Dr. Michael (Mike) Hunnicutt

T’80, PhD’84, P’15
Graduate Board of Visitors (2012 – 2018)
Duke Alumni Board (2022 – current)
Duke was my ‘dream school. I never gave any thought to what it meant to my parents that I would be attending university. My undergraduate years were a struggle; I learned the meaning of resilience. My passion for chemistry, a few very special faculty, and a dean ultimately led to a B.S. in Chemistry. My father proudly attended graduation; he grew up on the ‘other side of Durham. My undergraduate research advisor encouraged me to pursue a graduate degree but I could not afford to continue school. He took me under his wing and forever changed my life’s trajectory. I left Durham in 1984 with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. My career in industry was with Procter & Gamble and Pfizer. In 2011, I left to teach and mentor students at Virginia Commonwealth University in tribute to my undergraduate research advisor and my parents.