Milestones

July 2005

Director Anne Yoder with lemur Duke’s Lemur Center gears up for a year of changes including a new name, new director Anne Yoder, expanded facilities and the first aye-aye ever born to parents who were themselves born into captivity.

August 2005

Duke students work to rebuild a tsunami-ravaged area of Indonesia Through Engineers Without Borders, Duke students travel to Indonesia and design low-tech solutions to aid recovery efforts in a remote village ravaged by the December 2004 tsunami.

September 2005

Duke groups help with Hurricane Katrina restoration Duke opens its campus to victims of hurricane Katrina and enrolls 47 undergraduates and 17 graduate students until their schools along the Gulf Coast re-open. Throughout the year, multiple Duke groups help restore the region.

October 2005

Perkins Library photo The newest additions to Perkins Library – Bostock Library and the von der Heyden Pavillion – open, prompting a 40 percent increase in library usage.

November 2005

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks at the dedication ceremony for Rubenstein Hall, a $12-million addition to the Sanford Institute of Public Policy that more than doubled the institute’s space.

December 2005

Duke financial aid campaign launch Duke launches a $300-million financial aid endowment campaign to ensure that Duke will continue its need-blind admissions policies and make certain that a quality education is affordable for everyone who is admitted.

January 2006

Nasher Museum of Art visitor views artwork The Nasher Museum of Art, which opened in October 2005, showcases Grant Hill’s collection of African-American art and sponsors an exhibit of Romare Bearden, one of the most important American artists of the 20th century.

February 2006

Durham Public School students with Duke mentor In partnership with the Durham Public Schools, Duke announces three initiatives to boost support for public school teachers: a mentorship program, support for training teachers, and Spanish language training for educators that includes an immersion trip to Guatemala.

March 2006

Duke in the national media spotlight In response to allegations against players on the men’s lacrosse team, media flood campus and force Duke into the national spotlight.

April 2006

Duke hosts the North Carolina Festival of the Book for the first time. The event, divided into 40 separate programs, features 80 writers including Barbara Kingsolver, Tom Wolfe, Ann Patchett, Pat Conroy, and Pearl Cleage.

May 2006

John Hope Franklin delivers commencement address More than 4,000 students graduate from Duke as John Hope Franklin, the distinguished scholar and James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History, delivers the commencement address.

June 2006

Duke President Richard Brodhead speaking President Richard Brodhead completes a two-week trip to Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China to raise Duke’s profile in the region, reach out to alumni, and build relationships among higher education leaders.