Lee D. Baker Appointed Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

Longtime Trinity faculty member to lead office overseeing undergraduate academic experience

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headshot Lee Baker

“I also extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Candis Watts Smith for her tremendous service as interim vice provost for the past two-and-a-half years. Candis’ passion for this role, connection with students, and commitment to access, equity, and academic excellence have made a lasting impact on the university. I wish her well as she returns to her distinguished teaching and research in political science.”

Reporting to the provost, the vice provost for undergraduate education plays a critical role in shaping the academic experiences and successes of Duke University’s undergraduate students. The position oversees the Office of Undergraduate Education, with the primary mission of providing a transformative educational experience to all undergraduates at Duke by offering academic support, research and scholarly community, and experiential engagement opportunities.

Baker received his B.S. from Portland State University and doctorate in anthropology from Temple University. He has been a resident fellow at Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Johns Hopkins’ Institute for Global Studies, the University of Ghana-Legon, the American Philosophical Society, and the National Humanities Center.

His books include From Savage to Negro: Anthropology and the Construction of Race, 1896-1954 (1998), Life in America: Identity and Everyday Experience (2003), and Anthropology and the Racial Politics of Culture (2010). Although Baker focuses on the history of anthropology, he has published numerous articles on subjects ranging from sociolinguistics to race and democracy. He is also the recipient of Trinity’s Richard K. Lublin Distinguished Teaching Award and the Prize for the Critical Study of North America and a member of Duke’s Bass Society of Fellows.

“I am humbled and honored that the provost asked me to serve in this important role,” Baker said. “I look forward to collaborating with partners across the university to create outstanding educational experiences for all our undergraduates.”  

Baker’s appointment will take effect on Oct. 1. Between July 1 and Sept. 30, the Office of Undergraduate Education will report to Executive Vice Provost Mohamed Noor.