Meet the 2024 Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Young Trustee finalists

<p>Clockwise from left: Annie Cui, Drew Greene, Rickard Stureborg and Christopher Kilner.</p>

Clockwise from left: Annie Cui, Drew Greene, Rickard Stureborg and Christopher Kilner.

Seniors Annie Cui and Drew Greene are this year's selected undergraduate finalists, while Christopher Kilner and Rickard Stureborg are this year's selected Graduate/Professional Young Trustee finalists.

Young Trustees are selected to be on the Board of Trustees for two or three years and must “demonstrate an ability to think broadly about the university.” There were 25 total undergraduate applicants and 48 total graduate applicants this year, according to Margaret Epps, secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the Duke president.

The open meeting for undergraduates to meet their respective Young Trustee finalists is scheduled for March 19 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m in the Holsti-Anderson Family Assembly Room in Rubenstein Library. 

The Chronicle interviewed each of the finalists about their background and what they hope to bring to the role.

Annie Cui

20240225 Annie Cui Young Trustees Amy Zhang 10

A senior from Melbourne, Australia majoring in public policy and economics with a minor in psychology, Annie Cui hopes to draw on her experience as an international student and her extensive campus involvement to represent the diverse perspectives of the Duke community.

Drew Greene

20240228 Drew Greene Ugrad Young Trustees Amy Zhang 11

A senior from Richmond, Virginia majoring in public policy and minoring in education and inequality studies, Drew Greene hopes to bring his love and knowledge of higher education to hold Duke accountable for its commitment to its institutional values, leveraging his passion for uplifting higher education.

Christopher Kilner

Christopher Kilner.png

Christopher Kilner, Graduate School ‘23 and a current research scientist for Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, hopes to help the Board of Trustees herald a new century by focusing on climate solutions and innovative technology.

Rickard Stureborg

20240229 Rickard Stureborg Grad Young Trustee Finalist Amy Zhang 11

Rickard Stureborg, a final-year doctoral candidate in computer science, hopes to bring his diverse experiences and ability to bridge communities to the Board of Trustees.

Young Trustee selection process

The nominating committee for the Young Trustee is selected by the secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the Duke president, currently Margaret Epps. This practice started in 2021.

In prior Young Trustee election cycles, A screening committee evaluated applications for the position on behalf of the Graduate and Professional Student Council, and GPSC’s General Assembly chose among several finalists.

Both the Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Young Trustee selection process underwent very similar revisions in 2021 in order to “increase awareness and understanding of the Young Trustee position, enhance transparency to ensure fairness and inclusion, and align with best practices in board governance for private universities,” Epps told The Chronicle in 2021.

Discussion

Share and discuss “Meet the 2024 Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Young Trustee finalists” on social media.