In the fall of 2020, Zoë Macomber, Charlie Colasurdo, and Lindsay Hu launched the Duke Initiative Urban Studies (DIUS) out of a shared interest in cities, and the bold aspiration for Duke University to become a leading hub for education, research, and engagement in our urban future. In the four years since our founding, we’ve expanded our executive team, developed a strategic plan for growing urban studies programs at Duke, met with dozens of administrators and faculty, launched a student organization, taught seven semesters of our house course “Urban Studies 101”, and catalyzed peer interest through an active on-campus and social media presence.
