The DukeList

The Duke Immersive Virtual Environment (DIVE) is looking for a team of undergraduates to build a 3D animation of the human heart. The Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy wants to pay two students to assist in genome sequencing. Duke's Center for Science Education has funds for student projects that focus on K-16 science education research or outreach.

All three Duke units are taking advantage of an alternative to flyers to publicize their student openings. DukeList, a new campus-wide website, includes listings of on-campus research (paid and unpaid) and leadership opportunities for students, as well as on-campus jobs.

"Paul Slattery, last year's Duke Student Government president, came to me asking for a way that undergraduates could more easily connect with professors conducting research," said Steve Nowicki, vice provost and dean for undergraduate education, whose office designed the site. "More than half of our students work on a research project before they graduate. We want to encourage even more."

Mary Nijhout, senior associate dean of Trinity College and director of the Undergraduate Research Support Office, predicted it will get heavy use. All students, faculty and staff with a Duke NetID can post or respond to listings.

"DukeList is a functional and efficient tool for the faculty to post undergraduate research programs, research-oriented positions and other research opportunities," Nijhout said. "It's easy to use, and the postings can be archived once a position has been filled."

Chelsea Goldstein, Duke Student Government's vice president for academic affairs, praised the site and is helping to spread the word about it among students.

"Before DukeList, research opportunities on campus were scattered and hard to find," Goldstein said. "Students had to ‘get lucky' to stumble upon a professor who was working on something that they were interested in. Now that research opportunities are centralized, many more Duke students will participate." 

Because of interest expressed by the Office of Student Activities and Facilities (OSAF) and students, undergraduate education expanded the scope of DukeList to incorporate volunteer and leadership opportunities. The Women in Leadership Development Conference, for instance, is looking for undergraduates to serve on its planning committee.

Staff can also post part-time student job openings on DukeList. The site is meant to assist small offices with particular student-work needs and complements a student employment web-based system being piloted by student affairs and Duke Libraries -- two of the largest employers on campus.

"It will take some time before both faculty and students think immediately of posting or checking DukeList, but that is our goal over time," Nowicki said. "Basically, it's designed so that if you can use email, you can use DukeList."