'The Duke Difference' in Teaching and Scholarship

Making the connection between philanthropy and the quality of the teaching and scholarship at Duke is even easier to do, thanks to a new multimedia series, The Duke Difference, which demonstrates some of the ways philanthropy has supported education, scholarship and service across the university.

A monthly series of online stories will focus on five areas: Campus Transformation; Faculty Support; Financial Aid; Interdisciplinary Research; and Student Experiences. All five areas have been cited in the university strategic plan and by President Vincent Price as spaces where Duke must make new investments.

This month the stories explore:

• Duke’s evolving engagement with China. This decade’s long-relationship has been strengthened by the launch of the undergraduate degree program this year at Duke Kunshan University, further establishing Duke as a leading global institution.
• The Dunedin Study. For five decades, Terrie Moffitt has helmed one of the world’s most remarkable longitudinal studies, following the health and behavior of more than 1,000 people from their birth in Dunedin, New Zealand. The findings have been published in more than 1,200 papers and provided a wealth of landmark information about human beings and society that will keep researchers busy for a long time.
• A scholarship and a will to learn. Anuk Dayaprema’s parents escaped a violent civil war in Sri Lanka to come to America. Their sacrifices continue to inspire the Duke sophomore’s desire to learn, and Malcolm Crawford ’52 and the scholarship established in his name help make that possible.
• Crossing boundaries to meet energy needs. A variety of programs at Duke now allow researchers from different departments work on important energy issues, from building renewable energy sources to establishing better public policy. That’s keeping with a tradition set by James Buchanan Duke, whose Duke Energy Co. spurred development across the state and provided the endowment that transformed Trinity College into Duke University.
• Invented at Duke. The reality is that the discovery phase of invention, where ideas are born, is too early for most private investors. No matter the path of exploration, it’s critical that an idea be supported in its earliest stages to be given a chance to grow. That’s where Duke University is making a difference.