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GLS eNews September 17, 2021

GLS Biweekly Update - September 17, 2021

Please note: the GLS staff currently are working a hybrid schedule. Email and phone (GLS main number - 919-684-3222) remain the best way to reach us.

We've been busy getting GLS House spruced up after working remotely for so long, but Anne plans to host porch sitting sessions with current students on Monday afternoons in the near future. Keep your eye out for an email announcement and signup.

GLS Welcomes New Students

We are so pleased to welcome 27 new students to campus this fall, including four students who matriculated last spring. Please read on and see what a varied and interesting group has joined the GLS community.

Donna Boyd

I am very happy and excited to be enrolled in the MALS program here at Duke. I have worked at Duke since my one son was 8 months old and he is now 23 and starting grad school at UNC-CH at the same time! I am currently working in the Provost's Office in Faculty Affairs, and have worked with faculty a majority of my Duke career. I am excited to work with them as a student. 

Donna Boyd

Scott Boylan

Originally from Bakersfield, California, I am a recent graduate from Brown University, where I received a Bachelors degree in Business Entrepreneurship and played Division I college football. During my time at Brown, I met my wife Gabrielle, who I married in May 2021. While pursuing my degree in Graduate Liberal Studies, I will also be playing football for Duke. I plan to focus my studies particularly on the connections between virtue ethics and psychology, as well as some general Christian/Catholic theology. Some hobbies of mine are hunting, fly fishing, and playing basketball. After graduation, I am considering pursuing a career in Catholic academia.

Scott Boylan

Harriet Carlton

Hello! My name is Harriet. I have a background in Foreign Languages and Literatures: German, English, and world literature. My primary interests in these fields are turn of the century pieces, as I think the change of culture and human perception of the world are incredibly interesting. Outside of school, I love to write, and I'm an avid horse rider. I currently work as a receptionist in a dermatologist's office.

Harriet Carlton

Echo Chen

Hi guys! I studied mathematics as an undergraduate and worked in real estate fund for a quite long time. If you are interested in China or me, come to me right away. At the same time, I enjoy cooking and baking very much. I can't wait to spend some memorable time here with all of you.

Echo Chen

Lacie Chen

I come from Changsha, a city in southern China. I completed my undergraduate degree in English in China University of Geosciences last year and enrolled in GLS this spring. During this time, I worked as a part-time writer and translator. I am very interested in literature, especially modernist literature, for they could show me new possibilities in terms of writing. Meanwhile, I'm often amazed by how all-encompassing are the literary works I've read, which makes me interested in exploring as many other subjects as I can and I'm thrilled that GLS offers us this chance!

Lacie Chen

Walker Goff

I am a genuine philosopher interested in "truth," whatever that might be. I studied in a traditional philosophical environment with a concern mostly for analytic inquiry. After completing my undergraduate education, I obtained a master's degree in business administration. While I utterly hate business, I am happy at least that it provided a good background to understand the work of Karl Marx. I am in this program in preparation to apply for a PhD in Literature, with a focus in Critical Theory, studying (hopefully) under either Fredric Jameson or Walter Mignolo. I am fascinated by the following scholars and artists: Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Schopenhauer, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Marx, Georges Bataille, Jacques Lacan, Nick Land, Slavoj Zizek, Ludwig Wittgenstein, David Lewis

Walker Goff

Tatiana Gonzalez Buonomo

I am a yoga instructor who enjoys reading feminist literature/theory, cats, and chai. I love morning & spending time with my family in Puerto Rico.

Tatiana

Gonzalez Buonomo

Alissa Goode

I am a graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Design Studies. I eventually want to be part of an industry; that is creative, research-driven, and where innovations are used to solve the most pressing issues that our society faces today. And look forward to pursuing a Masters degree in the Graduate Liberal Studies program.

Alissa Goode

Nancy Pond Halula

Hello, I'm Nancy. I graduated from Duke with a BS in Computer Science and Economics. After working for a few years in market analytics, I pivoted and went to law school at the University of Florida. Upon graduation, I worked for a large law firm in Miami, FL and then in-house for a large national bank. I now have my own small law firm and work part-time specializing in estates and trusts/tax law which allows me to use my math/analytical background while at the same time developing close relationships with my clients. The work is incredibly interesting and rewarding because it gives me the opportunity to help clients navigate difficult life transitions and assist them with planning for and settling their family's unique business interests (e.g., thoroughbred horses, timber farms, stock concentrations). My husband, whom I met in law school, is also an attorney, specializing in real estate-related financial transactions. (Makes for interesting dinner conversations.... hmmmm....) We live in Key Biscayne, FL, a small island community just off Miami. We have two children - a daughter who is working on her Masters of Public Health at UNC/Chapel Hill and a son who just graduated from Boston College - and 3 inside and 2 outside rescue cats. My current passions include reading, running half marathons with my running cohort, travel, live music, theater, boating, snorkeling/scuba diving, hiking, snow skiing, the mountains, watching sports (my daughter played college softball) and, especially, spending time with my extended family (many of whom live in NC) and friends. Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Nancy Pond Halula

EK Hayes

Hi! My name is EK, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I just moved here to Durham from Alabama. I graduated from Birmingham-Southern College this past May with a B.A. in History. I'm a United Methodist pastor's kid, so I grew up all over Alabama. My main area of historical interest is the interwar period in both the U.S. and Europe. I spent a semester studying abroad in Prague right before the pandemic hit, so I have a soft spot for Czech and Central European history as well. I'm a classically trained pianist, and I love combining my two passions in my academic work. I've spent hours reading, writing, and discussing musicians like Bob Dylan, Bessie Smith, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Gertrude "Ma" Rainey with my professors and fellow students. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I've worked on campus at Birmingham-Southern and in my local United Methodist church to build safe spaces for queer people of all ages where they can learn queer history, share their stories, and ask questions without fear of judgment. Outside of academics, I spend much of my time playing music, holding Netflix parties with my friends outside of North Carolina, and playing with my cat, Umbra.

EK Hayes

Kevin Hodges

Hello, my name is Kevin Hodges. I am a football coach, currently working on staff here at Duke as a Graduate Assistant coach. I am married with a two year old son. I graduated from University of Maryland Global Campus and previously served 10 years in the US Navy and worked within the intelligence community. I enjoy all things sports, art and history/culture and look forward to growing and learning within the GLS program.

Kevin Hodges

Chujun Huang

This is Chujun Huang from Mainland China. I lived in Beijing for 25 years in my life, first in a traditional courtyard house with a large family, and later moved to separate apartments with my parents. I went to Beijing No.4 High School, then the Peking University, which might be reckoned as a symbol of "good students" here. I complete my BA program in Historic Architecture and an MFA program in Creative Writing. I worked full time in the film studio of Wen Jiang, a famous director in my country, for more than a year as a scriptwriter. I also wrote my own scripts and had them staged in theaters. As I see it, applying for the Duke GLS program is about having a new opportunity to think and read, also an improvement in my career as a writer. During my life, study and work, I found that my city had changed a lot with time. Old scenes disappeared, new immigrants entered the city from all over the country, and the status has sharply changed in all industries. The situation of my family also shifted rapidly with the political and economic changes, as is the case for many individuals in the country. There is a strong conflict of interest between various groups of people, fighting for their own life, while time unceasingly moved forward. I am willing to find a precise way to describe people's will to live, and create innovative art works.

Chujun Huang

Liam Kahn

I'm from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and did my undergraduate studies at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. I majored in marketing and, while at Butler, found interests in the subjects of supply chain, business law, and sports management. Sports have always played a large role in my life, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play baseball when I arrived at Butler. However, my junior year I was recruited to join the track and field program and quit baseball. After COVID-19 cancelled my senior year, I came to Duke for the MMS program and to join the track and field team. The GLS program has given me the opportunity to continue my education in addition to continuing my collegiate track and field career.

Liam Kahn

Anahad Kaur

I am from India. I hold an undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts and Humanities, majoring in Psychology and Environmental Studies. I also hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Research and Innovation. Following my interests, I started working with an Organization called Startup JGU as their Entrepreneur Development Associate. I love exploring various cultures and learning about different perspectives people have. 

Anahad Kaur

Doris Li

My name is Li Yutong (Doris). I come from Jilin province in the northeastern part of China. I earned my bachelor degree of arts major in Chinese linguistics and literature. At that time, I have had an interest in liberal studies. One of my favorite authors is Italo Calvino. I especially like The Complete Cosmicomics. In the future, I hope I can have a deeper understanding of his works.

Doris Li

Echo Ling

Living in an era when the new media industry is developing with burgeoning speed, I have always been passionate about experiencing all the new things enabled by the rapid growing of technology. Especially in recent years in China - the rise of live-streaming and short videos, the upsurge of "we-media" dominated by the public, and the popularity of Weibo as a real-time information platform have all piqued and sustained my interest in communication and encourage me to delve into how new media has shaped our lives. I am particularly interested in the social impact of media, such as how does the live-streaming change people's consumptive habits as well as the topics people talk to friends. Through graduate education, I plan to gain a deeper understanding of communication by furthering my new media experience from an academic approach.

Echo Ling

Sam Maksud

I'm a recent graduate of Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. I love football and have worked for Baylor's team for four years and will be continuing that here at Duke. I've never lived outside of Texas beside my short study abroad trip where I live in Rome, Italy for 3 months, but was concealed due to the outbreak of covid. I'm pretty outgoing and love to meet new people. I'm excited to start my new adventure at Duke and can't wait to meet everyone. 

Sam Maksud

Cam Mulé

Hi, my name is Cameron Mulé and I am from Long Island. I majored in Sociology at Duke for my undergraduate degree. I am currently playing my 5th year for Duke Mens Lacrosse. My interests are playing lacrosse, spending time at the beach on Long Island and hanging with my teammates. My previous education has made me extremely interested in health care, Sociology and History. I also have an interest in the Business of Sports, after working for Creative Arts Agency last summer. 

Cameron Mulé

Eva Nunnink

My name is Eva and I am from the Netherlands. I've done my bachelor's degree in Econometrics at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. After that I moved to Durham to do the Master of Management at Fuqua and play on the field hockey team at Duke!

Eva Nunnink

Garrett Raynor

Hi, my name is Garrett! I live in Raleigh and I'm originally from Upstate New York. I lived up there until 2009, whereupon I moved down here to N.C. with my family. Despite my origins, I do not really see myself as a Yankee. From that point onwards I was a little uncertain about school and going on to college, as I struggled in math all throughout grade school. However, I always did extremely well in the social sciences, and deep down I always knew in my gut that I had to learn more about history (which, is my favorite subject) and go to Duke. I just recently graduated from Elizabeth City State University with my B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies. Before that, I earned my A.A. from Wake Technical Community College, in 2019. I work part-time at a grocery store (albeit given the hours I work, it is almost like a full-time job) and during my free time, I enjoy historical documentaries, and especially the more fringe, outer reaches of history that do not often get talked about or even mentioned in the classroom. And if I'm not working nor studying, you might find me walking my four dogs, or perhaps in a chair firmly planted in the sand at the beach. After this program, I plan on applying to Duke's doctoral program in History, and other programs offered at other universities.  I'm excited to see what unfolds in this program, and equally as much excited to learn more about history, and the various people I will meet here at Duke!

Garrett Raynor

Joe Robertson

Hi! My name is Joe Robertson and I am from Moneta, Virginia. I did my undergrad at Duke University and am an avid sports fan. I enjoy hanging with friends, working out, and anything to do with new technology!

Joe Robertson

Felix Wang

I am currently on the most exciting part of of my life, by making the decision to leave Japan for the United States. It is a good thing never to settle, though. Speaking about myself, I am the kind of guy interested in almost everything and can wait to try new types of stuff; in other words, never settle. I played saxophone for six years, then Basson for more than ten years, with pauses, of course :). Fun fact, I brought Japan my bassoon six years ago (but I could not find places to practice then), and I am bringing him with me to the United States. Besides those, I basically know a little bit about everything because, as I said, I am interested in new kinds of stuff- unfortunately, at most of the time, I could seem to be a little bit shallow, for I do not really dip into those things deeply enough. There is a lot about me, but It is hard to describe it all in a small response so that I will end here :).

Felix Wang

Melody Wei

I was born in Mainland China, and came to the states at the age of 13 for high school education. I completed both my high school and college in the Northwest. 9th grade was in Seattle, and the next three years were spent in Friday Harbor, a very small town even further up north. After that, I returned to Seattle for college. I majored in anthropology of globalization at the University of Washington. I am enthusiastic about traveling. Before the pandemic, I traveled a lot with my family, especially my mom. To me, it is important to see the world not only through textbooks, but also experiencing different cultures and humanities by actually stepping on the land of the unknown. And these experiences have given me the multicultural background that I'm really proud of. I'm attending our program in order to prepare myself for future education, and I believe that interdisciplinary research skills would be something that become really helpful in the fields that I'm interested in -- gender studies, female rights, and history, particularly East Asian history. 

Melody Wei

Nick Williams

My name is Nick Williams and I am one of the women's lacrosse coaches here at Duke. I am going into my third season with the team and always wanted to be a part of the Duke community. The chance to learn from these great professors was something I just couldn't pass up. Looking forward to a great semester.  

Nick Williams

Di Xu

Hello, I'm Di Xu. I'm an international student who comes from Sichuan, China. I studied at Rutgers University and majored in Criminal Justice when I was an undergraduate student. I also minored in Geography. I like doing crafts, listening to music and traveling. I also love the foods in my hometown, such as hotpot and various kinds of noodles. I have some work experience in a law firm and two companies as a intern. During the internships, I learned some practice in the law firm and in the court. As an intern in the other two companies, I learned about the work in enterprise propaganda and the work in the department of human resources. As for the academic goal, I hope I can use the methods and knowledge I learned in GLS, my one life experience and thinking skills to compose my research paper.

Di Xu

Janet Yie

Hi! I am Janet. I got my bachelor's degree at the beginning of COVID in the United States. After returning to China, I spent a semester time to work as a K-12 art class assistant in AIAN (Access International Academy Ningbo). Previously, I was more focused on the education aspect; and currently, I am trying to explore new fields, like film studies. In my leisure time, I love to practice Chinese classical dance, swim and do yoga. I feel excited about the reason for coming back to the U.S. - joining GLS.

Janet Yu

GLS IS HIRING! Though we know we'll never find another Dink, we are now ready to move forward with filling her position. We need a tech-savvy, friendly, warm person - ideally someone who loves liberal arts and is interested in lots of things. Humanities-friendly folks a plus! Please share this with your networks and let us know if you are referring someone in particular that we should look at. A detailed job description is posted on the Duke HR site. The job requisition number is 153848.

Professional Development for Master's Students

The Graduate School offers several professional developments workshops specifically designed for master's students throughout the semester. Coming up on Tuesday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 22: Leveraging Your Strengths: A CliftonStrength Workshop. Visit the TGS website for details and registration.

An optional RCR workshop will also be offered on September 21. Remember that all master's students must complete one additional RCR training beyond the one completed at orientation. Click here for more information.

Visit the TGS website to see all professional development workshops and resources for master's students.

Register Now for AGLSP Online Conference

Duke GLS is a long-standing member of the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs. This year's annual conference will be held in a virtual format October 14-16. Registration for students and alumni is $35. Click here to view the conference schedule.

SPREAD THE WORD! Graduate Liberal Studies holds online information sessions for prospective students every Friday morning at 10 AM EST. These sessions, which last about an hour, are the best way to learn more about the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree at Duke University. GLS staff members are available to discuss degree requirements, the application and admissions process, and more. The deadline to apply for entry in Spring 2022 is October 15. Click here for registration details.

Important Dates for GLS Students

Friday-Sunday, September 24-26 - Founders' Weekend

Friday, October 1 - Master's Project Workshop Session II, noon-2 PM via Zoom

Friday, October 1 - Fall Break begins, 7 PM

Wednesday, October 6 - Classes resume 8:30 AM

Campus Calendars

Check out the links below for events happening across Duke.

Duke Events Calendar

The Graduate School (TGS)

Franklin Humanities Institute (FHI)

Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies (AAHVS)

Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)

Department of English

Department of Gender, Sexuality & Feminists Studies

Department of History

Department of International Comparative Studies (ICS)

Online Resources for Graduate Students

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