Q&A with Dean Paula D. McClain

Paula D. McClaindean of The Graduate School, vice provost for graduate education, and professor of political science and public policy 

Duke is home to about 3,200 Ph.D. and research master’s degree students, who take classes and conduct research in more than 70 Duke departments and programs, ranging from history to neurobiology. As graduate student enrollment continues to grow, Dean Paula McClain and her team work to keep the students’ experience intimate. The Graduate School’s responsibilities include overseeing admissions, financial aid and academic issues, as well as approving faculty members to teach on the graduate level, reviewing proposals for new degree programs, and providing professional development opportunities and student support resources. As the school celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, McClain reflects on how The Graduate School continues to be an integral part of the academic and cultural framework at Duke.

How has The Graduate School changed in its 90 years?

Duke President Few established The Graduate School in 1926. His view was that the undergraduate college would be the heart of the university, but Duke’s reputation in education was going to be made on its Graduate School, and the students it produced and the faculty it’s able to attract. And that’s exactly what’s happened. We talk a lot about undergraduates interacting with faculty on research projects and things like that, but there’s an intermediary level, and that’s the graduate student, whether it’s in a discussion section or a lab.

How is the school furthering its commitment to diversity and inclusion?

For the past two years, we’ve had diversity workshops where everybody in The Graduate School has participated. The last one we did in the fall was about Muslim students at Duke with the Duke Center for Muslim Life. We also formed a President’s Council for Graduate Student Groups, which will serve as a liaison between students and the administration and will meet with me several times each semester.

What do you bring to these diversity conversations?

What I bring are my life experiences as a black female and my commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for our students. At my age and at my level, some of the things I encountered as a young assistant professor are not going to happen to me now on campus, but I do know what it’s like to be a woman of color as an assistant professor. Earlier in my career, before I came to Duke, I faced challenges from students as to whether or not they saw me as competent or whether or not I should actually be there. Diversity and inclusion are important to me, but it shouldn’t just be people of color who lead the effort on diversity and inclusion. This should be a value of the university so lots of people from different backgrounds push it forward.

How will the school fit into the new strategic plan for the university?

This is the first time graduate and professional students will have a major emphasis since the past two university strategic plans. I’m very pleased. Part of what’s happened is people realize now there are more graduate and professional students on campus than undergraduates, and the reality is Ph.D. students are at Duke a lot longer than undergraduates. It’s not in concrete form yet, but we need to provide opportunities for graduate students similar to what we do for undergraduate students, such as interdisciplinary programs or internships.

Who is Paula McClain?

• Durham resident since 2000, when she arrived at Duke from the University of Virginia

• Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (elected in 2014) and president of the Midwest Political Science Association

• She and husband Paul Jacobson have two daughters and two grandsons

Learn more about The Graduate School at gradschool.duke.edu.