Rooney is one of three undergraduate Young Trustee finalists. The other finalists are Max Schreiber and Jamal Edwards.
In his Young Trustee campaign, senior Wills Rooney is emphasizing his variety of experiences as a representative of the student body in athletics, religious life, academic life as well as social engagement.
A Program II major, Rooney plans to pursue a one-year master's degree in theology at Maynooth University in Ireland through the George J. Mitchell Scholarship, which he was awarded in November. Rooney's major, entitled “Markets, Society and Personalism," incorporates aspects of economics, political science, history and theology. He has served as director of the Duke Catholic Center Lecture Series and on The Chronicle's editorial board, in addition to being a current Chronicle columnist.
“I am a very thoughtful and introspective person that thinks about every issue very seriously,” Rooney said. “Duke is not just a research university. Students should come first.”
Rooney has proposed a more integrated curriculum as well as potential core classes that would weave together "philosophy, literature, history, the arts and the methods of the hard sciences," according to his Young Trustee campaign website. Other proposals include greater interactions between faculty and the University's "spiritual centers" as well as more service projects for students.
Connel Fullenkamp, professor of the practice of economics, noted that he has known Rooney since his freshman year. He described Rooney as a determined individual who has overcome setbacks to continually push forward.
“He cares deeply about the mission of the University to help everyone here reach their human potential,” Fullenkamp wrote in an email. “Wills will do an outstanding job of being the voice of Duke undergraduates on the Board of Trustees—and I'm confident that he will have real influence on the other Board members because of his strong communication skills and his persistence.”
Sophomore Soren Chargois, who has worked with Rooney at the Catholic Center, said Rooney is truly caring, humble, intelligent and has the ability to balance many different aspects of his life.
“Wills is the kind of leader Duke needs right now—someone who understands the student body personally and from several different aspects, not just one organization or student group,” Chargois wrote in an email.
Rooney said that his experience on The Chronicle's editorial board has also prepared him for the Young Trustee position. He noted that the editorial board and the Trustees discuss very similar issues and that he is conscious of the multiple perspectives students have on those issues.
He also mentioned that his vision is for a Duke that is more connected through an integrated student social experience.
“Education should be purposeful and more integrated,” he said, referencing a disconnect between academics and culture at Duke.
“Wills Rooney has really made the most of his time at Duke,” Fullenkamp wrote. "I think these experiences have helped Wills build a solid understanding of Duke as it is today, and given him a vision of what it can become."
Correction: Rooney's first quote was updated to note that he said he is thoughtful and introspective. A previous version of this article incorrectly quoted him as saying that he is thoughtful and insightful. The Chronicle regrets the error.
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Class of 2019
Editor-in-chief 2017-18,
Local and national news department head 2016-17
Born in Hyderabad, India, Likhitha Butchireddygari moved to Baltimore at a young age. She is pursuing a Program II major entitled "Digital Democracy and Data" about the future of the American democracy.