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Shanahan Appointed to Kenan Post

Sociologist named institute's associate director

Suzanne Shanahan, left, goes over a paper with Alexis Franzese

Suzanne Shanahan, an assistant professor of sociology and director of undergraduate studies for her department, will be the Kenan Institute for Ethics' new associate director, effective Sept. 1.

As associate director, Shanahan will work to engage the Duke community across the institute's three main areas of focus -- organizational ethics, moral education and development, and civic and global ethics. She also will work toward making the institute a nationally recognized outlet for research and public influence on a range of ethical issues.

"Suzanne already has a deep understanding of and engagement with Duke faculty and students. Her unique background will allow her to bring fresh and innovative ideas to her role in furthering the institute's mission of making ethics a cornerstone of the Duke experience," said Noah Pickus, director of the institute. "She will also be instrumental in drawing social scientists and humanists together into the institute's work."

Shanahan said she is looking forward to working at the institute. "The associate director position at Kenan represents an extraordinary opportunity to integrate ethical theory and practice both inside and outside the university," she said.

During her tenure at Duke, Shanahan has worked to develop both individual and social responsibility among her students. She has directed the honors program in sociology since 2003 and chaired the Undergraduate Studies Committee in sociology since 2004. In 2005, she received the Robert B. Cox Undergraduate Teaching Award.

She has been involved with the institute since 2005 through her work on the Changing Institutional Cultures project, a research initiative and lecture series that explores efforts to change the ethical cultures of military, religious, business and educational institutions.

In an effort to promote greater and more meaningful faculty-student interaction, Shanahan has worked on several faculty-initiated programs, including the development of a university-wide summer reading program and a plan for faculty living near East Campus to teach courses from their homes on contemporary social issues. She is the incoming chair of the Arts and Sciences Council, a position from which she plans to continue to promote greater faculty-student interaction.

Shanahan's ongoing research projects include interdisciplinary efforts to investigate how political power has affected national identity, the effects of international adoption law on national and local frameworks, race relations in urban America, and the transnational business community's growing consensus on corporate responsibility. Her current collaborative research projects on romantic relationships on college campuses, on individual integrity, and on moral decision-making align with the institute's continuing research and practice initiatives, Pickus said.

Shanahan received her Ph.D. from Stanford University and taught at University College Dublin prior to coming to Duke. She has three daughters -- Mira, 6; Ivy, 3; and Willow, 3.