Helping Students Put Mind Over Matter
Alan Kendrick recruits and advises students through The Duke Graduate School
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.