Bass Connections:
Crossing Disciplines to Tackle Society’s Problems
By David Jarmul
Real-world problems don’t fit neatly into academic boxes. Duke’s new Bass Connections initiative is bringing together faculty and students from across many fields to share expertise and find new solutions. Launched in the fall, the initiative now has dozens of teams tackling problems ranging from global climate change to the mental health of refugees. Duke President Richard Brodhead calls it “a complementary curriculum based not on disciplines but contemporary problems.” Here’s an initial snapshot of one team from each of Bass Connections’ five initial thematic areas.