Younger than most other prestigious U.S. research universities, Duke University consistently ranks among the very best. Duke’s undergraduate program and its graduate and professional schools — in business, divinity, engineering, the environment, law, medicine, nursing and public policy — are among the leaders in their field. The Duke University Health System integrates patient care with the clinical, training and research programs of the Duke University Health System, Duke University School of Medicine and Duke University School of Nursing. Duke University Hospital is the flagship of the broader Health System, which also includes two community hospitals (Durham Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital) and more than 200 ambulatory care clinics. The Duke University Health System is consistently ranked as one of the top academic medical centers in the world.
As part of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Duke Athletics fields teams in 26 NCAA Division I varsity sports. Both men’s and women’s teams have earned league and division championships in team sports, and have produced a number of Olympic athletes, including some who will compete in Brazil this summer.
Under President Brodhead, who took office in July 2004, the university transformed undergraduate education with new opportunities for internships, faculty-mentored research and academic collaborations such as Duke Engage and Bass Connections, as well as changes in housing and student life. In a thriving athletics program, the Blue Devils have won national championships in men’s basketball, lacrosse and soccer, and women’s golf and tennis during President Brodhead’s tenure.
Brodhead also led a renewal of Duke’s physical campus, initiating more than $1 billion in construction and renovation projects that preserved iconic campus buildings and strengthened teaching and research space across the university.
In addition, Duke’s culture of interdisciplinary research and teaching expanded with the successful launch of new initiatives in global health, health policy and other fields, and international outreach became a major strategic priority, leading to the creation of Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore and Duke Kunshan University in Kunshan, China.