duke university undergraduate tours

Duke Admissions Tour 4+

Duke university.

• 2.2 • 5 Ratings

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Description.

Self-guided walking tour of Duke University’s campus, designed by the Duke Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Version 1.1

latest improvements and bug fixes

Ratings and Reviews

Inaccurate and unhelpful.

Some of the information in this app is correct. Unfortunately, the address of the West Campus Libraries is not 100 Fuqua Drive. I trusted it and led my family on a 15-minute detour to what turned out to be the the business school. Separate from that, the walking directions (even when the addresses are correct) are very unhelpful. First, it detects your current location and never updates your location until you force-close the app. Then, the list of step-by-step walking directions expects you to know the street names, but most intersections don’t have street signs. I’m starting to think I put more effort into this review than Duke out into this app.

Useful for information, but overall it’s better to just pre-plan your visit

The directions were confusing and I would’ve preferred to just use Apple Maps if that had all the landmarks but the descriptions of each place enhanced my self-guided tour experience as a whole. Just keep this in mind before visiting.

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The developer, Duke University , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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Explore the world with duke, duke travels.

Duke Travels is your destination for excellence in educational travel. Journey along with Duke alumni, parents and friends to fascinating places to learn and connect with Duke faculty and host leaders. Our learning adventures combine enriching itineraries, behind-the-scenes visits and stimulating lectures within the context of safety and sustainability.

Where do you want to travel next with Duke?

Your Questions

To learn more about our travel program or any of our upcoming travels, please contact us at [email protected] or 919-684-2988.

You can also view our list of FAQs here .

Upcoming Travels

All alumni travel.

“A little world within itself,” as Darwin described it, where life-altering encounters with animals—curious, or sublimely indifferent to our presence—happen like nowhere else on earth. Each island is uniquely fascinating and magical. You’ll discover the diverse habitats across this legendary volcanic archipelago aboard our well-equipped expedition ship, the 96-guest National Geographic Endeavour II . We’ll use our onboard fleet of nimble Zodiacs and kayaks for up-close explorations. Gain remarkable insights from our knowledgeable naturalist team.

The Fjords of Norway to the Canals of Holland

Beginning in Tromsø, high above the Arctic Circle in the Land of the Midnight Sun, set off on an exploration of a thousand miles of Norwegian coastline, sailing in and out of the awe-inspiring fjords for which the region is famous.

Tanzania Adventure

From the depths of Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti plains and exotic Zanzibar, your small group encounters the breadth of peaceful Tanzania’s riches on this enthralling 14-day adventure.  Set out on a game drive in beautiful Arusha National Park, then experience Tarangire – renowned for its numerous elephants and iconic baobab trees – during a two-night stay.  Spend two nights in a safari lodge on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO site, descending to the magnificent crater’s floor for an unforgettable game drive.  See Olduvai Gorge, famous for t

Journey through Alaska

Awe-inspiring natural beauty and outdoor adventure await as your small group explores the varied landscapes and noteworthy cities of Alaska on this superlative 11-day journey.  Setting out by deluxe railcar, encounter Denali National Park’s stunning wilderness during a three-night stay.  Hike through the park’s tundra, visit an Iditarod sled dog kennel, and attend a show at the Denali Dinner Theater.  After a scenic flight deep into remote Wrangell-St.

Iceland: Island of Fire and Ice

On a circumnavigation of this endlessly fascinating island, sail into magnificent fjords, walk through volcanic landscapes of lava fields and hot springs, and witness magnificent waterfalls and ice-capped mountains. Encounter the fishermen of Ísafjörður and Grímsey and the artists and artisans of Seyðisfjörður. Marvel at the abundance of birdlife everywhere, but especially on the islands of Grímsey and Heimaey. Experience the almost unearthly geothermal displays at Lake Mývatn and at Krýsuvík.

Toronto to Vancouver by Rail

Experience this once-in-a-lifetime train trip across Canada—a small-group journey (26 guests maximum) from Toronto across the expanse of five provinces, through the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific Northwest. Enjoy upgraded Prestige Class premium accommodations onboard VIA Rail’s The Canadian, providing the perfect combination of modern and elegant cabins, private concierge service, delightful meals prepared by onboard chefs, all-inclusive bar service, and observation cars that allow for unobstructed viewing of Canada’s great wilderness. This is what travel was meant to be.

Visiting International Student Program

• VIS Overview

VIS OVERVIEW

Study at duke university for a semester or a year as a non-degree student.

The Visiting International Student (VIS) Program is an opportunity for foreign-national students enrolled at universities outside the U.S. to study at Duke University for a fall semester or a full academic year. The program is designed for undergraduate students, usually in their second or third year of studies, who have a thorough knowledge of the English language.

Students admitted to the Visiting International Student (VIS) Program may study at Duke for a period of one fall semester or one academic year (two semesters at four months each), but cannot extend the term or transfer into the four-year degree program at Duke.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants should be full-time students of a university or college based outside the U.S.

View  Admissions Requirements

For Duke Kunshan University students interested in studying at Duke, please contact the Duke Kunshan University Global Education Office  [email protected] .

VIS participants join regular Duke University undergraduates in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences or Pratt College of Engineering of Duke University as non-degree students. While at Duke, Visiting International Students are treated as full-time Duke students, taking classes and examinations as home students do.

Visiting International Students may take up to four academic courses, plus one to two non-academic courses (e.g. physical education or house course) per semester.

VIS participants are limited to undergraduate courses and may not take classes in Duke's graduate level professional schools such as Fuqua School of Business, the Law School, the Medical School, etc.

Students will only be able to enroll in university courses taught on the Duke campus in Durham, North Carolina, during the academic year.

More on Credits & Grades

WHY DUKE UNIVERSITY?

Duke University is the fifth largest research university in the United States in research funding. Duke embraces openness in the pursuit of knowledge and welcomes intellectually restless students who use their talents to put ideas to the test. We view education not only as a gateway to personal development, but also as a pathway for improving society.

At the core of our academic programs are our globally-recognized faculty surrounded by an environment of visiting artists, distinguished lecturers, and wide-ranging support services designed to assist your academic pursuits.

Duke Virtual Tour

Explore key university buildings and hear from Duke students about life on campus in this virtual tour with 360-degree photos and videos.

Take the Virtual Tour

Undergraduate Experience

From academics to student activities, from research opportunities to campus support services, there's a lot to discover about what life is like as a Duke undergraduate student.

Duke’s remarkable reputation brought many intellectuals and successful people to campus, and gave me the chance to talk to people I didn't even dream of meeting.”

HOUSING & MEALS

Students admitted to the Undergraduate Visiting International Student Program or as an undergraduate exchange student will be housed on West Campus in double rooms, or suites. Housing will be arranged by university administrators based on preferences indicated by the student once accepted.

Whenever possible, VIS students will be assigned roommates who are not VIS program participants. This gives VIS students a chance to meet local Duke students and better connect to the campus culture.

Housing sign-up: Admitted Visiting International Students will be sent special instructions on how to sign up for university assignments and early move-in. Please do not attempt to sign up for university housing outside of the specific VIS instructions.

Meals Plans

Students in university housing are required to purchase meal plans. Visit dining.duke.edu  for more information.

Overall expenses will vary and depend somewhat upon a student's individual needs, but all VIS students pay standard Duke tuition and fees. 

Review VIS Program Costs

Student Visas

Duke University requires applicants to the Visiting International Student Program to complete a preliminary visa application. The Duke Global Education Office for Undergraduates will facilitate access to Duke's visa application for qualified applicants. Once a student is accepted and committed to Duke's Undergraduate Visiting International Student Program, Duke's Visa Services Office will provide the student with proper documentation to obtain a student visa for study at Duke.

To obtain a visa for study in the United States, a foreign national must furnish their country's United States consulate with proof of their ability to meet educational expenses. The foreign national should not plan to work in the United States since one's ability to pay must be based upon resources available at the time of application. A certificate of eligibility (DS-2019) for a visa application will be issued only to foreign nationals who have been accepted, paid reservation fees, and provided sufficient financial documentation.

Currently, VIS can only obtain the J-1 visa from Duke.  Duke is no longer authorized to sponsor the short term F-1 visa . All Visiting International Students must be sponsored under the J-1 visa category ( https://visaservices.duke.edu/visa-categories/j-1-visa-classification/ ). Incoming students must have at least part of their funding coming from non-family sources (government sponsorship, private scholarship, home institution scholarship, etc.) to qualify for the J-1 visa.

PROGRAM CALENDAR

Virtual International Orientation on Zoom: August, dates to be confirmed Early Move-in Dates: August, dates to be confirmed In-person Orientation Activities: August, dates to be confirmed Start of Fall Semester Classes : August 26, 2024 End of exams (fall semester):  December 16, 2024 Start of spring semester classes:  January 8, 2025 End of exams (spring semester):  May 3, 2025 Move-out date for non-graduating undergraduates: May 4, 2025

CONTACT INFORMATION

The VIS program is fully administered by Duke University's Global Education Office for Undergraduates (GEO), including the application and admissions process.

For questions about admissions, finances, housing, logistics, etc., please contact Valerie Cullen, VIS Program Coordinator. For questions related to academics, please contact the VIS Program Academic Dean.

Valerie Cullen

Geo academic & enrollment services manager.

Liguo Zhang, Ph.D.

Vis program academic dean.

Review Admissions Requirements

You do not need to apply through the Duke Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

I wouldn't be here today without the intellectually inspiring environment I've shared with my fellow students, friends, and teachers at the (Duke) political science department.”

–Timuro Ohloff Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Apply to the VIS Program

Applications are due February 1. For students at Global Partner institutions, applications are due March 1, or by arrangement. See Global Partners if you are unsure about the status of your home university.

Visiting Duke University: A Perfect Day Trip

By: Author Kim

Posted on March 10, 2023

A day trip to visit Duke University’s campus in Durham, NC is a budget-friendly way to enjoy stunning architecture and historical sites that are iconic in North Carolina.

When we were planning a visit to Duke University’s gardens, we had so many questions about visiting the campus as a guest. Could you visit Duke without being a student? Was there any place to eat on campus as a visitor? Was everything on campus within walking distance or would we need to keep changing our parking spaces?

Here are all the answers to planning a campus visit to Duke University, whether as a prospective student or a curious visitor.

Table of Contents

Helpful Tips for Planning a Visit

Keep these helpful tips in mind when planning your itinerary:

• Most of the things to do on this list are free admission, except for the lemur encounter and dining.
• Parking is not free on the campus. You will need to pay metered parking.
• Always check the Duke University website for information about game days or special events, such as graduation, that could impact operating hours of any of these things to do.

Can I Walk Around Duke University Campus?

Yes, you can walk around Duke University as a visitor. The public is allowed to visit Duke at any time of the year.

How Long Does It Take to Walk Around Campus?

There is a lot to do at Duke University as a visitor, but you can probably do it all within 3-4 hours.

If you take a guided tour or enjoy the lemur experience (yes, lemurs!), then you will need to allow more time.

Visiting Duke University is the perfect half-day trip from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill or Greensboro.

How to Get Around on Campus

While Duke University has a sprawling campus, with two separate areas known as West Campus and East Campus, it does not take long to walk among the points of interest for guests.

Everything that you would want to see as a visitor to Duke’s campus is within a very walkable area.

If you have no mobility issues, we suggest parking in one spot and walking to each destination.

For those unable to walk distances, there is parking located near all of the points of interest.

The Duke University public transportation is also available to visitors, as well. These are buses that transport students across campus, and are available for the public, too.

Visitor Center

You can start your day at Duke University at the Karsh Alumni and Visitor Center . The relatively new welcome center was opened in 2019.

The stunning building has architectural details that mimic the rest of the distinctive architecture you will find on campus.

This is where you will meet for guided tours.

Anyone can join a Duke University tour. While the emphasis on the tour will be about academics and lean more towards prospective students, everyone is welcome to sign up. The tours are 1 hour and 15 minutes long.

Duke University tours book up well in advance! If you are planning a visit, be sure to sign up for your tour and reserve a spot beforehand. You can always ask at the Visitor Center if there are any openings for the day if you are a last minute visitor, though.

If you would like a map, a sticker saying that you visited Duke or to ask questions about the campus, this is where to go.

Inside are some tables and chairs, a charging station, a very small snack area for purchasing snacks, and an 8-foot touchscreen wall display where you can learn more about Duke’s notable alumni, history and athletics.

Quite honestly, I found that visiting the Visitor Center was a waste of time and parking fees. While the structure is nice, so are a lot of other buildings on campus. We were hoping for something more, maybe a small museum of artifacts or memorabilia, historical photos….something. What we walked away saying was that the building looks like it was built more for a function space and happens to have some maps and an interactive wall.

Duke Chapel

Can you go inside the Duke Chapel? Yes, you can, and you are encouraged to do so!

Visiting the Duke Chapel was the highlight of our campus tour. If possible, you really must spend some time exploring the interior of this iconic building at the University.

The exterior of the Neo-Gothic-inspired chapel reminds us of historic chapels we have visited throughout Europe. (And we’ve been to a LOT of chapels in Europe!)

Inside, you will be dwarfed by the soaring ceilings and two levels of 77 vibrant stained glass windows telling the stories of the Bible.

There are two organs inside the chapel. A special treat is to visit the chapel while there is an organ rehearsal or recital. You can find an event schedule online, or ask the docent sitting at the desk to the right when you walk in when there is expected to be organ music.

When we went, we happened to start talking to a docent that gave us an impromptu tour that was fascinating. While looking at the chapel from the inside is stunning, the history and unusual facts that you learn during a guided tour make your visit even more memorable.

Such as the fact that the builder of the stained glass windows, who didn’t like doing stained glass for churches, signed his name in the Noah stained glass and was subsequently fired.

Be sure to pick up a map at the front of the chapel for a detailed guide on the windows and interesting facts.

The closest public parking is the Bryan Center Parking Garage.

Be sure to look at the events listing page online before visiting to make sure that the Duke Chapel is open for visitors.

In general, the Duke Chapel is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. University Worship is at 11 a.m. on Sundays, with Choral Evensong at 4 p.m. on Sundays.

The 50-bell Carillon plays at 5 p.m. on weekdays and before and after Sunday service.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens is considered one of the best public gardens on the East coast. There are four distinct garden areas within the 55-acre gardens:

• Doris Duke Center and Gardens
• Historic Gardens
• H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants
• W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum

The gardens are open from 8 a.m. to dusk every day. Dog walking is only allowed before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

Enjoy free admission to the gardens.

The paths are wheelchair and stroller friendly.

Restrooms are available in three areas of the gardens. The bathrooms at the W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum are my favorite for their design style.

A cafe is available from Spring to November and serves lunch and ice cream.

Nasher Museum of Art

This contemporary art museum has a focus on works by artists of African descent. The artwork is bold and conversation-starting.

Enjoy free admission to the Nasher Museum of Art .

It is a very short walk from the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Just go out the main entrance of the gardens, turn right and walk down the sidewalk to the traffic light. At the traffic light, cross the streets and the art museum is located to your right.

A cafe and small bookstore are inside the very modern and spacious building.

University Store

The main University Store is located at Bryan University Center, close to the Duke Chapel.

This two-story gift shop and bookstore has everything you might ever need with the Duke logo on it!

There is so much stuff to buy in this store. Be sure to look downstairs where you will find a Clearance section.

Duke Basketball Museum and Sports Hall of Fame

Located adjacent to the famed Cameron Indoor Stadium where the famed Duke men’s basketball program has games, the Duke Basketball Museum is a fun destination even if you don’t know much about the University’s sports.

We walked around and around this building before we finally found the door! Ha ha! So don’t look for a very celebrated entrance. In fact, we entered the building and wondered if we were supposed to be there.

Once inside, you will be mesmerized by the wealth of sports memorabilia and game videos playing.

You will enjoy display cases showcasing the highlights of the Duke University athletic system, with a big emphasis on the men’s basketball program and Coach Krzyzewski.

The Museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m .with free admission.

On football game days, the hours are different, so be sure to check the website.

Duke Lemur Center

Surprisingly, the largest collection of lemurs outside of Madagascar is found at Duke University! Strange, but true.

The non-invasive research center conducts research and conservation initiatives.

Visitors can explore the Duke Lemur Center, but only with an advance reservation. Visits can only be conducted in warm weather, which means tours are generally available from late Spring to October.

Where to Eat

There are a variety of places to eat on the Duke University campus. There are also a lot of great places just a 10 minute ride off of campus, too.

Below are some of our favorite choices for where to eat at Duke University.

Terrace Cafe

Enjoy a lovely meal while strolling the Sarah P. Duke Gardens when you have lunch at the Terrace Cafe .

This cafe features menu items from The Picnic Basket catering, including sandwiches, salads and gluten-free items.

Terrace Cafe is closed from mid-November to sometime in early Spring. During our visit in early March, the weather was beautiful but the cafe hadn’t opened yet. Be sure to check Duke University dining website for details on hours if you are visiting in the off-season.

Nasher Museum of Art Cafe

Fresh and local-ingredients salads, sandwiches and shareables can be found on the menu here. Items such as Lemon Linguine, Cobb salad and Braise Short Rib are among the popular dishes. You can enjoy beer, wine or cocktails, as well.

Enjoy a lovely meal on the outside patio at the art museum. There are 125-seats both indoors and outdoors which overlooks the garden and the Claes Oldenburg and Coos van Brugge “Corridor Pin” sculpture.

We suggest dining outside if the weather is nice because the indoor dining can get quite noisy.

The cafe is open very limited hours for lunch and brunch, so be sure to check their website . Dinner is only served on Thursday nights. The cafe is closed on Mondays.

You can make a reservation through OpenTable for the cafe.

Bryan University Center

You can find quick-service food at the Bryan University Center where the University Bookstore is.

Fairview Dining Room or Bull Durham Bar

Located at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club on campus, the popular Fairview Dining Room is a four diamond, four-star restaurant. Afternoon Tea is served at the Inn, or you could enjoy a lighter bite and cocktails in the Bull Durham Bar.

You will need to pay to park wherever you go. Parking is $2 per hour.

There is convenient parking at the Sarah Duke Gardens in two different sections. There is an overflow parking lot just a short walk from the main entrance, as well.

Nasher Art Museum has their own parking lot.

The Visitor Center has parking in front of the building. Apparently the dirt parking lot across from the building offers free parking to guests (according to the student representative that we spoke to at the Visitor Center), however we saw that the parking lot had a Green Zone Permit sign. So I’m not sure about that.

If you park at the Bryan Center Parking Garage, it is right near the bookstore, which is just behind the chapel.

Where to Stay When Visiting Duke University

If you are staying overnight while doing a campus tour, there are plenty of places to stay close to the University campus.

For big spenders and those that want a luxurious overnight stay, there are two hotels on campus located in the same area across from each other.

• JB Duke Hotel is located on campus and offers complimentary transportation to Duke University Medical Center. You will find a restaurant and bar at the contemporary hotel, with free parking in the Science Drive Garage.
• Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club is definitely more luxurious and elegant. It is also a mile from the Duke University Medical Center, with complimentary transportation included. This is where you will find the famed Fairview Dining Room, the Bull Durham Bar and can enjoy afternoon high tea. As well as the 18-hole Duke University Golf Club.

Need something a little less pricey?

There are plenty of hotel brands located 10 minutes or less from the campus. Including many different Hilton and Marriott properties.

A Best Western located near campus was the least expensive lodging we found.

We stayed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Durham/Chapel Hill just a 12 minute drive from the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. This location was in between a Comfort Inn and a Staybridge Suites, with a Springhill Suites and a Home2 Suites by Hilton very close by.

There was a free breakfast and a manager’s reception at night with enough food to make a light dinner. This was included in the price.

The location is surrounded by plenty of restaurants and shopping. You can easily walk to the restaurants.

A day trip to Duke University is a wonderful way to spend the day and learn more about one of the most famous educational institutions in North Carolina. Even if you root for the Tar Heels, you have got to admit that visiting Duke University’s campus offers a fun array of destinations to enjoy and explore.

‘Dodge those questions’: Student tour guides reveal what you won’t hear on a Duke tour

Editor’s Note: The Chronicle elected to grant anonymity to the tour guides interviewed in this piece, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation and losing their jobs. The assigned names in this article are not the individuals’ actual names, nor do they necessarily conform to their gender identities. 

With the 2024 fall semester drawing near, prospective students come to campus to hear about Duke’s academics, extracurricular activities and social culture from the University’s tour guides. 

With the Duke Chapel as a dramatic Gothic backdrop to Duke’s top-tier academics, cutting-edge research and national basketball championships, tour guides have a lot to boast about. They undergo rigorous training to learn helpful information and statistics about the University, though they are also instructed to leave certain details out.

The Chronicle spoke to five tour guides about what they are encouraged — and discouraged — from talking about on tours. Here’s what they had to say:

Greek life, SLGs and QuadEx

Multiple guides said their training discouraged them from discussing the prevalence of Greek life on campus.

Nine fraternities disaffiliated from the University in February 2021 after Duke announced that it would prevent first-years from rushing Greek and non-Greek selective living groups. In November 2021, all eight of Duke’s Panhellenic Council organizations announced that they would disaffiliate from Duke. 

Duke’s Student Affairs website lists one co-ed chapter in its Interfraternity Council , five chapters in the Multicultural Greek Council and seven in the National Panhellenic Council.

Despite the organizations’ disaffiliation, around 60% of surveyed students from the Class of 2026 expressed at least somewhat of an interest in taking part in Greek life, while just over half of those surveyed from the Class of 2025 had a similar opinion. 

“They always tell us to under-emphasize the dominance of frats and sororities on campus,” said Pamela, a tour guide. “We have always had a figure that Greek life is only like 30% of the student body. But despite being 30%, it still dominates more than that.” 

Daniel, another tour guide, mentioned that the figures that admissions have on Greek life might need to be updated, but that such data is not available because of disaffiliation. The Chronicle estimated in January 2023 that around 23.2% of Duke undergraduates are affiliated with a Greek organization . 

Pamela believes that Greek life is “the most outward-facing social aspect of campus” and “dominates a lot of other clubs” since those in Greek life often help others in their sororities or fraternities gain admission into other organizations. 

“I don’t want to tell prospective students that there's no Greek parties or that there's not a problem with exclusivity because that's just a false representation,” explained Mercy, another tour guide. 

In another effort to de-emphasize their influence on campus, guides who are affiliated with a Greek life organization or SLG are not allowed to discuss their affiliation or wear clothing related to these groups on their tours, Daniel added.

“Our tour guides do not focus on Greek life or SLGs during tours because QuadEx is Duke’s residential model,” undergraduate admissions officer Chloe Dodds, Pratt ‘22, wrote in an email to The Chronicle. “Tour guides do answer questions about the social life and the role of SLGs and Greek life in general when asked.”

“I think [our training] was geared a little bit more to be pro-QuadEx,” Daniel confirmed. 

Daniel mentioned that guides were discouraged from “trash[ing] the school” when QuadEx rolled out , despite many students reacting negatively to the change. 

According to Mercy, the tour guides are encouraged to emphasize how the QuadEx model is similar to other peer universities.

“They don't say to say Harvard or Yale or whatever, but I think they think it looks prestigious,” she said.

However, Turner, another tour guide, said that he believes the bias against Greek life has lessened over time, as tour guide training transitioned to new leadership. 

Kim Taylor appointed Duke’s vice president and general counsel

Mary frances luce named interim dean of fuqua school of business, ‘i can do this job’: president joe biden hosts campaign rally in raleigh after poor showing in first presidential debate.

“When I was a freshman [in 2021], it was anti-Greek life, so you couldn't mention anything relating to Greek life or SLGs. You just had to dodge those questions, the way the other guides explained,” Turner said. “But now, if someone asks a question like ‘What does Greek life look like on campus?’ you’re allowed to give them an honest opinion.” 

Personal admissions stories 

Although tour guides are often asked how they got into Duke, they are trained to direct these questions to Undergraduate Admissions rather than answer them from personal experience. 

“You can’t mention where else you applied, how you did on tests, what APs you took, pretty much no admissions tips or statistics about yourself,” Alex said. 

Turner explained that during training, guides are even encouraged to give students false information about themselves to avoid answering questions that make them uncomfortable. 

“They taught us you could tell them any story, and they would believe it,” Turner said. “So, for example, let’s say you were on the RD waitlist, and then you got off the waitlist. You could say ‘Oh, I was an ED student’ because that would just stop the questions.”

According to Dodds, this rule exists to prevent prospective students from “[using] anecdotes from someone else’s process — especially that of a current student — to estimate their own chance of admission.”

This rule also bars guides from discussing how affirmative action has affected Duke’s admissions policies. The current admissions cycle is the first since the US Supreme Court’s decision to end race-based affirmative action . The consequences of the ruling on the demographics of Duke’s student body and admissions policies have yet to be aggregated.

Mentioning other universities

Tour guides cannot mention other schools like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or North Carolina State University to keep the focus on Duke and avoid inadvertently criticizing other universities. 

Pamela explained that tour guides do not compare Duke to other universities and that they expect that other universities will do the same. 

“UNC is not gonna be like, ‘We're better at Duke on this front.’ They can't say that. It's a respect thing,” she said. 

Mercy added that guides cannot say anything about other schools, even if it’s just a light-hearted “Go to Hell, Carolina!” 

However, Turner said that some guides find ways to “beat around the bush” by comparing aspects of other colleges to Duke, such as likening the Bryan Center to other universities’ student centers.

‘Difficult questions’  

Tour guide training also teaches guides to dodge questions related to drinking and partying. 

“If people [ask], ‘Do people drink on campus?’ You can be like, ‘Duke has a vibrant social community,’” Alex joked. 

“You can say there's things to do off campus, but that's about it, like [going to] different restaurants,” Pamela said. “I guess you wouldn't be in trouble for saying, ‘Oh, there's bars if you're 21 and up,’ but you shouldn't mention Devine’s or Shooters specifically.” 

Daniel noted that guides are trained to avoid the phrase “work hard, play hard” to describe Duke's social scene. 

Another example of a “difficult question” that tour guides mentioned was sexual assault. According to 2018 data from a Duke Student Experiences Survey, 47.8% of undergraduate women and 13.5% of undergraduate men experienced sexual assault since enrolling at Duke.

Although tour guides are technically allowed to discuss sexual assault at Duke, multiple guides believe that offering statistics about this problem would be discouraged by their higher-ups. 

According to Pamela, admissions expects student tour guides to say that “sexual assault is an issue common across every college campus — that includes Duke — and there's many initiatives on campus to solve it.”

Daniel believes sexual assault is one of the “biggest problems” with Duke’s institutions, but it would be discouraged to speak about the issue on a tour. 

However, since tour guide training only covers some instances of what questions to dodge, some tour guides opt to address these issues during their tours if prospective students ask for information.

Dodds confirmed that guides are not required to mention sexual assault, but can provide information about safety resources on campus such as the Duke University Police and the blue light system.  

Still, Turner believes that not mentioning sexual assault rates during tours unless prompted may be a harmful omission and tour guide training should consider making it mandatory to discuss the Women’s Center in addition to general wellness resources. 

Perspectives on Durham

Daniel believes that tour guides are encouraged to discuss Durham in a positive light rather than “[illustrating] it as this dangerous, scary place,” a perspective that he believes is unfair but common among prospective and current Duke students. 

Alex says that training leaders emphasize not calling Durham “specifically the word ‘sketchy.’”

However, Turner shares his honest opinion on tours because he thinks people already tend to believe that some areas of Durham are dangerous, so what he says would not necessarily taint their opinion of the city. 

“I'll tell them that the public transportation isn't that great, and I’ll tell them that there are some areas of the city that you probably don't want to go to alone at night,” he said. 

Turner admitted that the way tour guides are trained to portray Durham may not paint an accurate picture. 

“You are skewing things because you're omitting stuff,” he said. 

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Zoe Spicer is a Trinity senior and an enterprise editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.

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Film room: Kon Knueppel brings shooting ability, physicality to men's basketball roster

Duke in the nwsl: former blue devils ramp up production as season progresses.

Visiting College Students

Term 1: May 17 – June 29

Term 2: July 3 – August 13

Duke University ranks as one of the leading universities in the world for academic programs, medicine and research. We invite you to make Duke part of your story if you are a:

• U.S. citizen who is currently enrolled (and in good standing) OR who holds a degree from an accredited college or university; 
• An international student who is currently enrolled (and in good standing) OR who holds a degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world;
• A degree candidate at an area university who would like to enroll under the Interinstitutional Agreement .

If you intend to transfer academic credit to your home university, you should discuss credit transfer policies with an academic advisor or the appropriate office at your home institution.

Academic records for Visiting College Students are discontinued at the end of Summer Session. Individuals may not continue their enrollment into fall semester.

For more information, please contact [email protected] .  

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A Century of Excellence: One School, Four Missions, 100 Years

How the School of Medicine Grew from a Visionary Philanthropist's Dream into a Premier Academic Medical Institution

When James B. Duke signed the indenture of trust on December 11, 1924, that created The Duke Endowment and transformed Trinity College into Duke University, he expressed his wish that the new university would include a school of medicine. He hastened that eventuality by bequeathing $4 million for “erecting and equipping at Duke University a Medical School, Hospital and Nurses Home.”

His immediate goal was to improve access to quality health care in North Carolina. Privately, he told friends he wanted to see Duke become the best medical institution between Baltimore and New Orleans. Guided by founding Dean Wilburt Cornell Davison, MD, and a long procession of exceptional leaders, the School of Medicine rose in prominence with breathtaking rapidity. It has sustained and expanded that distinction during the ensuing decades.

Over the past 100 years, Duke has grown from a visionary philanthropist’s dream to the position it now holds as one of the world’s premier academic health institutions. The School of Medicine’s story is one of excellence and innovation in health professions education, world-class patient care, biomedical research, and community partnership.

These four missions have brought James B. Duke’s vision to life in ways he could never have imagined. They overlap, reinforce, and support each other in a virtuous cycle that simultaneously teaches and trains, improves outcomes, advances science, and engages the community.

“The integration of the missions is where the magic happens in academic health care,” said Dean Mary E. Klotman, MD ,  executive vice president for health affairs at Duke University. “It’s what makes a place like Duke so important to the overall health care landscape.”

Explore the School of Medicine Historical Timeline

From the beginning, Duke University School of Medicine was, first and foremost, a school .

When it opened in 1930, Duke was the only four-year medical school in the state, and its immediate priority was preparing physicians to meet the need for quality health care across North Carolina.

The school combined a comprehensive basic science curriculum with hands-on clinical experience, setting a high standard for excellence and establishing a tradition of experiential learning that continues today.

The School of Medicine enrolled women from the start, but they made up a small minority of the student population until the last few decades, which have seen a dramatic expansion in the number of women entering medical professions. Women now make up a majority of the student body.

Duke opened during an era of systemic segregation, and it was 1963 before the School of Medicine admitted its first Black student. In the decades since, leaders such as the late Brenda Armstrong, MD, have worked to ensure that exceptional students from all backgrounds have access to Duke’s high-quality education and training.

The school has grown from its initial 70-student MD cohort to a total of almost 2,000 students in nearly 20 health professions degree and certificate programs and 16 biomedical PhD tracks. School of Medicine alumni span the globe, providing first-rate patient care, conducting breakthrough science, leading major institutions, guiding health policy, and improving human health around the world.

From founding dean Wilburt C. Davison, MD, on, the school has continually recruited exceptional teaching faculty, and as the health care landscape grows increasingly complex, Duke has placed a growing emphasis on innovative and interdisciplinary education.

“Health professions education continually transforms as new technologies, scientific advances, and innovative methodologies redefine how we approach teaching and learning,” said Edward Buckley, MD, vice dean for education. “At Duke, we embrace these changes, integrating cutting-edge tools and ideas to enhance our educational practices. But our guiding foundational principle remains learning by doing. We are committed to equipping our students with the skills and knowledge they need to adeptly serve patients, communities, and society.”

Biomedical research began to emerge as a priority in the School of Medicine before its first decade was out.

Funding from corporations and foundations fueled important early studies such as David T. Smith, MD’s work on pellagra and Dr. Joseph and Dorothy Beard’s transformative research on equine encephalomyelitis, which helped establish the viability of killed-virus vaccines.

After World War II, with the expansion of the National Institutes of Health and a procession of visionary leaders at Duke, the School of Medicine grew to become one of the nation’s best and most innovative biomedical research institutions. Now the School of Medicine perennially ranks among the top 10 nationally in research funding by the NIH and boasts a long list of breakthrough discoveries in key fields.

The Beards’ early work heralded a tradition of excellence in immunological science that continues to this day. Duke’s standing as one of the nation’s leading cancer research institutions began with brain tumor research in the 1930s and accelerated when Duke was designated one of the nation’s first Comprehensive Cancer Centers in 1973. Duke researchers have made significant contributions to neuroscience, unraveling the mysteries of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease, created in 1969, remains a pioneering resource that helped establish Duke as a leader in the field and presaged the era of Big Data. The databank spawned the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the world’s largest clinical research institution.

In the 21st century, Duke’s commitment to translation and commercialization facilitates the rapid translation of scientific discoveries from the lab to the clinic, and its culture of interdisciplinary collaboration generates innovative approaches to complex biomedical questions. Researchers in the School of Medicine span the scope of scientific investigation, from basic research that explores the body’s fundamental systems and processes to clinical and translational research that accelerates the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical practice.

Through recent initiatives such as Duke Science and Technology , which has attracted a new wave of scientific stars, and Duke AI Health , which is leading the effective and ethical use of revolutionary new technologies, the School of Medicine is tackling the most vexing challenges in biomedical science.

Patient Care

On Monday, July 21, 1930, the brand-new Duke University Hospital opened its doors to patients.

Seventeen people came in for treatment: five cared for in the outpatient clinic and 12 admitted to the hospital.

That modest pace escalated rapidly. During its first decade, the hospital admitted over 144,000 inpatients and saw nearly half a million outpatient visits.

The acute demand was no surprise: indeed, it was the impetus for building the medical center in the first place. The need to improve health care in North Carolina was what drove the founders to include a hospital and schools of medicine and nursing in their plans for the university.

The degree to which they succeeded is evident in the remarkable growth in scope and impact that have turned a regional hospital into one of the nation’s premier health care institutions.

Every decade has seen bold expansions in Duke’s patient care operations. These include a dramatic growth in physical clinical space, not only on the central medical campus but across North Carolina. They include life-changing programs such as Duke Cancer Institute and the Hudson Eye Center . And they include groundbreaking clinical advances, from revolutionary improvements in surgical safety in the 1930s to an astonishing succession of heart transplant breakthroughs in the early years of the 2020s.

From its modest beginnings, what is now known as the Duke University Health System operates three full-service hospitals providing state-of-the-art care, with over 67,000 inpatient stays and nearly 5 million outpatient visits per year, as well as a broad network of primary and specialty care clinics and other services. Across that comprehensive network, Duke providers put the patient at the forefront of everything they do.

Community Partnership

Until relatively recently, Duke University School of Medicine listed three official core missions: research, education, and patient care. 

After Mary E. Klotman, MD, was appointed dean of the School of Medicine in 2017, she added a fourth: community partnership.

In practice, the School of Medicine has been deeply interwoven with the local community all along. Local residents built the school and university buildings, and they are the heart of the skilled and dedicated staff that powers the Duke Health enterprise. Duke is the largest employer in Durham and the second-largest private employer in North Carolina. Some 85% of Durham residents have received health care at Duke.

Duke’s community engagements include partnerships with schools, churches, community institutions, and individuals. These collaborations promote health and wellness at the grassroots level by providing opportunities for connection, education, and support to individuals and families where they live, work, and play.

The School of Medicine’s community partnerships enrich all the school’s other missions. They help bridge gaps, foster communications, and build trust between the health care system and the people. They help train the next generation of health care professionals; through service-learning programs, volunteer opportunities, and community-based projects, students gain first-hand experience working with diverse populations and addressing social determinants of health. These immersive learning experiences broaden students’ perspectives and cultivate empathy, cultural competence, and a deep commitment to communities.

Most importantly, community partnerships improve health and save lives. In just the last two years, for example, a concerted community-engaged initiative by the Duke Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has brought maternal morbidity in Durham County down by 40%, and by nearly 50% among Black patients.

By elevating community partnership to a core mission, the School of Medicine advances its overall goal of continually creating better ways to conduct research, teach and train, and deliver health care.

Dave Hart is editorial director for Office of Strategic Communications in the Duke University School of Medicine.

Story originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of DukeMed Alumni News.

Duke Engineering Continues Climbing US News and World Report Rankings

Duke Engineering now boasts two top 10 programs, with Environmental Engineering joining Biomedical Engineering, which leads all departments with its #2 ranking

Duke Engineering is home to two top 10 graduate school programs for the first time, as ranked by the U.S. News and World Report . In its newly released list, Duke’s Biomedical Engineering Department rose to #2 in the nation, while its Environmental Engineering program rose to #9. Both rankings are the highest in either program’s history.

All told, all of Duke Engineering’s programs rank among the top 30 in their fields. Duke Engineering overall ranked #23 for its graduate programs, again placing within the top 25, which it has since 2020.

“We can all be very proud of Duke Engineering’s impressive rise in program rankings—credit goes to the creativity, ingenuity and passion of the amazing community of scholars that call Pratt home,” said Jerome P. Lynch , the Vinik Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering. “The rankings also reflect our unyielding commitment to boldly solving pressing societal problems through our education and research excellence.”

These rankings reflect our unyielding commitment to boldly solving pressing societal problems through our education and research excellence. Jerome Lynch Vinik Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University Twitter/X Logo LinkedIn Logo Google Logo

As one of the oldest biomedical engineering departments in the country, the department has long been a leader in the field. Boasting more than 50 faculty members and $39 million in research funding, its historical strengths lie in biomaterials, biomedical imaging and tissue engineering. With new faculty joining the department bringing expertise in machine learning, AI and computational medicine, Duke BME is poised to further expand its pioneering leadership in the field.

On the educational side, Duke’s Biomedical Engineering Department has prioritized practical, hands-on experience through programs like Design Health and Design Fellows , where students work with clinicians, stakeholders and community partners to transform their research and ideas into marketable prototypes.

Duke’s Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering program’s rise into the top 10 can be attributed to several factors, most notably the launch of the Precision Microbiome Engineering Research Center . Called PreMiEr for short and funded by $26 million from the National Science Foundation, the center aims to develop diagnostic tools and engineering approaches that promote building designs for preventing the colonization of harmful bacteria, fungi or viruses while encouraging beneficial microorganisms.

Along with Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke Engineering has also recently launched the Design Climate program , which connects teams of students with industry and community partners to get hands-on experience while solving real-world problems linked to mitigating and adapting to climate change. Duke Engineering also recently launched a Master of Climate and Sustainability Engineering program , which builds expertise beyond traditional engineering subject matter to prepare professionals who are ready to implement nimble solutions for a rapidly changing landscape.

Duke’s Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering programs retained their positions among the top 20 with their peers. Having moved into record-high positions last year, the continued recognition is a reflection of Duke Engineering’s growing footprint in the realms of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, full-stack hardware design and cybersecurity.

Continuing its march toward the top 20 was the Mechanical Engineering program, which rose two places to #23, it’s highest ranking ever. Long recognized for its leadership in aerospace-based computational mechanics and dynamics, the program also now boasts a growing reputation in autonomous systems, robotics and biomechanics.

Some of the biggest movements within Duke Engineering’s programs, meanwhile, came from the Civil Engineering and Materials Engineering programs, which each jumped four places to #27 and #26, respectively. With the continuing shift of civil engineering research trends toward adapting to climate change , Duke Engineering has made major investments and hired new faculty in areas such as carbon sequestration, hydrodynamics and water quality, and smart-city technologies. The materials engineering program, headlined by the Duke Materials Initiative , has continued adding to its known expertise in computational materials, soft matter and materials for green energy technologies.

The Duke Engineering Difference

For Many Urban Residents, It’s Even Hotter Than Their Weather App Says

Statistical model adjusts temperature data and finds urban areas with few weather stations are even hotter than reported

Game Changer

Jamal chats with Ernesto Escobar, Executive Director of the Game Design, Development and Innovation Master’s Program, and founder of Fanaticus XR. They explore the positive impact of video games, debunk misconceptions, and discuss the importance of diversity and inclusivity in gaming.

Lab-Grown Muscles Reveal Mysteries of Rare Muscle Diseases

Muscles grown from stem cells taken from patients with limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2B (LGMD2B) respond positively to potential treatments

EXPERIENCE DUKE

In- person  events.

Campus Tours Led by a student tour guide, our outdoor walking tours allow you to see campus highlights, ask questions, and hear why we love our vibrant community. In the event of severe weather or campus closures, tours could be canceled or delayed. 90 minutes; reservations required. We do not have a waitlist.  Information Session + Campus Tour This two-part event introduces you to the Duke experience. Led by an admissions officer, our 30-minute information session includes an overview of our academic opportunities and student life. You'll also have a chance to ask questions and hear why we love our vibrant community. A 90-minute, student-led campus walking tour will follow.  Reservations required. Engineering Tours Student-led tours of Duke's Pratt School of Engineering are available Monday-Friday. Tours depart from the Nello L. Teer Engineering Building. Reservations required. Self-Guided Walking Tour  When campus tours are full or if you plan to visit campus on your own, we encourage you to take a self-guided walking tour of Duke University's campus. Download the  Duke Admissions Tour  app, which is available for  iPhone  and  Android  users. You may also stop by the Undergraduate Admissions Office to pick up a campus ma p from our outside information box and explore campus at your own pace. Large groups are also encouraged to use the mobile tour app. Duke Kunshan Admissions Visits Those wishing to learn more about Duke's joint-venture university in China may request an add-on visit to the DKU Admissions House while at Duke or attend one of DKU's weekly information sessions .  You can stay updated on the latest policies on Duke's  visitor page Holidays + Breaks (no sessions or tours available) Independence Day:  July 4 Labor Day:  September 2 Thanksgiving Holiday:  November 28 - 29 Christmas Holiday:  December 24 - 25 New Year's Eve:  December 31 Please click the event title located next to the pink box to register.

VIRTUAL EVENTS

Not seeing Duke in person doesn’t mean you can’t experience everything that makes Duke an amazing place to learn, explore, live, and connect. We hope you’ll join us for some or all of our virtual programs. Recording of any Undergraduate Admissions session is prohibited. The University owns the copyright to infor mational materials prepared by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  

•    Admission and Financial Aid at Duke:  June 27 & July 2 •   Blue Devil Student Chat:  July 24 •   Campus Tour:  July 11, 16 •   Information Session:  July 23

Please select a date and click the event title located next to the orange box to register.

An Insider Tour of Duke

Associate Chief Information Officer John Board imparts 46 years of campus knowledge while he helps Office of Information Technology colleagues bond

This story is part of the Forward Together Series .

On the walk from Abele Quad to the TelCom Building on West Campus, John Board told the 25 people trailing behind him to look up.

The stones lining the exterior walls of the elevated walkway connecting Perkins Library with Bostock Library are newer, but match the uneven rocks of deep blues, rich browns, dusty grays and fiery ochre that plaster the more historic buildings surrounding it. It was a purposeful coordination, he said, to the original stones excavated for the construction underway on West Campus in the late 1920s.

Forward Together

Working@Duke shares stories of how individuals, schools, departments and units build a positive culture at Duke.

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After passing through the archway, Board told everyone to look up again.

“Gape in awe,” he said for at least the fourth time on the campus tour in April for team members in the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

The flip side of that same walkway was lined with modern bricks – in the same brown, gray, blue and ochre hues, but seamlessly blending in with the more contemporary architecture of newer buildings that unfolded from that point out from central campus.

“All this time I walked through that portico, I never noticed that,” marveled John Straffin, a Senior Endpoint Security Engineer who has been at Duke for more than 25 years. “That’s wild!”

Board, an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering , has been sharing insider tips like that about Duke’s campus for the past two years in an annual staff tour for OIT colleagues.

What started as a way to welcome new staffers by bringing together employees who primarily work remotely has continued for the sheer popularity of learning more about Duke from one of its most knowledgeable and entertaining employees. 

And it’s also a chance for colleagues who rarely see each other face-to-face to catch up in person.

“During COVID we realize we've hired a whole bunch of new people who have no incentive to ever go to campus, who don’t know what the campus looks like and don’t remember that it's full of students and faculty who really are their customers at the end of the day,” said Board, who joined Duke’s faculty in 1987.

Board, who has also served as Associate Chief Information Officer for OIT since 2007, was the obvious choice to lead the outings.

Aside from a couple years spent at Oxford studying for his doctorate, he’s been at Duke since he earned his undergrad degree as an “ever-popular electrical engineering-French literature double major” in 1981. He boasts that he’s been at Duke so long, he has the second-oldest email address ever created.

That’s 46 years’ worth of knowledge he imparts on every tour. And it’s one reason Veronica Simmons joined the tour for the second time when it was offered again in April.

“I love it,” said the Senior Database Administrator. “Anytime I can get away from my computer is always good.”

Board’s tour started on East Campus with plenty of history about Duke – including its nascent days as a school in Randolph County in 1838 – moved to West Campus and a perusal of the Duke Basketball Museum in Cameron Indoor Stadium, and included a couple OIT-specific interest stops such as a walk past the Student Wellness Center that houses the newest routers on campus. All the while, Board peppered his commentary with wry humor.

Until about a year ago, Teddy Spivey worked zombie hours as a Data Center Analyst for OIT. That meant 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shifts where meeting up with colleagues when the sun was out was nearly impossible.

When he switched to daytime hours, he realized co-worker outings like the OIT tour were important.

“I rarely see anyone. I know the names, but not the faces,” he said. “Events like this are when I can put names to faces.

“I realized there’s a whole different world here.”

It’s one that Spivey might not have seen if not for this entertaining jaunt through campus.

Send story ideas and photos for our Forward Together series by writing  [email protected] .

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2024 Graduate and Professional Student Day Experiences

Graduate and professional student day experiences (for new, incoming students).

As an extension to our Summer Transition Series webinar programs, we are excited to announce immersive, in-person day experiences!

Day Experiences are designed:

• For first-year incoming Graduate and Professional students at Duke University.
• To foster a sense of belonging for graduate and professional students with Duke University in addition to unique academic programs.
• To facilitate a pathway for students to build interdepartmental connections with other graduate and professional students at Duke.

Downtown Scavenger Hunt & Brewery

July 18, 2024

1) A fun, fast-paced scavenger hunt in Downtown Durham.

2) Drinks/appetizers at Fullsteam Brewery

(Hosted by DISC )

Duke Gardens & Nasher Museum

August 6, 2024

DukeArts presents tours of the Nasher Museum and the majestic Duke Gardens. Finish up with lunch and an immersive arts activity.

(Hosted by DukeArts )

Downtown Durham Bulls Baseball Game

August 13, 2024

Join us for a tour of Downtown Durham followed by an exciting Durham Bulls baseball game.

(Hosted by OCCL )

Duke Women’s Soccer Game

Date: To be announced

An event for our women-identifying students. Come cheer on the Women’s Soccer team and begin building connections with your fellow students.

(Hosted by Duke Women’s Center )

Museum of Life & Science Brunch

September 14, 2024

Connect with peers over food and fun at the Museum of Life and Science.

Partners and families are welcome!

(Hosted by GPSS )

Join us for memorable day experiences!

Additional Reads

National coming out day at duke.

Last Wednesday, Duke’s Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD) brought together more than 20 campus and community partners for a celebration of National Coming…

4 Reasons to Apply for Grad/Prof Table Talk

Duke’s Grad/Prof Table Talk program is more than just a meal – it’s a platform for career-enriching conversations between Duke students and faculty. Thanks to the…

10 Questions to Ask Your Table Talk Guest

Duke’s Table Talk program is an unparalleled opportunity for graduate and professional students to have meaningful conversations with faculty, gain insights into their fields, and…

Ocean’s Loss of Oxygen Caused Massive Jurassic Extinction. Could it Happen Again?

DURHAM, N.C. – Researchers have discovered a clue in Italian limestone that helps explain a mass extinction of marine life millions of years ago, and may provide warnings about how oxygen depletion and climate change could impact today’s oceans.

“This event, and events like it, are the best analogs we have in Earth's past for what is to come in the next decades and centuries,” said Michael A. Kipp, an earth and climate science assistant professor at Duke University. Kipp co-authored a study published  June 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that measures oxygen loss in oceans leading to the extinction of marine species 183 million years ago. 

During the Jurassic Period, when marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs thrived, volcanic activity in modern South Africa released an estimated 20,500 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over 500,000 years. This heated the oceans, causing them to lose oxygen.

The result was the suffocation and mass extinction of marine species.

“It’s an analog, but not a perfect one, to predict what will happen to future oxygen loss in oceans from human-made carbon emissions, and the impact that loss will have on marine ecosystems and biodiversity,” said co-author Mariano Remírez, an assistant research professor at George Mason University.

Studying limestone sediment that carries chemicals dating back to the time of the volcanic outburst, researchers were able to estimate the change in oxygen levels in ancient oceans. At one point, oxygen was completely depleted in up to 8% of the ancient global seafloor, an area roughly three times the size of the United States.

Since the Industrial Revolution began in the 18th and 19th centuries, human activity has released CO2 emissions equivalent to 12% of what was released during the Jurassic volcanism.

But Kipp said that today’s rapid rate of atmospheric CO2 release is unprecedented in history, making it hard to predict when another mass extinction might occur or how severe it might be.

“We just don't have anything this severe,” Kipp said.  “We go to the most rapid CO2-emitting events we can in history, and they're still not rapid enough to be a perfect comparison to what we're going through today. We're perturbing the system faster than ever before.”

“We have at least quantified the marine oxygen loss during this event, which will help constrain our predictions of what will happen in the future,” Kipp said.

CITATION: “Carbonate Uranium Isotopes Record Global Expansion of Marine Anoxia During the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event,” Mariano N. Remírez, Geoffrey J. Gilleaudeau, Tian Gan, Michael A. Kipp, François L. H. Tissot, Alan J. Kaufman, Mariano Parente. PNAS, June 24, 2024. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2406032121 

Online: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2406032121

• Michael Kipp

Nicholas School Communications & Marketing

[email protected]

Note: Michael A. Kipp is available for additional comment. [email protected]

Image credit: Mariano Remírez

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