Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Community
More perspectives, better solutions
Solutions are like people. They come in a vast variety, each with their own unique characteristics. Embracing diversity of perspective, both within our own community and those we partner with, is a necessary ingredient to finding optimal solutions.

What We Do
Duke Engineering is constantly working to explore, build and deepen the diversity, equity and inclusion within our school. Besides making us better engineers, it allows us to celebrate and support each member of our own community.
- Convene our community for discussions, workshops and social events
- Provide leadership, especially through the Committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community
- Advise and assist colleagues across the school as they strengthen DEIC initiatives in their departments and units
- Maintain vital lines of communication, especially through our Community Connections newsletter (Duke NetID required)
- Collaborate intentionally with peer institutions, including through the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
- Steward the philanthropy of alumna Valecia Maclin, Class of 1992, dedicated to supporting our DEIC mission and improving the student experience
Mission
To include and engage the rich diversity of students, staff, faculty, administrators and community partners in all facets of our work as a school.
We are committed to:
- Building an environment where all individuals are included, supported and valued
- Ensuring that our community is composed of a broad spectrum of experiences and perspectives through recruitment, retention and ongoing professional development
- Designing curricula and pedagogies that promote cultural awareness and intercultural competence
- Developing policies, resources and communication structures and processes that inform and enable a diverse, inclusive and equitable organization
- Understanding and tracking our impact through rigorous assessment of our short- and long-term goals and our overall community climate


Vision
To be a leader in inclusive excellence by innovating, implementing and facilitating policies, practices and programs across affinity groups, departments, the school, university partners and the greater community to ensure that all members of our community feel that they belong, are engaged and are empowered.
Explore Our Resources

Outreach Design Education
With a vision to make engineering more helpful to humanity and support from the NSF and NIH, Duke ODE makes engineering more accessible by deeply engaging with the community through design challenges. The program hosts an annual hackathon and summer camps for high schoolers and K-12 teachers.

DEIC Committee
The Duke Engineering DEIC Committee is co-chaired by Karis-Boyd Sinkler, director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community, and Quiana Tyson, Assistant Director for DEI Programs and Initiatives.
The team is focused on engaging the Pratt Community around priorities identified during the Pratt 2039 visioning exercise:
- Building community through behaviors
- Recruitment and retention
- Equitable workplace and professional development
- Mentoring
Subcommittees
75 percent of effort focused on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion; 25 percent on building community-
- Shani Daily (ECE), co-chair
- Gregg Trahey (BME), co-chair
- Henri Gavin (CEE)
- Gaby Katul (CEE)
- Cameron Kim (BME)
- Steve McClelland (Dean’s Office)
- Guillermo Sapiro (ECE)
- Becky Simmons (MEMS)
- Junjie Yao (BME)
- Stefan Zauscher (MEMS)
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- Philip Duhart (Dean’s Office), co-chair
- Ben Cooke (At-Large), co-chair
- Angus Bowers (Engineering Master’s Programs)
- Angela Chanh (ECE)
- Michael Humphreys (Centers & Institutes)
- Jennifer Peters (BME)
- Juhi Samal (BME Postdoc)
- Jeverra Thomas (MEMS)
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- Luisa Piccolo Serafim (MEMS PhD), co-chair
- Joshua Wu (BME PhD), co-chair
- Jeet Ghorpade (MEMS MEMP)
- Upasana Ghosh (BME PhD)
- Shruthee Sankarlinkam (BME MEng)
- Angad Singh (MEMP)
- Cesar Villalobos (BME PhD)
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- Amari Crittenden (MEMS)
- Ava Ganeshan (MEMS)
- Selena Halabi (BME)
- Sage Hirschfeld (CEE)
- Shannuel Lamptey (CEE)
- Zeqi Sun (BME)
- Ella Veysel (Undeclared)
Unit Liaisons
Resources and partners in developing customized strategic plans-
- Cameron Kim, lead
- Upasana Ghosh
- Selena Halabi
- Jennifer Peters
- Juhi Samal
- Shruthee Sankarlinkam
- Zeqi Sun
- Gregg Trahey
- Cesar Villalobos
- Joshua Wu
- Junjie Yao
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- Henri Gavin
- Sage Hirschfeld
- Gaby Katul
- Shannuel Lamptey
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- Angela Chanh, lead
- Shani Daily
- Greg Hernandez
- Guillermo Sapiro
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- Becky Simmons, lead
- Amari Crittenden
- Jeet Ghorpade
- Luisa Piccolo Serafim
- Jeverra Thomas
- Stefan Zauscher
Contact the Duke Engineering DEIC Team

Karis Boyd-Sinkler
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Community