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See Inside Duke names Dawna Jones new dean of students Page 7

The independent news organization at Duke University FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

By Ella Moore

ONLINE DAILY AT DUKECHRONICLE.COM

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SECOND YEAR, ISSUE 2

Welcome back to campus! Here's what you missed:

August 21, 2026

Duke has had an eventful summer, and as the fall semester begins, The Chronicle has you covered with a recap of some of the biggest news that you may have missed. Following a 2025 summer of run-ins with the Trump administration, Duke's clashes with the federal government came into full view once again. On Aug. 6, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it found Duke Law School to have intentionally discriminated primarily against white and Asian students in its admissions practices. The Department emphasized standardized testing score breakdowns as proof that a “Black or Hispanic applicant has a substantially higher likelihood of admission to Duke Law than a white or Asian applicant with the same academic credentials.” A University spokesperson told The Chronicle then that the University was “reviewing the letter and its conclusions carefully.” “Duke is committed to complying with the law and will continue to do so in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission,” the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, after losing significant federal research support due to the Trump administration’s cuts, Duke’s concerns with federal research funding became clearer this summer when it submitted public comments in opposition to a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule that would dramatically change the federal grantmaking process. The OMB's new rule would amplify the role of political appointees in the decision-making process regarding grant recipients, make it easier for the government to cancel grants in the middle of their timeline and limit international research efforts, among other drastic changes. The rule is currently set to take effect Oct. 1. In its comments, Duke said that the rule would “weaken merit-based scientific decision-making, destabilize multiyear research commitments, restrict dissemination and collaboration and increase costs without clear corresponding benefits.” The University’s fears around research funding were only magnified by the significant drop in doctoral student admissions over the last two admissions cycles, with Duke admitting nearly a third less doctoral students for fall 2025 compared to fall 2024.

Scenes from move-in day

Current graduate students also face financial uncertainty following several changes to federal student loan regulations. Starting July 1, the majority of new borrowers can now only take out up to only $20,500 in federal loans per year, a far cry from the cost of attendance for most of Duke’s graduate programs.

11 email to faculty, staff and students, Tripp said that community members had been subject to an “ongoing phishing campaign” that used fake event invitations to encourage recipients to download malicious software. But beginning February 2027, Duke graduates will not have to worry about such invitations flooding their Universityprovided emails. After nearly three decades of offering @alumni.duke.edu emails to alumni, Duke announced in May that it would be ending this benefit. Initially, alumni were given until July 31 to transition away from the email address; following backlash, Duke extended the deadline to Jan. 31, 2027. The email service was created primarily to connect University communications James Li to graduates’ personal accounts, with Beyond the federal government, the some alumni using their Duke-issued University’s summer break began with email in scientific journals, resumes, a break into its Canvas data. On May 3, legal documents, financial records and criminal extortion group ShinyHunters other significant life records, as a means claimed it had breached Instructure of redirecting to their personal email. — the parent company of the online The University claimed that the learning platform — and stolen data decision to end the service was primarily from 9,000 schools, including Duke. due to difficulties with deliverability The cyber saga took place over and security. However, some alumni multiple days, seeming to conclude with expressed skepticism at the reasoning Instructure striking a deal May 11 with the and others publicly pledged to withhold hackers, which the company said allowed donations as a result of the change. them to retrieve the stolen data and Aside from the shifting of alumni “digital confirmation of data destruction.” services, the summer also saw Chief Information Security Officer the restructuring of several other Nick Tripp wrote in a May 12 email to all departments within the University. faculty and students that his office had The Duke Center for International Development — which shrank from nearly a dozen full-time faculty to one following a year of University costcutting — lost its last full-time staff member, director Edmund Malesky, after he stepped down in May. Duke’s Student Affairs also experienced a restructuring. Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs, announced in June that the dean of students position would be filled by a Ryan Kilgallen single person after nearly two years of the role being split in three. Dawna Jones, currently assistant “credible evidence” that the affected data included names, contact information, vice president for identity centers and Canvas internal user names, course and community development, was named enrollment information, course-related to the position in August. She will be data and academic term information. He responsible for overseeing a vast array said the University has since reinforced of programs — including QuadEx, Duke its security for Canvas-related services. Reach, New Student & Family Programs, The University’s cyber woes the undergraduate Time Away Office continued throughout the summer. In and the Office of Student Conduct and June, DukeHub required off-campus Community Standards — and manage users to use a VPN to access the Student Involvement and Leadership, platform for a few days after concerns of an “active attack.” Then, in an Aug. See RECAP on Page 9

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2 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE SEP 24, 2026 – JAN 3, 2027

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The Declaration of Independence is organized in collaboration with Duke Arts and the Nasher Museum of Art and is part of We the People, a Duke and Durham collaboration that marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence through a series of public events examining the nation’s evolving identity. Three historic copies of the Declaration of Independence are on loan from the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection. Leadership support for We the People has been generously provided by David M. Rubenstein. Declaration of Independence. Engraving on vellum. Engraved by William J. Stone (1798–1865). Printed by the U.S. State Department, Washington, D.C.,1823. Collection of David M. Rubenstein. Photo by Vincent Dilio.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026 | 3

As cost-cutting began, Duke’s highest-paid employees took big raises By Jackson Kitts and Seyun Park July 28, 2026

In the same fiscal year that Duke began its cost-cutting measures, most top administrators received a salary increase. Information about the compensation of the University’s highest-paid officers and employees becomes publicly available after Duke files its Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service, which it is required to do annually as a nonprofit organization. The latest form covers fiscal year 2025, which lasted from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. Duke’s cost-cutting efforts began in March of that year. Many of Duke’s highest earners in FY 2025 were either administrators, held prominent positions within DUMAC — the firm that manages Duke’s endowment — or were top athletic coaches. Most saw sizable increases in base and total compensation. So, just how much money did Duke’s top earners make? As in FY 2023 and FY 2024, 14 of the University's highest-paid officers and employees earned more than $1 million in FY 2025, with nine making more than $2 million, compared to four in FY 2024. For the second consecutive year, Neal Triplett, president and CEO of DUMAC, topped the list of highest earners. His total compensation exceeded $5 million

for the first time, reflecting a gain of over 6% from FY 2024. As in the previous year, the majority of his earnings came from bonus and incentive compensation. Other managers of Duke’s investments were also among the highest-paid employees. Head investment managers Justin Nixon and Evan Jones each earned over $2.2 million, while head investment manager Kavita Nayar made $1.9 million. Those compensation totals included large figures for bonus and incentive pay. President Vincent Price topped the list on the administrative side, with compensation of $2.2 million last fiscal year, almost a 13% jump from his previous year’s compensation of $1.95 million. He was the ninth highest-paid employee at Duke overall. Compared to other active university presidents, Price’s compensation last fiscal year ranks highly. Among peer universities with available data, only three presidents earned more than Price: University of Pennsylvania President Larry Jameson, Johns Hopkins University President Ronald Daniels and Vanderbilt University President Daniel Diermeier. Notably, Harvard University President Alan Garber volunteered to take a 25% pay cut for FY 2026 when his school faced federal funding cuts, despite his compensation already being on the lower end.

Other administrators with high salaries included Provost Alec Gallimore, whose total compensation rose by about 83% to more than $1.2 million. The majority of his compensation came from his base salary, which increased the most of any of the top earners, more than doubling from under $500,000 last year to over $1 million this year. Gary Bennett, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, saw the second-largest increase in base salary after Gallimore, rising 43% to a total of over $700,000. However, Bennett actually saw a 22% decrease in total compensation, primarily due to the absence of large bonuses or incentive compensation. The School of Medicine set a yearlong goal to cut $125 million — including $65 million from central administrative spending — from its expenses beginning in 2025, before the end of the fiscal year. Meanwhile, administrators took major earnings bumps. Dr. Mary Klotman, dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president for health affairs at the University, saw a nearly 21% increase in base compensation from about $950,000 to almost $1.15 million. James “Scott” Gibson, the school’s then-executive vice dean for administration, also saw his total compensation rise to $1.06 million, with a base salary increase of 24.2%.

In June 2025, a month before he retired, Gibson told The Chronicle that there were no plans for salary reductions among administrators and faculty. The Chronicle reviewed documents showing that the School of Medicine planned to cut tenured faculty’s salaries if they did not meet grant expectations beginning in 2026. Two Duke doctors, however, were among the highest-paid University employees, beating out Klotman and Gibson. Dr. Jonathan Cook, a professor of dermatology and assistant professor of surgery, did not appear on last year’s See SALARIES on Page 9

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4 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

Justice Department finds Duke Law discriminated based on race in admissions By Claire Cranford and Ella Moore August 6, 2026

The U.S. Department of Justice found Duke Law School to have intentionally discriminated primarily against white and Asian students in its admissions practices. The Department announced the finding in an Aug. 6 press release, with further details provided in a letter to Duke’s outside counsel from Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, head of the department’s Civil Rights Division. The letter said the Law School violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, when admitting the Classes of 2026, 2027 and 2028. Among its findings, the Department listed internal communications and policy documents as proof that Law School officials maintained an intention over recent admissions cycles to “preserve racial outcomes before and after SFFA,” referring to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to ban race-based affirmative action in college admissions practices. “As a result of these practices, highly qualified white, Asian and other students were denied admission on the basis of their race,” Dhillon wrote in the letter. “We are reviewing the letter and its conclusions carefully,” a University spokesperson told The Chronicle Aug. 6. “Duke is committed to complying

with the law and will continue to do so in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission.” The letter is a product of an investigation the Department opened in April 2025. The DOJ is seeking a “voluntary resolution agreement” to ensure compliance, and warned of enforcement action, including possible litigation, if a voluntary agreement is not met. According to the Justice Department, Duke Law School’s application featured questions like how applicants would further Duke Law’s mission. The Department stated that reviewers of applicants’ answers were then instructed to tag “specific applicant characteristics,” including placing some applicants under a “Diversity/Services” tag or flagging applicants for other demographics, such as being a Pell Grant recipient, that can correlate with race. “Thus, while Duke Law’s published policies assert that admissions reviewers did not see racial demographic data, Duke Law directed its admissions staff to highlight applicant information that could be used to advance Duke Law’s racial diversity goals,” the Department said. The Department also broke down standardized testing scores, principally the LSAT, for admitted students by race in its

review to claim that Duke discriminated against white and Asian students. Based on its own analysis, the Department found that the admitted median LSAT for Black applicants in 2024 was 164 and 170 for Hispanic applicants, while the admitted LSAT for Asian applicants was 173 and 172 for white applicants. The Department also found that denied Asian and white applicants held higher LSAT scores on average than admitted Black applicants. “As a result, a Black or Hispanic applicant has a substantially higher likelihood of admission to Duke Law than a white or Asian applicant with the same academic credentials,” the Department said in the release. The Justice Department claimed that the “magnitude and durability (including postSFFA) confirm intentional discrimination.” The finding is the latest in a string of federal actions against Duke, despite the University’s attempts to remain largely out of the spotlight. In July 2025, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched a separate investigation into the Duke Law Journal over its member selection process, also alleging racial discrimination in admission practices. The Department of Health and Human Services similarly froze $108 million in

NIH funding while it launched a similar investigation into Duke Health’s hiring and admission practices. Earlier this year, the University was the subject of a new funding freeze from the National Science Foundation, but the NSF declined to provide a reason for the freeze. The DOJ issued nearly identical findings letters earlier this summer against medical schools at Yale University, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Davis. In June, the Department then said it was also investigating 15 other unnamed medical schools for alleged racial discrimination, but did not respond to The Chronicle’s request for comment at the time on whether Duke was one of the schools.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026 | 5

Duke enrolls record transfer class with 6% acceptance rate Targets veterans, humanities students By Ryan Kilgallen July 6, 2026

Duke plans to welcome 90 transfer students this fall, the largest transfer cohort in University history, beating last year’s record of 71. Nearly half of incoming transfers expressed academic interest in the arts, humanities and interpretive social sciences, continuing a trend of targeted recruitment efforts by the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and Office of Strategic Enrollment Management. Of the transfers, 82 are expected to enroll in Trinity and eight in the Pratt School of Engineering. “Like last year, Undergraduate Admissions worked with Trinity and Pratt deans as well as our colleagues in Strategic Enrollment

Amy Zhang

Management to bring to Duke students who represent a broad array of academic interests that align with Duke's liberal arts and sciences mission,” wrote Kathy Phillips, interim dean of undergraduate admissions, in an email to The Chronicle. This cycle, Duke offered admission to 147 out of 2,443 transfer applicants, with 132 students admitted to Trinity and 15 admitted to Pratt. The 6% acceptance rate is nearly a percentage point lower than last year and is 1.3 percentage points higher than the acceptance rate for the incoming first-year Class of 2030. The recent admission cycle marks an increase in the number of transfer applications received after a 32% drop from 2024 to 2025. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions previously attributed that drop to a change in application platforms at an April Arts & Sciences Council meeting. Building on efforts from the previous year, the University offered “extensive opportunities” for admitted students to “get to know Duke,” according to Trinity Dean of Transfer Claire Siburt. The University hosted an in-person admitted students day for transfer students that included information sessions, Q&A panels with current students and lunch with faculty members. Siburt wrote that Duke also hosted virtual student panels and launched a text campaign to connect prospective students

to peers on campus. In addition, faculty members reached out directly “to welcome individuals interested in the humanities.” Jenny Wood Crowley, associate vice provost for strategic enrollment management, said that recruitment campaigns were extended equally to all admitted students, but that many efforts focused primarily on humanities students and veterans. “Our efforts in that space have been, ‘How are we communicating out what Duke does for transfer students?’” Wood Crowley said. “That was really something I wanted to focus on this cycle, because we really are cut above our peers in how we support students.” Current transfer students have previously told The Chronicle that they appreciate the University's focus on them, but lack support in certain areas, such as joining student organizations and transferring course credit. Phillips noted that six students in the incoming cohort are enrolling from community colleges, but did not specify whether they would matriculate to Trinity or Pratt. Trinity’s website states that courses taken at community colleges are “not eligible” for institutional credit transfer, which means if enrolled, those transfer students may be required to retake previous coursework. Wood Crowley called this policy a “roadblock,” adding that “policies are [likely] going to shift” as a result of larger

changes in higher education. The Trump administration announced revisions to the accreditation system in May that could expand credit transfer eligibility between accredited community colleges and Duke. The University recently launched multiple partnerships with Durham Technical Community College, although the guaranteed admissions framework operates separately from traditional transfer admissions efforts and the first cohort of students will not matriculate until fall 2028. Siburt noted that some additional students could still join the transfer cohort as part of athletics recruitment. Last year, between June and August, approximately 21 additional students transferred to Duke for the fall semester, with many joining the baseball team amid coaching and staff changes. This year, students had until June 1 to notify the Office of Undergraduate Admissions of their intention to enroll. However, Phillips first shared the transfer enrollment details in a June 22 email to The Chronicle, three weeks after the original deadline for students to accept their offers. On June 9, she indicated she could not share enrollment numbers because the class “[wasn’t] yet finalized.” Phillips did not respond to The Chronicle’s request for clarification on the cause of the delay.

6 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

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Duke starts construction on data center near Central Campus By Dylan Halper May 31, 2026

Duke recently began construction on a small graphics processing unit data center, adjacent to Central Campus, that top administrators say will boost the University’s computing capacity while adhering to its Climate Commitment. The center — which is expected to open by the 2027-28 academic year — will be around 13,000 square feet and two stories tall. Located on the east side of Anderson Street, it will connect to one of the University’s three chilled water plants. Tracy Futhey, vice president of information technology and chief information officer, said the total project, including construction and equipment expenses, is forecasted to cost around $40 million, primarily funded by research grants and some philanthropic donations. Administrators emphasized that this center will be significantly smaller in both size and energy output than those that have recently made local and national headlines. Facilities like these are designed to aid in machine learning, complex computing and advanced research. Futhey said the facility will have an initial capacity of 1.5 megawatts, which could be expanded to 3 megawatts if demand rises. This would result in a 2% to 3% increase in Duke’s energy usage, which Vice President for Facilities Tom Morrison characterized as a “small percentage” of the University’s peak energy usage of 83 megawatts.

Construction workers clear trees at the site of the future GPU data center. | Andy Jiang

“It is a relatively small project in terms of the University's growth,” Morrison said. The initial idea for the data center emerged around two years ago, according to Futhey. She said that, across surveys and summits, faculty overwhelmingly expressed a desire for more computational infrastructure, specifically GPUs, which are necessary for modern research involving machine learning and large volumes of data. Duke built its last data center in 2008; the current infrastructure, Futhey said, was virtually out of capacity. According to a February report released by the AI at Duke steering committee, the University lags behind peer institutions in terms of GPU resources, which “has constrained our ability to recruit and retain top faculty.”

However, as the project progressed, it drew concerns from some community members, especially as “hyperscale” data centers popped up around the United States and encountered backlash. These centers have frequently been criticized for their environmental impact, particularly regarding their land, energy and water use. In early May, the Durham City Council passed a 60-day moratorium on new data center development approvals. However, the measure does not apply to Duke’s project since it contains an exception for “educational institutions,” and the University’s data center was approved March 27, prior to the moratorium’s passage. Regardless, administrators said Duke’s new data center is unlike the hyperscale projects that most people read about in the news.

“When you mention the words ‘data center,’ it's kind of become a bit triggering,” said Toddi Steelman, vice president and vice provost for climate and sustainability. “ ... It’s really important to put into context the size that we are building.” Morrison explained that in contrast to the planned 1.5 megawatts for Duke’s data center, hyperscale data centers typically require over 100 megawatts of power, more energy than the peak load of Duke's entire campus, including the health system. Futhey emphasized that while many hyperscale data centers are the size of several football fields, the University’s will be smaller than three basketball courts. Though the facility will exceed the 10,000-square-foot threshold for a data center to typically be considered hyperscale, its comparatively small energy output would make it unlikely to be categorized as such. Administrators also said they took steps to ensure the new data center will align with the University’s sustainability goals. Since the data center will connect to an existing chilled water plant, there is no need to construct the external chillers often used at hyperscale data centers to cool the heat they produce. In fact, Morrison said that the excess heat coming off the data center will go directly into the chilled water facility and produce hot water for the rest of campus. This hot water will not only go into faucets, but could also help heat buildings instead of using steam. See DATA CENTER on Page 10

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026 | 7

Dawna Jones, leader of Duke’s identity centers, named new dean of students By Ella Moore August 2, 2026

Dawna Jones will soon take over as the newly condensed associate vice president and dean of students, Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs, announced Aug. 2 in an email to students. Jones will start her new role in September. Jones currently serves as the assistant vice president for identity centers and community development in Student Affairs, where she oversees the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, the Women’s Center, the Center for Multicultural Affairs, the Center for Muslim Life and Jewish Life at Duke. She was named to the position following a national search. “I’m excited for the opportunity to support students in a new way while building on the strong foundation already in place,” Jones said. “I look forward to partnering with students, families, faculty and staff to create meaningful traditions, strengthen the Duke experience and ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive.” In her new role, Jones will be responsible for overseeing a vast array of programs, including QuadEx, Duke Reach, New Student & Family Programs, the undergraduate Time Away Office and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. She will also manage Student Involvement and Leadership, which supervises student organizations and fraternity and sorority life, as well as the Duke International Student Center.

McMahon announced the restructuring of the dean of students position in separate emails to Student Affairs partners and students this summer. For nearly two years, the role was previously split between three administrators — Clay Adams, Jeanna McCullers and Libby Skiles — who transitioned to assistant vice president roles with respective emphases on external relations, strategic initiatives and student wellbeing. The last singular dean of students was John Blackshear, who left Duke in January 2024. McMahon credited the “triumvirate model” for the dean of students position as “very good administratively,” but said the University community was missing the benefit of having a person recognizable on campus as uniquely connected to the student body.

Jones first arrived at Duke in 2021 to serve as the Mary Lou Williams Center’s director. McMahon’s 2021 statement naming Jones to the position described her as an “extraordinary leader in community-building and advocacy for Black students, faculty and staff,” with an impressive focus on “relationship-building.” “I want to bring in the Durham community,” Jones said at the time. “I want to have more opportunities for students and alumni to engage with one another…to really build their networks outside of just the University’s walls.” Just under a year later, Jones assumed her current role as the inaugural assistant vice president for identity centers and community development. During her tenure, she oversaw the reopening of the Mary Lou Williams Center after “significant water damage,” and

steered identity centers amid a tumultuous period for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and the introduction of Duke’s “inclusive excellence” principles. McMahon said an interim replacement for Jones’ current role would be appointed this fall, and details would follow about the process for identifying a permanent successor. As the new dean of students, Jones will have an eventful year ahead, as Student Affairs continues discussions with student groups following the pause of affinity group-led admitted students programs and negotiations regarding the reaffiliation of fraternities and sororities part of Durham’s Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council. See DEAN on Page 10

ON DUKECHRONICLE.COM Duke’s ‘strategic enrollment’ efforts have become more visible. Here’s who they target BY RYAN KILGALLEN | JULY 12, 2026 Duke aims to boost transfer enrollment, “slightly increase” representation from the Carolinas and “maintain or improve” the percentage of Pell-eligible students in the incoming class. .

Chronquiry: Why does Duke even have an East Campus? BY LUCA GRAGNOLI | JULY 20, 2026

Although all first-year students at Duke are required to live on East Campus, not many know why it exists. From Marketplace to Lilly Library, how did East Campus and all its landmarks come to be?

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8 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

Duke publicly opposes proposed Trump rule that would overhaul research funding By Dylan Halper July 16, 2026

Duke submitted forceful public comments July 13 in opposition to a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule that would radically upend the federal grantmaking process and, in turn, the higher education research landscape. The University has previously submitted comments and advocated against certain changes proposed by the Trump administration regarding higher education. But, it more publicly announced its opposition to the administration’s latest proposed action to Duke students, faculty and staff in a July 16 email from Provost Alec Gallimore and Jennifer Lodge, vice president for research and innovation. “I don't recall in the 20 years that I've been working at Duke where I have seen something come out from the federal government that is such a great threat to research,” said Chris Simmons, vice president for government relations. “... This really is of huge concern, and we wanted to make sure people understood how seriously the leadership of the University takes it.” The largest change in the proposed rule, which the OMB announced in May and is set to take effect Oct. 1, would be an increase in political control over the research process. Under the current funding model, grants are awarded after a panel of peer reviewers

decides they are worth funding. The new rule would require political appointees to be the main decision-makers on which grants receive funding, and would involve assessing whether the award advances the president’s priorities. In the introduction to its comments, Duke said that the rule would “weaken meritbased scientific decision-making, destabilize multiyear research commitments, restrict dissemination and collaboration and increase costs without clear corresponding benefits.” Duke also warned that relying on political appointees could “substitute shifting policy preferences for scientific quality.” The comments praised impartial peer review as the “cornerstone” of science, and said it should remain the priority over politics. The rule would also provide federal agencies with new authority to suspend or terminate research grants in the middle of a grant’s timeline, including for discretionary reasons when the grant “no longer advances [Federal] agency priorities or the national interest.” Currently, grants can only be canceled if the researchers’ work becomes noncompliant with the terms outlined in the award. Duke called the national interest standard “impermissibly vague” and feared that it could undermine multiyear research projects. The University specifically cited yearslong clinical trials and longitudinal

studies as especially vulnerable to “expanded suspension and termination authority.” If the federal government were to halt funding, data would have to be discarded and patients’ life-saving treatment could be disrupted. “The constant threat of abrupt suspension or termination would erode participant/ partner trust and harm communities,” the comments said. Duke also criticized the rule’s ban on grants that “promote or support theories that impose disparate-impact liability based on federally protected characteristics,” support diversity, equity, and inclusion goals or undermine the idea of biological sex. The University said that if applied broadly, this could lead to funding cuts for health research, such as working to understand the differences in how people of different races may respond to certain treatments. Although the federal government backed off its goal of imposing a cap on universities’ indirect cost rates in April, the new OMB rule also attempts to incentivize universities to bring down their rates by providing a competitive edge in research grant awards to institutions with lower indirect cost rates. Indirect costs refer to the expenditures necessary to maintain laboratory spaces, equipment and other administrative actions. Institutions renegotiate their indirect cost reimbursement rates with the federal

government roughly every two to four years. For example, Duke’s rate with the NIH is 61.5%. This means that for every dollar of grant funding issued directly to researchers, 61.5 additional cents are given to the University. The University expressed concerns that “encouraging under-recovery,” or the artificial lowering of reimbursement rates, would not successfully reduce research costs but instead “incentivize corner-cutting and shift necessary infrastructure costs to universities, health systems, community partners and investigators, limiting investments in future innovation.” The sweeping rule also seeks to limit international research efforts, prohibiting federal funds from supporting collaborations with “covered foreign countries or covered foreign entities.” Although Duke expressed support for research security when dealing with international actors, it said the proposed rule is so broad that it “may discourage legitimate collaborations even when no specific research security risk has been identified.” In an appended letter, the Duke Global Health Institute said this particular provision would “severely impair” its work. DGHI collaborates across more than 49 countries and, last fiscal year, operated with over $12 See COMMENTS on Page 10

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RECAP FROM PAGE 1 which supervises student organizations and fraternity and sorority life, as well as the Duke International Student Center. The University also saw several other leaders take the helm. Manoj Mohanan, who most recently served as interim dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, began his new role as vice provost for interdisciplinary programs July 1. The Board of Trustees added five new members — including the McDonald’s CEO — and Duke’s Marine Lab in Beaufort received a new director in Joel Fodrie, the former director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute of Marine Sciences. Amid the changes this summer, the University oversaw several construction projects. Most notably, Duke started construction on a 13,000-square-foot, twostory data center near Central Campus. The center, which top administrators have said will boost the University’s computing capacity, is set to open by the 2027-28 academic year. For the first time this summer, Duke revealed financial information for fiscal year 2025 in Internal Revenue Service filings released in May. This period overlapped with the beginning of the University’s cost-cutting initiatives, and showed that as those began most top administrators received substantial salary increases. President Vincent Price experienced a nearly 13% jump in compensation — amounting to $2.2 million — making him

one of the best-compensated university presidents in fiscal year 2025 among peer institutions, according to available data. Neal Triplett, president and CEO of DUMAC, topped the list for the second consecutive year with his compensation exceeding $5 million — a 6.7% raise from fiscal year 2024.

SALARIES FROM PAGE 3

report, but soared to become the thirdhighest earner in FY 2025 with total earnings of $3 million. The same was true for Dr. Joseph Turek, Joseph W. and Dorothy W. Beard distinguished professor of surgery, who collected $2.6 million, the sixth-highest total. As in previous years, the only athletics officials on the list were Duke’s men’s basketball and football coaches, with football head coach Manny Diaz earning just under $4.3 million, the second-highest compensation at the University, and men’s basketball head coach Jon Scheyer collecting $2.8 million, rounding out the top five. Diaz’s first year at the helm in the 2024 season saw him lead Duke football to a 9-4 record. Scheyer led the men’s basketball team to an ACC Championship and Final Four in 2025, likely explaining his $1.15 million in bonus pay. Scheyer signed a contract extension through 2031 in October 2025, while Diaz earned an extension through 2031 in April. Jennifer Francis, Robert L. Dickens professor emeritus of business administration, placed fourth among earners and saw the

largest increase in total compensation — a 180% rise compared to FY 2024 — despite the largest decrease in base salary of nearly 43%. Her total compensation hit nearly $3 million, with the majority coming from “other reportable compensation.” Francis previously served in administrative roles, including vice provost for academic affairs, executive vice provost and interim provost. Only two of the 17 employees listed on the form in both FY 2024 and FY 2025 saw decreases in base compensation: Francis and Pamela Bernard, former vice president and general counsel. Bernard’s base compensation declined by almost 17%, likely due to her retirement in August 2024. Others saw declines in total compensation, largely due to reduced bonus pay. This includes Executive Vice Provost Mohamed Noor, who had served in FY 2024 as interim vice provost for academic affairs. Duke’s strategic realignment, prompted by federal funding threats, began in March 2025. It included an initial hiring freeze, layoffs and buyout offers that led to the departure of nearly 600 staff. Soon after, calls emerged for well-paid University employees and officials to consider culling their own salaries instead of committing to layoffs. Two dozen groups around the Triangle signed a May 2025 letter urging a 25% pay cut to Duke officials and employees earning over $1 million per year, and a 10% pay cut to those earning between $500,000 and $1 million. The same month, the American Association of University Professors also asked Duke personnel making over $500,000 to consider voluntary, temporary pay cuts.

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According to the recently released data, Duke did not agree, at least initially. The University did not respond to The Chronicle’s request for comment. The data for fiscal year 2026, which ended June 30 and marks the first fiscal year in which Duke fully partook in costcutting, will be released next year.

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“What we're trying to do is create a closedloop system that already exists with the water that we use at Duke,” Steelman said. Since the facility will increase the University’s energy usage, Steelman and Morrison said they are working to ensure that energy demand is met via renewable sources. Steelman added that although any campus growth makes the University’s job of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 more difficult, there is a need to balance sustainability with development. “We think we can be consistent in having a Climate Commitment and a data center,” Steelman said. Beyond its impact on Duke faculty, administrators hope the project can serve as a model for environmentally sustainable data centers. “The whole goal of this is to show how, if one intentionally builds a data center to be highly efficient and aware of its impact on its surroundings, one can do it in a different way,” Futhey said. Although the data center site is directly next to Central Campus, Morrison said the project will not interfere with any current or potential future uses for the land, including the Central Campus tent, which has hosted social events by student organizations and offcampus groups over the past two years. Central Campus, which was previously used for student housing, was demolished in 2019. Although the University rezoned parcels near Central Campus in 2024, the future of the land remains uncertain.

“Dawna Jones has earned the respect and trust of faculty, students and staff through her integrity, thoughtful leadership and unwavering commitment to student success," said Lee Baker, vice provost for undergraduate education. Before arriving in Durham, Jones spent eight years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and four years at West Chester University serving in a variety of roles focused on student affairs. She also previously served as the president of Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s NAACP. Her work earned her recognition in 2020, when she was named Young Professional of the Year by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Pennsylvania State University, master’s degrees in social work and higher education management from West Chester University and the University of Pittsburgh respectively, as well as a doctoral degree in transformative leadership for civic and community engagement from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She attributed her roles as a graduate assistant in a mentorship program and residence life at Pitt as one of many key experiences that prepared her for “culturally engaged work” and “programming skills” prior to working at Duke. “My career in student affairs started with my time as a graduate assistant at Pitt,” Jones said in a 2022 Pitt press releas. ”I am forever grateful for the trajectory that put me on for a career that I love.”

million in federal funding. It argued that global research is essential for studying diseases where they are prevalent and ensuring pandemic preparedness. “The international setting is not supplemental — it is integral to health research,” DGHI wrote. The University’s comments also shared its concerns regarding the rule’s proposed bans on allowing researchers to use federal funds to attend research conferences, access journal articles or publish their work. An appended letter from the Graduate School wrote that conferences are the “primary venue” for graduate students to learn and present their research, and that making it more costly to publish research undermines its public purpose. Duke also criticized the rule’s proposal to eliminate fixed-award grants, which provide a predetermined amount of money for a project upon the completion of specific milestones rather than reimbursing researchers for accrued costs. The University said this would "unnecessarily reduce the efficiency of the grant-making process” and require researchers to spend more time on cataloguing their costs. The University said that its eight-page comment did not encompass all of its concerns with the proposed rule, noting that the OMB’s decision to allot stakeholders only 45 days to review the new rule was “insufficient to fully vet and respond to the proposed revisions and their impact.”

But, Duke said it agrees with the more extensive comments provided by the Council on Governmental Relations, the Association of American Universities and the American Association of Medical Colleges, all of which the University is a member of. Gallimore and Lodge called for the rule’s withdrawal or substantial modification, while Simmons said that if the rule were completely withdrawn, “that would be welcome news to Duke.”

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Crowning the Beaver Queen: A look at Durham's quirkiest pageant

By Kyra Pahwa July 13, 2026

On the first Saturday of every June, Durhamites gather for the infamous Beaver Queen Pageant, where participants dress up in quirky beaver costimes and showcase their talents. Since the first pageant in 2005, the Durham non-profit Beaver Lodge Local 1504 has hosted this fundraiser to recognize the courageous efforts of the Duke Park neighborhood, which saved a beaver den in the wetlands near Interstate 85 from being eradicated by the state's tranportation department. On June 6, from 4 to 7 p.m., the event took place at the Duke Park Meadow. There were multiple things attendees could do before the start of the pageant: watch a pre-show performance by musician Max Eloi; peruse various retail stalls with local beaver artwork; grab a bite from the food trucks and meet the famous Durham Poetry Fox. As the pageant began, the train of contestants in their unique outfits walked into the meadow, revealing their beaver personalities. They bore a flag with a maple leaf and rainbow stripes to pay homage to both the Canadian national animal and to celebrate Pride Month. The judges were introduced soon after, and they, too, were dressed up for the pag-

eant. Some of the judges' personalities included Mother Nature, dressed in a serene, leaf-covered white dress with a floral cap, and Flat Tail Fanny, previously crowned Beaver Queen in 2018. The judges were also called the “Board of Corruption” because five dollars could buy visitors a vote in the pageant and an opportunity to sway the judges. The audience could either vote days before the pageant started or during the event. The anchors of the event commenced the pageant by announcing a pledge to love each other, not despite their differences, but because of them. They welcomed people of all ages, especially those who were attending the pageant for the first time, calling the newbies to the center of the meadow and inviting them to dance with the contestants. What followed were performances by the contestants, showcasing their skills and talents as the audience cheered them on. Some of the creative beaver personas included Beaver, Beaver Basket Weaver; Chuck Exotic; Elphabeaver; eNo She Betta Don’t and Spunk the Scene Beaver. A standout was Ma'Dam Trash, who won the superlative "Most Sagacious" and wore a washing machine around her torso. Participants creatively crafted as many pun-filled costumes as they could, reimagin-

ing these animals with a fantastical lens. One performer hula-hooped, while another played the harmonica and guitar at the same time. Elphabeaver, inspired by the “Wicked” protagonist and the pageant’s activist and advocate for the people, was crowned the Beaver Queen by the event’s conclusion. Durhamites of all ages showed up in expressive, colorful outfits. Children played around in fairy costumes, and older couples enjoyed the show sitting on foldable chairs. When it came to the beaver cheer, all attendees remembered it, singing, thumping their beaver tails and moving their beaver claws up and down.

This year, the proceeds from the fundraiser were given to Keep Durham Beautiful and Friends of Ellerbe Creek, dedicated to making Durham greener and cleaning the Ellerbe Creek watershed, respectively. The sponsors of the event included local organizations and shops in the Triangle, such as the City of Durham, the Tilley Family Fund and the Urban Tails Veterinary Hospital. There are many ways to get involved in next year’s pageant — as a volunteer, sponsor or contestant. Find out more here (and start thinking about your costume!).

Kyra Pahwa

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DPAC's 'Hamilton' reminds us that time waits for no one By Emily Cui June 3, 2026

How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence, impoverished, in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar? An iconic motif that repeats another six times throughout the musical, “Hamilton” opens with a brutally honest question: how does someone with all the odds stacked against him make it to the top? The aptly-named opening number “Alexander Hamilton” encapsulates our protagonist’s entire life in the span of only four minutes: being orphaned at 10, immigrating to New York, writing his way to the highest echelons of government, the friends he made, the people he betrayed and ultimately, his death at the hands of his longtime rival Aaron Burr. Before the story has even truly begun, we as viewers already know how it’s going to end. Of course, the other reason we know how it’s going to end is because the ending has already been widely embedded in cultural memory. “Hamilton: An American Musical,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and first premiering on Broadway in 2015, is a biography of American

founding father Alexander Hamilton with a hip-hop and rap musical theater twist. With 11 Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy under its belt, “Hamilton” is one of the most acclaimed and decorated musicals in history. I’d seen the filmed Disney+ version a couple of years back, but always assumed I’d never have the chance to see it live. So when I heard that “Hamilton” was touring at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) from May 20 to June 14, I knew immediately I had to go. As one enters the theater, red brick walls frame elaborate wooden balconies and staircases. Ropes representing the halyard of a ship stretch from the ceiling to the ground, foreshadowing Hamilton’s treacherous voyage across the Atlantic when he was only a teenager. Gracing the halls of DPAC was nobody else but the phenomenal Angelica Cast. The spirited and fiery Hamilton (Tyler Fauntleroy) paired with the calculated composure of Burr (Jimmie “JJ” Jeter) are perfect foils to each other. The Schuyler Sisters are irresistibly charming — Angelica’s (Marja Harmon) ardent rapping, Eliza’s (Lily Soto) visceral rawness and Peggy’s (played by Miriam Ali at the performance I attended) flawless delivery of “and Peggy!” immediately won viewers over. George

Courtesy of Joan Marcus Washington (A.D. Weaver) exudes authority and commands every song he’s in. The ‘revolutionary bros’ John Laurens (Nathan Haydel), Marquis de Lafayette (Christian Magby) and Hercules Mulligan (Eddie Ortega) have remarkable chemistry, especially as a comedic trio, easily responsible for at least half of the audience’s laughs. The ensemble is also incredible, as “Hamilton” takes special care to give them as much of a spotlight as possible: for in-

stance, a heart-stopping dance break in “Yorktown,” letter deliveries that communicate important messages between characters and even the enigmatic “Bullet” role that serves as the recurring harbinger of death. Although the original cast is inimitable, there’s a certain type of magic in seeing “Hamilton” live. See HAMIILTON on Page 16

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HAMILTON FROM PAGE 14 My first takeaway was how much funnier this version was. In a three-hour performance with virtually zero spoken lines of dialogue, the cast makes great use of hip thrusts, exaggerated reactions and incredible comedic timing to transform an already humorous musical into an even more entertaining one. King George III’s (Matt Bittner) sassy, showstealing solos are only the cherry on top. My second — and probably more important — takeaway is that being in the room where it happens lets you witness the story in a broader, more complete way that just isn’t possible through a screen. For example, as Burr narrates each arc of Hamilton’s life, the steady deterioration of their relationship becomes painstakingly clear on the wide stage. The audience is acutely conscious of Burr watching on the sidelines as Hamilton becomes the first U.S. treasury secretary. Burr’s intense frustration and panic in “Wait For It” is physically tangible as he reassures himself that he’s “not falling behind or running late,” but “lying in wait.” The demarcation between him singing to the audience versus to himself blurs. One begins asking themself the same question — if they’ve also been letting the world slip past them. Simply put, the audience is not afforded the ignorant, deceptive privacy of a close-up shot. One sees everything.

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It’s a terribly intimate affair. What the audience is left with by the end is a sense of urgency. The central theme of “Hamilton” is time. Do you wait, or are you non-stop? Do you invest in your career or your family? Are you willing to risk it all for something greater, or will you throw away your shot? In many ways, Hamilton and Burr were similar: orphans, nervous first-time fathers and ambitious young men who wanted to reshape the world in their image. During “Dear Theodosia,” the two literally sit in parallel, staring at the audience as they both sing about wanting to build a better country for their children. From the beginning, both were also looking to leave a legacy in the budding nation of America. But despite having so much in common, “Hamilton” repeatedly reminds the audience of their one fundamental difference: Hamilton pushes ahead, and Burr passively watches. Their recurring motifs — “I’m not throwing away my shot!” and “Wait for it,” respectively — are emblematic of this divide. No matter how far he got, Hamilton never stopped working, writing and fighting: leading the revolution, defending a stronger U.S. Constitution and clawing up the ranks until he became one of the most influential and respected people in the country. But the accomplishments came at the cost of the people he cared about. He gave up time with his wife, Eliza, to establish the first national

bank, and then bombed his entire marriage to prove he wasn’t embezzling government funds. In response to learning that his best friend and rumored lover, Laurens, was dead, he numbly replied, “I have so much work to do.” While Hamilton wore his heart on his sleeve, Burr was careful to always don a mask of friendly neutrality instead of advocating for his own opinions. As he advised Hamilton early in the musical, "Talk less. Smile more. Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for.” And while this was well-intended advice for a young and brash Hamilton who, frankly, didn’t know how or when to shut up, Burr’s restraint would become self-sabotaging in the long run, even costing him the presidency. He was terrified of falling from the ladder, but his fear also meant he was never brave enough to climb to the higher rungs. His feet remained firmly planted. He plateaued. As years passed, the two began to exchange dispositions. Hamilton hid his true feelings to make compromises during political negotiations, while Burr finally declared he wanted more power, even claiming a seat in the Senate. By the end of the musical, the two have completely swapped, their tensions climaxing in a life-or-death standoff. During this infamous duel, Hamilton was the one who “threw away his shot,” ultimately resulting in Burr killing Hamilton. The consequences were disastrous for both of them: Hamilton died, and Burr’s political career quickly fell into

ruin once word got around about what had happened. Ironically, what they hated the most about each other ended up spelling their ultimate downfall. They both betrayed their core values, and it cost them everything. But I don’t think the argument here is that we ought to stay true to our nature. After all, it was Hamilton’s same aggressiveness that exposed his infidelity — costing his own bid for presidency — and Burr’s intentional ambivalence that made him political enemies left and right. The conclusion here, I think, is that we can’t control who lives, who dies, who tells our story. We can spend our finite days doing anything and everything to create and preserve a legacy, but once we die, we have no control over what the people after us choose to say.

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Duke should call the Justice Department’s bluff by Leo Golberg August 11, 2026

Even by current White House standards, it has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week for Donald Trump. U.S. munitions stockpiles are dangerously low following a spectacularly botched war against the Iranian regime. The equally botched Reflecting Pool renovations have turned into a national laughing stock, and progressive candidates are surging in elections across the country while the president’s abysmal approval ratings plunge even lower. To save face, the Trump administration has retreated to an area where they’ve found some limited success over the last year: bullying universities. Unfortunately, that has once again roped Duke into the mess. On Aug. 6, the Department of Justice (DOJ) accused Duke Law School of illegally giving preferential treatment to ap-

plicants based on race, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. To redress this infraction, the department demanded Duke reach a ‘voluntary resolution agreement,’ or face legal consequences. Our institution is now faced with a familiar choice. Duke can either do as it has in the past and sacrifice its integrity and freedom by complying with the federal government, this time to bogus charges brought by a politicized bureau, or it can fight to preserve them and almost certainly win. Needless to say, Duke must choose the second option. Part of the reason why Duke should not comply with the DOJ’s coercion is that they probably won’t have to. The Trump administration’s war on higher education is now far enough along that we know the president’s success in getting concessions from universities has largely been because universities

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have willingly rolled over and capitulated without a fight. The Trump administration has succeeded because universities have been too scared to call its bluff when it threatens them without ample legal authority. But developments over the last year have shown that when they do, they won resoundingly against the president’s unwanted advances. Take Harvard University, the most notable example. In April 2025, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard after the University refused to go along with the president’s demands for reform. A month later, the president froze another $450 million. Instead of immediately folding and negotiating for a settlement, as many other institutions did, Harvard took the case straight to the courts and won. In September 2025, a federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s freezing of Harvard’s funds as unconstitutional, delivering a major legal victory for the University. The case remains open as the Trump administration appealed the decision in December 2025. Harvard is not a standalone case. Along a similar timeline, in August 2025, the Trump administration tried to force the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to pay a settlement worth $1 billion to resolve alleged civil rights violations. Like Harvard, faculty within the UC system marched to the courts, and, in September 2025, won a temporary legal victory when a federal judge ordered Trump to resume the funding of $500 million. The decision soon turned into a major landmark victory for UC schools when the same judge barred Trump from fining UC schools indefinitely in November. In other words, when universities choose to call Trump’s bluff and fight him in the courts, Trump loses, badly. This has been consistent across public and private institutions. Returning to Duke, the DOJ’s targeting of Duke Law is the first time our University has been majorly targeted by the federal government since these resounding legal victories. If there is any time to break from our cowardly and contemptible ‘strategy of silence,’ it would be now. Should Duke take the Trump administration to court, the odds of victory are overwhelmingly in its favor, and not just because of the now ample legal precedent. The DOJ’s evidence against Duke Law for racial discrimination in admissions is incredibly shoddy. According to the DOJ, there are two main pieces of ‘evidence’ of Duke Law having violated Title VI. The first is their categorization system for applicants’ short essay answers. According to the DOJ, Duke Law admissions categorized each response to the essay prompt asking how applicants would further Duke Law’s mission with a label, one of which was “diversity/services.”

Under this metric, a Black student who answered the question by writing about how their experiences as a Black American could benefit Duke Law by contributing to its ‘commitment to equal justice’ is unacceptable to the DOJ. To say that this admissions practice, one of several categories used to streamline applications, systemically prioritizes students based on race is self-evidently illogical. In reality, it is routine practice for a holistic approach to admissions — which happens to be used by every single major law school in the country. There is no way for Duke Law admissions to see a student’s race through this practice, let alone use it as a systemic admissions determinant. Considering diversity as a factor that could benefit an overall cohort of students, something which appears verbatim in Duke Law’s mission statement in the language of ‘diversity of perspective and experience,’ has nothing to do with racial preference. The other piece of ‘evidence’ invoked by the DOJ is perhaps even more disjointed. According to the DOJ’s own analysis (a body which under Trump couldn’t even keep an Attorney General for more than a year), the median LSAT score for Black and Hispanic Duke Law applicants (164 and 170) differed by a few points from Asian and white applicants (173 and 172). Again, this on its own proves nothing and fails to acknowledge the rudimentary fact that LSAT scores are just one of several factors in a holistic consideration of applicants. Personal statements, letters of recommendation and GPA are all factors that are considered by Duke Law. The DOJ’s alleged proof against Duke Law would easily fall in a court of law, which means they are counting on Duke not to push back. To conclude, I think there are a few facts that speak for themselves as to why Duke should. Of the 227 students admitted to the Duke Law JD class of 2028, 15 were Black. That comes out to 7%. The current Black population in the U.S. stands at 14%, which means Black students are significantly underrepresented in Duke Law. Likewise, just 12% are Hispanic. The rest are Asian or white. The question now is whether Duke Law agrees with the DOJ that 15 Black students out of a class of 227 is too many. If the Trump administration wants a fight, they should get one. It is now up to Duke to decide if they want to uphold the ideals outlined in their own law school’s mission statement, or not. The choice, in my submission, couldn’t be clearer. Leo Goldberg is a Trinity junior.

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20 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

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SPORTS Duke football talks ‘rediscovering the process,’ ACC unveils new tiebreaker rules at season kickoff By Ryan Hamner July 21, 2026

The reigning ACC champions are back. As the calendar inches closer to September — and Duke football’s first game of the season against Tulane — the Blue Devils took the podium July 17 in Charlotte for the conference’s annual Football Kickoff event. Head coach Manny Diaz, tight end Jeremiah Hasley, linebacker Luke Mergott and running back Nate Sheppard represented the team, fielding questions about their offseason, shocking portal moves and other changes around the league. Diaz enters his third campaign at the helm in Durham, having just received a contract extension through the 2031 season. He’ll aim to lead Duke to a fifth consecutive winning season, as expectations are only rising in the Bull City. Quick turnaround Despite last season’s accomplishments — including a 9-5 record, ACC Championship and Sun Bowl victory — it's back to square one for the Blue Devils. In his opening statement Friday afternoon, Diaz emphasized Duke’s focus on connection amidst a “transactional” phase of college football — highlighting Hasley, Mergott and Sheppard as three anchors of the program's culture and character. The player trio all fielded questions about the last-second transfers of star quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Cooper Barkate to conference foe Miami. Mensah was also in Charlotte to represent the Hurricanes, as they look to return to the College Football Playoff after a runner-up finish last season. The former Blue Devil faced pressure from reporters regarding his move and reported lucrative new contract. “It's hard to leave people you love,” Mensah said. “But at the end of the day, business is business." Who will assume the spot under center is still up in the air for Diaz’s squad, with redshirt freshman Dan Mahan and San Jose State graduate transfer Walker Eget poised to vie for the starting job.

Another key focus is filling the shoes of several defensive stalwarts, including linemen Wesley Williams, Vincent Anthony Jr., Josiah Green and Aaron Hall. Defensive ends coach Harland Bower also left the program in February to take a job with the Baltimore Ravens. While the departures leave only a few starting spots locked in, Diaz says that’s due to the depth of the room. “That means that this August is going to be a heck of a competition, a heck of a battle, because whoever starts, there's going to be some damn good players watching that first 11 that run out there against Tulane,” the coach said.

return to Durham underscores the culture and belief across the program. However, his unofficial title as speediest player on the field might face some challengers. Diaz said that two-thirds of the team is running over 20 miles per hour, and the team is recording higher weightlifting marks than it was at the same time last year. “Our guys are seeing real tangible proof that if they just follow the program, if they follow our process, and they follow the system, they get better,” Diaz said. That theme is especially evident on the defensive side of the ball. Anchored by a strong linebacker room in Mergott, Nick Morris Jr., Kendall Johnson and Bradley Maintaining the standard Gompers, Diaz says Duke looks to return Despite turnaround in several key po- to its defensive prowess of the 2024 seasitions, Duke maintains strong confidence son, once again highlighting depth as a key in itself and its identity as a program. strength for helping the Blue Devils play “It’s not about trying to recreate the their brand of football. outcome of what happened a year ago,” “If anybody has paid attention to Duke Diaz said. “It's about rediscovering the football, it's probably going to be decided process. Even though we’ve had different in the fourth quarter,” he said. “I'm really names on the back of the jerseys over the excited about seeing that depth all across last couple of years, the constant has been our defense help us see us through in those how we work and how we prepared.” late wins more than they did in 2024.” The preparation and standard is esIn both 2024 and 2025, seven games were tablished in the weight room, or the decided by one score or less — resulting in six “church of Feeley” wins in 2024, but just — Diaz’s nickname three in 2025. With for strength coach "It's not about trying to recreate the the Blue Devils posDavid Feeley’s rig- outcome of what happened a year sessing far more quesorous and demandtions on offense than a ago." ing attitude towards season ago, newfound physical and mental defensive toughness MANNY DIAZ improvement. His will be vital throughHEAD COACH emphasis on hard out a competitive conwork, facing chalference slate and nonlenges and continuconference tests. ing to get better are some of the key tenets of the Blue Devil program. Having those Curbed chaos ideals stay the same energizes a team who Duke remained at the forefront of othhas dealt with its fair share of turnover. er discussions in Charlotte, including in “[Coach Feeley] has been instrumental commissioner Jim Phillips’ opening stateto this team, to me, to everybody else on ment. The ACC unveiled new tiebreaker this stage in getting bigger, stronger and rules governing the final standings and faster,” Sheppard said. championship game selections, changing The sophomore running back burst the system that enabled the Blue Devils to onto the scene last season, taking over claim the conference title last December. starting duties by Week Five and earnWith the College Football Playoff reing Second Team All-ACC honors. Now serving one spot for each Power Four a clear offensive cornerstone, Sheppard’s conference champion, Phillips says the

changes ensure the championship game “features the two most deserving teams.” Diaz’s squad advanced to the title game on “combined winning percentage of conference opponents", a narrow metric that will primarily be replaced with a “Team Success Rating” comparison between any tied teams. This rating will be provided by SportSource Analytics at the end of the regular season. A detailed description of the new tiebreaker rules is available on the conference website. Diaz pushed back on this change in his opening statement, saying the new rules remove “the most objective metric” as the shift comes in the wake of a five-way tie that enabled 7-5 Duke to advance. “Inherent in the narrative of changing a tiebreaker for the conference championship game is the assertion that last year's team was undeserved of being in the championship game,” he said. “I think it's not just false, I think it's insulting.” SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee also made headlines for his defense of the Blue Devils’ championship, saying they should have earned a spot in the playoff over Sun Belt champion James Madison. “What [Duke] did last year, winning the league, was incredible,” Lashlee said. “When you win the ACC the way they did and who they beat, they should have been in instead of a team from the Sun Belt.” Lashlee’s Mustangs were one of the five teams in the end-of-season tie after a loss at Cal in the final week of the regular season tipped the scales in the Blue Devils’ favor. James Madison fell to Oregon 51-34 in the opening round of the playoff, after earning its spot as the fourth-highest rated conference champion. Those complicated tiebreaks and chaotic finishes may be in the past now, and the focus turns to the 2026 season, which kicks off in less than six weeks. The Blue Devils will face a balanced slate of conference foes from a championship game rematch at Virginia October 23 to a clash against their former signal-caller Mensah at his new home in Miami. Duke begins its title defense Sept. 5 against Tulane at 3:30 pm inside Wallace Wade Stadium.

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2 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026 | 3

WOMEN'S SOCCER

No. 3 Duke women's soccer opens season with decisive 3-1 road victory over Southern California By Ava Hammock August 13, 2026

Ranked third in the nation to open the season, the Blue Devils have high expectations to meet. So far, they seem up to the task. Duke women’s soccer felt right at home in the City of Angels Wednesday, defeating Southern California 3-1 on its home turf at Rawlinson Stadium. Despite the Blue Devils playing across the country, there were plenty of royal blue shirts in the stands thanks to the 11 California natives on the team. “You can see the spirit and hunger of the group, we came out flying, ready to really make a statement tonight… the grit was fantastic,” head coach Kieran Hall said. The Blue Devils claimed their third goal in the 31st minute, completing a dominant first-half performance en route to an auspicious seasonopening win. Sophomore defender Jocelyn Travers passed the ball over to sophomore forward Avery Oder, who flew up the right side of the field towards overworked Trojan goalkeeper Annabel Austen. Oder’s cross was the perfect setup for South Carolina transfer Katie Collins, who blasted the ball past Austen and into the net. Beaming as she scored her first goal in a Duke jersey, Collins pumped her fists and bear-hugged freshman Yuna Marui. The goal was a good representation of both the Blue Devils’ authority in the first half and the strong connection between the freshmen, transfers and returners. This team chemistry will be essential

Andy Jiang

Senior forward Mia Minestrella scored the third-quickest goal in program history to open Duke's season. as Duke (1-0) faces more intimidating challenges as the season goes on. “Having multiple people score was awesome…a lot of us connected really well, so it was a dream start for us,” Oder said. Senior standout and Redondo Beach, California, native Mia Minestrella scored just 78 seconds into the game — tapping in a cross from redshirt junior Sam Courtwright. 10 minutes later, the Texas Tech transfer overlapped with Oder, playing the ball back to the sophomore in the box where the Blue Devils got their second goal of the night.

“It’s not easy to transfer schools and fit in with a different group,” Hall said. “[Collins and Courtwright] really bought into what we’re doing and I’m really proud of the two of them for their performances tonight.” The Blue Devils’ dream meant a nightmare for Southern California (0-1), currently rebuilding its team with only one returning starter and 13 new freshmen. Head coach and Duke women’s soccer alumna Jane Alukonis has her work cut out for her with a difficult schedule ahead this season. Despite these conditions, the Trojans rallied in the second half with a fiery determination to

keep possession of the ball as much as possible and tire out the Blue Devils. This strategy succeeded in the 63rd minute, as freshmen Savannah Leifried and Jaiden Rodriguez passed the ball up the center of the field, where junior Eleanor Morrissey sent it sailing past a previously untested Molly Vapensky. Southern California continued to attack, but ultimately failed to catch up to the Blue Devils’ lead. “We lost control of the game for a little while… but we were resilient and defended the box quite well,” Hall said. The end of the match was marked by several Duke attempts to score against freshman goalkeeper Josie Biehl, who entered the game at halftime. Though Biehl was unyielding, the Blue Devils showed resolve to end the contest on a high note by outshooting their opponents 13-5. The playmaking skills of underclassmen Oder and Marui remained on display, signs of an energetic season ahead. “I’m really looking forward to continuing to grow with this group,” Oder said. “It’s only up from here.”

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4 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

TRACK AND FIELD

Duke women's track and field places 24th at NCAA Outdoor Championships through Tolbert bronze, 4th-place 4x400 By Prithvi Kotapati June 16, 2026

When you’re competing at a meet with nine collegiate records broken and a world record reset, you might as well go and rewrite school history. June 10 through June 13, 13 Blue Devils traveled to Eugene, Oregon, to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Over the course of the week, multiple collegiate records — including the women’s 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter events — and even one world record in the men’s 110-meter hurdles were shattered. Georgia clinched the women’s team title and Arkansas took the meet for the men. Nine Blue Devils returned as first and second-team AllAmericans, contributing toward a 24th-place team finish for the women. For the Duke contingent, it all came down to the last night of competition when senior Lauren Tolbert smashed her lifetime best by over a second to claim bronze in the 800m. Soon after, the women’s mile relay broke its own ACC record for the third race in a row to place fourth in the nation. “The meet was insane in terms of the level of the performances that were going on there,” head coach Shawn Wilbourn said. “It took Herculean efforts to score.” Herculean indeed. Saturday night, Tolbert placed third in the fastest 800m race in

collegiate history. Two women broke the previous collegiate record that had stood at 1:57.73. After Arkansas frontrunner Sanu Jallow-Lockhart set a blistering pace early, Tolbert stayed steady near the front of the chase pack. With 200 meters to go, Tolbert rocketed forward in an attempt to catch Lockhart and split from the rest of the field. As the final straight loomed, the rest of the field caught up to Tolbert. Penn State’s Hayley Kitching surged ahead after Jallow-Lockhart in a full sprint. Tolbert’s stride stretched to full capacity, arms swinging as she tried to fend off Tar Heel Makayla Paige just inches behind her. First, Jallow-Lockhart, across the line in a historic 1:56.85. Kitching in 1:57.65. Then Tolbert, edging out Paige for bronze by eight hundredths of a second in 1:58.22: a school record, ACC record and the sixth best time in collegiate history. “You had an Olympic finalist in that race… you had two NCAA champions in that race, and so for her to get third, that was amazing,” Wilbourn said. “Those top three times are Olympic level, and it just … it was unbelievable.” With less than an hour to rest, Tolbert returned to the track for the last event of the meet, the 4x400-meter relay. For the third race in a row, the quartet of Tolbert, senior Julia Jackson and sophomores Braelyn Baker and Maya Collins ran the fastest time in Duke

history, breaking their own ACC record by half a second. They’d lowered it already earlier in the semifinals by over a second. Under 3:25.00, however, was new territory. After Jackson ran her best leadoff leg this season to pass off the baton in sixth, Baker moved Duke up a spot with a monster 49.56-second split. From there, it was Collins with another season-best 400m split, battling Iowa all the way to the final handoff. Moments later, Tolbert was back. Baton in hand, she summoned up a blistering 50.20-second split to overtake Iowa and propel the Blue Devils across the finish line in 3:24.59 for fourth place — the highest finish ever by a Duke relay at a national championship. It couldn’t have been done without Baker, whose relay leg was over two seconds faster than her 51.67-second, ninth-place finish time earlier that day in the open 400m final. “There's just something about having the baton in your hand versus running in that lane the whole way,” Wilbourn said. Along with Collins, Baker’s part of a pool of promising young talent across the team that even extends to

the men’s side. Wednesday, sophomore Aden Bandukwala ran 1:48.98 in the 800-meter semifinal for a seventh-place heat finish and 22nd overall in his first-career NCAA championship appearance. Heading into the meet, the middistance star had lowered his own school record twice this season. It was a breakout year, too, for sophomore Andres Langston, who was the first out of the 400m hurdles final after finishing fourth in his prelim heat. Only 0.1 seconds behind the last time qualifier, Langston’s time of 49.53 was good enough for 10th overall and second-team All-America honors. Although he didn’t make it to Friday’s final, the Indiana native’s performance caps an incredible season where he became the first Duke athlete ever to break 50 seconds — and then 49 — in the 400m hurdles, en route to winning both the ACC Championship and the NCAA East Regional titles. “It was a learning experience for [Langston],” Wilbourn said. “He's extremely talented, and we're confident he'll be back and better next year.” Over on the field, junior Gemma Tutton had the best outdoor performance of her career, jumping 4.49 meters to place ninth in the pole vault. After narrowly clearing the past two heights on her third and final attempts, the Brit bowed out at 4.54m.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026 | 5

SOFTBALL

Duke softball ends NCAA Tournament push with 10-2 run-rule loss to Arkansas By Alex Min May 24. 2026

The rain may have finally stopped in Fayetteville, Arkansas, but the monsoon that was the Razorback offense never did. On a second straight day of cloudy skies and overcast weather in the Fayetteville Super Regional, Duke softball fell to the No. 5 overall seed Arkansas 10-2, conceding the best-of-three series and ending the Blue Devils’ season. As was the case May 22, the Razorbacks scored runs at will while the Durham team simply couldn’t match their firepower. “Obviously, this is a tough way for us to end our season, but there is still so much to be proud of with these girls and everything they’ve accomplished on and off the field,” Duke head coach Marissa Young said. “It hurts most because you have to say goodbye to so many incredible seniors.” Tyrina Jones wasn’t a senior — nor had she been a Blue Devil prior to this season — but the Purdue graduate transfer gave everything she had to the program that had welcomed her with open arms. With her squad desperately needing a jolt of energy down 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Jones dug into the batter’s box looking to do damage. Opposing hurler Payton Burnham had been dominant in her first three innings of work, giving up no hits, but cracks in an otherwise-flawless performance were beginning to show. The previous batter Jessica Oakland had just picked up a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, setting up

a scoring opportunity for Duke — all it needed was a single. But Jones, the program record holder for home runs in a single season, swung for the fences. In a 1-0 count, the third baseman turned on an inside fastball, blasting a fly ball that carried and carried before landing beyond the left field fence. The deficit had been cut in half with a single swing of Jones’ bat: The Blue Devils were still alive. The Razorbacks, however, had every answer — and then some. On the first pitch of the fifth inning, Kennedy Miller scorched a line drive past a diving Jones at third, coasting into second while the ball found its way back to the infield. Her teammate Rhea Johnson’s hit was at a fraction of the previous exit velocity but equally as effective, as she dropped a perfect bunt single in front of home plate. Pitcher Mallory Wheeler lost the next batter on four straight balls to load the bases, and the Blue Devils suddenly required an escape-artist effort from inside the circle. Yet with the Duke infield positioned to cut down a runner at the plate, Ella McDowell only needed to chop Wheeler’s 3-2 pitch up the middle and past Aminah Vega at second, immediately restoring the four-run advantage. Following another four-pitch walk, junior Larissa Jacquez replaced Wheeler on the rubber. Although an RBI groundout the very next play at last gave Young’s squad an out in the frame, the Blue Devils still couldn’t stanch the bleeding. With her team three tallies away from triggering a potential run-rule win, Karlie Davison blew the

contest open, stinging a fly ball over the rightcenter fence. 10-2, Arkansas. Duke managed to put runners on first and second in the inning’s bottom frame, but Burnham swiftly secured the victory with her fifth and sixth punchouts of the afternoon. The Blue Devils’ season was over, as the Razorbacks poured out of their dugout to celebrate on the field, the Bogie Park crowd erupting in cheers. For the first time in program history, Arkansas was headed to the College World Series. Meanwhile, Duke teammates embraced and consoled each other: some shed tears, others watched stoically. “Looking at where we finished, I’m just proud of the growth and the grit that this group has shown,” Young said. “It was led fully by our senior class. They were really determined to get us back to the Women’s College World Series, and we’ve fallen short, but I think we’ve accomplished a lot of incredible things along the way.” It took no time at all for the potent Razorback bats to strike in the top of the first. With a runner on base, Tianna Bell continued to set the tone for her team with a two-run blast to left field. Burnham protected the advantage in dominant fashion, completing her first two innings by retiring every batter she faced. Arkansas tacked on two more in the fourth on an Atalyia Rijo double down the first base line. With the campaign finished earlier than she would’ve hoped, Young put things into perspective after the loss. “At times, reflecting, it’s astounding because it was so overwhelming to get the program

started and now, we’re here,” the coach said of the program’s trajectory. “To look back at how much success we’ve had and how consistent we’ve been, year in and year out, I’m really proud of that.” Young has shaped the Blue Devils into a true powerhouse, and although they may have sputtered out against a Razorback team that seems destined for more celebration, a trip back to Oklahoma City still draws closer. She and her staff will have her hands full in replacing this year’s seniors, but Young has only given the Duke faithful reasons to believe.

Jonah Schwarz

Tyrina Jones rounds the bases.

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MEN'S LACROSSE

POISON IVY: Duke men's lacrosse falls to No. 1-seed Princeton 14-7 in NCAA Tournament semifinals By Ava Guglielmo May 23, 2026

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — For the Blue Devils, there was never a question of whether the team possessed the talent needed to succeed in the NCAA Tournament. Head coach John Danowski’s roster is filled with plenty of gifted players such as Max Sloat, Charlie Johnson and Aidan Maguire, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 PLL Draft. Yet after late-season struggles, it became evident that talent alone could not make Duke unbeatable. Over the past three weeks, head coach John Danowski’s squad transformed into a completely different team. A far-from-guaranteed pick for the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils knocked off elite opponents such as Richmond and Georgetown on their way to the championship semifinal. But the storybook postseason ended a few days earlier than they hoped in Charlottesville, Virginia. Within Scott Stadium, Duke faced constant pressure from No. 1-seed Princeton. A trip to the national championship was on the line, and the lead continued to alternate between the two teams. Despite remaining close with the Tigers in the first half, the Blue Devils were unable to go the distance, falling 14-7 and putting an end to their postseason run. After a three-goal run, Princeton took a commanding 7-4 lead in the third quarter. Trying to cut into the deficit, Duke freshman Michael Ortlieb came from the back of the cage and scored in the face of a Princeton defender, picking up his 25th

goal of his first collegiate season. Despite adding to the scoreboard, Ortileb’s goal couldn’t garner any positive momentum for the Blue Devils, as over the next six minutes, the Tigers embarked on another three-goal run. 10-5, Princeton. With just under five minutes left in the quarter, Ben Johnston and Sloat pulled their team out of the rut with a goal. But as the clock ticked, the nation’s No. 1 team capitalized on every Duke mistake. In a man-up opportunity for the underdogs, Sloat missed the much-needed shot. Then, a turnover by Liam Kershis led to a Tiger goal in which goalkeeper Buck Cunningham was unable to fend off two attackers at once. “You are never certain which play is going to turn momentum over the course of the game," Danowski said. “There were plays over the course of 60 minutes, and you never know which of those plays are it.” At the start of the fourth quarter, the score read 11-6 with Princeton in the lead: The Blue Devils needed five unanswered goals in fifteen minutes to at least tie. Freshman Kyle Cosey managed to record his first goal of the game five minutes into the period, but Duke’s offense still seemed rattled by the Tigers. Late-game scoring attempts came from Johnston, Anthony Drago and Brady Sciolett, but none were able to slip past Princeton goalkeeper Ryan Croddick. Croddick ended the contest with 20 saves in a remarkable performance. “Over the course of a 60-minute game, we will play a lot of defense. Especially against a team like Princeton. If you give them an inch, they will make you pay,” Charlie Johnson said.

Within six minutes of the opening whistle, the Tigers put two quick shots up on the goal. Princeton midfielder Jake Vana slipped a wideopen shot at the center past Cunningham. Duke responded fast. Princeton scored the game’s first two goals, so Johnston decided to put up two of his own. Off a save by Cunningham, Maguire drove the ball up the field and passed it to Johnston. The junior midfielder rocketed a shot through the legs of a Princeton defender to put the Blue Devils on the board. But with 24 seconds left of the first quarter, the Tigers made the last statement with a goal for a 3-2 lead.

At the start of the second quarter, Duke looked absolutely unfazed. Within a single minute from the starting whistle, the Blue Devils conjured up two goals. The first strike was by Mac Christmas, assisted from the left by Micheal Ortleb. The junior faked the shot from his right side, causing the defenders in orange and white to scramble as he moved to his left to score.

Six total goals were on the scoreboard, but Duke had yet to take the lead until Cal Girard stepped up to notch the second goal of the pair. All within eight seconds, the FOGO picked up a ground ball from the faceoff and scored — a move that Girard has used successfully in back-to-back games for the Blue Devils. The Manhasset, New York, native has played a huge role in Duke’s success against ranked opponents. Most notably, Girard won 10 out of 19 faceoffs against Georgetown and 21 out of 27 against Richmond. In each half, the Blue Devils played like two different teams. In the first half, Duke fans watched the same team they have all postseason that played confidently and successfully executed goals together. But throughout the second half, it could not find an answer to Princeton’s methodical offense and impenetrable defense. Despite the outcome of today’s match up in Scott Stadium, the Blue Devils completely transformed their season with this run. A third national championship continues to elude Danowski, but if this season showed the college lacrosse world anything, it’s that this program is closer than ever. “This team means everything to me. It has been my family for four years. They gave me a chance, and they brought me into the most special group I have ever been a part of. So it hurts — being over — but I am just going to be so proud to have be a part of the program,” Maguire said.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026 | 7

NFL

3 Duke football alumni selected on Day 3 of 2026 NFL Draft By Alex Min, Ella Bilu and Brady Cross April 25, 2026

After no Blue Devils were selected in the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft, three Duke football alumni heard their names called on the sport's biggest stage: Wesley Williams, 119th overall Wesley Williams has received the call. Saturday afternoon, the former Duke defensive end was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 119th pick in the NFL draft. He became the first Blue Devil to be selected this week. Williams played three full seasons for the Blue Devils, though he first suited up in 2022 for 12 snaps and a tussle against North Carolina A&T. In his 41 games for the Durham team, the Gainesville, Va., native emerged as an integral piece to Duke’s front seven, excelling in transition speed, quarterback pressures and block evasion. During the 2025 season, the Blue Devil served as a captain and earned the team’s Defensive Most Valuable Player recognition; he was also awarded the Honorable Mention All-ACC in 2024 and 2025. Alongside three of his teammates, Williams competed in Indianapolis at the 2026 NFL Combine, earning a production score of 72 that ranked him 16th for performing defensive ends and edge rushers, a 4.89-second 40-yard dash, and an overall prospect grade of 5.99. That mark places him as an “average backup or special-teamer,” per the NFL’s prospect analysis rubric. Drafted in the fourth round, Williams automatically receives a four-year rookie contract with the Jaguars team. Agile and sizable at 6-foot-

3, 256 pounds, the defensive end will now look to shine in Jacksonville’s rookie camp this summer and eventually debut on its 53-man roster. Chandler Rivers, 162nd overall Much like he did on the field, Chandler Rivers helps lead the way for Duke in the 2026 NFL draft. With the 162nd pick in the fifth round, the Baltimore Ravens selected Rivers, the 19th cornerback off the board. The defensive back will look to contribute to a squad that missed the playoffs this past season for the first time since 2021. Across his four years in Durham, Rivers put together one of the most impressive careers in recent program history. In 2022, he was named the team’s rookie of the year — making six starts across all 13 games. And to close out the campaign, his interception in the Military Bowl against UCF gave a hint to the dominance to come.

The Beaumont, Texas, native started every contest of his final three seasons — picking up some accolades along the way. Named to the 2024 All-America Third Team and All-ACC teams as a junior and senior, Rivers accumulated seven interceptions, 36 passes defended and 223 total tackles throughout his collegiate career — production that made him a known quantity in NFL draft circles early. While his frame is lessthan-prototypical size for an NFL corner, Rivers more than makes up for it with his motor and refined skill set. Brian Parker II, 189th overall And the third Blue Devil is off the board. With the 189th pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected offensive lineman Brian Parker II. Parker spent four years in Durham, redshirting his first season before turning into a key rotational

piece and eventually the anchor of the offensive line. Primarily a right tackle, Parker was named a member of the All-ACC Second Team each of his final two seasons in the blue and white, in addition to being selected as a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press in 2025. During those final two seasons, he was one of the highest graded Power Four offensive tackles, excelling in both the passing and running games. Despite his accomplished career as a tackle, Parer chose to enter the draft at the center position. His Production Score of 72 and Athleticism Score of 70, grades handed out by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, give him a Total Score of 75, fifth among the centers in this year’s draft. Undrafted free agent signings Following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, several undrafted Blue Devils found new homes in the pros. Defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. signed with the Kansas City Chiefs; wide receiver Andrel Anthony signed with the Atlanta Falcons; running back Anderson Castle signed with the Indianapolis Colts; defensive lineman Aaron Hall signed with the Carolina Panthers; and offensive lineman Justin Pickett signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Left: Amy Zhang Middle: Nicole Nie Right: Ura Zhang

Wesley Williams (97), Chandler RIvers (0) and Brian Parker II (53) were the Blue Devils' first NFL draft picks since Manny Diaz arrived in Durham.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026 | 9

PRO HOOPS

Where did the 2025-26 Duke basketball stars end up?

Amy Zhang

Ura Zhang

Andy Jiang

Cameron Boozer

Isaiah Evans, Maliq Brown

Taina Mair

Ashlon Jackson

The National Player of the Year is headed to the Home of the Blues. On June 23, the Memphis Grizzlies selected Cameron Boozer with the third overall pick, making the Miami native the first Blue Devil to be drafted at that spot since RJ Barrett in 2019. In his sole year in Durham, Boozer showed no struggles bringing his high school dominance to the college level. The Christopher Columbus High School product tallied 22 double-doubles as he led Duke to a near-pristine 29-2 regular season record. Boozer led the way for the Blue Devils statistically, compiling per-game averages of 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists on highlyefficient 55.6/39.1/78.9 shooting splits. Boozer is just the second Blue Devil ever to be selected by the Tennessee team.

In the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets took the sharpshooting Isaiah Evans with the 33rd overall pick. Evans lands in Minnesota, though, as the Timberwolves control his draft rights following a three-team trade with Brooklyn and the Chicago Bulls on the eve of the draft. As a sophomore, the guard averaged 15.0 points and 2.6 threes per game, finishing the year as the second-leading scorer behind Cameron Boozer. The final Blue Devil came off the board eleven picks later, as the San Antonio Spurs selected Maliq Brown to bolster their frontcourt depth. After playing two years at Syracuse, Brown transferred to Duke before the 2024-25 season, quickly becoming a fan favorite thanks to his suffocating defense and tireless hustle.

On April 13, the Seattle Storm drafted former Duke women’s basketball guard Taina Mair with the 14th pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. With the selection, she became the first draft pick for the Blue Devils since Leonna Odom was picked up in the second round in 2020. Mair is also the highest-picked Duke women’s player since the Connecticut Sun drafted Lexie Brown in 2018. The Boston native finished a career season at Duke, winning the ACC Tournament and its most valuable player award. She averaged 11.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists as a senior, also picking up All-ACC First Team and All-Defensive Team honors. Against LSU in the Sweet 16, Mair earned 22 points, five rebounds and four assists to help her team advance to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row.

With the 23rd overall pick, the Golden State Valkyries selected former Duke guard Ashlon Jackson. A former five-star recruit out of high school, Jackson spent four years in Durham under head coach Kara Lawson, helping lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back ACC Tournament titles. The China, Texas, native was a three-year starter, playing mostly as a shooting guard but also slotting in to run the point when she was needed. Jackson’s size and defensive prowess, as well as her three-point shooting ability, made her an appealing option for WNBA teams. After being waived by the Valkyries, the guard quickly inked a developmental contract with the Connecticut Sun that was later converted into a rest-of-season deal.

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The decathlon also returned two AllAmericans for the Blue Devils. After two days and 10 grueling events, graduate students Michael Bennett and Maxwell Forte finished 12th and 21st, respectively. Heading into the second day, Forte had been sitting in second place with 3,360 points and top-three finishes in the long jump and 100m, on track to break Curtis Beach’s 15-year-old school record. But it was heartbreak for Forte at the end of day one when he clipped the last hurdle in the 110mh, straining his adductor. “That's the way it goes sometimes,” Wilbourn said. “Especially in the decathlon when you have 10 events that you’ve got to try to get through.” The quartet of Baker, Collins, junior Mia Edim and senior Gianna Locci placed 11th in the 4x100-meter relay to return to Durham as second-team All-Americans. Junior Christian Toro and graduate student Bailey Goggans also brought home Honorable Mention AllAmerica honors in the men’s hammer throw and women’s 800m, respectively. “At the beginning of the year I told our girls… ‘our goal is to be top 25 in the country’... and I feel like we accomplished that goal, [placing] 24th,” Wilbourn said. Although the Blue Devils have traditionally been dominant within the ACC with a string of team championships, it hasn’t always translated to the national stage. “I think that this is a catalyst for our program on the women's side to continue to be competitive when we get to the NCAA championships,” Wilbourn said. “The future is bright for our program.”

Catch up with the Blue Zone! The Chronicle's sports blogging team has stayed hard at work over the summer, trying out new ideas while maintaining the tried-and-true favorites: Starting 5: All-Duke In a full review of Duke Athletics' year, Blue Zone Editor Ella Bilu and Assistant Blue Zone Editor Spencer Oshins recognized the top Blue Devils across every sport, constructing an All-Duke First Team and Second Team. Film room Stay up to date with the ever-changing men's and women's basketball rosters by reading the Blue Zone's film room series. Chronicle writers perform a deep dive on every new Blue Devil, including their skillset, playstyle and likely role on the 2026-27 season's squads. Positional preview With the Duke football season right around the corner, the Blue Zone previewed each position group, noting key losses and additions while also identifying breakout candidates. All of the above blogs — and more — can be found on The Chronicle's landing and Sports pages, as well as under the Blue Zone tag for every blog.

CONVENIENCE. THE DUKE WAY. Located inside The University Store, The Lobby Shop is your go-to stop for everyday essentials and Blue Devil fuel. From grab-and-go snacks and beverages to frozen foods, canned goods, natural snacks, and health and beauty must-haves, it’s everything you need—right where you need it. Open evenings and weekends, The Lobby Shop is here for late-night study sessions, game day prep, and life on campus. Go Duke. Upper Level, Bryan Center | 919-684-1521 Academic Year Store Hours Monday - Thursday: 8:30am -10pm| Friday: 8:30am - 11pm Saturday: 9am - 11pm | Sunday: 11am - 10pm

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Experience. Create. Explore with us. For over twenty years, Duke University has brought world-class performers to campus, the Durham community, and beyond. Experience music, dance, theater, visual and literary arts with Duke Arts Presents—and as a Duke student, enjoy $10 tickets!

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Mo Amer Tue, Sep 22

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Trailblazing comedian Mo Amer brings his sharp, deeply-personal stand-up to Durham to help kick off the Duke Arts Presents season.