Duke Chronicle

‘Pollen everywhere’: Understanding the record-breaking NC pollen season, heightened seasonal allergies The surge in pollen this spring, felt by many community members with seasonal allergies, was no illusion. Pollen levels in North Carolina reached record levels last month, which experts attributed to ...

In late March and early April, wafts of yellow-green coated every outdoor surface — cars, chairs and stairs alike. Pollen levels in North Carolina reached record levels last month, which experts attributed to forces driven by a changing climate.

✍️: Bhavika Verma
📸: Andy Jiang

How do Duke’s admissions statistics for the Class of 2029 compare to peer institutions? Duke admitted a record-low 4.8% of applicants to the Class of 2029. To put the University’s selectivity into context, The Chronicle compared Duke’s acceptance statistics with the 14 peer institutions ...

Duke admitted a record-low 4.8% of applicants to the Class of 2029 this admission cycle. To put the University’s selectivity into context, The Chronicle compared Duke’s Early Decision, Regular Decision and overall acceptance statistics with the 14 peer institutions in the Ivy+ grouping.

Natasha Bedingfield to headline 2025 LDOC concert, along with performances by Penelope Road and Rich The Kid Natasha Bedingfield will headline the annual Last Day of Classes concert on April 23, according to a video streamed by the DUU LDOC Committee during its Thursday evening artist reveal. Additional acts...

Natasha Bedingfield will headline the annual Last Day of Classes concert on April 23, according to a video streamed by the DUU LDOC Committee during its Thursday evening artist reveal. Additional acts include Penelope Road and Rich The Kid.

✍️: Claire Cranford
📸: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Federal government terminates visas of 3 Duke community members The email shared that the students and alumnus were informed by the U.S. Department of State that their F-1 visas had been revoked, and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had been notified...

The federal government terminated the visas of two Duke graduate students and an alumnus on Optional Practical Training, according to a Monday morning email sent to international students.

Read more at the link.

✍️: Claire Cranford and Ana Despa
📸: Amy Zhang

Durham immigrant communities express fear following Feb. 13 arrests, influx of anti-immigration-related orders During his bid to become president of the United States, Donald Trump promised to “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.” However, some Durhamites did not anticipate the arr...

During his bid to become president of the United States, Donald Trump promised to “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.” Some Durhamites did not anticipate the administration’s Feb. 13 arrests targeting Durham neighborhoods.

✍️: Lucas Lin
📸: Thomas Han

Meet the 2025 Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Young Trustee finalists Seniors Danica Bajaj, Jax Nalley and Gabriela Pereda are this year’s selected undergraduate finalists, while Austin Beason, Keanu Valibia and Dakota Douglas are the selected Graduate/Professional Youn...

Seniors Danica Bajaj, Jax Nalley and Gabriela Pereda are this year’s selected undergraduate finalists, while Austin Beason, Keanu Valibia and Dakota Douglas are the selected Graduate/Professional Young Trustee finalists.

NC’s multibillion-dollar settlement with Purdue Pharma adds to Durham County’s effort to combat opioid crisis North Carolina was among 15 states to reach the $7.4 billion settlement in January with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, for their alleged culpability in the national opioid crisis. O...

North Carolina recently reached a multibillion-dollar settlement with Purdue Pharma, the producer of the addictive painkiller oxycontin, as the latest in a series of targeted efforts over the past few years to combat the state’s ongoing opioid crisis.

✍️: Claire Chen
📸: Thomas Han

Duke researchers discuss ‘chilling effect’ of Trump’s NIH funding cuts on research, future of academia Despite multiple lawsuits filed by state attorneys general and a temporary block imposed by a federal judge, many grant-review meetings at the NIH were consequently suspended for weeks. For many Duke ...

The Trump administration’s recent decisions to limit communications from federal health care agencies and strip nearly $4 million worth of funding from the National Institutes of Health have stoked concern among Duke faculty and students.

✍️: Rebecca Fan
📸: Visruth Hanumaihgari

Campus groups applaud fundraising campaign’s focus on STEM and student experience, question ‘absent’ humanities When Duke launched its new major fundraising campaign, student groups found STEM and student life in the starting lineup, though some wondered if the humanities would be on the sidelines.

When Duke launched its new major fundraising campaign, student groups found STEM and student life in the starting lineup, though some wondered if the humanities would be on the sidelines.

✍️: Michael Austin
📸: Nicole Nie

Abby DiSalvo elected Chronicle sports editor of Vol. 121 The Chronicle's sports staff elected DiSalvo as sports editor for the paper's 121st volume Friday night, voting for her to take over the position when current editor Ranjan Jindal ends his tenure on t...

the most fun google alert for my name, maybe ever: the staff of the @dukechronicle.bsky.social has elected a woman sports editor for the first time in almost 20 years! Heck yeah, Abby!!!

‘Duke, don’t comply’: Duke, Durham community members protest to demand University stand up to Trump, end PPD policy Duke community members and Durham residents protested Wednesday afternoon, demanding that Duke not comply with the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate DEI initiatives and that the University e...

Around 200 Duke community members and Durham residents protested Wednesday afternoon to demand that Duke not comply with the Trump administration’s efforts to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and target undocumented communities.

✍️: Rebecca Fan & Sarah Diaz
📸: Courtesy of participants

Duke’s undergraduate cost of attendance to surpass $90,000 in 2025-26 academic year The Board of Trustees approved a 5.93% increase in the undergraduate cost of attendance for the 2025-26 academic year, bringing Duke’s price tag to $92,042.

The Board of Trustees approved a 5.93% increase in the undergraduate cost of attendance for the 2025-26 academic year during its recent quarterly meeting, bringing Duke’s price tag to $92,042.

✍️: Abby Spiller
📸: Amy Zhang

Anjanée Bell, daughter of former mayor Bill Bell, announces Durham mayoral campaign The lifelong Durhamite and arts educator has framed her platform around “building a better Durham” through an inclusive approach marked by “bold leadership, vision and opportunity for everyone.”

Anjanée Bell, the daughter of Durham’s longest-serving mayor, now aspires to follow in her father’s footsteps and has officially announced her mayoral candidacy.

✍️: Zoe Kolenovsky
📸: Ezequiel Baltierra

DUHS partners with Abridge to integrate AI note-taking software into clinical settings DUHS is partnering with Abridge, a Pennsylvania-based company that uses generative AI for real-time documentation in clinical settings.

The Duke University Health System is implementing AI note-taking technology in its facilities across the state, hoping to alleviate physicians’ administrative burden and allow them to spend more time directly caring for patients.

✍️: Vikram Sambasivan
📸: Olivia Schramkowski

AI researcher Joy Buolamwini discusses bias in facial recognition technologies at Duke event Buolamwini shared insights from her book “Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in A World of Machines,” which chronicles her career uncovering racial and gender bias in popular AI facial ...

AI researcher, activist and artist Joy Buolamwini spoke about bias in facial recognition technologies (FRTs) and the state of AI policy at a Tuesday event.

Duke, Durham police departments investigate armed robbery on Pettigrew Street near East Campus Three male suspects reportedly stole a victim’s phone, car keys and car, then fled the scene and headed toward Swift Avenue. The 9:23 p.m. alert also noted that all three suspects were masked, one sus...

An armed robbery occurred around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on Pettigrew Street near the Center for Documentary Studies, according to a Tuesday evening DukeAlert sent to all students, faculty and staff.

Despite being 40 years apart in their time at Duke, both John and Amrith were hugely involved in the student paper at Duke, @dukechronicle.bsky.social. Love seeing how shared love and devotion to the same student papers that raised them connects working journalists together for years after.

‘Morally repulsive’: Faculty react to Trump’s proposed US Gaza takeover Some faculty members rejected the proposal as morally reprehensible. Beyond its ethical concerns, they added that the proposal would face strategic and logistical obstacles.

Following President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that the United States take ownership of Gaza, some Duke faculty expressed firm disapproval of the plan for its ethical and legal implications.

✍️: Darragh Senchyna
📸: James Wang

Local Jewish community reflects on Chapel Hill native Keith Siegel’s release from captivity in Gaza Siegel, a Chapel Hill native and U.S.-Israeli dual citizen, spent 484 days in captivity until he was freed Feb. 1, becoming the first American hostage released as part of the new ceasefire agreement.

For the past 15 months, members of the Beth-El Synagogue in Durham kept their hopes alive as one of their own was held hostage in Gaza. Now, they are relieved by news of Keith Siegel’s release as part of the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel.

✍️: Lucas Lin
📸: Claire Cranford

A look into Friends for Duke, the alumni organization supporting academic freedom and viewpoint diversity Friends for Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity at Duke (FFD) — a group of alumni, students, faculty and staff and a member group of the Duke Alumni Association — hosts panels exploring topics incl...

In a time of polarization and political tensions at universities across the country, Duke alumni are joining efforts to promote academic freedom and viewpoint diversity on campus.

✍️: Winston Qian
📸: Amy Zhang

Federal judge blocks Trump administration’s $4 billion NIH funding cut, NC joins 21 states in initial lawsuit District Judge Angel Kelley, who was nominated by former President Joe Biden in 2021, halted the proposed policy that would cap NIH research funds’ “indirect costs rates” for “facilities” and “adminis...

A federal judge temporarily blocked a new policy from the Trump administration, which would cut $4 billion in National Institutes of Health research funding, after North Carolina and 21 other states filed suit against the move Monday.

✍️: Michelle Voicu
📸: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump announces plan to oust Duke alumnus, philanthropist David Rubenstein from Kennedy Center chairmanship, appoint himself Trump posted the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social Friday, claiming that neither Rubenstein — in his role as board chairman — nor other board members “share [the country’s] Vision...

President Donald Trump announced his plan to fire multiple board members of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and appoint himself as chairman, replacing David Rubenstein, Trinity ‘70 and one of Duke’s top donors.

✍️: Michael Austin
📸: Courtesy of Duke Today

Former Duke visiting professor, Jan. 6 conspiracy theorist Darren Beattie appointed to top State Department position In his role, Beattie, Graduate School ‘16, will manage the country’s public diplomacy outreach on topics including counterterrorism and violent extremism, assist in developing foreign policy initiativ...

Former Duke visiting professor Darren Beattie was tapped to serve as the acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs by Secretary of State Marco Rubio Monday.

✍️: Abby Spiller
📸: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

www.dukechronicle.com/article/2025...

3 faculty members awarded inaugural Judith Deckers Prize for excellence in undergraduate education The award seeks to recognize “teaching excellence at Duke — in and outside of the classroom,” honoring “thought leaders in the field who have a substantial track record of profoundly and positively af...

Three Duke professors were awarded the inaugural Judith Deckers Prize for excellence in undergraduate education Thursday.

✍️: Holly Keegan
📸: Courtesy of Duke Today

Students express concern over ICE recruitment presence at Duke career fair Though ICE’s presence on campus was for job recruitment purposes, its participation in the career fair elicited criticism from some students and advocacy groups.

A Duke career fair last Thursday featured recruiters from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), drawing concern from some students about the comfort and perceived safety of undocumented community members.

✍️: Kate Haver
📸: Abby Perry

‘Bring barbering to basketball’: A look inside Rivals Barbershop, a Durham hub for all Tobacco Road rivalry fans No matter which side they are on, customers walk out of Rivals Barbershop with a fresh cut, a smile and maybe a new friend or mentor. Inside this small shop on the corner of N. Mangum Street, the Duke...

My former student Ranjan Jindal visited a barbershop in Durham, North Carolina that's dedicated to the region's college basketball rivalries. "Every seat is courtside," said owner Khedron Mims. @dukechronicle.bsky.social

Duke Health, UNC Health to partner on new $2 billion children’s hospital in the Triangle The facility, called “N.C. Children’s,” was characterized as a “decade-long goal” for both institutions and is expected to lessen the strain on other regional facilities amid increased demand for care...

Duke Health and UNC Health announced Tuesday that they are collaborating to develop North Carolina’s first standalone children’s hospital, which will be built in the Triangle area.

✍️: Zoe Kolenovsky
📸: Kate Reiniche

President Donald Trump floats ‘getting rid of FEMA’ during NC visit At a briefing in the Asheville area, the president suggested he may sign an executive order to “begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA.”

President Donald Trump raised the option of eliminating or overhauling the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a Friday visit to western North Carolina.

✍️: Zoe Kolenovsky
📸: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

NC, 21 other states sue to stop Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship The proposed ban on birthright citizenship — which grants anyone born on U.S. soil automatic citizen status — claims that children born to undocumented immigrants are not “subject to the jurisdiction”...

N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined 21 attorney generals Tuesday in filing lawsuits in two federal district courts to block President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.

✍️: Winston Qian
📸: Courtesy of AP News

Jerry Blackwell, prosecutor of Derek Chauvin in George Floyd murder case, delivers MLK Day address Blackwell is most well known for his role as a special prosecutor in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer responsible for murdering George Floyd almost five years ago by kneeling on hi...

Community members gathered in the Duke Chapel Sunday afternoon for the annual commemoration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which featured a keynote address from Jerry Blackwell, U.S. District Judge for Minnesota.

✍️: Rudi Chamria
📸: Andy Jiang