2026 OneDuke Career Conference
Connected at the Core: Rebuilding, Reconnecting, and Reimagining our Work Together
Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 8:15 am – 1:30 pm
Kirby Reading Room at The Fuqua School of Business
The OneDuke Conference is an annual conference where the career services professionals from
across Duke University gather for a day of professional development and networking.
Parking will be available by request in the Science Drive Parking Garage. Please visit the Venue & Parking page for more information.
The workshop on May 21 will be held at The Fuqua School of Business, located on Duke’s West Campus, in the Kirby Reading Room. Please view the Venue & Parking page for more information. Accordion Content
No supplies are required for the conference. However, if you’d like to take notes, feel free to bring a notebook, laptop, tablet, or another electronic device.
Casual attire is highly encouraged! We’d love to see you represent your school, your career center, or Duke, but it is completely optional.
Accordion Content
Lunch: Lunch will be catered by The Picnic Basket and served in the Commons Area at Duke Law School. Following the conference closing remarks, attendees will be dismissed and invited to make their way over to the Law School for lunch and continued networking.
Please note that the cost for external participants (those who do not register as part of a Duke career center) will be charged $75 to attend.
Keynote Speaker
The Science of Bite-sized Well-being During Uncertain Times: Evidence, Practice, and Resources to Share Presented by Bryan Sexton
Bryan Sexton is the Chief Wellness Officer of Duke Health Integrated Practice and Director of the Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science. After 30 years as a psychologist, psychometrician and investigator, he now works with leaders to assess and improve culture and work-force well-being.
Bryan has conducted and published large studies and randomized controlled trials showing how to cause enduring improvements in the well-being of our workforce. He has authored over 100 peer reviewed publications, and his research instruments and well-being interventions have been translated and used in over 30 countries.
A perpetually recovering father of four, he enjoys running, using hand tools on wood, pickleball with friends, and hearing particularly good explanations of extremely complicated topics.
Group Sessions
Group Sessions
Global Career Advising 101 – Supporting Students Beyond the U.S. Job Market with Hal Matthews – E165A Kirby Reading Room
As more students explore careers beyond the United States, advisors are increasingly navigating questions that extend outside traditional U.S.-focused advising models. This interactive, all-attendee session introduces a high-level framework for supporting students interested in working abroad.
Participants will engage in guided discussion and shared activities to explore how to assess student goals, evaluate readiness, and address key practical considerations—without needing deep expertise in specific countries or job markets. The session will also highlight current global career trends, emerging regions of interest, and a range of pathways students can pursue to build international careers.
By the end of the session, attendees will walk away with a flexible advising approach, practical examples, and resources they can immediately apply when supporting students seeking opportunities outside the U.S.
How to Collaborate when Every Career is a Climate Career with Allison Besch and Bryan Koen – E165A Kirby Reading Room
As part of the Duke Climate Commitment, the university has prioritized building a coordinated, campus-wide approach to engaging diverse stakeholders in advancing climate-focused initiatives. While the vision is ambitious, the real impact lies in how this work is implemented in practice.
This interactive group session will highlight the development of the Climate Careers Collaborative—a voluntary, cross-campus partnership designed to broaden access to climate-related career opportunities for students. Session leaders will share how the collaborative was formed, how it operates across teams, and the strategies used to reach wider student and career center audiences.
All attendees will actively participate in discussion and reflection, offering feedback, asking questions, and exploring how similar collaborative models might be adapted within their own contexts. The session aims to spark ideas, strengthen connections, and inspire future cross-campus partnerships across the OneDuke community.
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent Sessions I
Beyond the Appointment: Reimagining the Work with Ashley Nagy – E168 General Motors Classroom
Students are stepping into a constantly evolving world and job market. We’re witnessing AI reshaping careers and the search process in real time, students are arriving with bigger questions and carrying heavier loads, and traditional approaches are ripe for a creative refresh. This roundtable discussion is a low-pressure (but high-energy!) conversation for career professionals across roles and teams who are ready to think boldly. Guided by a series of questions designed to inspire honest reflection, big-picture thinking, and some productive imagination, we’ll explore the spirit of this year’s theme together. Come ready to share, listen, and leave with at least one idea worth bringing back to your team.
From Graduation to Lifelong Connection: Leveraging Alumni as Career Development Partners with Amanda Chamberlain – E170 Formica Classroom
This roundtable will bring together career service professionals to brainstorm and share practical strategies for connecting students with alumni and identifying meaningful ways alumni can support career development efforts. Participants will leave with ideas, models, and next steps for strengthening alumni partnerships across units.
Pronouncing Names from Around the World with Angus Bowers and Melissa Damann – E180 Connally Classroom
This training is designed to help participants understand the importance of name pronunciation and overcoming self-consciousness when attempting to say names from different languages, cultures, and heritages. Participants will learn tips for working with names from Chinese, Indian, Latine, and US backgrounds and will have opportunities to practice with encouragement and coaching.
Concurrent Sessions II
GenAI Assistants – Tinkering, Findings, Works-in-Progress, and Failures with Cameo Hartz – E170 Formica Classroom
As generative AI continues to evolve, professionals are increasingly experimenting with how these tools can support their work and daily lives. This session offers a collaborative space to explore emerging practices, share early findings, and reflect on both successes and challenges in using AI “behind the scenes.”
Participants are invited to engage in an open exchange of ideas—highlighting practical applications, discussing works in progress, and examining what hasn’t worked. Through shared curiosity and dialogue, attendees will gain new perspectives, ask questions, and learn from one another’s experiences navigating this rapidly changing landscape.
Navigating Freaking First Times: Building Resilience in Uncertain Times with Teri de Leon – E180 Connally Classroom
In times of rapid change and uncertainty, many of us find ourselves facing “firsts” we feel unprepared for—new roles, unfamiliar challenges, and evolving expectations. Inspired by Brené Brown’s podcast on “Freaking First Times,” this session explores how individuals can better navigate discomfort, build resilience, and develop practical strategies for managing uncertainty.
Participants are encouraged—but not required—to listen to the podcast in advance to enrich the discussion. The session may take the form of an interactive roundtable or a brief presentation introducing the core concepts, followed by guided conversation and shared reflection.
Staying in the Room: How Adults Can Support Growth When Belonging Feels at Risk with Natalia Silva Harwood – E168 General Motors Classroom
Many students and early‑career professionals sense they are not fully developing the skills needed for long‑term success, yet face strong pressures to prioritize appearing productive over becoming competent. In academic and workplace settings, this often shows up as “doing just enough to look busy”—a strategy that protects approval and belonging but limits growth. This presentation explores how technology‑driven efficiency norms, peer dynamics, and adult assumptions shape these patterns. It argues that faculty, supervisors, and mentors play a critical role in supporting development by pairing clear expectations with assurance that struggle does not threaten belonging, helping young adults prioritize meaningful competence and prepare for the next stage of professional life.
Conference Schedule
8:15 – 8:45 | Registration, Light Breakfast, and Networking— Kirby Reading Room
8:50 – 9:00 | Opening Remarks— Kirby Reading Room
9:00 – 9:30 | Keynote with Bryan Sexton— Kirby Reading Room
9:30 – 10:30 | Group Sessions— Kirby Reading Room
10:30 – 10:45 | Break
10:45 – 11:30 | Concurrent Sessions I — Breakout Rooms
11:30 – 11:35 | Break
11:35 – 12:20 | Concurrent Sessions II — Breakout Rooms
12:20 – 1:30 | Closing Remarks and Lunch — Kirby Reading Room
