What to See at Duke This Week: Good Sleep, Women in Science and Early Voting

The primary ballot is short, but it includes important contested elections for district attorney and sheriff. And an on-campus one-stop voting site during early voting is going to make it easy for Duke employees living in Durham County to make their opinions count. The site is located in the lower floor of the Brodhead Center on West Campus and will run through May 5. During early voting, students and local residents can register and vote on the same day as long as they present proof of residency. Other races on the ballot, depending on your address, include US House of Representatives, and Durham County Board of Education. More information can be found on the Durham County Board of Elections website.

Professor Jules Odendahl-James’ Theater Studies class “Medical Stories on Stage: Medicine Changed My Life” is based on a simple premise: Our health is one of the central elements of the stories we tell about ourselves. Throughout the semester, students in the class have studied the artistic form, emotional affect and social/cultural function of stories of illness, from the perspective of physicians, patients and caregivers. The program includes 15 solo performances of students telling tales from memoirs and novels. 6 p.m. Shearer Theater, Bryan Center.

Many people came to learn about poet Warsan Shire when her work was featured in Beyonce’s “Lemonade.” But poetry fans have been astounded for some time by the works of this British writer born to Somali parents in Kenya. Her writings in “Home” and other works have won honors for their writings that are at once personal and intimate and still speak to larger political issues. She will read as part of The Archive’s Literary Festival. 8 p.m. Rubenstein Arts Center.

For too many Americans, good sleep is a goal that gets farther away the hard we strive toward it.  Health experts suggest that more than a third of Americans are sleep deprived. The Duke Clinical Research Initiative Living Well program is here to help. Its webinar “Catch More ZZZs” will identify common sleep issues and share tips on how you can get more sleep and sleep more peacefully. Additionally, participants will receive a sleep hygiene activity guide to promote positive sleeping habits and improve overall health. 11 a.m. Register for the webinar here.

While others have been talking about how challenging it is to attract women and underrepresented minorities to the sciences and engineering, the University of Maryland at Baltimore County has quietly been doing just that. At this year’s Women in Science and Engineering symposium, Renetta Tull, associate vice provost at UMBC, will tell how. She’ll focus on issues of STEM equity and access.  A panel discussion involving leaders in higher education, government and industry will follow. 12:30 - 5 p.m. 203 Teer Bldg.