Sherilynn Black is the associate vice provost for faculty advancement, providing leadership in many areas of faculty advancement including support for pre-tenure and midcareer faculty, professional development for nontenure system faculty, and mentoring. She also leads initiatives to increase diversity among the faculty ranks. Dr. Black is an assistant professor of the practice of medical education and engages in social neuroscience research on the effectiveness of interventions to promote diversity and equity in academia. She has expertise in creating interventions to increase representation and equity among faculty and students across disciplines, and leads work nationally to catalyze systemic change in academia.

Dr. Black previously served as the founding director of the Office of Biomedical Graduate Diversity for the Duke University School of Medicine and was also a principal investigator of the NIH-IMSD funded Duke Biosciences Collaborative for Research Engagement (BioCoRE) Program. She holds several national appointments relating to faculty development and advancement with the NIH, HHMI, AAMC, The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and the Society for Neuroscience. She currently serves on the Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health (Working Group on Diversity) and has won a number of distinctions, including the Samuel Debois Cook Society Award, the Deans Award for Inclusive Excellence in Graduate Education, and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award. She was named one of Cell‘s ‘Most Inspiring Black Scientists in America’. Dr. Black earned her B.S. in psychology and biology with highest honors at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar. She earned her Ph.D. in neurobiology at Duke University and completed additional studies in educational statistics and intervention assessment in the School of Education at UNC–Chapel Hill.

Administrative Assistant: Jan Carico
Pronouns: she/her/hers

In support of the provost’s strategic priorities, Sarah leads a collaborative approach to communications for the Office for Faculty Advancement as well as the Office for Interdisciplinary Studies and its Bass Connections program. She partners with colleagues in these offices as well as faculty, staff and students across the university to illustrate and share Duke’s inclusive excellence in research and education.

Before joining the Duke community in 2015, Sarah worked at global health nonprofit IntraHealth International in Chapel Hill, NC, where she managed communications for the organization’s largest project and interacted with project offices in 23 countries.

Prior to moving to Durham from New York City, Sarah was the acting director of development at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, the director of development at Studio in a School and the assistant to the director of the Harvard University Art Museums. She has an M.A. in international studies from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a B.A. in art history from Vassar College.

Focus Areas: Communications Strategy, Website, News, @DukeFacultyAdv
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Jennifer Goins is a senior program coordinator in the Office for Faculty Advancement. She provides leadership for programs and the planning, coordination and execution of special projects and events. Additionally, Jennifer is the coordinator of the Provost Forum, a campus-wide event organized by the Office of the Provost. She values building community and relationships within the work environment. 

Prior to joining the Office for Faculty Advancement, Jennifer was the director of graduate studies assistant and administrative assistant to the chair in the Department of Immunology in the Duke School of Medicine. During her 14 years she wore many hats; however, her main responsibilities included management of the doctoral program, administrative support in appointment, promotion and tenure activities, and leadership in diversity and inclusion. Her notable Duke achievement is the 2016 Blue Ribbon Diversity Award for university and health system employees, conferred for her blog chronicling her experience entering the race conversation.

Jennifer is a graduate of Elon University, having earned a B.A. in sociology and minor in business administration. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her three daughters doing arts and crafts, playing in the woods and traveling as a family. Her favorite parts of the day are sunrises and sunsets while walking her 55-pound Goldendoodle.

Focus Areas: National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD), Faculty Success Program (FSP), OFA Seed Grants, Equitable Hiring Practices Workshops, Teaching for Equity Fellows, Sullivan Award
Pronouns: she/her/hers