Announcing the Inaugural Cohort of the Duke Faculty Academy
Eight faculty members from diverse fields will take part in a new professional development program aimed at promoting constructive collaboration and empowering local change.
Organized by the Office for Faculty Advancement with key university partners, the Duke Faculty Academy is designed to help participants develop creative solutions to issues that impact the faculty experience.
2024-2025 Cohort of the Duke Faculty Academy
Katherine Brading, Professor of Philosophy
David Brown, Snow Family Business Distinguished Professor of Business
Michael Cary, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing
Eileen Cheng-yin Chow, Associate Professor of the Practice of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Michael Murphy, Clinical Professor of Law (Teaching)
Ronald Parr, Professor of Computer Science
Carlo Tomasi, Iris Einheuser Distinguished Professor of Computer Science
Alex Zhang, Archibald C. and Frances Fulk Rufty Research Professor of Law
Focus Areas
In its inaugural year, the Duke Faculty Academy will guide participants through a program to create innovative projects on the impact of generative AI on the faculty experience.
Yakut Gazi, vice provost for learning innovation and digital education, and Jon Reifschneider, executive director of the Master of Engineering in AI for Product Innovation Program, will advise the cohort members.
A second focus area — promoting constructive engagement with difficult topics — will also be addressed during the inaugural year through a special seed grant awarded to Katherine Brading. Abbas Benmamoun, vice provost for faculty advancement, and Joseph Blocher, Lanty L. Smith Distinguished Professor of Law, will support Brading in this work.
How It Works
Working collectively, cohort members will use principles of design thinking and intervention science to walk through the process of developing creative ideas for initiatives, tools and resources that can improve experiences in academic units. Participants will receive support to generate solutions that yield lasting and effective changes.
The cohort began their work at the Emerging Pedagogies Summit, where they engaged with national experts who study aspects of generative AI. They will come together for regular meetings, with local leaders joining these discussions to help build the knowledge and skills required to develop successful initiatives at Duke.
At the end of the academic year, the cohort will share projects with the Duke community during a capstone event.
Main image: First row, Katherine Brading, David Brown, Michael Cary, Eileen Cheng-yin Chow; second row: Michael Murphy, Ronald Parr, Carlo Tomasi, Alex Zhang