University Scholars Program

Designed to stimulate an interdisciplinary, inter-generational community of scholars, the University Scholars Program was created in 1998 by the Office of the Vice-Provost of Interdisciplinary Studies with a gift from Duke University Trustee Emerita Melinda French Gates.

The University Scholars Program (USP) welcomed its first matriculating class in 1999. This innovative program was the first of its kind in the United States and around the world, bringing together undergraduates, graduate students, and students from Duke’s professional schools to meet regularly through seminars, informal mentoring, programmatic retreats, and student-led symposia. Other universities and colleges have sought to emulate certain aspects of the USP, but the interdisciplinary-minded community of students at various stages of tertiary and post tertiary education remains unique.

I’m currently teaching the Bull City Scholars house course with another University Scholar, Casey Powell. The course provides students with an overview of middle school education, specifically in North Carolina, and encourages them to think critically about it. As part of the course, students also volunteer at Neal Middle School. I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer at Neal many times throughout my Duke career, and it’s always a joy to see how others connect with the students there through tutoring.

Outside of teaching, I’m focusing on finishing my senior honors thesis, which has the working title Trust Issues: How Education and Media Shape Confidence in U.S. Institutions. Considering how much time we spend online, I believe it’s important to understand how this may affect our perception of institutions like Congress and the courts.