GLS Welcomes New Students

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August 18, 2020

We are delighted to welcome eleven new students to the GLS community! Read a bit about our Fall 2020 incoming class below. 

Christine Brown
Christine got her bachelor's degree in English and anthropology at the University of South Florida. After teaching English in China for a year, she began editing scholarly publications, managed two psychology journals, and then worked as an editor and consultant for the Congressional Budget Office. She's now a freelance editor who mostly works on academic manuscripts, policy documents, and government reports (when she's not wrangling her 1-year-old).

Douglass Coleman
I am a single father with two "grown" children, I am Black, I am of mixed heritage, i am cis-male, I was last in class in 1997. I am originally from Los Angeles, where I attended public school as little as humanly possible. I work in a STEM mentoring nonprofit program at the School of Medicine, called BOOST. I love the work I do and the people I work with. I have worked in and around public schools for 30 years. My parents have been political activists since the '50's. I lost my father in January, my father-in-law in June, and several family elders this year, some of them due to COVID-19.

Kelly Davis
Hi! I’m Kelly Davis, a North Carolina native with multi-generational connections to Duke and Durham. I work as a project coordinator with a social science research group here at Duke. We primarily study medical decision making and doctor-patient communication. Through my work, I get to explore fascinating topics like the ethical use of the word “cure” in cancer and HIV populations; how doctors discuss prognosis with parents of critically ill infants; and cost transparency during discussions of treatment options. I love the work and hope that my studies in the GLS program will help to open more doors to further intellectual exploration.

Outside of work, I enjoy undertaking cooking projects with my wife and helping my son build Lego creations. I also volunteer as the Program Director at WXDU, Duke’s campus radio station.

Rob Gfeller
After several years of existential questing, Rob Gfeller is thrilled for the opportunity to attend graduate school at Duke. Though he may be shunned by his college buddies from UNC, the chance to take a variety of courses across the humanities—literature, English, Art History, and philosophy—proved too awesome to resist. Prior to becoming a pseudo-devil, Rob taught high school English, worked in marketing, and guided a few fly-fishing trips. In his free time, Rob likes to hang out with his wife Alex, swim, play tennis, and read.

James Larson
James Larson has a background as a professional violist. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, he played four seasons with The Cleveland Orchestra and performed with the Boston Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony. His many interests include philosophy, science, art, literature, and travelling.

Ashley McKinstry
Ashley McKinstry is excited to be joining the GLS program after working for many years in fundraising for the arts and higher education. She has lived happily in Durham for ten years with her husband and two sons, ages three and six. Ashley majored in English and French in college, studied abroad in Toulouse, France, and taught English for a year in Provence. She is usually busy with work or her family, but when she can, Ashley takes time to run, swim, and read good books.

Olga Richmond
Olga Richmond is a DUS Assistant in Duke’s Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, where she has enjoyed learning about the languages, cultures, customs, art, music, people and cuisines of the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia. She has most recently traveled to Israel and China and hopes to travel to Japan and Korea in the future!

In her spare time, Olga enjoys reading, yoga, cooking, gardening and travel.

Frances Rosseland-Harrison
My name is Frances Rosseland-Harrison, but a lot of my friends call me Franky! I am from Knoxville, Tennessee originally and just completed my undergrad at the University of South Carolina while also playing on the beach volleyball team there. Unfortunately, my senior season was cut short due to COVID-19 but I was still able to graduate with a major in Public Relations and minor in Sport and Entertainment Management! 

I am super excited to be in the MALS program as well as compete on the volleyball team here at Duke! I'd like to consider myself a fairly spontaneous person and always up for an adventure. Some of my favorite things to do are attend concerts or music festivals, paddle boarding or anything to do with the ocean and explore beautiful places to watch the sunset! I'm also really involved with the topic of mental health and was the co-host of a podcast on all things related to mental health during my senior year at South Carolina! I hope to continue opening up the conversation here at Duke and potentially doing research related to mental health during my time in the program. I can't wait to get started!

Lelugnim Tokinai
My name is Lelugnim Tokinai. I am a full student in Graduate Liberal Studies (GLS) master’s program at Duke University. Prior to GLS, I graduated from Lomé University in Togo, West Africa with a bachelor in Anthroplogy (2015). Then, I earned a second BA in Political Science at North Carolina Central University (2020)—where I received the department Chair’s Award for my academic accomplishments. It means my future being a student in GLS program. My interests are politics related to ethnic minorities in the United States and international law. My hope is that one day the findings of my studies will help the people.

Cole Wicker
I'm excited to be joining GLS for the next few years. I graduated from Duke with my BA in Cultural Anthropology in 2018, and immediately joined the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, where I currently serve in the Admissions Officer Capacity. My prospective research interests include Public History, particularly through lenses of Public Land and Foodways. Outside of work and academics, I love spending time outdoors - hiking, kayaking, or anything that gets me outside!

Laura Young
Laura holds a BA (English/Biology) from the University of Virginia, a MPH from Emory University (Behavioral science) and a JD from the University of Minnesota Law School where she specialized in international human rights. For the past decade, Laura has lived in Kenya and worked across East Africa and the Horn on good governance, human rights, and social cohesion. Laura's interests during her GLS study include the history and impacts of international development in Africa, ethics in cross-cultural research, and innovation in interdisciplinary research methodologies. When not with her husband and dog in Nairobi, Laura spends time enjoying the Triangle's hiking and biking trails with her son.