Watch the YouTube video here. read more about Watch the International Creole Day Celebration Video »
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
Jenna Arafeh, a second-year History student at Duke University, has been awarded the 2025 Dante Prize by the Dante Society of America for her essay, “The Lone Star’s Resurrection: Abel Tesfaye’s Reimagining of the Commedia in Modern Sound.” The prestigious honor, awarded annually since 1887, recognizes the best undergraduate essay on Dante and remains one of the most distinguished literary prizes in the humanities. Arafeh wrote her winning essay in Spring 2025 as a student in Martin Eisner’s class, Dante's Divine… read more about Jenna Arafeh Wins 2025 Dante Prize »
The Modern Language Association of America is awarding its 28th annual Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Publication Award for a Manuscript in Italian Literary Studies to Kate Driscoll, assistant professor of Romance Studies. Her manuscript, "Tasso and Women Readers: Literary Hospitality in Early Modern Italy," will be published by Cambridge University Press.The award is one of 23 that will be presented on January 9, 2026 during the association’s annual convention, to be held in Toronto. The members of the selection committee were… read more about Kate Driscoll Receives Scaglione Publication Award for a Manuscript in Italian Literary Studies »
What do cooking dumplings and meeting a former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have in common?Both are memorable experiences first-year students had this fall, thanks to Trinity College’s Arts & Sciences Curriculum.Finding your footing in a new place can be challenging, but the Arts & Sciences Curriculum’s First-Year Experience helps students make meaningful connections from the moment they arrive on campus.All first-year students in Trinity College participate in the First-Year Experience through… read more about Building Connections Through the First-Year Experience »
What makes a good book? This was one of the impossible questions Annette Joseph-Gabriel, the John Spencer Bassett Associate Professor of Romance Studies, had to answer as a judge for the 76th National Book Awards for Translated Literature. We asked her to share some of the insights she gathered from this experience, and how she recommends one should dive into the world of translated literature. Spoiler alert: her advice is “Run, don’t walk.”This interview was lightly edited for clarity and length.… read more about What Makes a Good Book? Annette Joseph-Gabriel Shares Her Insights on Being a Judge for 2025’s National Book Award »
Nous recevons Felwinne Sarr, écrivain sénégalais qui n’a pas peur des mots tels "vie commune", "hospitalité" ou encore "solutions". Un intellectuel qui vit entre l’Afrique, l’Europe et les États-Unis et qui trouve refuge autant dans Nietzsche, Frantz Fanon et le zen japonais. France 24 welcomes a Senegalese writer who isn't afraid of words like "community life," "hospitality," or "solutions." An intellectual who lives between Africa, Europe, and the United States, and who finds… read more about Interview With Felwine Sarr on France 24 »
Students interacted with faculty, staff and other students from different programs in every corner of Duke. (Trinity Communications) From the moment I entered Penn Pavilion, I was welcomed by enthusiastic professors and friendly Trinity Ambassadors who generously shared their insights and patiently answered my many questions. Their warmth set the tone for an encouraging and intellectually vibrant experience. As I moved through the fair, I made a conscious effort to visit tables I… read more about More Than Choosing a Major: A First-Year’s Reflection on Majors Fair »
His "Evening School" begins with a central question: In an age of deepening global divisions and fractures, how can we imagine the possibility of a shared life on a planetary scale?The programme unfolds in three thematic sequences, each featuring athree multidisciplinary lecture with Felwine Sarr and major voices in contemporary thought and creative practice;three "sensitivity workshops" involving other artists and approaches.Click link to learn more! read more about Felwine Sarr: Intellectual-in-residence at the Centre Pompidou and the Festival d’Automne »
On September 26, a group of Duke faculty representing several disciplines gathered in person for the first meeting of the new “Teaching in the Age of AI” Faculty Learning Community (FLC), led by Jennifer Ahern-Dodson, Associate Professor of the Practice in the Thompson Writing Program, and supported by CARADITE. Attendees exchanged introductions and reflected on their attitudes toward generative AI — a mix of excitement and caution — and their motivations for joining this new venture. read more about Teaching in the Age of AI: A New Faculty Learning Community Takes Root at Duke »
Germain Choffart brought a group of students to his hometown of Saint-Avold, France, to work with local organizations trying to improve economic and social conditions in the community. Click to read the article. read more about For Students, a DukeEngage Program in a Small French Town Is a New Experience — but for the Faculty Director, It’s Home »
Five Duke scholars have been selected for fellowships in the 2025-26 “Institute for Faculty Voice and Collaborative Leadership,” organized by the Ivy+ Faculty Advancement Network. Throughout the academic year, the Duke cohort will meet with colleagues across Ivy+ institutions to discuss practices and strategies introduced during institute programming. This experience is part of Duke Faculty Advancement’s suite of programs supporting faculty in their teaching, research, service and leadership roles. read more about Esther Gabara one of five 2025-2026 Duke Ivy+ Provost Leadership Fellows »
This article traces how, in Spain's transition to democracy, certain"hidden costs"— the sacrifice of the “logic of the popular” commonto the counterculture of Spain at the time— had to be paid. The newdemocratic identity was forced to abandon its rural sociocultural legacy,where practices of the collective were thriving. This article rethinks theexistential weariness associated with the youth of Spain’s transition as anindicator of something more than mere apathy and… read more about A cambio de la magia: traicionando lo común en el neoliberalismo español (1975-2021) »
A recent wave of acclaimed novels and films have rekindled interest in theIberian rural as a microcosm for exploring the social nature of humankind.This resurgence attempts to forge sustainable alternatives but confronts amythologized view of the rural as antisocial, resistant to political change.This narrative emphasizes the inherent violence and “primitiveness” of rurallife, countering the 1970s Marxist-leaning peasant studies, which recoverthe rural as a space… read more about Katryn Evinson writes about Capitalist Primitivism and the Antisocial Turn in the Contemporary Iberian Rural Novel »
Five Duke scholars have been selected for fellowships in the 2025-26 “Institute for Faculty Voice and Collaborative Leadership,” organized by the Ivy+ Faculty Advancement Network. Nominated by their deans, they will join a cohort of faculty members from other Ivy+ institutions to develop and apply new approaches to strengthen their leadership strategies in the current academic landscape. read more about Two Trinity Faculty Chosen for Ivy+ Institute on Leadership in the Current Academic Landscape »
The appointment of Bénédicte Savoy underscores France’s changing views on the issue of returning artifacts that were wrongly taken during the colonial period. read more about Louvre Museum Names Advocate for African Art Repatriation, Highlighting Research Collaboration With Duke's Felwine Sarr »
We are honored to announce the arrival of the Fall 2025 Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Mellon Visiting Professor, Dr. Luz Rodríguez! Click the link to learn more from the CLACS page. read more about CLACS Welcomes Fall 2025 Mellon Visiting Professor, Dr. Luz Rodríguez! »
Project: Enslaved Childhoods: Survival and Storytelling in the Atlantic WorldAnnette K. Joseph-Gabriel is the John Spencer Bassett Associate Professor of Romance Studies and associate professor of gender, sexuality, and feminist studies at Duke University. Her work centers marginalized voices and shows how their contributions can offer us new ways to think about contemporary cultural and political questions. She is the author of Reimagining Liberation: How Black Women Transformed Citizenship in the… read more about NHC Highlights Prof. Annette Joseph-Gabriel's Project »
On a picture-perfect spring afternoon, Germain Choffart’s French 101 students took a field trip to Duke Campus Farm, where they were greeted and guided — en français — by Saskia Cornes, Duke Campus Farm director and assistant professor at the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute. Cornes, who now teaches in the environmental humanities at Duke, studied French as an undergraduate. Cornes shared the farm’s academic mission and environmental initiatives. For example, did you know that some of the… read more about French Takes Root at Duke Farm »
The following is a partial list of national, university, school and departmental awards presented to the members of the Class of 2025. In some awards where there are multiple winners, only members of the Class of 2025 are included. read more about Department Honors and Laurels for the Class of 2025 »
Undergraduate research is one of the cornerstones of a Duke education. More than half of the undergraduates leave Duke after doing an honors project, independent study or other faculty-mentored research.“At Duke, undergraduate research is more than an opportunity — it’s part of our culture,” said Deb Reisinger, dean of undergraduate education. “From their very first year on campus, students are encouraged to explore big questions, test ideas, and engage directly with faculty mentors across every discipline. Whether in an… read more about Class of 2025 Honors: Exploring the Big Questions »
On a picture-perfect spring afternoon, Germain Choffart’s French 101 students took a field trip to Duke Campus Farm, where they were greeted and guided — en français — by Saskia Cornes, Duke Campus Farm director and assistant professor at the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute. Cornes, who now teaches in the environmental humanities at Duke, studied French as an undergraduate. Cornes shared the farm’s academic mission and environmental initiatives. For example, did you know that some of the… read more about French Takes Root at Duke Farm »
The Department of Romance Studies is proud to present awards to four graduating seniors. The undergraduate winners are voted on by the faculty in Romance Studies, and will be formally presented at the department's commencement celebration. Congratulations to all the winners! Richard L. Predmore Award in Spanish Jax NalleyJax Nalley is a fourth-year Robertson Scholar from Northwest Arkansas, majoring in Public Policy and Romance Studies. On campus, he serves as Chief of Staff for… read more about Romance Studies Departmental Award Winners »
Anne-Gaëlle Saliot, associate professor of Romance Studies and director of the Center for French and Francophone Studies, has been knighted by the French government as a member of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. Established by Napoleon in 1808, the Ordre des Palmes Académiques is the oldest non-military French recognition and one of the world's oldest civil awards. The honor of chevalier, or knight, recognizes excellence in research, teaching and the promotion of French language and culture. … read more about Anne-Gaëlle Saliot Named Knight of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques »
Congratulations to Professor Anne-Gaëlle Saliot who has been knighted by the French Government. On April 28 she will be awarded the medal of "Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques" in recognition of the excellence of her academic research, as well as key role in promoting Franco-American cultural and scientific relations through her Directorship of the Center for French and Francophone Studies. The Ordre des Palmes Académiques is a national order bestowed by the French Republic on distinguished academics for… read more about Congratulations to Professor Anne-Gaëlle Saliot for receiving the medal of "Chevalier des Palmes Académiques" »
In this series of four stories, we are highlighting students whose “Why I Learn Languages” essays have been selected as winners of the Trinity Language Council’s 2024 Best Essay competition. Grace Kurtz-Nelson is a senior majoring in Public Policy and French. Through her time at Duke, she deepened her knowledge of French and started Italian. Read and let Kurtz-Nelson tell you, in her own words, how learning languages helped her make life-long friends while she laid the tracks of her future career.… read more about In Their Own Words: Discovering the Francophone World, From Pen Pals to Policy »
In this series of four stories, we are highlighting students whose “Why I Learn Languages” essays have been selected as winners of the Trinity Language Council’s 2024 Best Essay competition. Damilola Bankole is a junior majoring in Global Health and Spanish. Read and let Bankole tell you, in her own words, how learning languages allows her to translates not only words, but emotions, prayers and hopes. Language has always been more than a tool… read more about In Their Own Words: Languages as a Lifeline »
It has been nearly a decade since Sandra Valnes Quammen, senior lecturer with the Department of Romance Studies, began exploring ways to integrate sustainability into her language teaching — largely thanks to the Trillium Sustainability Fellows Program. Created by Charlotte Clark, associate professor of the practice of sustainability (now emeritus) at the Nicholas School of the Environment, the program encouraged faculty from outside the environmental sciences to think of ways climate sustainability could intersect with… read more about Sustainable Conversations »
"The Senegalese writer and thinker Felwine Sarr shone at the Salon du livre africain in Paris, winning two prestigious awards. He was awarded the Grand Prix Afrique de la nouvelle for his collection “Le bouddhisme est né à Colobane” (Buddhism was born in Colobane), a work composed of seven short stories exploring universal themes such as love, life, death, detachment and wisdom.But that's not all. Through Jimsaan, the publishing house he co-founded with Boubacar Boris Diop and Nafissatou Dia, he was awarded the Prix… read more about Felwine Sarr winning two prestigious awards »