As dean and vice provost for undergraduate education, Steve Nowicki is responsible for leading all aspects of undergraduate life. The Chronicle spoke with him about his vacation dreams, social media tendencies and his lava lamp.
What kind of pets do you have?
We have a cat and a turtle. The turtle is named Dottie. The cat is named Tortellini.
What’s the last book that you read?
I haven’t quite finished it yet, but I’m almost done with a book called "Hamilton" by Ron Chernow. I was inspired to read it by all of the buzz around "Hamilton" the musical, and it’s a fabulous book. I knew nothing about Alexander Hamilton’s life, and he is a really interesting guy.
If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
There is a long list of places I might go. Right now, I would go to St. Petersburg, Russia. It is a city created by Peter the Great. It’s kind of an old European city that this Russian czar just built out of a marshland. It’s supposed to be fabulously interesting with great history and museums, and of course, Russia is a very complicated place right now, so I think it would be interesting to spend some time there.
What's your best memory from a Duke basketball game?
The Sean Dockery half-court shot from half-court against Virginia Tech [in 2005]. I just remember time stood still as everybody saw him put that up. It was a great play. You could see it arching and as it got closer, you could see—it’s gonna go in! And it did, and it was fabulous. There are many others, but that was a great shot.
What's your theme song?
The 1st movement of Mahler’s 5th Symphony. I was a music major in college and played brass instruments even though I became a biologist. That is a fabulous piece for people who play brass instruments. I studied classical music, then I fell out of love with classical music for a long time, then I kind of fell back in love with classical music. It was Mahler’s 5th Symphony that made me say, "I do still love this." If you listen to it, you can understand.
What's your favorite TV show at the moment?
I’ve been watching "Orphan Black," and that is a fascinating show.
What’s the most interesting thing in your office right now?
I have two offices. In my biology faculty office, the tanned hide of the face of a musk ox that a student gave to me. They found it being given away by the Museum of Natural History, and they gave it to me. In my dean’s office, I have a fabulous lava lamp. I should put it in a more prominent place!
What social media platforms do you use? Are you on Snapchat?
I am on Snapchat. I don’t use it much though. I spent a lot of time trying to build a Twitter following, and of course, now Twitter is dead. Snapchat is the place I need to be. I do have an Instagram account and a Facebook account.
If you were a student at Duke, what campus club would you join and why?
The Duke University Marching and Pep Band, of course. I play trombone and tuba. I actually do play with the pep band during basketball games. It’s a treat I have and a privilege.
What’s your favorite thing about Duke?
The students. The undergraduates.
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