina’s Fourth District in the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years. He is now a Professor Emeritus at Duke and a Distinguished Fellow with Polis, Duke’s Center for Politics.
🤖The robots are coming and they’re getting smarter. Join us for the Robert R. Wilson Distinguished Lecture on the future of human-robot interaction with Dr. Kate Darling. Dr. Darling examines why people fear some robots and empathize with others, while also prompting—and answering—questions about what society’s relationship with these robots could look like in the future. After studying human-robot interaction for 14 years at MIT, she now leads the Robotics, Ethics & Society research team at the RAI Institute. 🗓️Thursday, Feb. 5 🕠5:30 - 6:30 p.m. 📍Duke Reynolds Theater 🎟️Register: https://duke.is/distinguishedlectures
What leadership qualities are most critical during times of turmoil? Professor Bruce Jentleson discusses the leadership needed to face todays challenges.
Please join us in congratulating Professor Deondra Rose on being honored with Duke’s 2025 Judith Deckers Prize. The award recognizes excellence in undergraduate education. Professor Rose’s teaching spans public policy, political science and history, with a focus on higher education policy, American political development, political behavior, and the politics of inequality, particularly as they relate to gender, race and socioeconomic status. Congrats, Dr. Rose!