Grace Williams (designer)
Grace Williams is a multimedia artist whose artwork centers the narratives of individuals of diverse backgrounds, with the intention of honoring the stories and reclaiming space for the stories of those who have paved the way for society. Specializing in portrait creation, her storytelling-style of portraits aims to venerate her subjects and bring joy and healing to the viewers and spaces her art occupies. Hailing from a small town Springfield, Arkansas, she currently resides and studies at Duke University in North Carolina, completing a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and a certification in Spanish proficiency on the pre-law track. Through her executive roles in her campus’ Black Art Collective and Black Women’s Union, she is actively working to expand spaces and opportunities for diverse voices in art and on Duke’s campus. Her work in her community and artwork are a direct manifestation of her statement of purpose, which states, “I want my artwork to look like human liberation. Black liberation. Female liberation. I want to show us as we should be, can be, and will be.”
Keena Gao (mural director and painter)
Keena is a mechanical engineering student interested in renewable energy and startups. She is from Lexington, Massachusetts and enjoys crocheting, painting and dancing in her free time. She is involved in community-work through directing Durham Community Incubator, a microgranting dinner for local entrepreneurs whose mission is to provide access to capital for early-stage entrepreneurs in Durham. She believes that diversity and representation of different backgrounds in engineering and business is incredibly important to foster creativity and innovation, better decision-making, and open-mindedness for our communities. She began this project in Spring 2022 because she hoped that creating a physical manifestation of diversity in engineering would help students feel like they belonged in the community and spearhead conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion in the Pratt School of Engineering. She hopes that this website, the mural and the video can inspire more progress in the Duke School of Engineering and encourage collaboration in pursuit of an inclusive and vibrant community in Pratt. Keena graduates in May of 2024.
Alexa Bolin Santiago (painter and collaborator)
Alexa is a biomedical engineering student who is also pursuing a theater minor. She is from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, and is really passionate about using her degree to help underserved communities by creating more equitable healthcare, starting with reproductive and mental health. Given her background in theater and engineering, this project was a very exciting opportunity as it combined both sides of her education. Alexa hopes that, through this mural, other Hispanic women and minorities feel like they see a familiar face on their way to class, and that this brief interaction with a face that resembles their own sets them on a path of curiosity and empowerment. Duke has come a very long way since her freshman year with the increased focus on DEIC efforts in Pratt, and she is very excited for what the future generations of blue devils will bring. Alexa graduates in December of 2023 and will be moving onto her role as a Resource Manager at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Tarrytown, NY, where she will be missing Duke dearly.
