Most students agree, Nan Keohane's presidency is a tough act to follow. However, many said they were optimistic that president-elect Richard Brodhead will prove up to the challenge.
Brodhead, dean of Yale College and the A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of English at Yale University, was selected to assume Duke's presidency after Keohane steps down July 1. Among the hallmarks of Keohane's tenure are the creation of the Duke University Health System, the establishment of the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative and the reorganization of undergraduate life to place all first-year students on East Campus. Most recently, she saw the conclusion of a capital campaign that raised over $2.26 billion for the University.
"It's going to be kind of hard to top Nan," sophomore Chasity Lomax said.
The two students who served on the Presidential Search Committee spoke highly of Brodhead.
"He has so many good qualities," senior Devon Macwilliam said. "I'm very proud to be someone to welcome him to my peers."
Biology graduate student Lou D'Amico concurred. "I think the thing that really strikes you is that he cares so deeply for student education," he said. "Not just the undergraduate education, because it's clear he has excelled at that at Yale, but also that education that impacts graduate and professional students."
Others agreed. "It's tough to top Nan's legacy," conceded Campus Council President Anthony Vitarelli. "But without having to focus on fundraising, I think he can really enjoy working on the undergraduate experience. His experience is an enormous asset."
Students grappled to compare Keohane and Brodhead in terms of each's experience in undergraduate education. "Nan did a lot for undergraduates," freshman Karen Burns said. "I guess I am pretty optimistic."
Many students recognized that Brodhead may be in for a few surprises when he leaves Yale and comes south to Duke, a relatively young institution that is nevertheless compared to its Ivy League peers on a regular basis.
"A lot of kids here have Ivy League envy," Burns said. "I guess that maybe there's a different atmosphere at Duke than the Ivy League. [Brodhead] might find Duke a little more laid back, a more relaxed atmosphere."
While others debated Brodhead's potential or Keohane's achievements, others seemed to be most amused by one of the president-elect's more unique qualities.
"I like his name," senior Jordan Kramer said. "It's going to be very useful for the student comics and the Monday, Monday column."
Editor's Note: A version of these articles originally appeared on The Chronicle's website Dec. 12, the day the hiring of President-elect Brodhead was announced.
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