Officials Laud Graduate School's Curt Blackman Following Apparent Murder

Duke University officials on Friday remembered Curt Blackman as a "kind and caring person who was deeply interested in bettering the lives of the graduate students."

Blackman, the coordinator for graduate recruitment and minority programs at Duke, was found dead in his Durham apartment Thursday. Durham Police are treating Blackman's death as an apparent murder.

Blackman, 38, was found by Duke Police who went to the apartment to check on him after a colleague expressed concern that he had failed to arrive for work Thursday morning. The university police then called Durham Police, who are leading the investigation.

"I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Curt Blackman, a young man of great talent and, more importantly, a kind and caring person who was deeply interested in bettering the lives of the graduate students at Duke," said Lewis Siegel, dean of the graduate school. "The graduate school has relied heavily on Curt for so many things -- for his ability to recruit students of color, for his energy in coordinating many of the activities that help enrich graduate student life at Duke, for his role as advocate for the student when administrators needed a push to solve a particular student's problem."

Siegel noted that Blackman planned to leave Duke in August to pursue a doctoral degree of his own, at Northwestern University's School of Communications. "Curt was so looking forward to continuing his studies next year, having been accepted to the graduate school at Northwestern," Siegel said. "His death is a terrible blow to us all."

A native of Trinidad who recently received his American citizenship, Blackman joined Duke in August 2000 and assumed his position in the graduate school in 2001.

"Curt was instrumental in building up our graduate recruitment programs and attracting a diverse group of students," said Jacqueline Looney, associate dean for graduate student affairs and associate vice provost for academic diversity. "His colleagues all thought highly of him, and he had wonderful rapport with the students. We are so shocked to hear this news."

Heather Dean, a graduate student in neurobiology who is president of Duke's Graduate and Professional Student Council, remembered Blackman as a "fun-loving, sweet guy, always bubbly and always ready to tease you. He was very supportive of graduate student groups, and did a lot, especially with minority recruitment."

Duke officials said they have not yet had a chance to organize any activities in Blackman's memory.

Durham Police ask anyone with information about the investigation to call the Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division at 560-4440 or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200.