Duke Engineering
Impact Report 2024

The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University is dedicated to educating the engineering leaders needed to tackle the world’s toughest problems while making a positive impact on those around us. Detailed within this report are a strong lineup of national research centers and productive faculty that are helping to define the evolution of some of tomorrow’s critical and impactful technologies.

Faculty by the Numbers

177

total faculty

133 tenure-track

>33%

growth of tenure-track faculty

over the last decade

New Faculty

26 faculty added to key areas since 2020

Climate Change Solutions (7)

Focusing on development and implementation for both adaptation and remediation.

Robotics (4)

Transforming our world— and our health care—with robotics and automation.

Genomic Medicine (5)

Pursuing CRISPR-related techniques for insight into gene regulation, cellular development and treatment of disease.

AI & Quantum Computing (10)

Solving the future’s toughest problems using computing technologies developed specifically for the task.

National Accolades and Service

Amanda Randles illustration

Amanda Randles

ACM Prize in Computing

Shaundra Daily illustration

Shaundra Daily

ACM Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award

Kishor Trivedi

Kishor Trivedi

Fellow of the AAAS

Lee Ferguson illustration

Lee Ferguson

PFAS network NC leader

Christine Payne illustration

Christine Payne

Jefferson Fellowship

Adam Wax illustration

Adam Wax

NSF Program Manager

Emily Edwards illustration

Emily Edwards

NASEM Advisory Committee on Developing Competencies for the Future of Data and Computing: The Role of K-12

Kenneth Hall illustration

Kenneth Hall

NAE Peer Committee of Aerospace Engineering

Earl Dowell illustration

Earl Dowell

NAE Search Committee for Aerospace Engineering

Reimagining Engineering Education

Design-Focused Experiences

Instilling design thinking skills that transfer to whatever career students choose while also improving retention rates and self-esteem.

Computational Thinking

Teaching the fundamentals of building algorithms from scratch while demonstrating how data skills apply to any career through hands-on projects.

Character and Ethics

Engaging faculty to integrate lessons in ethics and character into their curricula to graduate great engineers—and good people.

Community-Based Experiences

Providing hands-on experiences by working with local and global partners that make an immediate impact on people’s lives.

Dean Jerry Lynch

As we move deeper into the 21st century, this moment demands all engineers to think holistically about the very complex societal problems that lie ahead. Pratt’s pioneering educational programs are designed to uniquely train engineers to push the envelope and boldly deploy revolutionary solutions that better the human condition.

Jerome Lynch Vinik Dean of Engineering

Our Students

3232

total students

636

PhD

1282

master’s

1314

undergrad

112%

growth in total graduate enrollment

over the last decade

>25

graduate students supported by external fellowships

60%

of undergrads conduct faculty-sponsored research

91%

of bachelor’s grads are employed full-time or pursuing continuing education

within six months of graduation

Top 6 Employers

Top Education News of 2024

two skyscrapers covered in plants and trees
4/29 Pratt School of Engineering

A Civil Engineering Renaissance

Civil engineering is coming back into vogue in untraditional ways for students looking to solve global challenges

Explore our Programs

A Duke Engineering education leads to lives of purpose and integrity that are as rewarding as they are impactful. Explore our supportive and inclusive community that defines excellence in engineering.

Undergraduate

Solve hard problems. Have fun doing it.

Master’s

Master tomorrow’s challenges.

PhD

Prepare for a high-impact career.

$93.8M in total annual research expenditures

Major Externally Funded Research Centers

NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Precision Microbiome Engineering

Understanding and improving the microbial communities that inhabit our built environments.

NSF AI Institute for Edge Computing (Athena)

Leveraging AI, edge computing and next-generation networked systems to reimagine future mobile devices.

DOE Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA)

Delivering prototype quantum systems that are optimized for major advances in key areas.

DoD Spinodal-Hardened High-Entropy Ceramics MURI (SPICES)

Designing recipes for new “high-entropy” materials tailored to super-hard, high-temperature applications.

AFOSR Meta-Imaging MURI

Creating a “super camera” that can capture and process a wide range of light’s properties.

UL Global Air Pollution & Health (GAPH)

Working to better understand and influence the link between air pollution and human health.

NIH Impact of Genomic Variation on Function Consortium (IGVF)

Using CRISPR-based tools to identify gene regulatory elements critical to cellular behavior and disease.

Training Grants

Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering (CBTE)

Linking protein engineering, cellular engineering and tissue engineering.

AI for Understanding and Designing Materials (aiM)

Developing expertise in using artificial intelligence for materials science research.

Traineeship in the Advancement of Surgical Technologies (TAST)

Mixing engineering and computer science to advance surgical practices.

From Our Labs to Your World in FY23

98

new invention disclosures

plus 40 patents issued

8

license agreements with industry partners

3

spin-off companies based on faculty research

$7.7M

revenue resulting from Duke Engineering technologies

Notable Startups

PROTECT3D logo

PROTECT3D

Founded by undergraduates, a company producing custom-printed protective devices for professional athletes.

restor3d logo

restor3d

Providing bespoke 3D-printed orthopedic implants to doctors and patients for better surgical outcomes.

IonQ logo

IonQ

The first pure-play quantum computing company publicly traded on the U.S. stock market.

374Water logo

374Water

Using “pressure cooker on steroids” technology to build modular wastewater treatment plants that can destroy PFAS.

Top Research News of 2024

episode art: tv with qbit
3/19 Podcast

Pop Quantum

The word “quantum” is quickly creeping into the lexicon of American culture. But what does it actually mean? And what does Chris Nolan get right that Marvel gets wrong? Members of the Duke Quantum Center have answers.

Biomedical Engineering

#2

graduate program

U.S. News and World Report

$39.4M

research awards

for FY23

26

AIMBE Fellows

8

Members of the National Academy of Inventors

22

startups

Civil & Environmental Engineering

#9

graduate program

U.S. News and World Report

35%

faculty growth

in the past two years

top 20

in U.S. civil engineering scholarly productivity

Academic Analytics

Master of Engineering in Climate & Sustainability

focused on driving the mitigation and adaptation solutions demanded by today’s industries

Electrical & Computer Engineering

35%

growth in research expenditures

since 2016

52

PhD matriculations in FY24

62% increase from 2009

8

PhD students on major external fellowships

NSF, NDSEG, SMART

Michael Reiter

2024 Lasting Research Award from ACM CODASPY and Test of Time Award from the Intel Hardware Security Academic Awards

Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

$12.2M

research expenditures in FY23

75% increase in 10 years

members in 5

NSF DMREF projects

in 2023

4

“Highly Cited” researchers for 2023

Clarivate

Adrian Bejan

2024 recipient of the ASME Medal

Explore More

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