DukEngineer Magazine 2025

Dean Jerry Lynch

Welcome to the 85th edition of the DukEngineer Magazine! Over this publication’s long and storied history, it is a fascinating view into the evolving nature of our students and the society in which they are getting ready to fearlessly change for the better. It is also an insightful look into the changing nature of technology in the pursuit of advancing the common good.

If you read closely enough, you will find ample evidence of some of those changes happening in real-time before your eyes. Today, students are passionate about fighting climate change as evident from their use of AI to process satellite data to watch for increases in coastal river salinity and launching startups focused on offering rural communities jobs in an economy adapting to a warming world. They are a generation with computer literacy like no other before them, learning to code in completely new and holistic ways while designing nimble, futuristic robots that will find their way into many exciting societal applications.

The pages also include signs of the times, some more obvious than others. It’s impossible to ignore the implications of student groups working to provide aid to refugees whose lives have been upended by war. Another sign of the times is how global our programs have become with a generation of students coming to Duke from more backgrounds than ever before. What is drawing them to Duke Engineering is the whole-student support we provide and our “culture of uplift” that ensures our students can maximize their potential before launching back into the world.

Less evident in these pages are more recent shifts in the relationship between higher education and American society. While aspects of our mutually beneficial partnership with the federal government may change in the future, what will not change is our purpose of producing leaders and technology that advances the common good. As you can see from 85 years of the DukEngineer Magazine, our passionate community creates solutions that lead directly to improvements in our quality of life. More importantly, we produce principled leaders ready to deploy technological solutions that matter.

I cannot help but base my optimism on all of you! As alumni and friends of our program, you provide a level of unwavering support that most other schools would envy. Your generous support confirms how vitally important our mission is. Stay tuned throughout the year for opportunities to continue engaging with us, as Duke launches its new MADE FOR THIS campaign. We also plan to share with you a project we’ve been working hard on for the past two years — a comprehensive strategic vision that will firmly keep Duke at the vanguard of engineering in a rapidly changing world.

Until then, please enjoy this glimpse into the lives of today’s best and brightest engineering students, which also includes a chance to compare your experience tenting in Krzyzewskiville with the new and creative ways today’s engineers prepare for the Big Game.

Jerome P. Lynch, PhD, F.EMI
Vinik Dean of Engineering
Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering

Kate Stutheit

When we first stepped onto campus as incoming students, we were eager to find our place in the Pratt community. One of our earliest opportunities came through Engineering Student Government (ESG). Neither of us had any experience in student government, but we were excited to jump in, meet as many people as possible, and make a difference. From our very first meeting in a cramped conference room on the second floor of West Union, we saw something special; a passionate group of students committed to making Pratt a better place for everyone.

Pranav Mukund

Over the past three years, we have been a part of ESG’s growth and have seen it evolve beyond our wildest expectations. As a result of the hard work and dedication of ESG members past and present, ESG has been transformed into a more organized and action-driven body. We have been fortunate to be a part of incredible successes this past year that have improved communication and inclusion in our community through the launch of events specifically for underrepresented groups in engineering, helping students connect with peers to share their experiences. In Academic Affairs, we developed and strengthened partnerships with faculty to improve the first-year curriculum and experiences, hosted department-specific events, and started conversations to improve and enhance the design experience for students in all years. Our Campus Outreach team built stronger relationships with the Engineering Alumni Council, bringing students and alumni together in new and meaningful ways. The Events team boosted E-Ball attendance to over 1,200 students while continuing traditions like E-Picnic, Engineers Week, and E-LDOC (Last Day of Classes). Our Marketing department revamped ESG’s digital presence with a brand-new website, campus interviews, and better event promotion. These efforts have helped ESG make a bigger
impact, reach more students, and use our resources more effectively.

Looking ahead, we are more committed than ever to ESG’s mission: making life better for Pratt students. Accessibility and engagement have been big wins, but we want to go further in strengthening our community and supporting students’ well-being. This year, we’re focused on making ESG even more effective, creating stronger connections between Pratt clubs and student groups, and being a resource for students when they need support. We also want to expand mentorship opportunities—helping students connect with upperclassmen, alumni, and faculty who can guide them through their time at Duke.

We know firsthand how difficult it is to be an engineer at one of the most rigorous and demanding programs in the world. Engineering is tough. It pushes you, challenges you, and prepares you for the real world. Engineering can also inspire you with a sense of purpose to make things better, help you realize what is possible by working together as a community, and give you the satisfaction of achieving what you never thought possible. Whether it is through more events on E-Quad or serving as a friendly face around campus, we want to ensure every student feels like they truly belong—at Pratt, at Duke, and in this incredible community of engineers.

We wouldn’t be here without the leadership and mentorship of past ESG presidents Eliana Durkee (2024) and Jack Rhodes (2023). ESG has changed a lot since those early days in a tiny conference room, but our passion for this community remains constant. Thank you for letting us be a part of your Pratt experience, and we are excited to continue building on our vision to make Pratt an even more welcoming place!

All our best,
Kate Stutheit and Pranav Mukund
ESG Executive Co-Presidents

Deniz Acil

From the first fall meeting of Engineering Graduate Council (EGSC), I knew I’d have big shoes to fill as the president. Fortunately, the excellent leadership of Aaron Appelle (‘23) laid a solid foundation that made it easier for our new board of dedicated students to succeed. Our mission has been to bring different graduate programs together, support students’ academic progress, and cultivate a sense of home in everyone within our community. This year was remarkably productive for EGSC, marked by the consistency of initiatives and events spearheaded by every board member.

Attending graduate school is a very challenging and transformative experience. Students often are faced with demanding coursework, research, and extracurricular obligations while managing their career development and personal lives along with anxieties over local and global conflicts. While academia recently faces new challenges, our efforts in EGSC to bring positivity and connection across Pratt gives me confidence.

Throughout the year, we have collaborated with the Student Engagement & Support team to host Pratt-wide
festivals. Kashish Malhotra (ECE Rep.) was instrumental in preparing a vibrant Pratt Oktoberfest celebration with German-themed food, drinks, and lawn games for over 150 students. Reza Fathi (VP) organized a Pratt Holiday Party with seasonal beverages, food, and an ugly sweater showdown. Walter Pariona (MEM Rep.) and Reza have planned our second annual International Food Festival with an even larger crowd than last year, hosting 12 student cooks preparing cuisines from various countries for over 200 Pratt attendees to enjoy together. I would also like to thank Alison Brandeis (Sr. Program Coordinator for PhD Programs in SES) for her consistent support with our events as the EGSC advisor and her unwavering commitment to helping the student experience at Pratt.

Outside of festivals, our board has shown commitment to professional development, sustainability, and expansion
of EGSC’s reach. Meg Taylor (BME Rep.) and Sunidhi (M. Eng Rep.) have organized two free professional headshots for the Pratt community and, along with Aniketh Shenoy Kota (Communications Chair), have revamped EGSC’s social media presence by overhauling the website and Instagram page. Cameron Reid (M.S. Rep.) and Aniketh are organizing the upcoming Pratt poster session for graduate students to exhibit their research. Han Zhang (Treasurer) has been dedicated to student feedback and sustainability, helping with fair allocation of funds, organizing student feedback surveys, and even leading a new student organization called Pratt Raccoons (Resource
Ambassadors for Coordinating Campus Operations and Organizing Nutritious Solutions) aimed at reducing food waste across Duke. Finally, these initiatives that bring our community together are only possible with continuous administrative support. We would like to thank Professor Joel Collier, Dean Jerry Lynch, and, once again, Alison Brandeis for being advocates of our mission.

Over the past few years, EGSC has been one of the most important highlights of my PhD experience. I’ve made many personal connections with Pratt students, whether from our weekly Pratt Chat conversations talking about research, life, and music or interdepartmental mixers where I learned about forefronts of neurology, biochemistry, robotics, and many other fascinating fields. As an international student from Turkey, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Pratt community, for it has given many students like me a second home filled with
friendships, a sense of community, and incredible memories.

Stay tuned for more from EGSC! Consider submitting your research work to our poster session, sending us your scientific photos to our annual Envisioning the Invisible photo competition, and joining us for end of the year Pratt Parlay celebration in April. We look forward to serving you during the rest of 2025.

Deniz Acil
EGSC President

Drew Romes

Dear Duke Engineering Alumni:

We are yet again seeing another exciting year for Pratt. In this issue of DukEngineer and in all our updates over the past year, you will see our massive push in computing, robotics, sustainability, and more. Contributions across students, faculty, and alumni exemplify our drive to have a purposeful impact on the community around us.

The Engineering Alumni Council (EAC) over the past year has continued our push to foster connections between alumni and current students as well as amongst alumni. As always, I would like to thank the 29 volunteers that shape your Engineering Alumni Association’s vision of connections and implement the programs that make it come to life. As the governing and operating board of the Engineering Alumni Association, we are practicing engineers, lawyers, doctors, and business leaders. We bring this experience and passion to everything we do on the EAC, have an awful lot of fun, deliver substantial value to Pratt as a whole and to the student body while pushing to make connections wherever we can.

This past year we were so fortunate to work with an actively engaged Engineering Student Government’s leadership to tailor programming to the student body; we have continued the growth of our regional, mentorship, and student projects programs; and we are pushing for ways to serve you, our alumni base, with new programming and engagement opportunities.

We have worked through our mock interviews and resume reviews with current students to drive home the theme that a Pratt Engineer can go anywhere and do anything, both within and outside normal engineering roles. We are extending these interactions into career journeys as well, so be on the lookout next fall for invitations that will have alumni diving into their experiences learning about, applying to, and working within various disciplines.

The EAC’s Pratt Alumni-Student Mentorship Program continues as a student-to-alumni connections model across Duke. Our 350 mentors are helping 440 students with character development, career journey understanding, and other mentorship activities on a monthly basis. We often hear from mentors that this is one of the most rewarding things they do when they give back to Duke.

This year’s Engineering Awards Banquet is held on April 25. As always, we will bestow three awards: The Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award, and the Distinguished Service Award. We are so excited about this year’s recipients, their contributions to Pratt and Duke, and their impact on our society.

Finally, we learned from Duke’s Chief Engagement Officer Laura Heilenday that Duke has to “win the first engagement” with alumni. We do our absolute best to model this philosophy across all our programming, but
please reach out to me (drew.romes@gmail.com) if you have any comments or suggestions to make any Pratt event better. Even better, show us yourself! I challenge every Pratt alumnus to try one new form of engagement
over the next year to reconnect with Pratt, Duke, and current students. You have plenty of options to start:

• Sign up for the mentorship program if you are not already participating.
• Join the EAC and pay your dues to support all this student programming
• Fund a student project
• Attend a regional event and maybe even mentor a fellow alumnus
• Nominate a classmate, friend, or member of your regional network for a Distinguished Alumnus or Service Award

Thank you to all the Pratt Alumni who help elevate the school, current students, and fellow alumni. Go Duke!

Drew Romes E’02, B’10
President, Engineering Alumni Council