November 29, 2017

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Duke prepares for first true road game of season Page 11

T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2017 DUKECHRONICLE.COM

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 37

3 University faculty named AAAS fellows By Shannon Fang Staff Reporter

Three Duke faculty have been elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding and significant contributions to science. The mission of AAAS is to “advance science, engineering and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people.” Each year, fellows are nominated by the section steering group or AAAS peers based on their extraordinary achievements in areas such as research, teaching or communicating and interpreting science to the public. Nominated individuals must have been AAAS members for at least four years. David Kirsch, Trinity ‘93 and Barbara Levine University professor of radiation oncology and vice chair for basic and translational research, began his scientific career with a biology major at Duke. He then earned an M.D./Ph.D. degree from Johns Hopkins University, where he researched cell response to ionizing radiation and cell death mechanisms. He completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and post-doctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he developed a genetically engineered mouse model of soft tissue sarcoma. In 2007, Kirsch returned to Duke to start his own lab and continued to use his mouse model. Kirsch works in the Duke Cancer Institute one day a week treating sarcoma

DUKE DONATES Political donations by Duke employees surge after Trump’s election in 2016 By Ben Leonard Staff Reporter

The day after President Donald Trump was elected, a palpable sense of shock overcame the campus. Since then, Duke faculty and staff have become far more politically involved. Compared to the same 323-day period after President Barack Obama’s re-election in 2012, faculty and staff made nearly 10 times more individual donations to political causes in the aftermath of Trump’s victory—870 to 88. The data, which comes from the Center for Responsive Politics, showed that of those 870 donations, just six of them were to Republican candidates or party committees. David Levi, dean of the School of Law, gave $2,700 to Republican Monty Newman, a candidate for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District. Levi declined to comment, and the other five Republican donors did not respond to requests for comment. On the other side, many—including Jane Richardson, James B. Duke professor of biochemistry—said they donated because of Trump’s election and the conditions that led to his victory. Richardson donated $546 to various Democratic causes and candidates. “Of course it was because of his election. It also has to do with the things that made his election possible. A lot of that is we don’t teach critical thinking anymore,” Richardson said. “Nobody seems to care how unreasonable politicians behave—they don’t get punished for it. The influence and money is a big deal.” As a scientist, Richardson is particularly troubled by Trump’s relationship with facts. “That is maybe one of the worst parts of it,” she said. “I’m a scientist and I care about objectivity. You can’t always know the right answer, but

See AAAS on Page 16

Graphic by Jeremy Chen | Graphics Editor

Courtesy of Duke Photography David Kirsch, vice chair for basic and translational research, works in the Duke Cancer Institute treating sarcoma patients.

See DONATIONS on Page 4

And then they came together

‘(as) Thick as Thieves’

The pressure to be thin

Campus Democrats and Republicans host roundtable to discuss pressing national issues. PAGE 3

How senior Jeainny Kim became the first undergraduate to present an exhibit at Duke’s Power Plant Gallery. PAGE 7

Is Duke culture contributing to students developing eating disorders and exercising too much? TOWERVIEW

INSIDE — News 2 | Recess 5 | Sports 11 | Opinion 14 | Serving the University since 1905 |

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@thedukechronicle | © 2017 The Chronicle


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November 29, 2017 by Duke Chronicle - Issuu