The Duke University Board of Trustees on Saturday approved six new graduate degree programs that will be offered beginning in 2014.
The new master's degrees are in bioethics and science policy; historical and cultural visualization; medical physics; statistical science; and economics and computation. The board also approved a new Ph.D. program in biostatistics.
The medical physics degree is the third graduate degree approved for Duke Kunshan University (DKU), joining master's degrees in global health and in management studies. Undergraduate arts and sciences classes also will be offered at DKU, which will open in the fall of 2014.
The new graduate programs build on Duke's research strengths in a variety of disciplines. Medical physics is the basis for specialties such as radiology, radiation oncology and nuclear medicine. Historical and cultural visualization connects scholars from computer science, engineering, classical studies and art history who are using technology to recreate art and architecture from the past. The bioethics and science policy program trains professionals to apply perspectives from law, science, technology and ethics in the development of scientific advances.
The economics and computation degree program -- a joint effort of the computer science and economics departments -- addresses a need in the global economy, said Carlo Tomasi, chair of Duke's computer science department. The growing importance of "big data," he said, is increasing the demand for economists with sophisticated computational skills and for computer scientists knowledgeable about economic principles driving computer design and technologies.
The Department of Statistical Science also cited the rise of "big data" as a reason for establishing its new master's degree program. Ranked in the Top 5 in the country, the department envisions the program as a pathway for students to its Ph.D. program, and as a way to meet growing demand in industry for skilled statisticians, said department chair Merlise Clyde.
The new Ph.D. program in biostatistics responds to a current shortage of biostatisticians needed for medical research in academia, government and industry, said Elizabeth DeLong, chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics.
In other business, the trustees were updated on planning and design work for several building projects, including a proposed new Student Health and Wellness Center, upgrades to Wallace Wade Stadium, an addition to Cameron Indoor Stadium and a new sports facility alongside the Murray Building that will be used by Duke's Olympic sports teams. The new sports facility will also be home to an athletic retail store, event ticketing and other functions.
Also, the trustees were provided with a strategic review of Duke Libraries by University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs Deborah Jakubs, and were updated on economic development in Durham by Executive Vice President Tallman Trask and Scott Selig, associate vice president of capital assets and real estate.
The trustees also had a chance to talk with Duke undergraduate students in small discussion groups. The discussions were arranged by Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Steve Nowicki so the board could gain insight into what students are learning at Duke and how the students are changing as a result of their Duke education.