Class Decider

We asked upper-classmen for their can't miss classes:

Riyanka Ganguly, Class of 2018 DSG President - Poli Sci and Pre-Med

  • Race, Genomics and Society, Charmaine Royal. I took this class when it was in the Global Health focus cluster and it was a great introduction to thinking about race critically through the lens of questioning the scientific basis of race.

  • Political Communication, Sunshine Hillygus. This class opened my eyes to political media manipulation and we actually discussed Cambridge Analytica at length before it made national headlines. I also did my favorite project of Duke so far on minority candidates and the need to change your birth name as a form of white political assimilation.

  • Bio 202, John Willis. He is a hilarious teacher and the TAs are dedicated to helping students learn. We also discuss evolution at length and I found it useful to scientifically be able to explain the evidence we have for evolution, especially at a time when the political nature of the conversation on evolution muddies the scientific evidence.

  • Racial Injustice in US and South Africa, Karin Shapiro. She is a phenomenal teacher and I took her class the semester that Trump was elected so it was especially interesting to discuss race in different country contexts.


Brian Buhr, Class of 2019. DUU President. Public Policy

  • What’s Up Durham (PUBPOL 290) — Bob Korstad

  • Authentic Leadership (PUBPOL 298) — Bill Eacho

  • The Republican Party (PUBPOL 490S) — Marty Morris

  • I thought I wanted to be a doctor until this semester when I dropped the pre-med course load. As a result, I’m just starting to delve into courses that truly interest me. My top 3 are all Public Policy courses. Professor Bob Korstad’s class on Durham is a fantastic way for any Duke student to better understand the city we live in. In two of my current courses, Professors Bill Eacho and Marty Morris have encouraged me to look internally and think about myself in-relation to the world around me. I think self-reflection is pretty valuable to any Duke student, and I’ve appreciated the chance to think critically in that manner.


Ainsley Gill, Class of 2018. Varsity Field Hockey. Sociology.

  • Social Psych of Business- Everyone loves it.

  • Death and Dying with Dr. Deborah Gold- Dr. Gold is awesome. Any of her classes are great.

  • Professor Jenifer Hamil-Luker- She’s a must-have professor.

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