At its quarterly meeting, the Duke University Board of Trustees approved the capital and operating budgets for fiscal year 2025. The board also held the final session of a year-long program focused on the recommendations of certain previous board strategic task forces.
The sessions, which have included participation by students, faculty and administrators, have assessed progress to date and highlighted work still to be done. The program has allowed participants to share their expertise and perspectives for the benefit of senior leadership in planning for the future.
The May meeting focused on the Advancing Duke Science and Technology Strategic Task Force of 2018-19. Recommendations from this task force gave rise to the Duke Science and Technology (DST) initiative, which was launched in 2019 with a $100 million investment from The Duke Endowment.
Following opening remarks by President Vincent Price and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Carmichael Roberts, participants heard a faculty panel discussion, moderated by Colin Duckett, vice dean for basic science in the School of Medicine, that featured four distinguished scientists hired under the DST initiative:
- Emma Chory, assistant professor of biomedical engineering
- José Conejo-Garcia, professor of immunology
- Carolyn Coyne, George Barth Gellar Distinguished Professor of Immunology
- Divine Kumah, associate professor of physics
Participants also learned about the future of the initiative from academic leaders including Alec Gallimore, provost; Gary Bennett, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences; Mary Klotman, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; Jennifer (Jenny) Lodge, vice president for research and innovation; and Jerome (Jerry) Lynch, dean of the Pratt School of Engineering.
In other business, the board:
- Received updates on the research translation and commercialization (RTC) initiative; Duke University Health System; Duke Kunshan University; and undergraduate admissions;
- Was introduced to new Head Football Coach Manny Diaz;
- Approved recommendations from the board's standing committees; and
- Paid tribute to Pam Bernard, vice president and general counsel, who will retire on August 31, following 18 years of service to Duke.
