Center announces director

John Howard, director of faculty recruitment for The National Faculty in Atlanta, will serve as the first full-time director of the Center for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Life, said Maureen Cullins, dean of campus community development.

Robin Buhrke, co-chair of the search committee, said that Howard was selected from a field of many highly qualified applicants. She added that Howard demonstrated a rare combination of skills that made him the ideal candidate. "[Howard] is a solid scholar in lesbian, gay and bisexual areas and has a history of administrative responsibility," she said.

Howard, 34, said he first found out about the job opening from his friend on the faculty at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Soon after, he received several other messages from other friends and quickly came to realize that the job was a perfect fit. "It was as if someone said, 'Let's write a position description for John Howard,'" he said.

Howard said his 10 years of non-profit administration experience has prepared him for the new post. He added that throughout those years, he has been involved with a broad range of activist organizations, including Queer Nation and the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power.

While pursuing his doctorate in American Studies from Emory University, Howard said he worked to set up a number of oral history programs in Atlanta that focus on lesbian and gay people as well as those living with HIV or AIDS. In addition, Howard has spent a good deal of time working with the Atlanta City Council on gay rights issues.

Howard said that his goal at the University will be to empower members of the campus community to bring about change. "I want to enable students to both initiate and lead programs and activities on Duke's campus that are focused on both Duke and larger audiences," he said.

One of Howard's first major challenges, Buhrke said, will be to learn the politics of the University. "He'll have to get his finger on the pulse of the campus," she said, "and that's not always a consistent pulse."

Howard said he realizes the learning curve is going to be steep when he arrives, but that he welcomes the challenge of a new atmosphere. "I think that I am going to be more on the front lines here," he said, "but I'm looking forward to it."