Interdisciplinary Spirit
Duke University Office of Interdisciplinary Programs | Spring 2026
Provost Alec Gallimore calls interdisciplinarity Duke’s “superpower.” Tackling today’s most compelling intellectual puzzles and societal challenges requires perspectives from across disciplines and interaction with partners beyond campus. Boundary-crossing research, teaching and community-engaged scholarship animates activity across all of Duke’s schools. “Duke has created a truly robust interdisciplinary ecosystem,” says Ed Balleisen, senior vice provost for interdisciplinary programs and initiatives. “Interdisciplinary research, education and engagement depend on a range of practical institutional supports that might not be immediately obvious but are essential … and these supports only matter because incredibly talented and committed people take advantage of them.” We invite you to get a taste of Duke’s vibrant interdisciplinary spirit by exploring the stories in this new magazine. Read more from Balleisen in a Q&A.
Discovering a Love of Teaching
Undergraduate Jasmin Riley weaves psychology, education, documentary arts and research to craft an interdisciplinary path focused on educational equity. Her ultimate goal is to “train the next generation of educators.” See how she’s customizing her education
Games Get Serious
A new interdisciplinary graduate course is redefining not only how game designers think about the games they produce, but also how medical professionals think about gaming. This fall, the course partnered students with clinicians at Duke Health to design training prototypes. Explore their projects
Real Clients, Real Challenges
When Wendy Gu entered the Executive MBA program, she was already an accomplished scientist working in research and development. What she didn’t yet know was whether a career in consulting might be the right next step. Learn how the Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum helped launch a new career path
“I joined the faculty at Duke because of its culture of interdisciplinary collaboration. As a psychologist studying autism, I’ve teamed up with computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians and pediatricians to create innovative autism screening tools and therapies. Duke’s spirit of working across disciplines is special!” –Geraldine Dawson, William Cleland Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry
“Plus” Programs Add Up to Research-Intensive Summer
Last summer, nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate students took part in interdisciplinary research projects through Data+, History+, Climate+, Arts+ and five other “plus” programs, working alongside other teams on campus. See what student teams worked on
Small Seed Grants, Big Impact
Many Duke faculty have used strategic investments from the Provost’s Intellectual Community Planning Grants program to launch interdisciplinary collaborations that later attracted major external funding, created new academic programs and shaped public policy. Check out five examples
Undergraduate Research Leads to Promising Startup
Megan Christy’s work with a Bass Connections team led her from eye-tracking studies with football players to Sinai Biodesign and now to developing a device to revolutionize aspiration — the removal of blood or particles from a patient’s airways. Read about her journey
Deriving Meaning From an Immersive Summer
“It was humbling to realize how small my impact could feel,” reflected undergraduate Deborah Lendore after working in the Refugee Rights Unit at the University of Cape Town. “But even then, I learned that care and commitment still mattered.” Read DukeEngage reflections
Bass Connections is a university-wide academic program that supports collaborative, interdisciplinary research. This year, 72 year-long project teams explored big unanswered questions about major societal challenges, engaging 174 faculty and staff, 152 graduate and professional students and 557 undergraduates. More than two-thirds of teams included external partners.
New Interdisciplinary Hubs
Three faculty-led projects received multiyear grants for community-engaged scholarship. Topics include critical minerals, rural health equity and a new model for medical discovery. These hubs are an important mechanism for enabling exceptionally promising projects to take the next leap forward.
A Community-Centered Path in Marine Science
Ph.D. student Dana Grieco’s path in marine science and conservation is guided by listening — to fishers, coastal communities and those whose livelihoods are shaped by a changing ocean. Learn how a community-engaged fellowship supported her endeavors
Building Better Robots — and Better Teams
Professor Siobhan Oca designs collaborative project-based courses that build confidence, creativity and real-world engineering skills. An interdisciplinary faculty fellows program helped Oca hone her approach. Read about her robotics courses
University Institutes, Initiatives & Centers
The university institutes, initiatives and centers complement the widespread interdisciplinarity found in every school at Duke. They serve as crucial incubators of innovations in research, teaching and community engagement.
Explore a sampling of stories to learn more.
Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
Franklin Humanities Institute
Duke Global Health Institute
Kenan Institute for Ethics
Margolis Institute for Health Policy
Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability
Social Science Research Institute
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Rhodes Information Initiative at Duke
Duke Initiative for Science & Society
Duke Center for Documentary Studies
