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Helping Students Put Mind Over Matter

Alan Kendrick recruits and advises students through The Duke Graduate School

Alan Kendrick, on left, helps mentor students as part of his role in The Duke Graduate School. Photo courtesy of Alan Kendrick
Alan Kendrick, on left, helps mentor students as part of his role in The Duke Graduate School. Photo courtesy of Alan Kendrick

Name: (James) Alan KendrickPosition: Assistant dean for graduate student development, The Duke Graduate SchoolYears at Duke: 6What I do at Duke: I am involved with research, master’s and Ph.D. students from entry to exit. I do recruit new talent and I pay particular attention to diversity in our recruitment efforts. It’s not just good enough to bring students here and get them admitted, but once they do get here, I focus on retention. I build outside relationships not only with students but with national consortia like the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers, where I recruit many of our humanities and social sciences students. I’m really a liaison between Duke, The Graduate School and outside organizations. I also do alumni relations, which has grown and developed over time. My first ever job: I waited tables at the Silver Spoon Restaurant in Atlanta. If you get a wait job and you’ve never made money before, I thought, oh, with tips, that was good money. My dream job: In higher education, but in senior administration, if not the president of a small liberal arts college. The best advice I ever received: ‘You will lose control of a car swinging at gnats.’ That’s a good life lesson because it says, ‘Look, stay in control. Sometimes you will get these distractors, but keep your focus.’What I love about Duke: I enjoy working with people who I think are world renowned and forward thinking, and I always thought of Duke as being one of those institutions. It has the reputation of being a forward thinker. In my lifetime, I want to always move forward. When I’m not at work, I like to: saltwater fish. I have caught several spots and a croaker. I’ve even caught blues. I went to Atlantic Beach just down Highway 70 to the Iron Steamer pier. My favorite form of bait is frozen shrimp.Something most people don’t know about me: I’m a trumpet player. I was in marching band and I was first chair in high school. I went to Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta, Ga. An interesting/memorable day at work for me: I advise freshmen, and after their sophomore year, after they declare a major, I tell them all, ‘If you need to come to me, please do; I’m not just throwing you out of the nest.’ I had a young man who was a junior come back today who was in a bit of a dilemma. He had the opportunity for an internship and the opportunity to study abroad. I was able just to sit and talk with him. … Dealing with the students, touching lives one at a time, is what I enjoy most. A pet peeve: A defeatist attitude. When reality kind of slaps you in the face, it’s hard to rebound from that, but I try to encourage people. When I’m talking with students about graduate school, some students say, ‘Well, I don’t test well,’ and you’re making that assumption based on what? You can prepare for that. Part of that is mind over matter.